Englands Parnassus: or the choysest flowers of our moderne poets, with their poeticall comparisons Descriptions of bewties, personages, castles, pallaces, mountaines, groues, seas, springs, riuers, &c. Whereunto are annexed other various discourses, both pleasaunt and profitable.

Diuell.

Hells prince, sly parent of reuolts, and lies. I. Syluister.

O ruthlesse murderer of immortall soules, A lasse, to pull vs from the happie poales, And plunge vs headlong in the yawning hell, Thy ceaselesse fraudes and fetches who can tell? Thou play'st the Lyon when thou doost ingage, Blood-thirstie Neroes barbarous heart with rage, While flesht in murders, butcherlike he paints The Saint-poore world, with the dear blood of Saints▪ Thou plaiest the dog, when by the mouth prophane, Of some false Prophets thou doest belch thy bane. Where from the Pulpet barkingly he rings, Bold blasphemies against the King of Kings. Thou plai'st the swine when plung'd in pleasures vile, Some Epicure doth sober mindes defile, Transforming lewdly by his loose impietie, Sweete Lacedemon to a soft societie. Thou plaiest the Nightingale, or else the swan, When any famous Rhetorician With captious wit, and curious language drawes, Seduced hearers, and subuerts the lawes. Thou play'st the foxe when thou doest faine aright. The face and phrase of some deepe Hypocrite. True painted tombe, dead seeming cole, but quicke, A scorpion fell, whose hidden taile doth pricke: Yet this were little, if thy spight audacious, Spar'd (at the least) the face of angels gracious, And if thou didst not apely immitate Th'almighties workes, the wariest wits to mate. I. Syl. Transl.

The ghostly enemie doth not stay, Till tempted persons do obay.

Yeeld to him, he a Lyon is, Gaine stood a flie, his pray doth mis. Ignoto.

A subtill Pandar with more inticing rights, Then sea hath fish, or heauen hath twinckling lights. I. Syl.

As a false Louer that thicke snares hath laide, To entrap th'honour of a faire yoong maide, When she (though listening) litle eare affords, To his sweete courting deepe affected words, Feares some asswaging of his freezing flame, And soothes himselfe with hope to gaine his game, And wrapt with ioy vpon this point persists, That parlying cittie neuer long resists. Euen so the serpent that doth counterfet A guilefull call to allure vs to his net: Perceiuing Eue his flattering gloze disgest, He prosecutes, and iocund doth not rest, Till he haue tried foote, hand, head and all, Vpon the breach of this new battered wall. I. Syl. Transl.