Men, till they tooke laws which made freedome lesse, Their daughters, and their sisters did ingresse; Till now unlawfull, therefore ill, 'twas not. So jolly, that it can move, this soule is, The body so free of his kindnesses, 205 That selfe-preserving it hath now forgot, And slackneth so the soules, and bodies knot, Which temperance streightens; freely on his she friends He blood, and spirit, pith, and marrow spends, Ill steward of himself, himselfe in three yeares ends. 210 XXII. Else might he long have liv'd; man did not know Of gummie blood, which doth in holly grow, How to make bird-lime, nor how to deceive With faind calls, hid nets, or enwrapping snare, The free inhabitants of the Plyant aire. 215 Man to beget, and woman to conceive Askt not of rootes, nor of cock-sparrowes, leave: Yet chuseth hee, though none of these he feares, Pleasantly three, then streightned twenty yeares To live, and to encrease his race, himselfe outweares. 220 XXIII. This cole with overblowing quench'd and dead, The Soule from her too active organs fled T'a brooke. A female fishes sandie Roe With the males jelly, newly lev'ned was, For they had intertouch'd as they did passe, 225 And one of those small bodies, fitted so, This soule inform'd, and abled it to rowe It selfe with finnie oares, which she did fit: Her scales seem'd yet of parchment, and as yet Perchance a fish, but by no name you could call it. 230 XXIV. When goodly, like a ship in her full trim, A swan, so white that you may unto him Compare all whitenesse, but himselfe to none, Glided along, and as he glided watch'd, And with his arched necke this poore fish catch'd. 235 It mov'd with state, as if to looke upon Low things it scorn'd, and yet before that one Could thinke he sought it, he had swallowed cleare This, and much such, and unblam'd devour'd there All, but who too swift, too great, or well armed were. 240 XXV. Now swome a prison in a prison put, And now this Soule in double walls was shut, Till melted with the Swans digestive fire, She left her house the fish, and vapour'd forth; Fate not affording bodies of more worth 245 For her as yet, bids her againe retire T'another fish, to any new desire Made a new prey; For, he that can to none Resistance make, nor complaint, sure is gone. Weaknesse invites, but silence feasts oppression. 250 XXVI.