The Plague of Athens, which hapned in the second year of the Peloponnesian Warre · Thomas Sprat
XVI.
The streams did wonder, that so soon As they were from their Native mountains gone, They saw themselves drunk up, and fear Another _Xerxes_ Army near. Some cast into the Pit the Urn, And drink it dry at its return; Again they drew, again they drank; At first the coolness of the stream did thank, But strait the more were scorch’d, the more did burn; And drunk with water in their drinking sank: That Urn which now to quench their thirst they use, Shortly their Ashes shall inclose. Others into the Chrystal brook, With faint and wondring eyes did look, Saw what a ghastly shape themselves had took, Away they would have fled, but them their leggs forsook. Some snach’d the waters up, Their hands, their mouths the cup; They drunk, and found they flam’d the more, And onely added to the burning store. So have I seen on Lime cold water thrown, Strait all was to a Ferment grown, And hidden seeds of fire together run: The heap was calm, and temperate before, Such as the Finger could indure; But when the moistures it provoke, Did rage, did swell, did smoke, Did move, and flame, and burn, and strait to ashes broke.
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