Specimens of English literature from the 'Ploughmans crede' to the ...

Specimens of English literature from the 'Ploughmans crede' to the ... Specimens of English literature from the 'Ploughmans crede' to the ...

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1::2y6 XXIV. THOMAS SACKVILLE, LORD BUCKHURST,5And that, alas ! wasgnawen ^ on euery where,All full of holes, that I ne mought refrayneFrom teares, to se how she her armes could teare,And with her teeth gnashe on the bones in vayne :When all for nought she fayne would so sustayneHer starven corps, that rather seemde a shadeThen any substaunce of a creature made.52 Great was her force, whom stonewall could not stay,Her tearyng nayles snatching at all she sawe :With gaping lawes, that by no meanes ymayBe satisfyed from hunger of her mawe,But eates her-selfe as she that hath no laweGnawyng, alas ! her carkas all in vayne.Where you may count eche sinow, bone, and vayne.53 On her while we thus firmely fixt our iyes,That bled for ruth of such a drery sight,Loe, sodaynelye she shryght in so huge wyse.As made hell-gates to shyver with the myght.Wherewith a darte we sawe howe itdid lyghtRyght on her brest, and therewithal pale deathEnthryllyng it,to reve her of her breath.r)4 And by and by a dum dead corps we sawe,Heauy and colde, the shape of death aryght,That dauntes all earthly creatures to his laweAgaynst whose force in vayne it is to fyght.Ne piers, ne princes, nor no mortall wyght.No townes, ne realmes, cities, ne strongest tower.But al perforce must yeeld vnto his power.^ Old text ' knawen'; cf. st. 52,1. 6>

XXIV. THE MIRROUR FOR MAGISTRATES. 29755 His Dart anon out of the corps he tooke,And in his hand (a dreadful! sight to see)With great tryumphe eftsones the same he shooke,That most of all my feares affrayed me :His bodie dight with nought but bones, perdye,The naked shape of man there sawe I playne,All save the fleshe, the synowe, and the vayne.56 Lastly stoode Wari:e, in glitteryng amies yclad,With visage grym, sterne lookes, and blackely hewedIn his right hand a naked sworde he had,That to the hikes was al with blud embrewed :And in his left(that kinges and kingdomes rewed)Famine and fyer he held, and therewythallHe razed townes, and threwe downe towers and all.57 Cities he sakt, and realmes, that whilom flowredIn honor, glory, and rule above the best,He overwhelmde, and all theyr fame deuowred,Consumed, destroyed, wasted, and neuer ceast,Tyll he theyr wealth, theyr name, and allopprest.His face forhewed with woundes, and by his sideThere hunge his targe with gashes depe and wyde.58 In mids of which depaynted there we foundeDeadly debate, al ful of snaky heare,That with a blouddy fillet was ybound,Outbrething nought but discord euery-where.And round about were portrayd here and thereThe hugie hostes, Darius and his power,His kynges, prynces, his pieres, and all his flower,

XXIV. THE MIRROUR FOR MAGISTRATES. 29755 His Dart anon out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> corps he <strong>to</strong>oke,And in his hand (a dreadful! sight <strong>to</strong> see)With great tryumphe eftsones <strong>the</strong> same he shooke,That most <strong>of</strong> all my feares affrayed me :His bodie dight with nought but bones, perdye,The naked shape <strong>of</strong> man <strong>the</strong>re sawe I playne,All save <strong>the</strong> fleshe, <strong>the</strong> synowe, and <strong>the</strong> vayne.56 Lastly s<strong>to</strong>ode Wari:e, in glitteryng amies yclad,With visage grym, sterne lookes, and blackely hewedIn his right hand a naked sworde he had,That <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> hikes was al with blud embrewed :And in his left(that kinges and kingdomes rewed)Famine and fyer he held, and <strong>the</strong>rewythallHe razed <strong>to</strong>wnes, and threwe downe <strong>to</strong>wers and all.57 Cities he sakt, and realmes, that whilom flowredIn honor, glory, and rule above <strong>the</strong> best,He overwhelmde, and all <strong>the</strong>yr fame deuowred,Consumed, destroyed, wasted, and neuer ceast,Tyll he <strong>the</strong>yr wealth, <strong>the</strong>yr name, and allopprest.His face forhewed with woundes, and by his sideThere hunge his targe with gashes depe and wyde.58 In mids <strong>of</strong> which depaynted <strong>the</strong>re we foundeDeadly debate, al ful <strong>of</strong> snaky heare,That with a blouddy fillet was ybound,Outbrething nought but discord euery-where.And round about were portrayd here and <strong>the</strong>reThe hugie hostes, Darius and his power,His kynges, prynces, his pieres, and all his flower,

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