Classic Poem

A CONCEIPT VPON AN EAGLE AND A PHoeNIX

There sate sometime an Eagle on a hill,
Hanging his wings, as if he could not flie:
Blacke was his coate and tauny was his bill,
Grey were his legges, and gloomy was his eye;
Blunted his talents, and his traine so bruised,
As if his brauery had beene much abused.

This foule olde birde of some vnhappy brood
That could abide no hauke of higher wing.
(But fed his gorge vpon such bloody foode
As might, in feare, maintaine a cruell king,)
Faire on a rocke of pearle and pretious stone
Espied a Phaenix sitting all alone.

No sooner had this heauenly birde in sight
But vp he flickers, as he would haue flowne:
But all in feare to make so farre a flight,
Vntill his pennes were somewhat harder growne;
He gaue a rowse: as who should say, in rage
He shew'd the fury of his froward age.

And, for this Phaenix still did front his eyes,
He cald a counsell of his kites together;
With whom in haste he wold the mean deuise
By secret arte to leade an armie thither,
And so pull downe from place of highe estate
This heauenly bird that he had so in hate.

Much talke there was, and wondrous heede was held
How to atchieue this high attempt in hand:
Some out were sent to soare about the field
Where flue this grace and glory of the land,
To mark her course, and how she made her wing
And how her stregth might stad with such a king.

And forthwith should such cages be deuised
As should enclose full many thousand fowles;
By whom her seat should quickly be surprized,
And all her birds should handled be like owles:
No time detract: this deede must needs be don:
And ere they went the world was wholly won.

But, soft a while: no sooner seene the land
But, ere they came in kenning of the coast,
So great a force their fortune did withstand
That all the brauery of the birds was lost:
Some leakt, some sanke and some so ran on groud
The cages burst and all the birds were drownd.

But when the Eagle heard what was become
Of all his flight, that flick'red bere and there:
Some sicke some hurt, some lame, and all and sume
Or farre from hope, or all too neere in feare.
He stoupt his traine, and hung his head so sore
As if his heart had never burst before.