1The Caucasines with locusts were annoyed
2That all their herbs
and fruits were quite destroyed; 3Whilst with sad hearts their suff’rings they deplore
, 4And the assistance of the gods implore,
5The Seleucides birds, ne’er seen before,
6With their united strength and num’rous power
7Did instantly these locusts all devour.
8Their work being done, they straight flew all away,
9And ne’er were seen nor heard of to this day.
10So serpents once th’Egyptians did annoy;
11Then ibis came and did these worms destroy
, 12But with his putrid filth he ten times more
13Afflicted them
than they were e’er before. 14So this sad kingdom locusts
did o’errun, 15Such clouds (ay me!) as did eclipse our sun.
16What house of this base vermin then were free?
17Such a like army let me never see.
18Then an’mals
came were
never seen before, 19And put these
down; none did their loss deplore. 20These subtle
serpents over all did crawl; 21To Heaven
for remedy we
then did call. 22Then ibis
came and swallowed this whole fry
. 23Some did repent that they to Heaven did cry,
24For all that sacred was, he did pollute;
25Yet let us once again to God make suit.
26Who knows? The tumid
and tumultuous seas 27May bring a friend that may our suff’rings ease.
28So Rochelle, by a shoal of unknown fish
, 29Outlived their siege above their hopes and wish.