Homer

“ And gard your selves with helmet, shield and speare;
With courage shew your valour and your might,
The day is ours: for Iove still aydes the right:
Brave Lords, kind subjects, fight couragiously,
God and Saint [28] Gertrude grant us victory.
The King in anger here did make an end,
And presently dismissed all the crue,
Which all their studie and endevours bend,
That black revenge and battell might ensue.
The Kings sad words did stirre them up so farre,
That nought they talke of now but bloudy war.
And every Mouce from greatest to the least,
Prepares such weapons as will fit them best. ”

“ When angry Iove beheld with rufull eye,
For all his care, the Frogs still goe to wracke,
And see the Mice more desperate hereby,
Scorning his lightnings and harsh thunder-cracke,
He wept to view their slaughter and decay:
And now he thought to try a surer way,
By other meanes the Frogs from death to shend:
"For whom God loves, he favours to the end. ”

“ Is eaten, torne and spoyled by these Mice.
This is my hurt surpassing all the rest,
For this cause chiefly I these Mice detest:
And shall I, father, seeme to patronize
My foes, my wrongers, and sworne enemies?
Ne're these accursed beasts will I defend:
Command ought else, great Iove, but pardon this:
Nor durty Frogs Bellona will befriend,
Whose joy and pleasure in foule puddles is.
For as I loath the Mice for sundry wrongs:
So I detest base Frogs for croking songs,
Whose harsh unpleasant voyces in the night
Breed nought but terror to each mortall wight. ”

“ To kill the Mice, or make them runne away.
The Crabs obeyd, "nor take they care for armes;
"Their shels wil keep them safe frō greatest harms.
No sooner were they come unto the fight,
Where warlike Mice their enemies assayle,
But all at once the Crabs upon them light,
Asunder breake their legs, bite off their tayle,
Their javelins pluck away, & pinch their hands,
Nothing their savage cruelty withstands:
So Tiger-like upon the Mice they prey,
As would perforce the stoutest heart afray. ”

“ Here Iove did end: But Mars of visage grim,
Arising from his seat, replide to him:
Beloved Father, Lord of heav'n and hell,
To your behest all powr's subjected stand,
Which doe in heav'n or lower regions dwell,
None may or dare deny when you command:
Then think, sweet Father, Mars accounteth still Jove,
Your word for right, as law your only wil,
"Kings men command on earth, why should not
"The King of Kings, command the gods above?
Speake but the word, great Mars is alwayes prest,
At Ioves appoynt, in armes to enter field ”

“ As though with spirits they had beene askard:
"For who in's brest so stout a heart doth beare,
"That when heav'ns thunder, doth not quake for feare,
"And stand amaz'd to view with mortall eyes,
"When angry Iove darts lightning from the skies?
Nethlesse, although the Mice were much dismayd,
To heare the sound, and see the fearefull sight,
Yet left they not the battell as afrayd,
But stood with greater courage to the fight.
" [52] Certes, true valour may recoyle a space,
"Yet still her force renues with greater grace. ”

“ Vsing his nimble tayle when he did sinke,
In stead of oare. "Pale feare did learne him wit.
The flowing billowes mount above his head,
Speechlesse for sorrow, and for griefe halfe dead:
"Yet death is not so bitter as cold feare,
"Which makes things greater then they are, appeare.
[17] Sorrow triumpheth in the Mouce his brest,
Despaire doth sit as Marshall in his minde,
Danger and death on ev'ry side are prest,
Still to receive him at each puffe of winde:
"But danger can the heart of pride ne're breake ”

“ One craven Frog should not alive remaine.
For by this hand, quoth he, by this right hand,
(Searce would a man beleeve it though he sweare)
Though not a Mouce will venture them withstand,
But flie the field for cowardise and feare:
Yet I, behold I, will so thresh these Frogs,
That with their corses I will fill the bogs:
Or they, or I, by Iove this vow I make,
This night will lodge beyond the [48] Stygian lake. ”

“ Roots, coleworts, garlicke, or the foolish beet,
Or stinking mushroms, growing with the reedes:
Such vulgar diet for base Frogs is meet:
Meat fit for Frogs which haunt the watry Fen,
Not for the gallant Mouce that feeds with men. ”

“ And swooned in the place for griefe and woe.
His Nobles take him up without delay,
And on a royall pallet doe him lay,
Where he for sorrow sicke was like to dye:
"For childrens hurt neere fathers heart doth lye.
But all the Lords, though they were mal-content,
Griev'd for his death, which was their Kings sole care,
Yet like fell Lyons unto anger bent,
A blacke revenge within their minds they sware. ”

“ Then arme your selves, for vengeance we will take
Vpon all Frogs for our brave princes sake.
If courage in your craven hearts doth dwell,
Meet us in open field: and so farewell.
When he had said these words, as in disdaine,
Scorning an answere from the Frogs to beare,
Forthwith he posted to the Mice againe,
Whose message put the Frogs in mighty feare:
"Yet feare breeds wrath, wrath kindles courage more. ”

“ For target or a buckler in their hand.
[30] Small brazen pinnes they brandish like a speare,
And tosse their needles like strong pikes about;
A walnut shell for helmet they doe beare,
After that they had eate the kernell out.
And thus they march to fight that bloudy fray,
Vaunting in armour and their proud array:
"For weapons unto force fresh courage bring,
"A Mouce in armes doth thinke himselfe a king. ”

“ Whence rivers both their springs and tydes renue,
[53] An ugly swarme of filthy monsters creepe,
A foule infernall and ill-favour'd crue,
Which still goe backward with a squinting eye,
To see before their footsteps what doth lye:
"For thus doth mother nature alwayes ayme.
"For each defect a remedy to frame. ”