| |
| THOSE which at home scorn’d Pharaoh and his force, | |
| And whose departure he did humbly pray, | |
| He now pursues with his Egyptian horse | |
| And warlike foote, to spoile them on the way. | |
| Where his choice people strongly to protect, | 5 |
| The only God of emperie and of might, | |
| Before his host his standard doth erect, | |
| A glorious pillar in a field of light; | |
| Which he by day in sable doth vnfolde, | |
| To dare the sunne his ardour to forbeare, | 10 |
| By night conuerts it into flaming golde, | |
| Away the coldnesse of the same to feare. | |
| Not by Philistia he his force will leade, | |
| Though the farre nearer and the happier way: | |
| His men of warre a glorious march shall tread | 15 |
| On the vast bowels of the bloudie sea; | |
| And sends the windes as currers forth before | |
| To make them way from Pharaoh’s power to flie, | |
| And to conuey them to a safer shore. | |
| Such is his might that can make oceans drie, | 20 |
| Which by the stroke of that commanding wand | |
| Shouldred the rough seas forcibly together, | |
| Raised as rampiers by that glorious hand, | |
| (Twixt which they march,) that did conduct them thither. | |
| The surly waues their Ruler’s will obay’d, | 25 |
| By him made vp in this confused masse, | |
| Like as an ambush secretly were laid, | |
| To set on Pharaoh as his power should passe, | |
| Which soone with wombes insatiably wide, | |
| Loos’d from their late bounds by the Almightie’s power, | 30 |
| Come raging in, enclosing euery side, | |
| And the Egyptians instantly deuour. | |
| The sling, the stiffe bowe, and the sharpned launce, | |
| Floating confusdly on the waters rude, | |
| They which these weapons lately did aduance, | 35 |
| Perish in sight of them that they pursude: | |
| Clashing of armours and the rumorous sound | |
| Of the sterne billowes in contention stood, | |
| Which to the shores doe euery way rebound, | |
| As doth affright the monsters of the flood. | 40 |
| Death is discern’d triumphantly in armes, | |
| On the rough seas his slaughterie to keepe, | |
| And his colde selfe in breath of mortals warmes | |
| Vpon the dimpled bosome of the deepe. | |
| There might you see a checkquer’d ensigne swim | 45 |
| About the bodie of the enui’d dead, | |
| Serue for a hearse or couerture to him | |
| Ere while did waft it proudly ’bout his head: | |
| The warlike chariot turn’d vpon the backe, | |
| With the dead horses in their traces tide, | 50 |
| Drags their fat carkasse through the foamie bracke, | |
| That drew it late vndauntedly in pride. | |
| There floats the bar’d steed with his rider drown’d, | |
| Whose foot in his caparison is cast, | |
| Who late with sharpe spurs did his courser wound, | 55 |
| Himselfe now ridden with his strangled beast. | |
| The waters conquer (without helpe of hand) | |
| For them to take, for which they neuer toile, | |
| And like a quarrie cast them on the land, | |
| As those they slew they left to them to spoile. | 60 |
| |
| In eightie-eight 1 at Douer that had beene | |
| To view that nauie (like a mighty wood) | |
| Whose sailes swept heauen, might eas’lie there haue seene | |
| How puissant Pharaoh perish’d in the floud. | |
| What for a conquest strictly they did keepe, | 65 |
| Into the channel presently was pour’d; | |
| Castilian riches scatter’d on the deepe, | |
| That Spaine’s long hopes had sodainly deuour’d. | |
| Th’ afflicted English rang’d along the strand, | |
| To waite what would this threatening power betide, | 70 |
| Now when the Lord with a victorious hand | |
| In his high iustice scourg’d the Iberian pride. | |
