De Histrice. Ex Claudiano

Fam'd Stymphall , I have heard, thy birds in flight
Shoot showers of arrowes forth all levied right.
And long the fable of those quills of steele
Did seeme to me a tale incredible.
Now have I faith; the Porcupine I see,
And then th' Herculean birds no wonders bee.
Her longer head like a swines snowt doth show;
Bristles like hornes upon her forehead grow.
A fiery heat glows from her flaming eye;
Under her shaggy back the shape doth lye
As 'twere a whelpe: nature all Art hath try'd
In this small beast, so strangely fortified.
A threatning wood o're all her body stands;
And stiff with Pikes the speckled stalks in bands
Grow to the warre; while under those doth rise
An other troope, girt with alternate dyes
Of severall hue; which while a blacke doth fill
The inward space, ends in a solid quill,
That lessning by degrees, doth in a while,
Take a quick point, and sharpens to a Pile.
Nor doth her squadrons like the hedghogs stand
Fixt; but shee darts them forth, and at command
Farre of her members aimes; shot through the skie
From her shak'd side the Native Engines flie.
Sometimes retiring, Parthian like, shee'l wound
Her following foe; sometimes intrenching round
In battaile forme, marshalling all her flanks,
Shee'l clash her javelins to affright the ranks
Of her poore enemies: lineing every side
With speares, to which shee is her selfe allied.
Each part of her's a souldier, from her back
But stir'd, a hoarse and horrid noise doth crack;
That one would think the trumpets did incite
Two adverse Armies to begin to fight;
So great a noise, from one so small did rise.
Then to her skill in Armes shee is so wise
As to adde Policy, and a thrifty feare
Of her owne safety; shee a wrath doth beare
Not prodigall of weapons, but content
With wary threatning; and hath seldome sent
An arrow forth, caus'd by an idle strife,
But spends 'em only to secure her life!
And then her diligent stroke so certaine is
Without all error, shee will seldome misse.
No distance cozens her; the dumbe skin aimes right,
And rules the levy of the skillfull sight.
What humane labour, though we boast it such,
With all her reason can performe so much?
They from the Cretan Goats their hornes must take;
And after, those with fire must softer make.
Buls guts must bend their bows; and e're they fight
Steele armes their darts; and fethers wing their flights.
When loe a little beast wee armed see
With nothing but her owne Artillery:
Who seeks no forraine aide; with her all goe,
Shee to her selfe is Quiver, darts, and bow.
One Creature all the Arts of warfare knows;
If from examples then the Practice flows
Of humane life; hence did th' Invention grow
At distance to incounter with our foe.
Hence the Cydonians instructed are
Their Stratagems, and manner of their warre.
Hence did the Parthians learne to fight, and fly;
Taught by this bird their skilfull Archery.
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