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The Carp which in th' Italian seas was bred, 

 With shining scraps of yellow gold is fed : 

 Tho' chang'd his form, his avarice remains, 

 And in his breast the love of lucre reigns. 

 For Saturn flying from victorious Jove, 

 Compell'd of old, in banishment to rove 

 Along th' Italian shore, a vessel found 

 Beyond the lake of wide Benacus bound ; 

 He, for his passage, at a price agreed, 

 And with large gifts of gold the master fee'd. 

 But he the master (Carpus was he nam'd) 

 With thirst of gain, and love of gold inflam'd; 

 Prepar'd in chains the passenger to bind, 

 But to the god his face betray'd his mind, 

 And from the vessel in revenge he threw 

 Into the waves the pi'ot and his crewj 



little fishermen of that sea, who is so covetous and cruell, that he gives n 

 quarter to any ; when hee takes his prize hee goes not to the shore to make 

 his market, but greedily devoures it himselfe ; yea, is such a cormorant, that 

 he will not stay the dressing of it. He is called the wolfe of the water, but 

 is indeed a monster of nature 5 for the wolfe spares his kinde, but hee will 

 devoure his own nephewes ere they come to full growth. He is very gallant 

 in apparell, and seemes to affect to go rather in silver than in gold, wherein 

 he spares for no cost; for his habit is all layd with silver plate downe to the 

 foot in scallop wise. Hee is a right man of warre, and is so slender built, 

 and drawes so little water, as hee will land at pleasure) and take his prey 

 where he list j no shallop shall follow where hee will lead. The pikes them- 

 selves are the taller ships, the pickerels of a middle sort, and the Jacks, the 

 pinnaces amongst them, which are all armed according to their burden. The 

 master or pilot sits at the prore, yet hath he the rudder so at commaad, that 

 hee can winde and tuine the vessell which way he will in the twinkling of 

 an eye. He sets up but little sables, because he would not bee discovered 

 who he is, yea, many times no sail at all, but he trusts to the finnes, his 

 oares. The youthfuller sort of pikes, whom through familiarity they call 

 Jacks, are notable laddes indeed, and to their strength and bigness will fish 

 as their fathers will. In a word, a man would easily bee mistaken "in him 

 in beholding him so handsome and gentle a creature, and never imagin him 

 to be half so ravenous as he is j but fronti nulla fides." A strange meta- 

 merfkosis of man, transformed inte a wilder neste. 1634- 



Then 



