He prick'd Psycharpax at the waist; the whole
Keen-pointed rush transpierced his belly, and all
His bowels following the retracted point,
O'erspread the ensanguin'd herbage at his side.
Soon as [1]Sitophagus, a crippled mouse, 315
That fight beheld, limping, as best he could,
He left the field, and, to avoid a fate
Not less tremendous, dropp'd into a ditch.
Troxartes grazed the instep of the bold
Physignathus, who at the sudden pang 320
Startled, at once leap'd down into the lake.
[2]Prassæus, at the sight of such a Chief
Floating in mortal agonies enraged,
Sprang through his foremost warriors, and dismiss'd
His pointed rush, but reach'd not through his shield 325
Troxartes, baffled by the stubborn disk.
There was a Mouse, young, beautiful, and brave
Past all on earth, son of the valiant Chief
[3]Artepibulus. Like another Mars
He fought, and [4]Meridarpax was his name, 330
A Mouse, among all Mice without a peer.
Glorying in his might on the lake's verge
He stood, with other Mouse none at his side,
And swore t' extirpate the whole croaking race.
Nor doubted any but he should perform 335
His dreadful oath, such was his force in arms,
Had
