Drayton, Michael

Noah’s Ark

1. AND now the beasts are walking from the wood,
2. As well of ravine, as that chew the cud.
3. The king of beasts his fury doth suppress,
4. And to the ark leads down the lioness.
5.  
6. The bull for his beloved mate doth low,
7. And to the ark brings on the fair-eyed cow;
8. The stately courser for his mare doth neigh,
9. And towards the new ark guideth her the way.
10.  
11. The wreathed-horned ram his safety doth pursue.
12. And to the ark ushers his gentle ewe;
13. The bristly boar, who with his snout up-ploughed
14. The spacious plains, and with his grunting loud
15.  
16. Raised rattling echoes all the woods about,
17. Leaves his dark den, and having scented out
18. Noah’s new-built ark, in with his sow doth come,
19. And stye themselves up in a little room.
20.  
21. The hart with his dear hind, the buck, and doe,
22. Leaving their wildness, bring the tripping roe
23. Along with them; and from the mountain steep
24. The clambering goat and coney, used to keep
25.  
26. Amongst the cliffs, together get, and they
27. To this great ark find out the ready way;
28. Th’ unwieldy elk, whose skin is of much proof,
29. Throngs with the rest to attain this wooden roof;
30.  
31. The unicorn leaves off his pride, and close
32. There sets him down by the rhinoceros;
33. The elephant there cometh to embark,
34. And as he softly getteth up the ark,
35.  
36. Feeling by his great weight his body sunk,
37. Holds by his huge tooth and his nervy trunk;
38. The crook-backed camel climbing to the deck
39. Draws up himself with his long sinewy neck;
40.  
41. The spotted panther, whose delicious scent
42. Oft causeth beasts his harbour to frequent,
43. But, having got them once into his power,
44. Sucketh their blood and doth their flesh devour,
45.  
46. His cruelty hath quickly cast aside,
47. And waxing courteous, doth become their guide,
48. And brings into the universal shop
49. The ounce, the tiger, and the antelope;
50.  
51. By the grim wolf the poor sheep safely lay
52. And was his care, which lately was his prey;
53. The ass upon the lion leaned his head,
54. And to the cat the mouse for succour fled;
55.  
56. The silly hare doth cast aside her fear,
57. And forms herself fast by the ugly bear,
58. At whom the watchful dog did never bark
59. When he espied him clambering up the ark;
60.  
61. The fox, got in, his subtleties hath left,
62. And, as ashamed of his former theft,
63. Sits sadly there, as though he did repent,
64. And in the ark became an innocent;
65.  
66. The fine-furred ermine, marten, and the cat
67. That gives out civet, there together sat
68. By the shrewd monkey, babian, and the ape,
69. With the hyaena (much their like in shape),
70.  
71. Which by their kind are ever doing ill,
72. Yet in the ark sit civilly and still;
73. The skipping squirrel of the forest free,
74. That leaped so nimbly betwixt tree and tree,
75.  
76. Itself into the ark then nimbly cast,
77. As ’twere a ship-boy come to climb the mast.
78. The little dormouse leaves her leaden sleep,
79. And with the mole up to the ark doth creep;
80.  
81. With many other which were common then
82. (Their kind decayed), but now unknown to men;
83. For there was none that Adam e’er did name
84. But to the ark from every quarter came;
85.  
86. By two and two the male and female beast,
87. From swift’st to slow’st, from greatest to the least;
88. And as within the strong pale of a park,
89. So were they all together in the ark.