The English Parnassus, or, A helpe to English poesie containing a collection of all rhyming monosyllables, the choicest epithets, and phrases : with some general forms upon all occasions, subjects, and theams, alphabeticaly digested : together with a short institution to English poesie, by way of a preface / by Joshua Poole.

Orpheus.

The Thracian ha••per. The Thracian singer that once with his Lyre, Taught the deaf stones to hear him and admire, When Thracian Orpheus to••k His Lyre, and gen••lly on it st••ook, The learned stones came dancing all along, And kept time to his charming song, With artificiall pace the warl••ck Pine, Th' Elm and his wife, th' lvy Twine With all the better trees, which erst had stood Unmov'd, forsook their native wood, The L••wrell to the Poets hands did bow, Craving the honour of his brow, And every loving arm embrac'd and made With their officious leaves a shade.

The beasts too strove his auditors to be, Forgetting their old tyrannie. The fearfull Hart next to the Lion came, And Wolf was shepherd to the Lamb, Nightingales harmlesse Syrens of the air, And Muses of the place were there, Who when their little w••nd-pipes they had found, Unnequal to so strange a sound, O'rcome by grief and art they did expire, And fell upon the conquering Lyre, The gods interpreter who sung so well, As by his songs to bring his wife from hell; For while he sung and struck the quavering strings, The bloodlesse shadows wept, nor flattering springs Tempt Tantalus, Ixions wheel stood still, Their Urn the Belides no longer fill, The vultures feed no••, Tityus left to grone, And S••syphus sate l••stning on his stone, The Furies vanquish'd by his verse were seen To weep, that never wept before, hells Queen. And King of darknesse, yield to his powerfull plea,