Selected quad for the lemma: head_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
head_n	back_n	black_a	white_a	2,896	5	7.1247	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07324	A continuation of Lucan's historicall poem till the death of Iulius Cæsar by TM	May, Thomas, 1595-1650.; Lucan, 39-65. Pharsalia.; Cockson, Thomas, engraver.	1630 (1630)	STC 17711; ESTC S108891	70,154	154

other companies Of dreames which doe from daily cares arise From thoughts and deeds of men which doe appeare In formes as many and as different there As all the world has obiects or is fil'd With deeds All these to dreames diuiner yeeld And flie aloofe without nor dare they come Into the Temples inward sacred roome The dead of night had closed euery eye And sleepe now seiz'd the brest of Ptolomey When loe a vision from Serapis sent To his affrighted fancy did present The changed state of Aegypts haplesse land Which now by fates appointment was at hand A large-siz'd Ox into that sacred roome With sad and heauy pace did seeme to come And leane he was as if he had not eat Of long or wanting or refusing meat Saue two white spots his colour wholly blacke One on his forehead tother on his backe And passing by he seem'd to waile and moane From his blacke eyes the teares fast trickling downe After a woman came of stature tall Of presence stately and maiesticall High Towers and Castles on her head she bare But loose as if all torne hung downe her haire Strong chaines did seeme her naked armes to tie With that arose a dismall shreeke and crie As it had beene from ghosts infernall sent Whose fury rent the regall monument And from their open'd tombes he saw arise The ghosts of all the bury'd Ptolomeys From Lagus sonne the first in order all Who following seem'd to waile the womans fall With that cold chilling horrour from the brest Of sleeping Ptolomey had banish'd rest Who with amazed thoughts look'd vp and downe But when his eyes were ope the sight was gone The Priests approach and hearing him relate His dolefull dreame lament the wretched State Of Aegypts kingdome and with one consent Foretell th' approaching change of gouernment Yet to appease the gods by their aduice The King commands a solemne sacrifice But neerer miseries by farre than those Doe threaten thee poore King the god foreshowes Thy Countries future dangers and from thee Conceales thine owne approaching tragedy To meet with Caesar then he march'd away Through wealthy Delta and encamped lay Vpon an high and spatious hill which round About commands the lower champian ground From whence the Countrey he afarre descri'd A place by nature strongly fortifi'd Three seuerall wayes th' ascent so steepe and hard To climbe as seem'd impregnable did guard One part alone without rhe aid of men Vnto another part a spatious fen And lake did seeme to giue protection To guard the third a riuer swiftly run Betwixt the lake and which alone did stand To lend some passage a small necke of land That little Isthmos seem'd alone to stand In need of guarding by a souldiers hand Against the foes assault But in that place The King supposes t were too much disgrace To be assaulted first and would dismay His souldiers hearts for Caesar there to stay Or else not safe in what defence the lake The riuer hill or his owne workes could make To hinder Caesar's comming he intends Farre off and most of all his forces sends To guard a riuer where his passage lay That banke on which th' Aegyptian souldiers stay Was high and farre from water and might well Keepe the Caesarians off or them compell To fight on wondrous disaduantage there But Caesar's troops incapable of feare At first approach resolue viewing the place In spight of disaduantages to passe And whilest the legionary souldiers throw ' Gainst tother side to busie there the foe Thicke stormes of winged piles whilest some of them Striue to lay trees for bridges ore the streame The German cohorts vp and downe doe try The riuers depth and where most easily They may or swim or wade the channell through And make as boldly their attempts as though They went against no enemie at all Whilest the Aegyptians doe securely gall Downe from aboue their labouring enemy And on the place not their owne worth rely For all the weapons which from them are throwne Require no strength but by descent alone Bring wounds to the Caesarians who inrag'd To be ' gainst such aduantages ingag'd Sigh that their valour they must vainly lose Not to subdue but to approach their foes And must contend as eagerly to gaine A fight as erst a conquest to obtaine Against the riuer and the bankes they goe And in this warre the foe is least the foe Caesar perceiues in what distressed plight The legionaries are enforc'd to fight And therefore straight commands his lightest horse To wheele about and with a speedy course Farre from that place to crosse the riuer ore Which they performed swiftly and before Th' Aegyptian Souldiers their approach could feare Behinde they charg'd them in a full carriere Whose force whilest they turning about withstood The legionary Souldiers past the flood With greater ease by bridges which they made And through the shallowest fordes the Germans wade And now at last th' Aegyptian Souldiers Are forc'd though loth to enter equall warres But feare made them vnequall and subdu'd As soone as fought with by the fortitude Of Caesar's men who else had sought in vaine By so much sweat and labour to obtaine A battell had they not a conquest had And now a slaughter not a warre was made The King from out his loftie Campe beheld His slaughtred Souldiers bodies strow the field Which late they stood vpon for scarce by flight Were any saued the Caesarian spight Pursu'd the conquest which they had obtain'd With such a fury that the fields distain'd All ore with blood might let th' Aegyptians see How they before had fought vnequally He viewes how few return'd that newes to tell Which he had seene and knew too sadly well But to the Campe those that escaped were Brought nothing but astonishment and feare Th' incamped finde in them no aid at all But see the greatnesse of their fellowes fall Whom Caesar's men so swiftly follow home That to the trenches and out-workes they come Caesar that neuer in his battells held A foe subdu'd till from his Campe expell'd Exhorts his Souldiers to forget their paines And freshly force the workes whilest feare there reignes To end this warre and with the wealthy spoyle Of Aegypts King to recompence their toyle Nor need the Souldiers be incouraged To seeke their wages for the blood they shed They first inuade that little necke of land Which twixt the riuer and the lake did stand But that th' Aegyptian Souldiers most doe guard When on the passage there begins a hard And bloody conflict one side fight to make Their conquest perfect and the fruit to take Tother despaire in stead of courage armes For vanquished they feare the worst of harmes From either side the passage where they stood The lake and riuer are distain'd with blood Downe halfe dead bodies they precipitate Who drown'd in water taste a double fate There oft together as they fighting stand Aegyptians and Caesarians hand in hand Doe grappling fall into the