HIS

Ninus.

IS Father dead, Ninus begins his reign,
Transfers his feat to the Affyrian plain;
And mighty Nineveh more mighty made,
Whofe Foundation was by his Grand-fire laid:
Four hundred forty Furlongs wall'd about,
On which stood fifteen hundred Towers ftout.
The walls one hundred fixty foot upright,
So broad three Chariots run abreft there might.
Upon the pleasant banks of Tygris floud
This ftately Seat of warlike Ninus ftood:
This Ninus for a God his Father canonized,
To whom the fottish people facrificed.
This Tyrant did his Neighbours all oppress,
Where e're he warr'd he had too good fuccefs.
Barzanes the great Armenian King
By force and fraud did under Tribute bring."
The Median Country he did also gain,
Thermus their King he caufed to be flain;
An Army of three millions he led out
Against the Bactrians (but that I doubt)
Zoreafter their King he likewife flew,
And all the greater Asia did subdue.
Semiramis from Menon did he take

Then drown'd himself, did Menon for her fake.
Fifty two years he reign'd, (as we are told)
The world then was two thousand nineteen old.

By force, his tributary, he did bring.

z Pharmus.

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THI

Semiramis.

HIS great oppreffing Ninus, dead and gone,
His wife Semiramis ufurp'd the Throne;
She like a brave Virago played the Rex
And was both fhame and glory of her Sex:
Her birth place was Philiftines Afcolan,"
Her mother Dorceta' a Curtizan.

Others report she was a veftal Nun,

Adjudged to be drown'd for th' crime' fhe'd done.
Transform'd into a Fish by Venus will,

Her beauteous face, (they feign) reteining still.
Sure from this Fiction Dagon first began,

d

Changing the womans face into a man:

But all agree that from no lawfull bed,
This great renowned Empress issued:
For which she was obfcurely nourished,
Whence rofe that Fable, fhe by birds was fed.
This gallant Dame unto the Bactrian warre,
Accompanying her husband Menon farr,
Taking a town, fuch valour she did show,
That Ninus amorous of her foon did grow,
And thought her fit to make a Monarchs wife,
Which was the cause poor Menon loft his life:
She flourishing with Ninus long did reign,
Till her Ambition caus'd him to be slain.

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That having no Compeer, fhe might rule all,
Or else she fought revenge for Menon's fall.
Some think the Greeks this flander on her caft,
As on her life Licentious, and unchaft,

That undeferv'd, they blur'd her name and fame"
By their afperfions, caft upon the fame:
But were her virtues more or lefs, or none,

She for her potency muft go alone.

Her wealth fhe fhew'd in building Babylon,
Admir'd of all, but equaliz'd of none;

The Walls fo ftrong, and curioufly was wrought,
That after Ages, Skill by them was taught:
With Towers and Bulwarks made of coftly stone,
Quadrangle was the form it stood upon.
Each Square was fifteen thousand paces long,
An hundred gates it had of mettal ftrong:
Three hundred fixty foot the walls in height,
Almost incredible, they were in breadth

h

Some writers fay, fix Chariots might affront
With great facility, march safe upon't:

About the Wall a ditch fo deep and wide,
That like a River long it did abide.

Three hundred thousand men here day by day
Bestow'd their labour, and receiv'd their pay.
And that which did all coft and Art excell,
The wondrous Temple was, fhe rear'd to Bell:

[73]

Which in the midft of this brave Town was plac'd,
Continuing till Xerxes it defac'd:

Whose stately top above the Clouds did rife,
From whence Aftrologers oft view'd the Skies.
This to defcribe in each particular,

A ftructure rare I should but rudely marre.
Her Gardens, Bridges, Arches, mounts and spires
All eyes that faw, or Ears that hear admires,
In Shinar plain on the Euphratian flood
This wonder of the world, this Babel stood.
An expedition to the East she made
Staurobates, his Country to invade:/
Her Army of four millions did confist,
Each may believe it as his fancy lift.
Her Camels, Chariots, Gallyes in fuch number,
As puzzles best Historians to remember;
But this is wonderful,* of all thofe men,

They say, but twenty e're came back agen.
The River Judas' fwept them half away,
The reft Staurobates in fight did flay;
This was laft progrefs of this mighty Queen,
Who in her Country never more was feen.
The Poets feign'd her turn'd into a Dove,
Leaving the world to Venus foar'd above:
Which made the Affyrians many a day,
A Dove within their Enfigns to display:
Forty two years she reign'd, and then she di'd
But by what means we are not certifi'd.

i beyond.
marvelous.

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j Great King Staurobates, for to invade. Indus.

Ninias or Zamies.

IS Mother dead, Ninias obtains his right,

HIS

A Prince wedded to eafe and to delight,

Or else was his obedience very great,

To fit thus long (obscure) rob'd' of his Seat.
Some write his Mother put his habit on,

Which made the people think they ferv'd her Son:

But much it is, in more then forty years
This fraud in war nor peace at all appears:
More like it is his luft" with pleasures fed,
He fought no rule till fhe was gone and dead.
VVhat then he did of worth can no man tell,
But is fuppof'd to be that Amraphel

VVho warr'd with Sodoms and Gomorrahs King, 'Gainst whom his trained bands Abram did bring,

But this is farre unlike, he being Son"

Unto a Father, that all Countryes won

" Instead of this and the nine lines following, the first edition has, -
Some may object, his Parents ruling all,
How he thus fuddenly should be thus fmall?
This anfwer may fuffice, whom it wil pleafe,
He thus voluptuous, and given to ease;
Each wronged Prince, or childe that did remain,
Would now advantage take, their own to gain;
So Province, after Province, rent away,

Until that Potent Empire did decay.

Again, the Country was left bare (there is no doubt)

Of men, and wealth, his mother carried out;
Which to her neighbors, when it was made known,

Did then incite, them to regain their own.