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. VI.

Zara murthers a monstrous Bear, who assaulted him in the Cave: He playes and sings beneath the Lady Gylos cham∣ber Window, and receives a very luckie return of his Love.

JOy and wonder (like two opposite winds disturbing the already di∣stracted * 1.1 Ocean) strove for Supremacy in our Champion; on the one side the Ladies worthiness, on the other side her coyness palsied her brain, so that he remained for a time as one * 1.2 trans-elemented.

Such is thy power, O Love, such is thy might, When thou surprizest any Mortall Wight; Whether Orlando Smith, or Oswald Clinker, Whether the Great Turk, or the brass-fac'd Tinker;

Thou mouldest him anew in every part, And for a pint of Mirth, reckon'st a Quart Of Sorrow, making a most grievous puther; A Pox upon thee, and thy Sea-born Mother.

Soto a long time observed his Lord with a serious look; but perceiving, that he cared not to put a period to this excruciating extasie, he burst out into a hearty laughter, saying, * 1.3 Cu∣pids Arrows (I perceive) can pierce the strongest Armour, and supple the most sternest soul, * 1.4 as those are the most killing griefs that dare not speak, so (no doubt) those are the most ineffable joyes, that cannot gain utterance: Rejoyce, my Lord, and sing Paeans to the pretty little God, who has thus courteously awarded you: You are the wittiest and best of Servitors, answered ZARA, O I could dye upon her * 1.5 Spot, and venture life, or otherwise do more for her dear sake then those famous

Palladines, who were Kinsmen to mad Rowland; Hercules Labours were but á Bakers dozen, mine shall puzzle A∣rithmetick truly to compute them: She is indeed (quoth Soto) the Meta∣physicks of her Sex, the very Rule of Algebra; you are the Jove that must press this Laeda, the Endymion, that are beloved by this Cynthia, and the An∣chyses that must enjoy this Venus: I know it (quoth Zara) for didst thou not observe how her colour went and came all the time that I was courting her; and though I say it (that should not) I never in all my life had the happiness of more fluency on so short a warning: Hermes himself (quoth Soto) could not have handled his bu∣siness better; but Sir, take it from me, * 1.6 He that has a woman by the waste, has a wet E••le by the tayle; And they hate delayes as much as they abominate debility: What wouldst thou have me to do (quoth the Don?) shal we pre∣sently visit her; not so soon Sir, quoth Soto, you know that providence has provided us a place of rest, you may well waste this night in contemplati∣on of her Excellencies, and to mor∣row,

ere the fleet hours shall have har∣nessed Phoebus fiery Horses, we will bid her Bonjour at her Balconey, by which time (if the Muses favour me) we will be provided with an amorous Canticle, Rivall to best of * 1.7 Petrarchs, Sidney, or Ronfard, onely the Alcean Lyre will be wanting, but that our Voyces shall supply, (* 1.8 for the silent, note which Cupid strikes, is far swee∣ter then the sound of any Instrument) celebrating her beauty, and inciting to the Paphian pleasure. Thou art my better Genius, quoth Zara, and shalt share my Fortunes, this was ex∣cellently well thought on, and can∣not but exceedingly take.

Approach thou silent Night, mother of Rapes, And dreary ruine, friend to Owles and Apes, Fly, fly, ye winged hours with eager motion, And bring the chearfull day from forth the Ocean, Father of life and light, when thou appearest, I'le take my rise, resorting to my dearest.

I have often heard (quoth Soto) that Love can inspire the most insipid; now I have proofe my Lord, that you are a very Lover, witness this polite Poeticall passion, but the Night-Ra∣••en (Sir) has chanted her Vespers, and Madam Nox has already hung her curtain over the Hemisphere, let us convey our selvs to our Concave, quoth Zara, and summon Somnus to a peacefull parley: I have, said Soto, furnished our Pavillion with a bed of the best Moss, and the trunk of an Al∣der tree for a pillow: Thou art in all things excellent, quoth Zara; but now for the contrivance of our Ode: Let me alone for that, quoth Soto, Ile kick the Mount to Attoms, swill up * 1.9 Hellicon, ravish the Nine, and break Apollo's Fiddle about his pate, but Ile Rant in most magnificent Miter; Ile warrant the Lady is your own, if (which we have cause to guess) she be one of Minerva's Maids of Honour: This said, they departed to their hol∣lowed Mansion, and taking their Cowch, on a sudden became speech∣less, when Fortune, the professed ene∣my to worth, appointed them a very

