O sacred bond of blissful peace,
The stalworth stanch of strife!

Scipio with Lælius

Didst thou conjoin in care,
At home, in wars, for weal and wo
With egall faith to fare.

Down Theseus went to hell

Pirith his friend to find:

*

O THAT THE WIVES IN THESE OUR DAYS WERE TO THEIR MATES SO KIND!

Cicero, the friendly man,

To Atticus his friend

Of friendship wrote; such couples, lo!
Doth lot but seldom lend.

Recount thy race now run,

How few shalt thou there see,

Of whom to say,

"This same is he

"That never failed me."

So rare a jewel then

Must needs be holden dear;

And as thou wilt esteem thyself

So take thy chosen fere.

The tyrant in despair

No lack of gold bewails,

But "Out I am undone," saith he,
"For all my friendship fails."

Wherefore since nothing is

More kindly for our kind;
Next wisdom, thus that teacheth us,
Love we the friendful mind.

The Death of Zoroas, an Egyptian Astronomer, in the first Fight that Alexander had with the Persians.

[An extract.]

Now clattering arms, now raging broils of war 'Gan pass the noise of dreadful trumpet's clang.

*

The lightning Macedon, by swords, by glaives,
By bands and troops of footmen with his guard
Speeds to Darie.

*

*

*

Shaking her bloody hands Bellone among
The Perses sow'th all kind of cruel death.

The Memphite Zoroas, a cunning clerk ;
To whom the heavens lay open, as his book:
And in celestial bodies he could tell

The moving, meeting, light, aspèct, eclipse,
And influence, and constellations all.
What earthly chances would betide, what year
Of plenty stor'd, what sign forewarned dearth:
How winter gendereth snow, what temperature
In the prime-tide doth season well the soil;
Why summer burns, why autumn hath ripe grapes :
Whether the circle quadrate may become ;
Whether our tunes heaven's harmony can yield.

This sage then in the stars had spied the Fates
Threaten'd him death, without delay; and sithe
He saw he could not fatal order change,
Forward he press'd, in battle that he might
Meet with the ruler of the Macedons;
Of his right hand desirous to be slain,

The boldest beurn, and worthiest in the field.
And as a wight now weary of his life,
And seeking death, in first front of his rage
Comes desperately to Alexander's face;
At him, with darts, one after other, throws;
With reckless words and clamour him provokes ;
And saith," Nectanab's bastard, shameful stain

* Ed. 1567,

"hath."

2 Qu, bearn, or barn ?

"Of mother's bed! why losest thou thy strokes, "Cowards among? Turn thee to me, in case "Manhood there be so much left in thy heart! helmet wear

"Come fight with me, that on my

"Apollo's laurel, both for learning's laud, "And eke for martial praise; that in my shield "The sevenfold sophie of Minerve contain ; "A match more meet, sir king, than any here." The noble prince, amov'd, takes ruth upon The wilful wight, and with soft words again, "O monstrous man," quod he, "what so thou art, "I pray thee live! ne do not with thy death "This lodge of lore, the Muses' mansion mar! "That treasure house this hand shall never spoil: "My sword shall never bruise that skilful brain, "Long gather'd heaps of science soon to spill. "O, how fair fruits may you to mortal men "From wisdom's garden give? How many may the wiser and the better prove? "What error, what mad mood, what phrenzy thee "Persuades to be down sent to deep Avern, "Where no arts flourish, nor no knowledge 'vails?" For all these saws, when thus the sovereign said, Alighted Zoroas: with sword unsheath'd The careless king there smote above the greave At th' opening of his cuishes-wounded him

*

By you

But yet his mind he bent, in any wise,
Him to forbear; set spurs unto his steed,
And turn'd away, lest anger of his smart
Should cause revenger hand deal baleful blows.
But of the Macedonian chieftain's knights
One Meleager, could not bear this sight,
But ran upon the said Egyptian renk, 1

I

And cut him in both knees;-he fell to ground.

The Persians wail'd such sapience to forego :-
The very foen, the Macedonians wish'd
He would have liv'd;-king Alexander self
Deem'd him a man unmeet to die at all:
Who won like praise, for conquest of his ire,
As for stout men in field that day subdued.

But over all, those same Camenes, those same Divine Camenes, whose honour he procur❜d, As tender parent doth his daughters' weal, Lamented; and for thanks, all that they can, Do cherish him deceas'd, and set him free From dark oblivion of devouring Death.

?