T'excufe his former treafon and abufion.
And turning all unto the Apes confufion :
Nath'les the Royall Beaft forbore beleeving, 1365
But bad him stay at eafe till further preeving.
Then when he faw no entrance to him graunted,
Roaring yet lowder that all harts it daunted,
Upon thofe gates with force he fiercely flewe,
And, rending them in pieces, felly flewe
Those warders ftrange, and all that els he met.
But th' Ape ftill flying he no where might
get:

1370

From rowme to rowme, from beame to beame he fled

All breathles, and for feare now almost ded:
Yet him at laft the Lyon fpide, and caught, 1375
And forth with fhame unto his iudgement
brought.

Then all the beafts he caus'd affembled bee,
To heare their doome, and fad enfample fee:
The Foxe, firft Author of that treacherie,
He did uncafe, and then away let flie.

1380

But th' Apes long taile (which then he had) he quight

Cut off, and both eares pared of their hight;

Ver. 1366.

preeving.] Prooving, i. e. as it should turn out upon trial. So Chaucer uses preve, Clerk. Tale, edit. Tyrwhitt, 8876.

"Your dome is fals, your conftance evil preveth,
"A ful gret fool is he that on you leveth."

TODD.

Since which, all Apes but halfe their eares have

left,

And of their tailes are utterlie bereft.

So Mother Hubberd her difcourfe did end: Which pardon me, if I amiffe have pend; For weake was my remembrance it to hold, And bad her tongue that it fo bluntly tolde. 1388

THE

RUINES OF ROME:

BY BELLAY

1591.

YE heavenly fpirites, whose ashie cinders lie
Under deep ruines, with huge walls oppreft,
But not your praife, the which shall never die
Through your faire verses, ne in ashes reft;
If fo be fhrilling voyce of wight alive
May reach from hence to depth of darkest hell,
Then let those deep abyffes open rive,
That ye may understand my fhreiking yell!
Thrice having feene under the heavens veale
Your toombs devoted compaffe over all,
Thrice unto you with lowd voyce I appeale,
And for your antique furie here doo call,
The whiles that I with facred horror fing
Your glorie, fairest of all earthly thing!

II.

5

10

Great Babylon her haughtie walls will praise, 15 And sharped fteeples high fhot up in ayre;

Ruines of Rome, by Bellay.] Entitled in the edition of Bellay's Poems, published at Rouen in 1597, "Le Premier Livre des Antiquitez de Rome, contenant vne generale defcription de fa grandeur, & comme vne deploration de fa ruine." The preliminary Sonnet of Bellay "Au Roy," is not tranflated by Spenfer. At the end of the Antiquitez de Rome, follow the fifteen Songes of Bellay, which Spenfer has tranflated; omitting the concluding Sonnets" Au Roy" and "A la Royne." TODD.