There heard we him with broken and hollow plaint rue with himself his end approaching faft, and all for nought his wretched mind torment with sweet remembrance of his pleasures past, and fresh delights of lufty youth forewafte; Recounting which, how would he fob and fhriek, and to be young again of Jove beseek ?

but, an' the cruel fates fo fixed be

that time forepast cannot return again, this one request of Jove yet prayed he,―

That, in such wither'd plight, and wretched pain, as eld, accompany'd with her lothfome train, had brought on him, all were it woe and grief, he might a while yet linger forth his lief,

and not fo foon descend into the pit;

where Death, when he the mortal corpfe hath flain, with rechlefs hand in grave doth cover it; thereafter never to enjoy again

the gladfome light, but, in the ground ylain, in depth of darkness wafte and wear to nought, as he had ne'er into the world been brought:

But who had feen him fobbing how he stood unto himself, and how he would bemoan his youth forepaft,-as though it wrought him good to talk of youth, all were his youth foregone,he would have mus'd, and marvel'd much, whereon this wretched Age fhould life desire fo fain, and knows full well life doth but length his pain:

crook-back'd he was, tooth-fhaken, and blear-ey'd ; went on three feet, and, fometime, crept on four; with old lame bones, that rattl'd by his fide; his fcalp all pil'd, and he with eld forlore, his wither'd fift ftill knocking at death's door; fumbling, and driveling, as he draws his breath; for brief, the shape and meffenger of Death.

And faft by him pale Malady was plac'd: fore fick in bed, her colour all foregone; bereft of ftomack, favour, and of taste,

ne could fhe brook no meat but broths alone; her breath corrupt; her keepers every one abhorring her; her fickness past recure, detefting physick, and all physick's cure.

But, o, the doleful fight that then we fee! we turn'd our look, and on the other fide a grisly fhape of Famine mought we fee: with greedy looks, and gaping mouth, that cry'd and roar'd for meat, as she should there have dy'd ; her body thin and bare as any bone,

whereto was left nought but the case alone,

and that, alas, was gnaw'n on every where,

all full of holes; that I ne mought refrain from tears, to fee how fhe her arms could tear, and with her teeth gnash on the bones in vain, when, all for nought, fhe fain would so sustain her starven corpfe, that rather feem'd a fhade any fubftance of a creature made :

than

Great was her force, whom stone-wall could not stay : her tearing nails fnatching at all she faw; with gaping jaws, that by no means ymay be fatiffy'd from hunger of her maw, but eats herfelf as fhe that hath no law; gnawing, alas, her carkafs all in vain,

where you may count each finew, bone, and vein.

On her while we thus firmly fix'd our eyes, that bled for ruth of fuch a dreary fight, lo, fuddenly she fhright in fo huge wise

as made hell gates to fhiver with the might; wherewith, a dart we faw, how it did light right on her breaft, and, therewithal, pale Death enthrilling it, to reve her of her breath:

And, by and by, a dumb dead corpfe we saw,
heavy, and cold, the shape of Death aright,
that daunts all earthly creatures to his law,
against whose force in vain it is to fight;
ne peers, ne princes, nor no mortal wight,
no towns, ne realms, cities, ne strongest tower,
but all, perforce, muft yield unto his power:

his dart, anon, out of the corpse he took,
and in his hand (a dreadful fight to fee)
with great triumph eftfoons the fame he shook,
that most of all my fears affrayed me;

his body dight with nought but bones, pardy'; the naked fhape of man there faw I plain, all fave the flesh, the finew, and the vein.

Laftly, ftood War, in glittering arms yclad, with visage grim; ftern look'd, and blackly hu'd: in his right hand a naked sword he had,

that to the hilts was all with blood imbru'd; and in his left (that kings and kingdoms ru'd) famine and fire he held, and therewithal

he razed towns, and threw down towers and all :

cities he fack'd; and realms (that whilom flower'd in honour, glory, and rule, above the rest) he overwhelm'd, and all their fame devour'd,

confum'd, deftroy'd, wafted, and never ceaf'd 'till he their wealth their name and all oppreff'd: his face forehew'd with wounds; and by his fide there hung his targe, with gashes deep and wide.

In mids of which depainted there we found
deadly Debate, all full of fnaky hair
that with a bloody fillet was ybound,

outbreathing nought but difcord every where : and round about were pourtray'd, here and there, the hugy hofts; Darius and his power,

his kings, his princes, peers, and all his flower:

*

Xerxes, the Perfian king, yet faw I there, with his huge hoft, that drank the rivers dry, difmounted hills, and made the vales uprear; his hoft and all yet faw I flain, pardy': Thebes too I faw, all raz'd how it did lie in heaps of stones; and Tyrus put to spoil, with walls and towers flat-even'd with the foil.

But Troy, (alas!) methought, above them all, it made mine eyes in very tears confume; when I beheld the woeful word befall,

that by the wrathful will of gods was come, and Jove's unmoved fentence and foredoom on Priam king and on his town fo bent,I could not lin but I must there lament;