And Saffron, sought for in Cilician soyle,
And Lawrell, th'ornament of Phoebus toyle:

Fresh Rhododaphne, and the Sabine flowre*,
Matching the wealth of th'auncient Frankincence;
And pallid Yvie, building his owne bowre; 675
And Box, yet mindfull of his olde offence;
Red Amaranthus, lucklesse paramour;
Oxeye still greene, and bitter Patience;
Ne wants there pale Narcisse, that, in a well
Seeing his beautie, in love with it fell. 680
[* _Sabine flowre_, a kind of juniper, the savine.]

And whatsoever other flowre of worth,
And whatso other hearb of lovely hew
The ioyous Spring out of the ground brings forth,
To cloath her selfe in colours fresh and new,
He planted there, and reard a mount of earth, 685
In whose high front was writ as doth ensue:

_To thee, small Gnat, in lieu of his life saved,_
_The Shepheard hath thy deaths record engraved._

* * * * *

FOOTNOTES:

VIRGILS GNAT. This is a very skilful elaboration of the Culex, a poem
attributed, without reason, to Virgil. The original, which is crabbed
and pedantic, where it is not unintelligible from corruption, is here