ΒΑΤΡΑΧΟΜΥΟΜΑΧΙΑ.
5
Seeing the safe harbors of the King so nere;
And he, a swimmer so exempt from Pere.
But when he sunke into the purple waue;
He mournd extremely; and did much depraue
Vnprofitable penitence: His haire
Tore by the roots vp, labord for the aire,
With his feet fetcht vp to his belly, close:
His heart within him, panted out repose,
For th'insolent plight, in which his state did stand:
Sigh'd bitterly, and long'd to greete the land,
Forc't by the dire Neede, of his freezing feare.
First on the waters, he his taile did stere
Like to a Sterne: then drew it like an ore,
Still praying the Gods to set him safe ashore:
Yet sunke he midst the red waues, more and more,
And laid a throat out, to his vtmost height:
Yet in forc'd speech, he made his perill sleight;
And thus his glorie with his grieuance stroue;
Not in such choice state was the charge of loue
Borne by the Bull; when to the Cretane shore
He swumme Europa through the wauie rore;
As this Frog ferries me; His pallid brest
Brauely aduancing; and his verdant crest
(Submitted to my seat) made my support,
Through his white waters, to his royall Court.
But on the sudden did apparance make
An horrid spectacle; a water-snake
Thrusting his freckeld necke aboue the lake.
And he, a swimmer so exempt from Pere.
But when he sunke into the purple waue;
He mournd extremely; and did much depraue
Vnprofitable penitence: His haire
Tore by the roots vp, labord for the aire,
With his feet fetcht vp to his belly, close:
His heart within him, panted out repose,
For th'insolent plight, in which his state did stand:
Sigh'd bitterly, and long'd to greete the land,
Forc't by the dire Neede, of his freezing feare.
First on the waters, he his taile did stere
Like to a Sterne: then drew it like an ore,
Still praying the Gods to set him safe ashore:
Yet sunke he midst the red waues, more and more,
And laid a throat out, to his vtmost height:
Yet in forc'd speech, he made his perill sleight;
And thus his glorie with his grieuance stroue;
Not in such choice state was the charge of loue
Borne by the Bull; when to the Cretane shore
He swumme Europa through the wauie rore;
As this Frog ferries me; His pallid brest
Brauely aduancing; and his verdant crest
(Submitted to my seat) made my support,
Through his white waters, to his royall Court.
But on the sudden did apparance make
An horrid spectacle; a water-snake
Thrusting his freckeld necke aboue the lake.
