Philomythie or Philomythologie wherein Outlandish Birds, Beasts, and Fishes, are taught to speake true English plainely. By Tho: Scot ... The second edition much inlarged |
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 | Philomythie or Philomythologie |  |
1. IBIS.
Dedicated To the religious Knight Sr Edmvnd Mondeford, and his Lady a true louer of LEARNING.
Knowledge and Grace, are antidotes to you,Who killing Serpents, do not Serpents grow.
Egypt opprest with Serpents, either growing
From slimie NILVS fruitfull ouerflowing,
Or from the enuious bankes of Tyber sent
To tell what farther harme the Romans ment:
Or by the foggy Southern winds brought o're
From sandy Lybia to this fertile shore:
Made Ibis Keeper of their liues and states,
VVho like a watchfull Porter, kept the gates
VVhere this infected Crue did vse to enter:
And (as they came in poysoned troopes) did venter
Manger their sting, and teeth, and venome too,
To swallow th' enuious Aspes with small adoe.
So long shefed, that Egypt now seem'd free,
And scarce a Serpent in the land could see.
“But ouer-feeding hurts, as some men say,
“Though food be good: then surfet soone we may
“By poysoned bits. And Ibis found it true.
So that her glutted gorge shee's forc't to spue;
The noysome stinke where of infected more
Then by these Serpents had bin stung before,
And Ibis selfe (corrupted with the food)
Grew Serpentine, and did more harme then good,
Shee keeps no entrance now, but lets them passe,
And of their faction, and their treason, was
A cunning aider, and a close contriuer;
Al-gate Shee seem'd a diligent, faithfull, diuer
Into their darker holes to search them out:
But truth it was to put them out of doubt,
That Shee their friend, they need not feare a foe,
But might at pleasure through the kingdome goe,
VVhilst all neglected their increase, supposing,
Ibis their trusty warden, had been closing
The lands strong Ports, with skill to keepe these in,
And others out, till all had eaten bin.
But she had other aimes, and vnder hand,
Plac'd Cockatrices all about the land:
And such as these (who kin to serpents were)
Did she make Captains, and to place preferre
Of chiefe command in warre: with hope to bring,
The Basiliske to be th'Egyptian king;
The Basiliske that at the head of Nile,
VVith deadly poyson doth the spring defile.
Thus Ibis faild them, and betraide their trust,
And now or die themselues, or kill they must.
And scarce was't in their choice. Such quick increase
“Hath bad things more then good, in time of peace.
Yet the Egyptians from securer sleepe,
Of foolish pitty, and remisnesse deepe,
Or fond credulity, and easie faith,
At last awak't, whats'euer Ibis faith,
Suspects of fraud, of double-meaning, doubt,
And with quicke search do finde the treason out.
Which Ibis seeing to be past preuention,
Past skill to cloke and couer with inuention:
With malice, enuie, feare, and horror swelling,
And other poyson in her bosome dwelling,
Shee burst asunder, and preuents the paine
Her crime deseru'd, but not the shame and staine:
That the Egyptians left for after times,
To reade and wonder at in these few times.
“Whom nature made good, custome made vniust;
We trusted Ibis, but shee faild our trust.
Let Reason rule, and Reason thus exhorts,
“Make not your will wardon of your Cinque Ports.
From slimie NILVS fruitfull ouerflowing,
Or from the enuious bankes of Tyber sent
To tell what farther harme the Romans ment:
Or by the foggy Southern winds brought o're
From sandy Lybia to this fertile shore:
Made Ibis Keeper of their liues and states,
VVho like a watchfull Porter, kept the gates
VVhere this infected Crue did vse to enter:
And (as they came in poysoned troopes) did venter
Manger their sting, and teeth, and venome too,
To swallow th' enuious Aspes with small adoe.
And scarce a Serpent in the land could see.
“But ouer-feeding hurts, as some men say,
“Though food be good: then surfet soone we may
“By poysoned bits. And Ibis found it true.
So that her glutted gorge shee's forc't to spue;
The noysome stinke where of infected more
Then by these Serpents had bin stung before,
And Ibis selfe (corrupted with the food)
Grew Serpentine, and did more harme then good,
Shee keeps no entrance now, but lets them passe,
And of their faction, and their treason, was
A cunning aider, and a close contriuer;
Al-gate Shee seem'd a diligent, faithfull, diuer
Into their darker holes to search them out:
But truth it was to put them out of doubt,
That Shee their friend, they need not feare a foe,
But might at pleasure through the kingdome goe,
VVhilst all neglected their increase, supposing,
Ibis their trusty warden, had been closing
The lands strong Ports, with skill to keepe these in,
And others out, till all had eaten bin.
But she had other aimes, and vnder hand,
Plac'd Cockatrices all about the land:
And such as these (who kin to serpents were)
Did she make Captains, and to place preferre
Of chiefe command in warre: with hope to bring,
The Basiliske to be th'Egyptian king;
The Basiliske that at the head of Nile,
VVith deadly poyson doth the spring defile.
Thus Ibis faild them, and betraide their trust,
And now or die themselues, or kill they must.
“Hath bad things more then good, in time of peace.
Yet the Egyptians from securer sleepe,
Of foolish pitty, and remisnesse deepe,
Or fond credulity, and easie faith,
At last awak't, whats'euer Ibis faith,
Suspects of fraud, of double-meaning, doubt,
And with quicke search do finde the treason out.
Which Ibis seeing to be past preuention,
Past skill to cloke and couer with inuention:
With malice, enuie, feare, and horror swelling,
And other poyson in her bosome dwelling,
Shee burst asunder, and preuents the paine
Her crime deseru'd, but not the shame and staine:
That the Egyptians left for after times,
To reade and wonder at in these few times.
“Whom nature made good, custome made vniust;
We trusted Ibis, but shee faild our trust.
Let Reason rule, and Reason thus exhorts,
“Make not your will wardon of your Cinque Ports.
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