1When

fair Aurora1

, dressed with radiant light,

2Had triumphed o’er the gloomy shades of

night2

—

3When she her

virgin beauty3

first

discloses4

,

4Her dewy curls stuck full of

half-blown5

roses,

5Lapped in a robe of silver mixed with gray,

6Which did

prognosticate6

a glorious day–

7Out flew the

active Amazonian maid7

.

8The hills and dales not only she surveyed,

9But out of every

gold-enamelled cup8

10Her morning’s

draft9

of nectar she did sup.

11Nay, where the toad and spider poisons found,

12

Mell10

she extracts; for this

her wisdom’s11

crowned.

13On nightshade, henbane, hellish aconite,

14On opium, hemlock she doth

safely light12

.

15Thus being with

choice extractions13

loaded well,

16She turned to fly to her

sexangular cell14

.

17But

taking of15

my garden16

in her way,

18Though full before, she could not choose but stay

19To see the

curious17

auriculas18

dressed

20More variously than

Iris’s19

dewy breast.

21Then were my

tulips painted20

in their pride,

22Which, when this

covetous21

insect espied,

23To carry home her wealth she’d not the power

24Till she had searched the sweets of every flower.

25The sun, from whom all influence receives,

26Bid

them22

decline; the tulip closed her leaves,

27And in that painted prison shut the bee.

28With her a

snail23

, who slid about to see

29Where to get out upon her

unctuous24

breast;

30But seeing no hope, she laid her down to rest,

31Whilst the angry bee

did25

such a flutt’ring keep,

32She nor her fellow pris’ner could not sleep.

33But night being past,

Delia26

diffused27

his rays;

34The tulip then her

gilded28

leaves displays.

35Out slid the snail; the bee did fainting lie,

36And thus with beating of herself did die.

37Then let impatient spirits here but see

38

What ’tis to struggle with their destiny29

.

39So

stout30

Biron31

in prison was enraged,

40Knowing his king was to his sword engaged.

41When

Belisarius32

by a dog was led,

42Being blind, he patiently did beg his bread.

43So

miscre’nt33

Bajazeth34

did show his rage

44When that proud Tartar put him in a cage;

45Scorning to be a footstool to his pride,

46He dashed his curséd brains about and died.

47When wise

Callisthenes35

, used with greater scorn,

48Tyrannically mangled, so was borne,

49He, being unmoved, showed his philosophy:

50

’Tis valianter by far to live than die36

.

51Then if no hope of liberty you see,

52

Think on the snail, the tulip, and the bee37

.