University of Virginia Library

SCENE. 6.

Ph.
Hot youths I protest, saw you those warlike preparations?

Men.
Lately my Lords, I spide into the Armie,
But oh, 'tis farre beyond my reach of wit.
Or strength of vtterance to describe their forces.

Com. Sen.
Go to, speake what thou canst.

Mend.
Vpon the right hand of a spatious Hill,
Proud Uisus marshalleth a puissant army,
Three thousand Egles strong, whose valiant Captaine,
Is Ioues swift Thunder-bearer, that same Bird,
That hoist vp Ganimede from the Troyan plaines:
The vant-gard strengthned with a wondrous flight.
Of Falcons, Haggards, Hobbies, Terselets,
Lanards and Goshaukes, Sparhaukes, and Rauenous Birds.
The rereward graunted to Auditus charge.
Is stoutly follow'd with an impetuous heard
Of stif-neckt Buls, and many horne-mad stagges,
Of the best head the Forrest can afford.

Ph.
I promise you a fearfull troupe of Souldiers.

Men.
Right opposite stands, Tactus strongly mand,
With three thousand brisled Vrchens for his Pikemen;
Foure hundreth Tortesses for Elephants.
Besides a monstrous troupe of vglie spiders,
Within an ambushment he hath commanded,
Of their owne gutts to spinne a cordage fine,
Whereof t'haue fram'd a net (O wondrous worke)
That fastned by the Concaue of the Moone,
Spreds downe it selfe toth'earths circumference.

Mem.
Tis very strange, I can not remember the like Engine at any time.

Men.
Nay more my Lord, the maskes are made so strong,
That I my selfe vpon them scal'd the heauens,
And bouldly walkt about the middle region,
Where in the prouince of the Meteors,
I saw the clowdie shops of Haile and Raine,
Garners of Snow, and Christals full of dew,
Riuers of burning Arrowes, Dens of Dragons,
Huge beames of flames, and Speares like fire-brands,
Where I beneld hotte Mars and Mercurie,
With Rackets made of Spheares, and Balls of Starres,
Playing at Tennis for a Tunne of Nectar.
And that vast gaping of the Firmament,
Vnder the Southerne pole is nothing else,
But the great hazzard of their Tennis Court,
The Zodiack is the line. The shooting Starres,
Which in an eye-bright euening seem'd to fall,
Are nothing but the Balls they loose at Bandy,
Thus hauing tooke my pleasure with those sights,
By the same net I went vp, I discended.

Com. Sen.
Well Sirra to what purpose tends this Stratageme?

Mend.
None know directly, but I thinke it is,
T'intrappe the Eagles, when the Battailes ioyne.

Ph.
Who takes Tactus his parte?

Mend.
Vnder the standard of thrice hardy Tactus,
Thrice valiant Gustus, leades his warlike forces,
An-endles multitude of desperate Apes,
Fiue hundred Marmosetts and long-taild Monkees:
All trained to the field, and nimble Gunners.

Ph

Immagine theres old mouing amongst them: me thinks
a handfull of nuttes would turne them all out of their Souldiers
coates.

Men.
Ramparts of Pastie-crust and fortes of pies,
Entrench'd with dishes full of Custard stuffe:
Hath Gustus made; and planted ordinance,
Strange ordinance: Cannons of hollowe canes:
Whose pouder's Rape-seed, charged with Turnip shot.

Mem.

I Remember in the Country of Vtopia, they vse no other
kind of Artillery.

Com. Sen.
But what's become of Olfactus?

Mend.
He pollitickly leanes to neither part,
But stands betwixt the camps as at receite:
Hauing great wine his Pioners to entrench them.

Ph.

In my foolish immagination Olfactus is very like the Goddesse
of victory that neuer takes any part but the Conquerers.

Mend.
And in the woods he placed secretly,
Two hundred couple of hounds and hungry Mastiffs:
And ore his head houer at his commaunde,
A cloud of Vultures, which or'e spred the light,
Making a night before the day be done:
But to what end not knowne but feard of all.

Ph.

I coniecture hee intends to see them fight and after the
battaile to feede his Dogges, Hoggs and Vultures vpon the
murdred carcases.

Men.

My L. I thinke the furie of their Anger will not bee obedient
to the Message of Lingua, for otherwise in my conceite

they should haue beene here er this: with your L. good liking
wee'le attend vpon you to see the feild for more certainty.
It shalbe so; Come Maister Register lets walke.

Exeunt omnes.