University of Virginia Library

A Battel between King Oberon and the Pigmies.

King Oberon and the Pigmies Tall and Stout,
Did go to Warr, the Cause was Just no doubt:
For Pigmie King out of his Kingdome brought
His People, and another Kingdome sought;
Like Goths and Vandals they did Range about
With Force, to find another Kingdome out;
At last into the Fairy-Land they went,
For to that Fertil place their Hearts were bent;
This is the place, said they, where Pleasures flow,
And where Delight, like Flow'rs on Banks, doth grow;
Here let us Pitch, and try if Fortune will
Joyn with our Courage, all our Foes to Kill:
Then on they went, and Plunder'd every where;
The Fairies all ran Crying in great fear,
And Fire on all their Beacons placed high,
Which Warning is to give when Danger's nigh;
Whereat King Oberon a great Warr prepar'd,
Which made his Queen and all his Court afear'd;
His Council Grave and Wise he strait did call,
VVhich came with Formal, Busie Faces all;
And every one did Speak their Mind full free,
Disputing much, at last all did agree;
In Warr, said they, 'tis better that we Dye,
Than to be Slaves unto our Enemy:
Then said the King, an Army we must Raise,
In which I'l Dye, said he, or win the Bays:
Strait Officers of all Degrees were made,
To Lead, and Rule, Encourage and Perswade;
And thus they Murster'd all their Army stout,
To meet their Enemy, and to Beat them out:
VVell Arm'd they were, and put in good Array,
Which made them Fight with Courage all that Day;
Their Trumpets were made of small Silver wire,
Calling the Horse to Charge, or to Retire;
These Horses for Warr were Grashoppers large,
On which they Rid, and bravely did Discharge;
Their Saddles were of a Velvet Peach-skin,
Their Bridles were small Strings which Spiders Spin;
Besides, their Stirrups, which their Feet in staid,
Of a green Rush round like a Ring were made;
Targets of little Cockle-shells they had,
And for their Sword serv'd a Rosemary blade;
Their Flags of Colour'd Flow'rs shew'd Gloriously,
And gave sweet several Smells as they did fly:
VVhen they were Armed, as each Curasseer,
In a Beans hull, it bravely did appear;
Their Guns were Pipes of Glass, slender and small,
Their Bullets were round Seeds to Shoot withall;
Of Filbeard-skins their Drums, which they did beat,
Were made, and their Drumsticks of Straws of Wheat;
Their Van, their Rear, their Left Wing and their Right
VVere placed so, as they saw good to Fight;
Their Colours flying, and their Drums when beat,
Their Trumpets sounding, none sought a Retreat;
The Forms and Files, the Pigmies plac'd themselves,
VVere like in Figure unto Mushel-shells,
To peirce through En'mies, and give way to Friends,
Broad was the middl', and Sharp were the two ends.
But Fairies like a half Moon Fought, that so,
VVhen both Ends meet, they might Incircle th'Foe,
VVhere in the midst King Oberon Rid full brave,
For he the Honour of this Day shall have:
This Warriour in an Armour bright and strong,
As fore-most Man, his Souldiers led along;
Then spake He to them in a Temper meek,
These Enemies, said he, our Ruine seek;
Go on all you brave Born and Valiant bred,
And Fight your Enemies till they be Dead;
Let not your Foes with Scorn upbraid your Flight,
But let them see you can with Courage Fight,
And teach them what their Folly Rash hath brought
Upon themselves, when they this Kingdome sought.
But O Vain Princes! which for Glory strive,
And let poor Subjects not in Quiet Live;
Foolish Ambition sets the World on Fire,
VVhich Ruins all to Compass its Desire;
I only Fight, to keep what is my Own,
And not to Rob another Kingly Throne:
But if this Quarrel cann't decided be,
I Hand to Hand will Fight my Enemy;
VVith that he sent an Herauld stout and bold,
And to King Pigmee he this Message told,
VVhich was, King Ob'ron him a Challenge sent,
To save their Men, and much Blood to prevent,
That they two might a Duel Fight alone,
And let both Armies all the while Look on:
Then Laught King Pigmee, What's your King, said he,
That He in Duel hopes to Conquer me?
