Don Zara del Fogo a mock-romance / written originally in the Brittish tongue, and made English by a person of much honor, Basilius Musophilus ; with a marginall comment, expounding the hard things of the history.

CHAP. IV.

The Description of a fine, fragrant, flowery Vale, supposed to be the place where Adam tasted the Apple. The mar∣riage of the Phoenix with the Bird of Paradise; her disloyalty, and his Tra∣gedy. Don Zara's heroick hope.

FOrtune having allotted so favou∣rable a departure to her dear Don he was not onely animated for after performances, but exceedingly plea∣sed with his own perfections, which had not onely crammed his colon, but administred instruction to the barbarous, how to bear themselves to true enobled Personages: Soto was as bonny as a new Beneficed Priest, and ran by his Masters Horse as he had bin ballasted with Quick-silver. The all∣seeing Sun had travell'd more then half way to the Antipodes, when the Champion lighted upon a * 1.1 Vale, so

rich and so rare, that Nature grew Bankrupt when she modelized it, and striving to be quaint (forsooth) for∣got to keep any reserve; for by this work the Champion assured himself that she could make no more such; This goodly Plain was imbost with the choicest of Natures Jems; no frost nor winter there, but continuall Spring time, and everlasting Summer; here grow those happy Trees from whence flowes that precious Oyle wherewith Kings and Priests are A∣nointed; the choycest Fruit that Eu∣rope affords with such toyle to the Husbandman, are here to be had un∣planted; Here Madam Flora gathers her Roses and Tulips, when we (alas) have not so much as a Dasie to deck her head with; Here Medea pickt those Simples that restored the wise Aeson to youth; And here (that the World may no longer be deceived) it is that the Phoenix builds his Nest, be∣ing ever distinguished by his meniall Train, which are these:

• The Pe-hen,
• The Turkey-hen,
• The Turtle,
• The Gold-finch,
• ...

• The Pheasant,
• The Popinjay
• The Canary, and
• The Nighting••••••.

These are the Phoenix his Favou∣rites, who travail with him through the Ayre upon all occasions, but he never passes the limits of this Tempe, as holding all other parts of the Globe not worth his visit: Some Authors (perhaps Pliny or Solinus) re∣port, that the Phoenix had espoused the Bird of Paradise, his Bride was fair, and rare, and rich, and young, and wise, and noble, only her * 1.2 Tayl is too ponderous for her body; this noble pair dwelt not long in peace, for loves fire began to s••ake and coole * 1.3 ere the unconstant Moon had twice lookt upon the foodfull earth with half a face; she now began to hate and loath what she once so coveted, yet to * 1.4 over-spread her had been no Herculean labour, had her insatiate Tayl and mind admitted of consci∣entious bounds; but thus;

• ...* 1.5 The weakest stomacks desire the strongest meats.
• ...Thus the greatest smoke rises from the smallest fire.
• ...

• ... Thus slender wits undertake the profoundest matter.
• ...Thus swift pursuit makes a slow performance.
• ...Thus the Arpetite is moved by impotence.
• Thus Palmerin the Champion ore∣threw the Gyant Franarco.

So she though little her self, loved every * 1.6 great thing, and at last became so incorrigible impudent, that she durst mention a Divorce, although the Phoenix with tears besought the contrary, not so much out of affecti∣on to her, as to prevent the shame that must inevitably follow such a bufi∣ness, but all his perswasions were in vain, a seperation is made, and she is married to Cynosure, an unknowne fowle, both begot and bred by the Ayre. he (according to kind) trod incessantly * 1.7 firing his own Fabrick to quench hers, who laid often, but yet they were but Wind Eggs, though some * 1.8 Naturallists say, that such Egs do hatch the Cockatrice.

How sad the Phoenix was in mind? how sorry to be so slighted by her for

whose sake he had so debased himself I leave to those that have been Phoe∣nixes to judge; but so mightily he took it to heart, that now (too late) he resolved to hate all second mat∣ches, and to dye a Widdower; but grief perplexed him so, that he feared he should leave the world, ere he had created himself anew, and so his nest being unmade, he might quickly lose both life and name; to prevent which he takes his speedy flight over hills and Dales, Lakes and Rivers, over Kingdoms and Countries, both East and West, and all this to gather Spi∣ces for his Funerall (O * 1.9 sweet Bird! how sad was thy Fate?) But it seem∣ed better to him (according to his pristine priviledge) to kill his body, and renew his mind, then to pine a∣way with grief six hundred years, and therefore (having betaken himself to his Nest) surrounded with his preci∣ous Gums and odoriferous Spices, the Sun shining bright and hot, he with his wings augmented the heat, whose strong Retention kindled his Bed, as Boyes do dryed leavs with Burning∣glasses, which soon consumed his nest himself, and all to ashes.

And least all these sweets should want as sweet a harmony, a numerous troop of Nightingales conspired in one consort, to warble forth the deli∣cacies of their abode, amid this Vale their glided a silver Brook, so gently, that the subtillest eye might gaze ve∣ry strictly, and not perceive it, on whose violet bancks grew thick Cy∣press trees, to keep out Phoebus beams; Here Pan and Faunus, the Dapper Dri∣••des, with Madam Marisco, Queen of Fairies used to dance the Morris by Moon-light; the bottom of this a∣zure * 1.10 Rivulet was paved with Pearls and Diamonds, which varied their gloss as the gentle breath of Zephire, purled the surface of the stream, and presenting to the eye (like a steele Glass) the spangled beauties of the Firmament; Dolphins usually deser∣ted the Ocean, to sport in this Pacto∣lian Fountain: Our Champion ex∣ceedingly rejoyced, that so happy a harbour proffered it self for his re∣pose; As also, that there was, now, a fair, probability of some remarka∣ble Adventure; and therefore clap∣ping Soto on the shoulder, Com〈…〉〈…〉

(quoth he) with Roman-like cou∣rage, for the Gods, I hope, have ap∣pointed me some hungry Lion, or gag-toothed Bear, some deformed Gyant, or male-contented Knight to encounter with here in this Flowery Valley; So putting spurres to his Horse, like another Alexander on Bu∣cephalus, he made his way into the very entrails of the Grove, at whose dreadfull approach, Syluanus and his shaggy crew fled amaine, and were soon out of sight, to the Champions extream discontent, who would fain have been belabouring any thing that had life; but the * 1.11 pleasure of the place soon calmed his spit-fire con∣templations, so that he unlaced his Helmet, and unharnessed himself, ly∣ing down at the root of an Almond∣tree, where (having been kept waking by malignant Fleas almost all the night before) he so on became slave to Somnus, the pratling Brook in a plea∣sing tone chaunting a Dulced Lul∣labie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  This Vale is not now to be found, but that there was such a place. See Mandevils Geography, lib. 10000. ••••ct. 20000.
• * 1.2

  She took this fault by kind, & ther∣fore was the more excu∣sable.
• * 1.3

  Riddle.
• * 1.4

  Cover her in the origi∣nall.
• * 1.5

  Six golden Sentences borrowed from the 7. Sages of Greece.
• * 1.6

  Though it were long first.
• * 1.7

  Had al spice of the French
• * 1.8

  See Co〈…〉〈…〉 and Poet Quid.
• * 1.9

  The Au∣thor laments the deplora∣ble condition of the Phoe∣nix.
• * 1.10

  Who knows 〈◊〉〈◊〉 this was 〈◊〉〈◊〉 very Ta•••••• or Pactolus so famous in Po••si••,
• * 1.11

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 H••••∣nib••l was caught with the delic••∣cies of 〈◊〉〈◊〉.