Foxes were in the faction join'd,
Who waited their approach to ground.
By ev'ry hand from common fame
The frightful face of danger came.
One cries, "What help now

-who can tell?

"I'm glad the Eagle is here and well!"

Another out of breath with fear

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Says "Thoufands more near sea appear;

"They'll fweep our chicken from the door; "We never were fo fet before:

"We're glad the Eagle will forget,
"And the invaders kill or beat."

Referv'd and great, his noble mind,
Above all petty things inclin'd,
Abhorr'd the thoughts of any thing
But what his lady's peace could bring,
Who blefs'd him first, and bad him do
As he was wont, and beat the foe.
Burning and restlefs as the fun
Until this willing work was done,
He whets his talons, stretch'd his wings,
His light'ning darts, and terrour flings,'
Tow'rs with a flight into the sky
Thefe million monsters to defcry,

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145

IKO

Prepar'd to conquer or to die.

The party

that fo far was come

Thought not the Eagle was at home;

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To fame and danger us'd in field

They knew he'd quickly make them yield:
But on affurance he was near,

Incumber'd, faint, and dead with fear,
They made with hurry tow'rds the lakes,
And he his pinions o'er them shakes.
They had not (with fuch horrour fill'd)
The courage to let one be kill'd:

160

They fled, and left no foe behind

Unless it were the fleeting wind;

Only a man by water took

Two fine young merlins and a rook.
The family had now repofe,
But with the fun the Eagle rofe;
Th' imperial bird purfu'd the foe,
More toil than reft inur'd to know.

He wing'd his way to Latian land

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170

Where first was hatch'd this murd'ring band;

He darted death where'er he came,

Some of them dying at his name.

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Their mighty foe-a fatal pledge,
Their bowels tore thro' ev'ry hedge;
They flutter, fhriek, and caw, and hifs,
Their ftrength decays and fears increase,
But moft the chevaliers the geefe,
So many flaughter'd fowl there was
Their carcaffes block'd up the ways;

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The reft he drove, half spent, pellmell,
Quite to the walls of Pontifell.

Robin at home, tho' mad to hear
He fhou'd fo conquer ev'ry where,
Expoftulated thus with fear :
"Ungrateful I that so have stirr'd

Against this gen'rous noble bird: "Waft thou not first by him preferr❜d? "Let's leave him in his gall to burn, "And back to Pontifell return."

190

There fome to chimneytops aspire,
To turrets fome that could fly higher;
Some 'bove a hundred miles were gone
To rooft them at Byzantium.
Alas! in vain was their pretence;

He broke thro' all their strong defence:
Down went their fences, wires, and all;
Perches and birds together fall.

None hop'd his power to withstand,
But gave the neft to his command;
They told him of ten thousand more
In flocks along the Ganges' fhore,
Safe in their furrows, free from trouble,

Like partridges among the ftubble.

He spreads himself and cuts the air,
And steady flight foon brought him there.
Lord, how deceiv'd and vex'd he was

To find they were but mere jackdaws!

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A hundred thousand all in flight,

They all could chatter, not one fight.

"I'll deal by them as is their due::

.. Shough!"
!" cry'd the Eagle; "off they flew :"

His flashing eyes their heart confounds,

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Tho' by their flight fecure from wounds,
Which was a fignal, fatal baulk

To a late fwift Italian hawk.

The Eagle would no rest afford Till he had fent my lady word, Who when she heard the dear furprise Wonder and joy stood in her eyes. "My faithful Eagle! haft thou then My mortal foes destroy'd again? "Return, return, and on me wait; "Be thou the guardian of my gate: "Thee and thy friends are worth my care;

Thy foes (if any fuch there are) "Shall my avenging anger fhare." So-left new ills fhou'd intervene She turn'd the Robin out again. The Samians now in vaft delight

Blefs their good lady day and night,

Wish that her life might ne'er be done,

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}

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ROBIN REDBREAST, WITH THE BEASTS,

AN OLD CAT'S PROPHECY *;

Taken out of an old Copy of Verses supposed to be writ by
John Lidgate, a Monk of Bury.

ONE that had in her infant ftate,
While playing at her father's gate,
Seen and was most hugely fmitten
With young Dog and dirty Kitten,
Had took them up and lugg'd them in,
And made the fervants wash them clean.
When the to a fit age was grown

To be fole miftrefs of her own,
Then to her favour and strange trust

She rais'd these two; in rank the first
The Dog, who with gilt collar grąc'd
Strutted about. The Cat was plac'd
O'er all the houfe to domineer,
And kept each wight of her in fear,
While he o'er all the plains had pow'r,
That favage wolves might not devour

Her flocks. She gave him charge great care
To take; but beafts uncertain are!

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Now fee by these what troubles rife

To those who in their choice unwife

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* The political drift of this pretended Prophecy is ftill more evident than that of the preceding poem, the fatire being abun dantly more personal.