dangerous Adventure, for the flye Sergeant Morpheus had no sooner ar∣rested their sences, but the proper owner of the place, a Bear as black as blackness it self, as fell as an Hyrca∣nian Tyger, entered the Cave (as was her wonted guize) with a resolve to rest her self there that night, but find∣ing uncouth Inmates, she gave so Ioud a roar, that the Grove ecchoed the Thunder of her throat; This yelling Allarum soon beat up the Champi∣ons Quarters, and he awaked in much distraction, giving Soto (though acci∣dentally) so sound〈…〉〈…〉. on the brest with his * 1.10 foot, that he cryed out as he had bin broke on the wheel; by this time the Bear had bitten our Champion quite thorow the calfe of his left leg, which made him roar more audibly then this beast of prey enter∣ing the Cave: Soto mean time (like a hardy Squire) strenuously assaulted this wild creature with his Javelin, but found his hide too tough for pe∣netration, and such was the mockery of Fate, that the Champion had not opportunity to unsheath his Sword, so that his face was scratched and sca∣ri••i'd,

as his leg was bruiz'd and wounded, no quarter from head to foot was free; was it not time then for the Champion and Soto to lay a∣bout them, for this hairy Monster fought not to gain honour, but to al∣lay hunger.

Ah Zara, Zara, had I my wish, some * 1.11 God should turn thee into a Sheep, or Goat, nay rather then sail into an Ass, to escape this vile visitation, then thus be taken like a tame Beast in thy own Den.

Yet at last despight of Destiny he forced out Kit-za-Cow, and with one single thrust pierc't through the skin ribs, and riff of this sawcie Savage, cleaving her heart who giving a deep groan, becam exanimate: This Con∣quest being so happily atchieved, the Champion (with Soto's aide) disbur∣thened the Cave of this rough crea∣ture, whose length (by London mea∣sure) was no less then six yards, and whose head the Cpampion immediat∣ly severed from the unwieldy Trunk, hanging it on the top branch of a Beech Tree, as a Trophey consecrate

to Nemesis and Astrea, ingraving this Distich about the Bole.

Apollo, Python sl••w, which was no Bear-a, The Monster own'd this head, was slain by Zara.

But the wounds and scratches late∣ly received, were not so irksome to our Champion, as the sorrow he un∣derwent to be maimed at such a time by this beast of Mars, when he had wholly devoted himself to Venus, yet such was the ardency of his affection, that * 1.12 he resolv'd to visit his Mistris with the morning;

O true and unparalell'd Amorist, worthy the Pen of another Parker! Others if but prickt with Eglantine, or Phlebotomiz'd with the Guardi∣ans of Roses, think themselvs suffici∣ently excused for not doing that De∣voyre to their Mistresses which Cupid commands; but he, though creeping on hand and crupper, will not faile to complement his fair one, and who knows but the compassionate Gods may reward this admirable Ardour,

with the miraculous cure of his wounds, without the aide of Machaon or Podalyrius.

The Olympick powers, said Soto, have manifested their care of your couragious carkass (thrice Noble and redoubted Heroe) in that they guided your good Sword to so home a thrust when in all probability you had been manducated by that Monster, who now remains headless; the fightless Deity does alwayes file their names, whom he thinks worthy to wage war under his Banner with blood; But I too long neglect to apply some hea∣ling herb to your yawning wound: Having said this, Soto arose, and sear∣ching about the Grove for some * 1.13 sa∣nitating Simple; he at last lighted upon that (Hell-envied, Heaven-guar∣ded) weed, called * 1.14 Morsus Diaboli, which he gently cropped, chaunting a Canticle to Tellus, and resorting to his maimed Master, squeezed the juice thereof into his wound, and then ap∣plying the leaf it self, bound it about with the rind of a Mulberry Plant, which gave him present ease, and oc∣casioned his Benizon on solicitous

Soto: By this time Aurora was visible in the East, clad in her purple Robe; Aeous began to shake his fiery Main, neighing so loud, that Sol (* 1.15 who had slept with Thetis all that night) sate upright in his watry bed, and after a yawn or two, took his scourge in his hand; the Champion and Soto there∣for immediately set forward on their amorous enterprize, and were under the Balconey, where our war-like Le∣ander expected his Lilly-handed Hero ere the Sun was warm in his Throne; for some minutes they diligently list∣ned if they might hear any body sti••, but neither jarre of Clock, nor the hoarce hum of any drowzie Groom to be heard, all things buried in so profound a silence, as if the God of dreams had here pit〈…〉〈…〉 his Pavillion. Begin the Hymn, quoth Zara, the Canzonet that must give my Goddess the Alar〈…〉〈…〉 of love, my self will help to bear the burthen; then Soto having opened his Organ pipes with a Pega∣sian hem, began to warble the fol∣lowing Song:

SONG.

