Classic Poem

A description of the horrible Famine within the Cittie of Ierusalem.

For true report rung in his royall eares,
That bitter Famine did afflict them sore,
Which was the cause of many bitter teares,
And he to make their miserie the more,
Depriu'd them quit of all their water cleere,
Which in their want they did esteeme so deere.

Alack, what pen is able to expresse ?
The extreame miserie of this people then ?
Which were with Famine brought to great distresse,
For cruell hunger vext the welthiest men :
When night approacht, well might they lye & winke,
But cold not sleepe for want of meat and drinke.

For by this time full Fourteene monthes and more,
Had warlike Titus sieg'd that famous towne,
What time the Iewes had quite consum'd their store,
And being staru'd, like Ghosts went vp and downe :
For in the markets were no victuals found,
Though for a Lambe , they might haue twenty pound.

When bread was gone, then was he counted blest,
That in his hand had either cat or dogge,
To fill his emptie maw : and thus distrest,
A dozen men would fight for one poore frogge,
The fairest Lady lighting one a mouce,
Would keepe it from her best friend in the house.

A weazell was accounted daynty meate,
A hissing snake esteem'd a Princes dish,
A Queene vpon a moule might seeme to eate,
A veanom neawt was thought a wholesome fish :
Wormes from the earth were dig'd vp great & small,
And poysoned spiders eaten from the wall.

A hundred men vnder this grieuous crosse,
With hunger-starued bodies wanting food,
Haue for a morsell of a stinking horse,
In deadly strife, shed one an others blood :
Like famisht Rauens, that in a shole doe pitch,
To seaze a caryon in a noysome ditch.

But when these things were all consumed quite,
(For famines greedy mawe destroyeth all,)
Then did they bend their study day and night,
To see what next vnto their share might fall :
Necessitie doth seeke an hundred wayes,
Famines fell torment from the heart to rayse.

Then did they take their horses leather raignes,
And broyling them suppos'd them wonderous sweete,
A hungry stomack naught at all refraines,
Nor did they spare their shooes vpon their feete :
But shooes, and bootes, and buskins, all they eate,
And would not spare one morsell of their meate.

But out alas my heart doth shake to show,
When these things fail'd, what shift these wretches made,
Without salt teares how should I write their woe,
Sith sorrowes ground-worke in the same is layd:
All English hearts which Christ in armes doe hem,
Marke well the woes of fayre Ierusalem .

When all was spent, and nothing left to eate,
Whereby they might maintaine their feeble life,
Then doth the wife her husband deere intreat,
To end her misery by his wounding knife:
Maides weepe for foode, & children make their moane.
Their parents sigh when they can giue them none.

Some men with hunger falleth raging mad,
Gnawing the stones and timber where they walke,
Some other staggering, weake and wonderous sad,
Dyes in the streetes, as with their friends they talke?
And other some licks vp the vomit fast,
Which their sick neighbours in their houses cast.

Nay more then this, though this be all to much,
Iosephus writes, that men and maidens young
The which of late did scorne brown-bread to touch,
Sustain'd themselues with one an others doong.
Remember this you that so dainty bee,
And praise Gods name for all things sent to thee.

All things were brought by famine out of frame,
For modest Chastitie to it gaue place,
High honoured Virgins that for very shame,
Would hardly looke on men with open face,
One bit of bread neuer so course and browne,
Would winne them to the foulest knaue in towne.