1:03. OF THE LYON, AND OTHER BEASTS.
When troops of Beams led by the grey-ey'd Dawn
From Eastern Ports rush'd with recruited light,
And beat up all the quarters of the Night;
When Cynthia fled, with broken silence drawn,
Her glory plunder'd, pale at the affright;
When Acheron's Jaws for routed Spirits yawn,
Dreams and Fantastick Visions put to flight;
When Stars disorder'd hid in Sea-Nymphs Beds,
Or back to Heaven did shrink their golden heads:
Then was the Lyon up, and all his Court,
Prepar'd to hunt, from Woods and Desarts came
Various wild Beasts, from Fields and Cities tame.
About his Palace throng a huge resort,
Because the Royal Edict did proclaim
There would be profit, Feasts, as well as Sport:
Thus expectation heighten'd was by Fame,
The Strong, Swift, Cunning, all laid Nose to ground,
Should share alike with him of what they found.
With Isgrim, Bruine came, and all his Bears,
Attending in the Presnce yet being dark;
Ram Belin safe was there as in the Ark,
Reynard was busie with his Gins and Snares,
Well knowing all walks and out-lets of the Park,
Tybert attends with Troops of Mountaineers,
And Jeffry the Ape, well Hors'd, a gallant Spark.
All sorts of Dogs, 'mongst whom the Spaniel waits,
For Shadows hoping now substantial Cates.
The Sun fearce drank his draught of morning dew
Nor did his Bowl of dissolv'd Pearl exhaust,
When mix'd Troops take the Field, no time is lost.
At last a Royal Hart they ran in view,
Whom, having at a Bay, the Lyon drew
About him round his various languag'd Host:
Many their Limbs, and some their Lives it cost;
At last ore-powr'd by number, down he falls,
While Heaven and Earth Ring at his Funeralls,
Th' unlace, then strip, and next divide the Deer.
Thus the offended King did then complain:
These shares not equal are, divide again.
One portion of the Quarrey will appear
My Perquisite, as I'm your Soveraign;
The next is Ours, as being Strongest here;
The third you must acknowledge for my pain;
The last shall be your Bounty, not Our Claim:
But who denies, look to't, his Foe I am.
No Subject 'gainst his Prince durst try his Suit;
Not Reynard, though most learned in the Law.
Vain are all Pleas against the Lyon's Paw,
'Tis onely Force must Violence Confute,
Just Title, present Power doth over-aw.
None of the Beasts their grievances dispute,
All home return, sad with a Hungry Maw.
But as they went, one said, Though Equals must,
Yet when they please Superiors may be Just.
Moral.
When mighty Power with Avarice is joyn'd,
Will is obey'd, and Justice cast behind:
So Tyrants to ingage the People, grant,
And at their pleasure break the Covenant.
[more info]
When troops of Beams led by the grey-ey'd Dawn
From Eastern Ports rush'd with recruited light,
And beat up all the quarters of the Night;
When Cynthia fled, with broken silence drawn,
Her glory plunder'd, pale at the affright;
When Acheron's Jaws for routed Spirits yawn,
Dreams and Fantastick Visions put to flight;
When Stars disorder'd hid in Sea-Nymphs Beds,
Or back to Heaven did shrink their golden heads:
Then was the Lyon up, and all his Court,
Prepar'd to hunt, from Woods and Desarts came
Various wild Beasts, from Fields and Cities tame.
About his Palace throng a huge resort,
Because the Royal Edict did proclaim
There would be profit, Feasts, as well as Sport:
Thus expectation heighten'd was by Fame,
The Strong, Swift, Cunning, all laid Nose to ground,
Should share alike with him of what they found.
With Isgrim, Bruine came, and all his Bears,
Attending in the Presnce yet being dark;
Ram Belin safe was there as in the Ark,
Reynard was busie with his Gins and Snares,
Well knowing all walks and out-lets of the Park,
Tybert attends with Troops of Mountaineers,
And Jeffry the Ape, well Hors'd, a gallant Spark.
All sorts of Dogs, 'mongst whom the Spaniel waits,
For Shadows hoping now substantial Cates.
The Sun fearce drank his draught of morning dew
Nor did his Bowl of dissolv'd Pearl exhaust,
When mix'd Troops take the Field, no time is lost.
At last a Royal Hart they ran in view,
Whom, having at a Bay, the Lyon drew
About him round his various languag'd Host:
Many their Limbs, and some their Lives it cost;
At last ore-powr'd by number, down he falls,
While Heaven and Earth Ring at his Funeralls,
Th' unlace, then strip, and next divide the Deer.
Thus the offended King did then complain:
These shares not equal are, divide again.
One portion of the Quarrey will appear
My Perquisite, as I'm your Soveraign;
The next is Ours, as being Strongest here;
The third you must acknowledge for my pain;
The last shall be your Bounty, not Our Claim:
But who denies, look to't, his Foe I am.
No Subject 'gainst his Prince durst try his Suit;
Not Reynard, though most learned in the Law.
Vain are all Pleas against the Lyon's Paw,
'Tis onely Force must Violence Confute,
Just Title, present Power doth over-aw.
None of the Beasts their grievances dispute,
All home return, sad with a Hungry Maw.
But as they went, one said, Though Equals must,
Yet when they please Superiors may be Just.
Moral.
When mighty Power with Avarice is joyn'd,
Will is obey'd, and Justice cast behind:
So Tyrants to ingage the People, grant,
And at their pleasure break the Covenant.
[more info]
https://archive.org/stream/fablesofaesopparogil#page/n24/mode/1up
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