diue and sweet refreshing take 77 So they the streaming showres with showtes and cries Salute which heau'n shed on the thirstie lands The falling liquor from the dropping skies He catcheth in his lap he barehead stands And his bright helme to drinke therein vnties In the fresh streames he diues his sweatie hands Their faces some and some their temples wet And some to keepe the drops large vessels set 78 Nor man alone to ease his burning sore Herein doth diue and wash and hereof drinks But earth it selfe weake feeble faint before Whose solid limmes were cleft with rifts and chinks Receiu'd the falling showres and gathred store Of liquor sweet that through her vaines downe sinks And moisture new infused largely was In trees in plants in herbes in flowres in gras 79 Earth like the patient was whose liuely blood Hath ouercome at last some sicknes strong Whose feeble limmes had been the bait and food Whereon his strange disease depastred long But now restor'd in health and welfare stood As sound as earst as fresh as faire as yong So that forgetting all his griefe and paine His pleasant robes and crownes he takes againe 80 Ceased the raine the sunne began to shine With fruitfull sweet benigne and gentle ray Full of strong powre and vigour masculine As be his beames in Aprill or in May. O happy zeale who trusts in helpe diuine The worlds afflictions thus can driue away Can stormes appease and times and seasons change And conquer fortune fate and dest'nie strange The fourteenth Booke of Godfrey of Bulloigne The argument The Lord to Godfrey in a dreame doth shew His will Rinaldo must returne at last They haue their asking who for pardon sew Two knights to finde the Prince are sent in hast But Peter who by vision all foreknew Sendeth the searchers to a wisard plast Deepe in a vault who first at large declares Armidaes traines then how to shun those snanes 1 NOw from the fresh the soft and tender bed Of her still mother gentle night out flew The fleeting baulme on hils and dales she shed With honie drops of pure and pretious dew And on the verdure of greene forrests spred The virgin primrose and the violet blew And sweet breath'd Zephire on his spreading wings Sleepe ease repose rest peace and quiet brings 2 The thoughts and troubles of broad-waking day They softly dipt in milde obliuions lake But he whose Godhead heau'n and earth doth sway In his eternall light did watch and wake And bent on Godfrey downe the gracious ray Of his bright eie still ope for Godfreyes sake To whom a silent dreame the Lord downe sent Which told his will his pleasure and intent 3 Far in the east the golden gate beside Whence Phebus comes a christall port there is And ere the sunne his broad doores open wide The beame of springing day vncloseth this Hence come the dreames by which heau'ns sacred guide Reueales to man those high decrees of his Hence towards Godfrey ere he left his bed A vision strange his golden plumes bespred 4 Such semblances such shapes such purtraites faire Did neuer yet in dreame or sleepe appeare For all the formes in sea in earth or aire The signes in heau'n the stars in euery spheare All what was wondrous vncouth strange and raire All in that vision well presented weare His dreame had plast him in a christall wide Beset with golden fires top bottom side 5 There while he wondreth on the circles vast The stars their motions course and harmonie A knight with shining raies and fire embrast Presents himselfe vnwares before his eie Who with a voice that far for sweetnes past All humaine speech thus said approching nie What Godfrey know'st thou not thy Hugo heere Come and imbrace thy friend and fellow deere 6 He answ'red him that glorious shining light Which in thine eies his glistring beames doth place Estranged hath from my foreknowledge quight Thy countenance thy fauour and thy face This said three times he stretch his hands outright And would in friendly armes the knight embrace And thrice the spirit fled that thrice he twinde Nought in his folded armes but aire and winde 7 Lord Hugo smil'd not as you thinke quoth hee I clothed am in flesh and earthly mould My spirite pure and naked soule you see A Citizen of this celestiall hould This place is heau'n and heere a roome for thee Prepared is among Christs champions bould Ah when quoth he these mortall bonds vnknit Shall I in peace in ease and rest there sit 8 Hugo replide ere many yeeres shall ronne Amid the saints in blisse here shalt thou raine But first great wars must by thy hand be donne Much blood be shed and many Pagans slaine The holy citie by assault be wonne The land set free from seruile