The INTERPRETER.

1. THe Lapwing hath a long bill representing that sword with which Tereus ran at his wife, and the tusse on his head represents a Crowne; and his delight in raking and picking the dung of other creatures, gave occasion to this fiction, to wit, that king Tereus was turned into a Lapwing; a sit transformation, that the filthinesse of ino•dinate lust, in which Tereus delighted, might be repr•sented by the fil∣thinesse of the dung in which the Lapwing takes pleasure: so the red spots on the Swallows breast, represents the blood of the child with which Progne was defiled; and the conti∣nual mourning, groaning, and complaining of the Nigh∣tingal, expresse the complaints of Philomela for the losse of her Virginity and Tongue. 2. Because the two sisters ran to Athens to complain of their wrongs, and Tereus ran after them; to expresse the suddennes and celerity of their flight, they were fained to be turned into birds, the emblemes of celerity and expedition. 3. There are two violent affections which make men shake off all humanity; the one is impo∣tent lust, the other, inordinate desire of revenge. We see what lust did in Tereus, and how desire of revenge prevailed in Progne; what was more ba•barous, horrid and cruel then for Tereus to cut out his sisters tongue whom he had ravish∣ed; and for Progne to kill and bo•le her owne and onely child for her husband to eat? 4. By th•se two sisters Phi∣lomela and Progne, may be meant Poetry and Oratory; Phi∣lomela delights in woods and deserts, so doth Poetry:

Progne loves to be in Townes and Cities, for the Swallow Page  253 builds her nests in houses, so doth Oratory; but as far as the Nightingale exceeds the Swallow in melodious notes, so far doth Poetry excel Oratory: for the Poet doth all that the Orator can do, and much more, by adding delight to perswasion: Et prodesse volunt, & delectare Poetae. 6. Tereus was the son of Mars: we see what the sons of Mars use to do, and what be the fruits of war; to wit, the Muses are ravi∣shed, Scholars are robbed and plundred; their tongues are cut out, that they may not complain: that is, lawes, learning, and truth, are silenced: barbarous murthers and cruelties are committed: and how many children are by souldiers devoured, when their Parents are either banished or murthered, and their estates robbed and consumed?