1.

ARise thou true Aurora from thy East, too long (good faith) thou keepst thy nest Zara's no Incubus, Nor thou a lazy Sus, That thou art tardy thus, thy Champions reddy with his spear in rest Ambo. Then let the turn-pikes on my chin, Take thy half-Moon Fortress in.

2.

Cupid (alas) does suck my best blood out, I drop at heart as old wives drop at snout, No Brescian Bear loves honey, Or down-chin'd Miser money, Better then I thy Con—. appear, bright saint, and cure my amorous Gowt. And let the turn-pikes, &c.

3.

Love has not onely drove his Peg Through my heart, but through my leg, After such dire assault, Here do I make a halt, for I was n're yet shun'd by Doll or Meg. Let then the Turn-pikes, &c.

4.

Though (Mars appointing so) I'm fram'd of Iron, And that strong barrs of steel my flesh in∣viron, Though strung with stubborn wire, I melt in thy Coal-fire, Cupids strong Cu••rasiere I am, then glorious Girl put thy Attire on. Then let the Turn-pikes, &c.

5.

Be thou my Sea-born Venus, I will be Thy Mars, thy Vulcan (I go limpingly) Let me view thy silken Dog, (Able to vanquish Gogmagog,) I'le be thy Ape, be thou my clog, to love, and not be lov'd, is misery. Then let the Turn-pikes, &c.

6.

Let's laugh, and leave this world behind, And procreate till we are blind, That Gods may view, With a Dildo-doe, What we bake, and what we brew, yet our intrinsick fervour never find. Then let the turn-pikes on my chin, Take thy half-Moon Fortress in.

They had no sooner finished their Ditty, but behold Madam Gylo (appa∣relled in a loose vestment, her haire bound up in a carnation Cawl, which excellently became her) appeared (like another Juliet ready to receive her beloved Romeo) on the Battle∣ments, bearing in her hand a Pewter Vessel, containing the quantity of a∣bout three quarts of that (which like the Spider, she had extracted from her own bowels) she had on purpose procured for our Champions recep∣tion, and it appears (* 1.16 if there be any truth in Tradition) it was the Ladies Ordure to precipitate any excremen∣tious substance from that very win∣dow: The Champion and Soto great∣ly rejoyced to see this morning Star irradiate that Horizon, but were soon returned to their quondam dejection, when they found their eares unguen∣ted with warm water, well lanted with a viscuous ••ngredient; the La∣dy having accomplished her Atchiev∣men, returned to her place of rest, leaving Zara and Soto in the wildest wonder; nor let any (seeming) So∣lon tax their extasie, for even Alcides

or Achilles had been the same sad ones, had Briseis or Omphale practised the like Complement; but after they had a long time busied their (new wrunced) eyes with gazing one upon another, like men dropt from the Clouds, and perceiving the Lady had left them, without probability of re∣turn, they (without speaking one to another, so vast was their amaze∣ment) retired to their Grove, their faces full of the ostents of shame and dolour.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Simile.
• * 1.2

  Meaning transmogra∣fide, or me∣morphosed into a Man∣drake.
• * 1.3

  Sentenc••
• * 1.4

  Sentence upon sentenc inserted by the Author, meerly for the solace of the sage.
• * 1.5

  Meaning some pri〈…〉〈…〉 mark.
• * 1.6

  An Axiome borrowed of Cato.
• * 1.7

  A most excellent Italian Bal∣lad-maker.
• * 1.8

  See Tom Dales A∣phorisme, Tome 9 sect 12. Apho. 19.
• * 1.9

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 John 〈…〉〈…〉lands ••••solvs, 〈…〉〈…〉m 2••.
• * 1.10

  Whether his left or right is not certainly known.
• * 1.11

  The pious Author pe∣tifully be∣moans the bad condi∣tion of Za∣ra.
• * 1.12

  Though one of his supporters had been 〈◊〉〈◊〉 o••••∣well sayes the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Love will 〈◊〉〈◊〉 where it cannot go.
• * 1.13

  For a better un∣derstanding of this 〈◊〉〈◊〉Dr. Trigs Pr〈…〉〈…〉 Pu••∣ril•• p▪ ••0000
• * 1.14

  See Cla∣vels Recan∣tation, pag. 121.
• * 1.15

  By this 〈◊〉〈◊〉 appears that the Sun himself is an ••dulte∣rer. See the Act against Fornication &c.
• * 1.16

  See Alber∣tus Aja••, de Modo Cacan di, Tome 〈◊〉〈◊〉.