Poems &c. written by Mr. Ed. Waller ... ; and printed by a copy of his own hand-writing ; all the lyrick poems in this booke were set by Mr. Henry Lawes ...

CANTO III. The bloody fight, successlesse toile, And how the fishes sack'd the Jsle.

THe boate which on the first assault did goe, Stroke with a harping-iron the younger foe; Who when hee felt his side so rudely goar'd, Loud as the Sea that nourish'd him, hee roar'd. As a broad Breame, to please some curious tast, While yet alive, in boyling water cast, Vext with unwonted heate, bounds, flings about The scorching brass, and hurles the liquour out: So with the barbed javeling stung, hee raves And scourges with his tayle the suff'ring waves: Like Fairy Talus with his iron flaile, Hee threatens ruine with his pond'rous taile, Dissolving at one stroke the batter'd boate, And downe the men fall drenched in the moate:

With every fierce encounter they are forc't To quit their boates, and fare like men unhoist: The bigger Whale like some huge carrack lay Which wanteth Sea-roome with her foes to play, Slowly shee swims, and when provok'd shee wou'd Advance her tayle, her head salutes the mud; The shallow water doth her force infringe, And renders vain her tayles impetuous swinge; The shining steel her tender sides receave, And there like bees they all their weapons leave.

This sees the Cub, and does himselfe oppose Betwixt his cumbred mother and her foes, With desp'rate courage hee receives her wounds, And men and boates his active tayle confounds; Their furies ioyn'd the Seas with billowes fill, And make a tempest, though the winds bee still.

Now would the men with half their hoped pray Bee well content, and wish'd this Cub away;

Their wish they have, Hee to direct his Dam Unto the gap, through which they thither came, Before her swims, and quits the hostile Lake; A pris'ner there but for his Mothers sake; Shee by the rocks compell'd to stay behind, Is by the vastness of her bulk confin'd: They shout for joy, and now on her alone Their fury falls, and all their Darts are thrown: Their Launces spent, One bolder then the rest With his broad sword provokes the sluggish beast; Her oylie side devoures both blade and heft, And there his steele the bold Bermudian left. Courage the rest from his example take, And now they change the colour of the Lake, Blood flowes in rivers from her wounded side, As if they would prevent the tardie tide, And raise the flood to that propitious height, As might convey her from this fatall streight;

Shee swims in blood, and blood does spouting throw To heaven, that heaven mens cruelties might know; Their fixed Javelins in her side shee wears, And on her back a grove of Pikes appears: You would have thought, had you the Monster seen Thus drest, shee had another Island been. Roaring she tears the ayr with such a noise (As well resembled the conspiring voice Of routed armies, when the field is won) To reach the ears of her escaped Son: Hee (though a league removed from the so) Hasts to her ayd: the pious Trojan so, Neglecting for Creusa's life his own, Repeats the danger of the burning town. The men amazed blush to see the seed Of Monsters, humane pietie exceed. Well proves this kindness what the Grecians sung, That Loves bright Mother from the Ocean sprung.

Their courage droops, and hopeless now they wish For composition with th'unconquer'd Fish; So shee their weapons would restore again, Through rocks they'd hew her passage to the Main: But how instructed in each others mind, Or what commerce can men with Monsters find? Not daring to approach their wounded so, Whom her couragious Son protected so, They charge their Muskets, and with hot desire Of fell revenge, renew the fight with fire; Standing aloofe with Lead the bruise the scales, And teare the flesh of the incensed Whales; But no success their fierce endeavours found, Nor this way could they give one fatall wound. Now to their Forts they are about to send For the loud Engines which their Isle defend; But what those peeces fram'd to batter Walls, Would have effected on those mighty Whales,

Great Neptune will not have us know, who sends A tide so high that it relieves his friends: And thus they parted with exchange of harms; Much blood the Monsters lost, and they their arms.