Country Sentiment

MANTICOR IN ARABIA.

     (The manticors of the montaines
     Mighte feed them on thy braines.—Skelton.)

     Thick and scented daisies spread
     Where with surface dull like lead
     Arabian pools of slime invite
     Manticors down from neighbouring height
     To dip heads, to cool fiery blood
     In oozy depths of sucking mud.
     Sing then of ringstraked manticor,
     Man-visaged tiger who of yore
     Held whole Arabian waste in fee
     With raging pride from sea to sea,
     That every lesser tribe would fly
     Those armed feet, that hooded eye;
     Till preying on himself at last
     Manticor dwindled, sank, was passed
     By gryphon flocks he did disdain.
     Ay, wyverns and rude dragons reign
     In ancient keep of manticor
     Agreed old foe can rise no more.
     Only here from lakes of slime
     Drinks manticor and bides due time:
     Six times Fowl Phoenix in yon tree
     Must mount his pyre and burn and be
     Renewed again, till in such hour
     As seventh Phoenix flames to power
     And lifts young feathers, overnice
     From scented pool of steamy spice
     Shall manticor his sway restore
     And rule Arabian plains once more.