I came not here a Single Strength to try,
A Kingdome for to Win, or else to Dye;
I Prouder am my Subjects strength to show,
That by Direction they my Skil may know;
Herauld, go back, and tell your King from me,
He'l know my Strength when Pris'ner he shall be:
Then Spake he to his Men with a Voice high,
Here's none, said he, I hope, this Day will Fly;
You know, my Souldiers, we came here to Fight,
Not through Ambition, or through Envy's spight,
But we by Famine, with a Meagre Face,
Were sent about to seek a Fertil place:
Then here's a Land which needs not be Manur'd,
And we are People, not to VVork inur'd;
For we by Nature no great Pains can take,
Nor by out Sweat a Livelihood out make:
For who would Live in Pain, or Grief, or Care,
And always of his Goods would stand in Fear?
VVho Lives in Trouble, is not very Wise,
Since in the Grave there do no Troubles rise,
Then let us Fight ev'n for sweet Pleasures sake,
Or let us Dye, that we no Care may take.
Thus did the King his Souldiers Courage raise,
And in a Speech their Valour highly praise.
Then did they both in Order, Rank, and File
Prepare themselves, each other for to Spoil;
Their Horses stout, whereon they Rid i'th' Field,
Would Dye under their Burden, but not Yield;
In Capriols these Grashoppers did move,
By which their Riders Skil they soon would prove;
Some as an Air, unfit for VVarr, it Slight,
VVhose Motion swift lets not the Rider Fight,
Or take his Turns, advantages to have,
Unless by Leaping high himself to Save;
But they do Err, for in some Case 'tis good,
Though not in all, if truly understood:
VVhat's in the World, that's to all use imploy'd,
But at some Times and Seasons is deny'd?
VVater, and Fire, which are the Life of all,
Can only serve in their due Time and Call;
So some may say, this Air of Horsemanship
Is good, Heaps of Dead Men to Over-leap;
For if they Low do go upon the Ground,
Where both Dead Men, Horses, and Arms lye round,
Or else do lye in Heaps, like as a VVall,
The Horse will stumble with the Man, and fall.
But some, of Manag'd Horses, taught in measure,
Do think they are but only fit for Pleasure,
And not for VVarr, where no use for them is,
As if their Rules did make them go amiss;
But they're mistaken, for like Men they're Taught,
For to Obey their Rider as they ought,
To Stop, to Go, to Leap, to Run, and yet
Obey the Heel, the Hand, the Wand, the Bit;
Beside they're Taught their Passions to abate,
Not to be Resty with Fear, Anger, Hate,
And by Applause great Courage they have got,
That they dare go upon a Canon Shot;
Not that they Senseless into Dangers run,
For Horses Cowardly do Dangers shun,
And are so full of Fears, as they will Shake,
And will not Go, which proves their Hearts do Quake;
Besides, all Airs in Warr are very fit,
As Curvets, Demivoltoes, and Perwicet,
And going Back, and Forward, turning Round,
Side-ways, both High and Low upon the Ground;
Oft they in a Large Circle Compass take,
And then with Art a Lesser Circle make:
But Horses, that Unlearned are this way,
May March strait forth, or in one place may stay;
So Men, when they do Fight, having no Skil,
May Venture Life, but few may chance to Kill;
For 'tis not Blows and Thrusts, which do the Feat,
Or going Forward, or by a Retreat,
Man must the Centre be, his Sword the Line,
His Feet his Compass, with his Strength to joyn;
These are the Arts for Horse, and Men of Warr,
Unless with Stratagems they think to Scare,
Which shews more Wit than Courage in the Field,
So 'tis to Run away, or else to Yield.
