KOSMOBREVIA[Greek], or the infancy of the world With an Appendix of Gods resting day, Edon Garden; Mans Happiness before, Misery after, his Fall. Whereunto is added, The Praise of Nothing; Divine Ejaculations; The four Ages of the world; The Birth of Christ; Also a Century of Historical Applications; With a Taste of Poetical fictions. Written some years since by N. B.[i.e. Nicholas Billingsley] ... And now published at the request of his Friends |
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 | KOSMOBREVIA[Greek], or the infancy of the world |  |
Now radient Sol his morning beams displaies
Gilding the mountaines with his pregnant raies.
Th'Almighty God, he, who alone is able
T'accomplish all things; furnisheth the Table
Of earths fair parlour, with a sumptuous feast,
Against the coming of some Lordly guest.
The earth, the dam-of all things, forth doth bring
Millions of creatures, ev'ry creeping thing
The earth doth suckle, 'tis the earth doth breed
A world of hungry animals to feed
On her provisions, ev'ry kind of beast
Draws life (as well the greatest as the least)
From her exub'rant breast; seest how the Fawns
Do skip and frisk about the lovely Lawns.
The keen-tusk'd salvage Macedonian Bore:
The greedy Wolf (t'whom Lambs are an ey-sore)
The yoke-fit heifer, and the ubr'ous Cow,
The horse, true drudg, to the laborious plough
The slow pac'd burden-bearing long-ear'd Ass
And bastard Mules do crop the tender grass.
The gen'rous Spaniel, and the faithfull Dog,
The belly-grunting mire-delighting hog.
The Leopard famous for his speckled coat,
The tim'rous Coney and the browsing Goat.
The stinking Pole-Cat, and the mouzing Cat,
Which sees as well by night as day the Rat
That corn-devouring creature, and the Mouse.
That haunts the corners of the statliest house,
The Beaver much esteemed for his skin
Must needs among the traine be railed in.
The Armadilio besieged round
With shells like armour, undermines the ground.
Alternately his sex Hyæna changes,
His eyes assume all colours which as strange is;
Such Dogs as on his shadow light grow dumb:
His feet stick fast whoever sees him come;
Calling the shepherds from their thatched bowers,
He slayes them, and their slautered Corps devours.
The shagie Bear doth fashion out her yong,
By licking them all over with her tongue.
The quick-eyed Linx, his back bespeckled all
Can with his sight impeiree the thickest wall.
The suck-egg Weasil, and the harkning Hare,
(Which litters ev'ry month through out the yeare,)
The hounds deceiveth by her winding flight,
Rests all day (if not rais'd) and tun's all night,
In peacefull warrens, here are fleecy flocks
Of bleating sheep, there lurks the subtil Fox
Loathsome for smell. the little eyeless Moles,
And theevish Pict's lie hid in secret holes.
The bob-taild Squirrel doth a storme foresee,
Seeming to be as weather-wise as we;
The buff whose firm impenetrable skin
Made into sheilds no shafts can enter in.
The truc'lent Panther, and the direfull Tiger,
Devour their captives with undaunted vigor,
The by-corn'd Girass doth the desarts like,
His neck's as long as is a martial Pike.
The Salamander liveth in the flame,
It's extream coldness putteth out the same,
Th'egg-hatcht Chamelion by the ayer is fed
And turne t'all colours except white and red.
The rough Baboone, and Etheopian Ape,
Imitate man are most like men in shape.
'Tis fabled that the Naiades do make
With their loud roarings ev'n th'earth to qkuae.
The thorn-arm'd hedg-hog; for his various amell,
The Ortus famous; and the bunch-backt Camel.
Slow pac'd Ignatus unto these I'le put
It sings six notes fa, sol, la, mi, re, ut.
The scaly Dragon, and the furr'd-coat Ermin,
Locusts, and Catterpilers, such like vermin.
The double-headed Amphisbena, and
Innum'rous insects creep upon the land,
The ven'mous Viper doth her brood devour,
Again the brood, inclosed in the bower
Of their dams wombe; impatient of delay
Break through their sides and so their dams do slay.
The hoarse-resounding Grashoppers in thickets
Do sing abroad; as doth at home the Crickets
Earth breeds all reptils ev'ry kinde of forme
The Glow, the Palmer, and the Canker-worme,
The Toad, (the earths unprofitable clog.)
The hissing Serpent and the croaking Frog.
The saffron-hating Crocodile will run
On those that fly. but the pursuers shun.
The dreadful Basilisk baneful eye doth slay
Whom e're it looks upon, his breath (they say)
His poysnous breath, will taint, nay more, unlock
The firmest Marble, and obdurest rock.
The horny-nos'd Rhinoceros will whet
His horne e're on the Elephant he set.
The Lion next upon the stage I'le bring,
Of men the terror, of all beasts the king.
He cometh ramping, with his eyes bright shining,
Most bravely minded, yet to preys inclining:
The Crowing Cock, the rattling Carr, and fire,
Do terrifie this beast, this beast so dire,
This formidable beast is mild to those
Who doe submit, but cruel to his foes:
Gratefull to those his benefactors are;
Humble to those that humbleness declare.
Gilding the mountaines with his pregnant raies.
Th'Almighty God, he, who alone is able
T'accomplish all things; furnisheth the Table
Of earths fair parlour, with a sumptuous feast,
Against the coming of some Lordly guest.
