1Could this fell
catablepe
lift up her head 2Her poisonous eyes would look all creatures dead.
3She scorcheth up the flowers as she doth go,
4Yet the small weasel dares to be her foe.
5Their strange antipathy
doth all excel: 6One kills by sight, the other by his smell
. 7Thus with their counterpoisons
when they meet 8They conquered lie at one another’s feet.
9Thus, though there be the greatest antipathy,
10Yet death doth turn it to a sympathy
. 11So the sly dragon
, wriggling, winds about 12The elephant, ’til in his tender snout
13She thrusts her head, stopping his vital breath,
14Or sucks his blood. Then when this lump of earth
15For want of blood and spirits ’gins to fall,
16He most triumphant kills his foe and all
. 17So did those Israelites who rose up to play
18With their own lives victorious
end the fray. 19Even so the adder bit the horse’s heel;
20Three thousand at last gasp his strength did feel
. 21Thus death doth make all enmity to cease.
22When all is dust (surely) there will be peace
. 23Then let none think of death with so much terror,
24For by this emblem they may see their error.
25Then will I meet it as my last best friend,
26For it my sins and sorrows all will end
.