Philomythie, or, Philomythologie wherin outlandish birds, beasts, and fishes, are taught to speake true English plainely / by Tho: Scot ...

1. IBIS.

DEDICATED To the religious KNIGHT S^r EDMVND MONDEFORD, and his Lady a true louer of LEARNING.

* 1.1 KNowledge and Grace, are antidotes to you, Who killing Serpents, do not Serpents grow.

EGYPT opprest with Serpents, either growing F••om slimie NILVS fruitfull ouerflowing, Or from the enuious bankes of Tyber sent To tell what farther harme the Romans ment: Or by the foggy Southern winds brought o're From sandy Lybia to this fertile shore: Made ••bis Keeper of their liues and states, VVho like a watchfull Porter, kept the gates VVhere this infected Crue did vse to enter: And (as they came in poysoned troopes) did venter Mauger their sting, and teeth, and venome too, To swallow th' enuious Aspes with small adoe.

So long shefed, that Egypt now seem'd free, And scarce a Serpent in the land could see. "But ouer••f••eding hurts•• as some men say, "••hough food be good then surf••t soone we may "B•• poyson••d bits. And Ibis found it true. * 1.2 So that her glutted gorge sh••e's ••orc't to spue; The noysome stinke wher•• of inf••ct••d more Then by these Serpents had bin stung before, And Ibis selfe (corrupted with the food) Grew Serpentine, and did more harme then good, Shee ke••ps no ••ntrance now, but lets them passe, And of their faction, and their treason, was A cunning aider, and a close contriuer; Al-gate Shee se••m'd a diligent, faithfull, diuer Into their darker holes to search them out: But truth it was to put them out of doubt, That Shee their friend, they need not feare a foe, But might at pleasure through the kingdome goe, VVhilst all neglect••d their increase, supposing, Ibis their trusty warden, had been closing The lands strong Ports, with skill to keepe thesein, And others out, till all had eaten bin. But she had other aimes, and vnder hand, Plac'd Cockat••ices all about the land: And such as these (who kin to serpents were) Did she make Captains, and to place preferre * 1.3 Of chiefe command in warre: with hope to bring, The Basiliske to be th' Egyptian king; The Basiliske that at the head of Nile, VVith deadly poyson doth the spring defile. Thus Ibis faild them, and betraide their trust, And now or die themselues, or kill they must.

And scarc•• was't in their choice. Such quick increase "Hath bad things more then good, in time of peace. Yet the Egyptians from securer sleepe, Of foolish pitty, and remisnesse deepe, Or fond c••edulity, and easie faith, At last aw••k't, wha••s'euer Ibis saith, Suspects of ••r••ud, of double-meaning, doubt, And with qui••ke search do finde the treason out. Whic•• Ibis ••eeing to be past preuention, Past skill ••o cloke and coner with inuention: With ••alice, enuie, feare, and horror swelling, And other poyson in her bosome dwelling, Shee burst asunder, and pre••eut•• the paine Her cri••e de••er••'d, but not the shame and staine: That the E••••ptians left for a••ter tim••s, To reade and wonder at in these few rimes. "Whom nature made good, custome made vniust; We tr••sted Ibis, but shee faild our trust. Let Reason rule, and Reason thus exhorts, ••Make not your will wardon of your Cinque Ports.

Epimythium.

* 1.4 PLutarch in the life of Alexander the Great, writes of a Woman brought to a Serpentine and poy∣sonous natur••, by feeding ordinarily on Serpents. This hath so••e r••s••mblance with this tale, whose Morall is•• that man should carefully, guard himselfe from others, and from himselfe: From others, because though we come neere sin, with a purpose to punish it; yet being full of contagion, the effect is hazardous:

much more when wee conuerse with it daily; as they witnesse, who keeping company with pro∣phane, dissolute, and blasphemou•• persons, doe often come out such themselues, seldome otherwise. Be∣ware therefor•• of euill company, and euill custome. * 1.5To walke in the counseil of the wicked, leads you to stand in the way of sinners, and caus••th you to sit in the seate of scorners. To conuerse with Hereticks vnder whatsoeuer pretence is dangerous. Thus there∣fore guard your selfe from outward inuasion, from others; but keepe one eye to looke inward. The worst company is at home, within a mans selfe. His senses stirred vp to pleasure, are so many Serpents in his bo∣some, seeking his destruction: neither will they easily bee charmed. The sting of sinne is sweet, but deadly•• Set your vnsanctified app••tite and will to gouerne these, and you are vndone. The flesh will let in the world and the deuill, in stead of God and Heauen. But let your sanctified Reason bee your gouernour, and you are safe at home and abroad. Mortifie there∣fore * 1.6your members which are on the earth; fornication, vncleannesse, the inordinate aff••ction, euill concupiscence, and couetousnesse, which is Idolatry, &c. The place of greatest danger where your foe may land and enter, is the Cinque-ports, the fiue senses: watch therefore ouer these, and ouer our affections, and you are safe.

Notes

• * 1.1

  in. lib. 8. ••spae ••iunt corporibus ••uorum ortuorum: ••es ranarū iortuarum: ••nae ver•• & ••gues ex•• utrefactio∣e aquae. ••omment. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lib•• 1•• Arist M••∣aphy. bis ••erpentibus ••st inimica ••ostro enim, ••os percuti•• nterficit & leuorat. Arist.
• * 1.2

  Diod•• Sicul•• lib•• 3.
• * 1.3

  Plin. lib. cap•• 22. Cacoble alias. Ca•• cotheph••
• * 1.4

  ut. in vit•• ex•• mag.
• * 1.5

  Psal. 1
• * 1.6

  p Colo c•• 3. v.