The Hare
The Hare: the fastest feet in any race.
[p. 60] What Constellations rise with the Twins
The Twins succeed, and when their Seventh DegreeSwims rising, o're the Surface of the Sea;The Hare appears, whose active Rays supplyA nimble force, and hardly Wings deny:The Whirlbats falling Blow they nimbly shun;And win the Race, e're they begin to run.
[p. 61] Let Feasts unbend the Clowns, let Labour yieldTo Sport and Mirth, and Pastime Crown the Field;None give so sure, and none avoid the FallSo well; or catch and turn the flying Ball.To vigorous stroak their active Arms command,Or with their Foot supply the place of Hand.Or when in Sport they shall the ¹⁸Balls divideFrom Hand to Hand, and toss on every side;Now throw the flying Globes, and now retain,Or play them back upon themselves again:Now back, now forward, round, and every wayO're all their Limbs the active Balls shall play,As taught to know their meaning, and obey.Whilst Crowds admire, and think the constant caresOf Art effect what is the work of Stars.Wak't whilst asleep, they tame by active PleasureTheir growing Troubles, and Sports employ their leisure.
The notes
¹⁸ Amongst the Romans one Man would take several Balls, and toss them, sometimes behind, and sometimes before, now on this hand, and now on the other, so that some of them should be always up in the Air: And this feat of Activity Manilius Describes. (Creech’s note, 1697)
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The text is Thomas Creech's 1697 verse translation, checked word by word between three scans of the same type (the 1697 printing, the 1700 printing and a third copy). The long s is printed as s; every other spelling is Creech's. Pages are cited as the 1697 printing numbers them. The portrait is William Marshall’s engraving of Lilly from the front of the 1659 printing (Wellcome Library, public domain).