The earth, the dam-of all things, forth doth bring
Millions of creatures, ev'ry creeping thing
The earth doth suckle, 'tis the earth doth breed
A world of hungry animals to feed
On her provisions, ev'ry kind of beast
Draws life (as well the greatest as the least)
From her exub'rant breast; seest how the Fawns
Do skip and frisk about the lovely Lawns.
39
The greedy Wolf (t'whom Lambs are an ey-sore)
The yoke-fit heifer, and the ubr'ous Cow,
The horse, true drudg, to the laborious plough
The slow pac'd burden-bearing long-ear'd Ass
And bastard Mules do crop the tender grass.
The gen'rous Spaniel, and the faithfull Dog,
The belly-grunting mire-delighting hog.
The Leopard famous for his speckled coat,
The tim'rous Coney and the browsing Goat.
The stinking Pole-Cat, and the mouzing Cat,
Which sees as well by night as day the Rat
That corn-devouring creature, and the Mouse.
That haunts the corners of the statliest house,
The Beaver much esteemed for his skin
Must needs among the traine be railed in.
The Armadilio besieged round
With shells like armour, undermines the ground.
Alternately his sex Hyæna changes,
His eyes assume all colours which as strange is;
Such Dogs as on his shadow light grow dumb:
His feet stick fast whoever sees him come;
Calling the shepherds from their thatched bowers,
He slayes them, and their slautered Corps devours.
The shagie Bear doth fashion out her yong,
By licking them all over with her tongue.
40
Can with his sight impeiree the thickest wall.
The suck-egg Weasil, and the harkning Hare,
(Which litters ev'ry month through out the yeare,)
The hounds deceiveth by her winding flight,
Rests all day (if not rais'd) and tun's all night,
In peacefull warrens, here are fleecy flocks
Of bleating sheep, there lurks the subtil Fox
Loathsome for smell. the little eyeless Moles,
And theevish Pict's lie hid in secret holes.
The bob-taild Squirrel doth a storme foresee,
Seeming to be as weather-wise as we;
The buff whose firm impenetrable skin
Made into sheilds no shafts can enter in.
The truc'lent Panther, and the direfull Tiger,
Devour their captives with undaunted vigor,
The by-corn'd Girass doth the desarts like,
His neck's as long as is a martial Pike.
The Salamander liveth in the flame,
It's extream coldness putteth out the same,
Th'egg-hatcht Chamelion by the ayer is fed
And turne t'all colours except white and red.
The rough Baboone, and Etheopian Ape,
Imitate man are most like men in shape.
'Tis fabled that the Naiades do make
With their loud roarings ev'n th'earth to qkuae.
41
The Ortus famous; and the bunch-backt Camel.
Slow pac'd Ignatus unto these I'le put
It sings six notes fa, sol, la, mi, re, ut.
The scaly Dragon, and the furr'd-coat Ermin,
Locusts, and Catterpilers, such like vermin.
The double-headed Amphisbena, and
Innum'rous insects creep upon the land,
The ven'mous Viper doth her brood devour,
Again the brood, inclosed in the bower
Of their dams wombe; impatient of delay
Break through their sides and so their dams do slay.
The hoarse-resounding Grashoppers in thickets
Do sing abroad; as doth at home the Crickets
Earth breeds all reptils ev'ry kinde of forme
The Glow, the Palmer, and the Canker-worme,
The Toad, (the earths unprofitable clog.)
The hissing Serpent and the croaking Frog.
The saffron-hating Crocodile will run
On those that fly. but the pursuers shun.
The dreadful Basilisk baneful eye doth slay
Whom e're it looks upon, his breath (they say)
His poysnous breath, will taint, nay more, unlock
The firmest Marble, and obdurest rock.
The horny-nos'd Rhinoceros will whet
His horne e're on the Elephant he set.
42
Of men the terror, of all beasts the king.
He cometh ramping, with his eyes bright shining,
Most bravely minded, yet to preys inclining:
The Crowing Cock, the rattling Carr, and fire,
Do terrifie this beast, this beast so dire,
This formidable beast is mild to those
Who doe submit, but cruel to his foes:
Gratefull to those his benefactors are;
Humble to those that humbleness declare.
The Elephant next claimeth excellence,
This beast comes nearest unto humane sense;
He knows his country speech, he's us'd in warrs,
He worshipeth the Sun, the Moon, the Starrs.
The greatest of all beasts the earth doth hold,
He's proud of trappings wrought with burnish'd gold
Adores the King, his most ambitious spirit
Aspires to glory, glory to inherit.
This beast comes nearest unto humane sense;
He knows his country speech, he's us'd in warrs,
He worshipeth the Sun, the Moon, the Starrs.
The greatest of all beasts the earth doth hold,
He's proud of trappings wrought with burnish'd gold
Adores the King, his most ambitious spirit
Aspires to glory, glory to inherit.
But oh! who can sufficiently declare
Gods works, the which so full of wonder are!
And now for to conclude earth doth produce
All beasts, and ev'ry creeping thing for use;
After their sev'rall kinds on earth they trade
And God was pleased with the works he made.
Gods works, the which so full of wonder are!
And now for to conclude earth doth produce
All beasts, and ev'ry creeping thing for use;
After their sev'rall kinds on earth they trade
And God was pleased with the works he made.
| KOSMOBREVIA[Greek], or the infancy of the world | |