As that brave fonne of Aefon, which by charmes
Atcheiv'd the Golden Fleece in Colchid land,
Out of the earth engendred men of armes
Of dragons teeth, fowne in the facred fand; 130
So this brave Towne, that in her youthlie daies
An hydra was of warriours glorious,

Did fill with her renowmed nurflings praise
The firie funnes both one and other hous:
But they at last, there being then not living 133
An Hercules fo ranke feed to repreffe,
Emongst themselves with cruell furie striving,
Mow'd downe themselves with slaughter mer-
cileffe ;

Renewing in themselves that rage unkinde,
Which whilom did those earthborn brethren

blinde.

XI.

140

Mars, shaming to have given fo great head
To his off-fpring, that mortall puiffaunce,
Puft up with pride of Romane hardie-head,
Seem'd above heavens powre it felfe to advaunce;
Cooling againe his former kindled heate,
With which he had thofe Romane fpirits fild,
Did blowe new fire, and with enflamed breath,

145

Into the Gothicke colde, hot rage inftil'd:

Then gan that Nation, th' earths new Giant brood,

To dart abroad the thunderbolts of warre,

150

And, beating downe thefe walls with furious

mood

Into her mothers bofome, all did marre;

To th' end that none, all were it love his fire, Should boaft himfelfe of the Románe Empire.

XII.

Like as whilome the children of the Earth 155
Heapt hils on hils to scale the ftarrie skie,
And fight against the gods of heavenly berth,
Whiles love at them his thunderbolts let flie;
All fuddenly with lightning overthrowne,
The furious fquadrons downe to ground did fall,
That th' Earth under her childrens weight did

grone,

161

165

And th' Heavens in glorie triumpht over all:
So did that haughtie front, which heaped was
On these Seven Romane Hils, it felfe upreare
Over the world, and lift her loftie face
Against the heaven, that gan her force to feare.
But now thefe fcorned fields bemone her fall,
And gods fecure feare not her force at all.

XIII.

Nor the fwift furie of the flames aspiring,
Nor the deep wounds of victours raging blade, 170

Nor ruthleffe fpoyle of fouldiers blood-defiring,

The which so oft thee, Rome, their conquest

made;

Ne ftroke on stroke of fortune variable,
Ne ruft of age hating continuance,

Nor wrath of gods, nor fpight of men unftable,
Nor thou oppos'd against thine owne puiffance;
Nor th' horrible uprore of windes high blowing,
Nor fwelling streames of that god fnakie-paced,
Which hath fo often with his overflowing

Thee drenched, have thy pride fo much abaced;

But that this nothing,which they have thee left, Makes the world wonder what they from thee reft.

XIV.

182

As men in Summer fearles paffe the foord, Which is in Winter lord of all the plaine, Andwith his tumbling ftreames doth beare aboord The ploughmans hope and fhepheards labour vaine :

186

190

And as the coward beafts ufe to despise
The noble Lion after his lives end,
Whetting their teeth, and with vaine foolhardise
Daring the foe that cannot him defend:
And as at Troy moft daftards of the Greekes
Did brave about the corpes of Hector colde:
So thofe, which whilome wont with pallid cheekes
The Romane triumphs glorie to behold,

XIV. 3.

Fr. bord. TODD.

aboord] From the bank.

Now on these afhie tombes fhew boldneffe

vaine,

195

And, conquer'd, dare the Conquerour difdaine.

XV.

Ye pallid fpirits, and ye afhie ghoasts,
Which, ioying in the brightnes of your day,
Brought foorth thofe fignes of your prefump-
tuous boafts

Which now their dufty reliques do bewray; 200
Tell me, ye fpirits! (fith the darkfome river
Of Styx, not paffable to foules returning,
Enclosing you in thrice three wards for ever,
Doo not restraine your images ftill mourning,)
Tell me then, (for perhaps fome one of
you 205
Yet here above him fecretly doth hide,)
ye not feele
your torments to accrewe,
ye fometimes behold the ruin'd pride
Of thefe old Romane works, built with

Doo When

hands,

your

Now to become nought els but heaped fands?

XVI.

Like as ye fee the wrathfull fea from farre 211 In a great mountaine heap't with hideous noyse, Eftfoones of thousand billowes fhouldred narre, Against a rocke to breake with dreadfull poyfe: Like as ye fee fell Boreas with sharpe blast 215

XV. 14. Now to &c.] Now, added by the firft folio. TODD. XVI. 3. narre,] Nearer,

as in the Shep. Cal. July, ver. 97.

"To kerke the narre, from God more farre." TODD.

Toffing huge tempefts through the troubled skie, Eftfoones having his wide wings spent in waft, To stop his wearie cáriere fuddenly:

And as ye

fee huge flames fpred diverslie, Gathered in one up to the heavens to spyre, 220 Eftfoones confum'd to fall downe feebily: So whilom did this Monarchie afpyre As waves, as winde, as fire, fpred over all, Till it by fatall doome adowne did fall.

XVII.

So long as Ioves great bird did make his flight, Bearing the fire with which heaven doth us

fray,

226

Heaven had not feare of that prefumptuous

might,

With which the Giaunts did the gods affay.
But all fo foone, as fcortching funne had brent
His wings which wont the earth to overspredd,
The Earth out of her maffie wombe forth fent 231
That antique horror, which made heaven adredd.
Then was the Germane Raven in disguise
That Romane Eagle feene to cleave afunder,
And towards heaven freshly to arise

235

Out of thefe mountaines, now confum'd to pouder;

In which the foule, that ferves to beare the

lightning,

Is now no more feen flying, nor alighting.