The Falcon.

FAir Princesse of the spacious Air,
That hast vouchsaf'd acquaintance here,
With … below sta…,
That can r…ch Heav'n with nought but Pray'rs;
Who when our activ'st wings we try,
Advance a foot into the Sky.

Bright Heir t' th' Bird Imperial,
From whose avenging penons fall
Thunder and Lightning twisted Spun;
Brave Cousin-german to the Sun,
That didst forsake thy Throne and Sphere,
To be an humble Pris'ne… here;
And for a pirch of her soft hand,
Resign the Royal Woods command.

How often woul'st thoushoot Heav'ns Ark,
Then mount thy self into a Lark;
And after our short faint eyes call,
When now a Fly, now nought at all;
Then stoop so swift unto our Sence,
As thouwert sent Intelligence.

Free beauteous Slave, thy happy …
In silver Fetters vervails meet,
And trample on that noble Wrist
The Gods have kneel'd in vain t' have kist:
But gaze not, bold deceived Spye,
Too much oth' lustre of her Eye;
The Sun, thou dost out-stare, alas!
VVinks at the glory of her Face.

Be safe then in thy Velvet helm,
Her looks are calms that do orewhelm,
Then the Arabian bird more blest,
Chafe in the spicery of her breast,
And loose you in her Breath, a wind
Sow'rs the delicious gales of Inde.

But now a quill from thine own Wing
I pluck, thy lofty fate to sing;
Whilst we behold the varions fight,
With mingled pleasure and affright,
The humbler Hinds do fall to pray'r,
As when an Army's seen i'th' Air
And the prophetick Spannels run,
And howle thy Epicedium.

The Heron mounted doth appear
On his own Peg'sus a Lanceer,
And seems on earth, when he doth hu…,
A proper Halberdier on foot;
Secure i'th' Moore, about to sup,
The Dogs have beat his Quarters up.

And now he takes …he open air,
Drawes up his Wings with Tactick care;
Whilst th' expert Falcon swist doth climbe,
In subtle Mazes serpentine;

And to advantage closely twin'd
She gets the upper Sky and Wind,
Where she dissembles to invade,
And lies a pol'tick Ambuscade.

The hedg'd-in Heron, whom the Foe
Awaits above, and Dogs below,
In his fortification lies,
And makes him ready for surprize;
When roused with a shrill alarm,
Was shouted from beneath, they arm.

The Falcon charges at first view
With her brigade of Talons; through
Whose Shoots, the wary Heron beat,
VVith a well counterwheel'd retreat.
But the bold Gen'ral never lost,
Hath won again her airy Post;
VVho wild in this affront, now fryes,
Then gives a Volley of her Eyes.

The desp'rate Heron now contracts▪
In one design all former facts▪
Noble he is resolv'd to fall
His, aud his En'mies funerall,
And (to be …id of her) to dy
A publick Martyr of the Sky.

VVhen now he turns his last to wreak
The palizadoes of his Beak;
The raging foe impatient
Wrack'd with revenge, and fury rent,
Swift as the Thunderbolt he strikes,
Too sure upon the stand of Pikes,
There she his naked breast doth hit
And on the case of Rapiers's split.

But ev'n in her expiring pangs
The Heron's pounc'd within her Phangs,
And so above she stoops to rise
A Trophee and a Sacrifice;
VVhilst her own Bells in the sad fall
Ring out the double Funerall.

Ah Victory! unhap'ly wonne,
VVeeping and Red is set the Sun,
VVhilst the whole Field floats in one tear,
And all the Ai… doth mourning wear:
Close hooded all thy kindred come
To pay their Vows upon thy Tombe;
The Hobby and the Musket too,
Do march to take their last adieu.

The Lanner and the Lanneret,
Thy Colours bear as Banneret;
The Goshawk and her Terc…l rows'd,
VVith Tears attend thee as new bows'd,
All these are in their dark array
Led by the various Herald-Iay.

But thy eternal name shall live
VVhilst Quills from Ashes fame reprieve,
VVhilst open stands Renown's wide dore,
And VVings are left on which to soar;
Doctor Robbin, the … Pye,
And the … Swan shall dye,
Only to … Elegie.