Fovre bookes of Du Bartas I. The Arke, II. Babylon, III. The Colonnyes, IIII. The Columues or Pyllars: In French and English, for the Instrvction and Pleasvre of Svch as Delight in Both Langvages. By William Lisle ... Together with a large Commentary by S. G. S |
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116
But all this other world that Spaine hath new found-out
By floting Delos-like the Westerne Seas about,
And raised now of late from out the tombe of Leath,
And giu'n it (as it were) a liuing by a death;
How was't inhabited? if long agone: how is't
Nor Persians, nor Greeks, nor Romans euer wist,
Or inkling heard thereof, whose euer conquering hosts
Haue spred abroad so farre, and troad so many coasts?
Or if it were of late, how could it swarme so thieke
In euery towne, and haue such workes of stone and bricke,
As passe the tow'rs of Rome, th'antike Egyptian Pyramis,
The King Mausolus tombe, the wals of Queene Semiramis?
By floting Delos-like the Westerne Seas about,
And raised now of late from out the tombe of Leath,
And giu'n it (as it were) a liuing by a death;
How was't inhabited? if long agone: how is't
Nor Persians, nor Greeks, nor Romans euer wist,
Or inkling heard thereof, whose euer conquering hosts
Haue spred abroad so farre, and troad so many coasts?
Or if it were of late, how could it swarme so thieke
In euery towne, and haue such workes of stone and bricke,
As passe the tow'rs of Rome, th'antike Egyptian Pyramis,
The King Mausolus tombe, the wals of Queene Semiramis?
How thinke you then? belike these men fell from the skie
All ready-shap'd, as doe the frogges rebounding frie,
That aft'r a sulty day, about the sun-set houre
Are powred on the meads by some warme Aprill-showre,
And entertouch themselues and swarme amid the dust,
All or'e the gaping clifts that former drought had brust:
Or grew of tender slips and were in earthly lap
(Instead of cradle) nurst, and had for milke the sap:
All ready-shap'd, as doe the frogges rebounding frie,
That aft'r a sulty day, about the sun-set houre
Are powred on the meads by some warme Aprill-showre,
And entertouch themselues and swarme amid the dust,
All or'e the gaping clifts that former drought had brust:
Or grew of tender slips and were in earthly lap
(Instead of cradle) nurst, and had for milke the sap:
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