Page:Homer in a Nutshell, or, His War Between the Frogs and the Mice - Parker (1700).djvu/10

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$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$Grown up t' a populous and potent State
Had surfeited on Tides of luscious Fate,
Nor valu'd foreign Friends, nor foreign Hate,

A dire Campaign commenc'd: Less veh'ment far
Th' outragious Flame of the Titanian War,
Then when the lofty Boys of sullen Ops
With Dragon Feet oppress'd the Mountain-tops:
Rocks pil'd on Rocks, from ruinous Ascents
Crowding they storm'd Heav'n's Sapphir-Battlements,
While the warm Gods bright Vollies fast return'd,
And with vindictive Flames the hissing Æther burn'd.

Desert, harmonious Nine, your sacred Hill:
A Work divine proceeds: Inspire my Quill,
Inspire as when my Verse ye form'd of old:
Verse that in lowd Heroick Numbers rowl'd:
Your Bard invokes, propitiously disclose
From what malignant Seeds the Feud arose.

Grim Puss, the squeaking Nation's watchful Bane
Pursu'd a Mouse, and almost had o'rta'n,
Yet miss'd the Racer, whose laborious Flight,
Full near as fatal as Grimalkin's Bite,
Enforc'd with Fears had Nature's Tone unstrung,
And to his droughthy Pallat glu'd his Tongue.
The next cool Plash he seeks, and soon arrives
Where plunging deep his Beard the Wight revives.
But scarce was drench'd when from th' unwholsome Flood
King Bogrill issu'd, and thus croak'd aloud.

Soho!