A conceipt vpon an Eagle, and a Phoenix

THERE sate sometime an Eagle on a hill,
Hanging his wings, as if he could not flie:
Blacke was his coate, and tauny was his bill,
Grey were his legges, and gloomy was his eye,
Blunted his talents, and his traine so bruised,
As if his brauery had beene much abused.

This foule olde birde of some vnhappy brood,
That could abide no hauke of higher wing
(But fed his gorge vpon such bloody foode,
As might, in feare, maintaine a cruell king)
Faire on a rocke of pearle and pretious stone,
Espied a Phoenix sitting all alone.

No sooner had this heauenly birde in sight,
But vp he flickers, as he would haue flowne:
But, all in feare, to make so farre a flight,
Vntill his pennes were somewhat harder growne:
He gaue a rowse, as, who should say, in rage
He shew'd the fury of his froward age.

And, for this Phoenix still did front his eyes,
Hee cald a counsell of his kites together:
With whom, in haste, he wold the mean deuise,
By secret arte to leade an armie thither,
And so pull downe, from place of highe estate,
This heauenly bird, that he had so in hate.

Much talke there was, & wondrous heede was held
How to atchieue this high attempt in hand:
Some out were sēt to soare about the field,
Where flue this grace and glory of the land,
To mark her course, & how she made her wing,
And how her strēgth might stād with such a king.

And forthwith should such cages be deuised,
As should enclose full many thousand fowles:
By whom, her seat should quickly be surprized,
And all her birds should handled be like owles:
No time detract this deede must needs be don:
And ere they went, the world was wholly won.

But, soft a while: no sooner seene the land,
But, ere they came in kenning of the coast,
So great a force their fortune did withstand,
That all the brauery of the birds was lost:
Some leakt, some sanke, & some so ran on groūd,
The cages burst, and all the birds were drownd.

But, when the eagle heard what was become
Of all his flight, that flick'red here and there,
Some sicke, some hurt, some lame, & all & sūme
Or farre from hope, or all too neere in feare,
He stoupt his traine, and hung his head so sore,
As if his heart had neuer burst before.