But here the Bodies of each Army's Knit
So close, as Skin unto the Flesh doth Sit:
No Stratagems were us'd to have Men Slain,
But they did Fight upon an open Plain;
For those that use slight Stratagems in Warrs,
No Fighters are, but Cruel Murtherers:
Nor is it Bravely done, as some think 'tis,
For every petty Thief has Skil in this;
Nay, Thieves more Courage in their Actions show,
Who, if their Plots do fail, must Dye, they know;
Warriours Designs found out, they do not care,
Because no Hanging for that Act they fear:
They'l say, 'tis Different, thus Foes to use,
For Thieves by their Deceit do Friends abuse;
But 'tis all one, for Cousenage is the Thief,
And of that Order Generals are the Chief;
Fighting's the Souldiers Trade, not to Intrap,
Nor like the Fox, with Craft the Prey t'inwrap,
But Kill, or Pursue, with Swords in their Hands,
Without some Fraud, or any Treach'rous bands;
Just so Fought these Brave, Valiant Cavalliers,
As it by their unhappy End appears;
For they did Joyn, and Feirce together Fight,
Which was to all a Lamentable Sight;
Some lay upon the Ground without a Head,
Others did Gasping lye, but not quite Dead;
Their Groans were heard, and Cries of several Notes,
Some Rutling lay with thick Blood in their Throats;
Here was a Head-piece, there a Corslet thrown,
Bodies so Mangled, that none could be known;
Rivers of Blood, like to a full high Tide,
Or like a Sea, where Shipwrack'd Bodies Dy'd,
And their Laborious Breaths such Mists did raise,
It made a Cloud, which Darkned the Sun's Rays;
With several Noises, that Rebounded far,
Armies of Echoes were heard in the Air;
Here Bodies hid with Smoak, Smother'd, lay Dead,
While formless Sounds were in the Air out-spred:
Thus were they Earnest, and Active in their Fight,
As if to Kill, or Dye, were a Delight;
Here Beasts and Men both in their Blood lay masht,
As if a French Cook them had Minc'd and Hasht,
Or did their Blood unto a Gelly boyl,
That he might make a Boullion of the Spoil;
For Nature's Table several Dishes brings
By her Directions, in Transforming things.
At last the Pigmees found themselves quite Spent,
And of their Warr begun now to Repent,
Which made their King, though Little, yet at length
To call to Oberon King, to try his Strength;
Let's here, said he, our Skil and Fortunes try,
To Conquer one, or both in Graves to Lye;
Content, said Oberon King, though most unjust
You have your Self into my Kingdome thrust,
Yet will I not refuse this Offer bold,
And, if I Live, this Day will Sacred hold;
Then like two Lions, fallen out for Prey,
Encounter'd they, not Yielding any way;
Their bright, sharp Swords, with Motion quick did fly,
Like subtil Lightning in each others Eye;
King Pigmee, he was Strong, two handfulls Tall,
But Oberon King was Low and very Small,
Yet was he Dext'rous in his Skilfull Art,
And by that means struck Pigmee near the Heart,
Whose Blood ran Warm and Trickling down his Side,
That, where he stood, the Grass was Purple Dy'd;
Then Leaning on his Sword, as out of Breath,
Said to King Oberon; I have got my Death,
Grew Faint, then Sinking on the Ground did lye,
Finding his Soul would from his Body fly,
Saying, King Oberon, pray do Mercy show,
And let my Army freely from you go,
And those, that here lye Slain, pray let them have
Just Rights in Burial, and their Bones i'th' Grave,
That their free Souls in quiet Peace may Sleep,
And for this Act the Gods your Fame will keep;
I Care nor Grieve not for my own Sad fall,
But for my Subjects, that are Ruin'd all;
And in a deep fetch'd Sigh, and hollow Groan,
His Soul went forth unto a Place unknown.
When as his Souldiers heard their King was Dead,
Their Hearts did fail, yet none of them there Fled,
But to him Ran like Shuttles in a Loom,
And with their Bodies did his Corps Intomb;
For through their Loyal Breast they Digg'd their Grave,
Because their King a Monument should have;
So all did Dye, no Story yet hath shown,
That ever any Pigmees more were known:
Then did their Wives with Sighs Lament their falls,
And with their Tears did strew their Funerals,
Which Tears did mix with Blood upon the Ground,
Where Rubies since have in the Earth been found;
Their Bodies moist to Vapour Rarified,
And now in Clouds do near the Sun Reside;
When they their Grief unto Remembrance call,
Those Sullen Clouds in Showring Tears do fall;
Their Sighs are Winds, that do Blow here and there,
And all their Bodies now Transformed are.
Unhappy Battel! to Destroy a Race,
That on the Earth deserv'd the Chiefest place;
For they were Valiant, and did Love their King,
Without dispute Obey'd in every thing;
Nature did Pity much their Fortune sad,
They by Her Favour a Remembrance had:
For she their Bones did turn to Marble white,
Of which are Statues Carv'd for Man's delight,
And in some Places are as Gods Ador'd,
Where Superstition Idols doth afford:
But Oberon King there Built a Temple high,
In which he Fortune's Name did Magnifie.