Like as a wily foxe, that, having spide
Where on a sunnie banke the lambes doo play,
Full closely creeping by the hinder side,
Lyes in ambushment of his hoped pray,
Ne stirreth limbe, till, seeing readie tide*, 405
He rusheth forth, and snatcheth quite away
One of the litle yonglings unawares;
So to his worke Aragnoll him prepares.
[* Tide, time.]

Who now shall give unto my heavie eyes
A well of teares, that all may overflow? 410
Or where shall I finde lamentable cryes,
And mournfull tunes enough my griefe to show? 
Helpe, O thou Tragick Muse, me to devise
Notes sad enough, t’expresse this bitter throw: 
For loe, the drerie stownd* is now arrived, 415
That of all happines hath us deprived.
[* Stownd, hour.]

The luckles Clarion, whether cruell Fate
Or wicked Fortune faultles him misled,
Or some ungracious blast out of the gate
Of Aeoles raine* perforce him drove on hed**, 420
Was (O sad hap and howre unfortunate!)
With violent swift flight forth caried
Into the cursed cobweb, which his foe
Had framed for his finall overthroe.
[* Raine, kingdom.]
[** On hed, head-foremost.]

There the fond flie, entangled, strugled long, 425
Himselfe to free thereout; but all in vaine. 
For, striving more, the more in laces strong
Himselfe he tide, and wrapt his winges twaine
In lymie snares the subtill loupes among;
That in the ende he breathelesse did remaine, 430
And, all his yongthly* forces idly spent,
Him to the mercie of th’avenger lent.
[* Yongthly, youthful.]

Which when the greisly tyrant did espie,
Like a grimme lyon rushing with fierce might
Out of his den, he seized greedelie 435
On the resistles pray, and, with fell spight,
Under the left wing stroke his weapon slie
Into his heart, that his deepe-groning spright
In bloodie streames foorth fled into the aire,
His bodie left the spectacle of care. 440

* * * * *

FOOTNOTES

Ver. 365.—­And Arte, with her contendlng. Compare the description of
Aerasia’s garden, Faerie Queene, II. xii. 59; and also v. 29.  TODD.

Ver. 273.—­Minerva did, &c.  Much of what follows is taken from the fable of Arachne in Ovid.  JORTIN.

* * * * *

VISIONS

OF

THE WORLDS VANITIE.

I.