yoke againe Wherein thou shalt a Christian Empire frame And after thee shall Baldwine rule the same 9 But to encrease thy loue and great desire To heauen ward this blessed place behould These shining lampes these globes of liuing fire How they are turned guided moou'd and rould The Angels singing here and all their quire Then bend thine eies on yonder earth and mould All in that masse that globe and compasse see Land sea spring fountaine man beast grasse and tree 10 How vile how small and of how slender price Is there reward of goodnesse vertues gaine A narrow roome our glorie vaine vp-ties A little circle doth our pride containe Earth like an Isle amid the water lies Which sea sometime is call'd sometime the maine Yet nought therein responds a name so great It s but a lake a pond a marrish streat 11 Thus said the one the other bended downe His lookes to ground and halfe in scorne he smilde He sawe at once earth sea floud castell towne Strangely deuided strangely all compilde And wondred follie man so farre should drowne To set his hart on things so base and vilde That seruile empire searcheth and dombe same And scornes heau'ns blisse yet profreth heau'n the same 12 Wherefore he answred since the Lord not yet Will free my spirit from this cage of clay Least worldly errour vaine my voiage let Teach me to heau'n the best and surest way Hugo replide thy happy foote is set In the true path nor from this passage stray Onely from exile yoong Rinaldo call This giue I thee in charge else nought at all 13 For as the Lord of hoastes the king of blis Hath chosen thee to rule the faithfull band So he thy stratagems appointed is To execute so both shall winne this land The first is thine the second place is his Thou art this armies head and he the hand No other champion can his place supplie And that thou do it doth thy state denie 14 Th'inchanted forrest and her charmed treene With cutting steele shall he to earth downe hew And thy weake armies which too feeble beene To scale againe these wals r'inforced new And fainting lie dispersed on the greene
bow While here they stopt and stood before them drew An aged sire graue and benigne in show Crown'd with a beechen garland gathred new Clad in a linnen roabe that raught downe low In his right hand a rod and on the flood Against the streame he marcht and drieshod yood 34 As on the Rhene when winters freesing cold Congeales the streames to thicke and hardned glas The beauies faire of Shepheards daughters bold With wanton winde laies ronne turne play and pas So on this riuer past the wisard old Although vnfrosen soft and swift it was And thither stalked where the warrious staid To whom their greetings done he spoke and said 35 Great paines great trauaile Lords you haue begonne And of a cunning guide great need you stand Farre off alas is great Bertoldoes sonne Imprison'd in a waste and desart land What soile remaines by which you must not ronne What promontorie rocke sea shore or sand Your search must stretch before the prince be found Beyond our world beyond our halfe of ground 36 But yet vouchsafe to see my cell I pray In hidden caues and vaults though builded low Great wonders there strange things I will bewray Things good for you to heare and fit to know This said he bids the riuer make them way The floud retirde and backward gan to flow And here and there two christall mountaines rise So fled the red sea once and Iordan thrise 37 He tooke their hands and led them headlong downe Vnder the flood through vast and hollow deepes Such light they had as when through shadowes browne Of thickest desarts feeble Cinthia peepes There spacious caues they sawe all ouerflowne There all his waters pure great Neptune keepes And thence to moisten all the earth he brings Seas riuers flouds lakes fountaines wels and springs 38 Whence Ganges Indus Volga Ister Poe Whence Euphrates whence Tygresse spring they vew Whence Tanais whence Nilus comes alsoe Although his head till then no creature knew But vnder these a wealthie streame doth goe That Sulphur yeelds and Oare rich quicke and new Which the sunbeames doth polish purge and fine And makes it siluer pure and gold diuine 39 And all his bankes the rich and wealthie streame Hath faire beset with pearle and precious stone Like stars in skie or lampes on stage that seame The darknes there was day the night was gone There sparkled clothed in his azure beame The heau'nly Zaphire there the Iacinth shone The Carbuncle there flamde the Dimond sheene There glistred bright there smilde the Emrauld greene 40 Amas'd the knights amid these woonders past And fixt so deepe the marueiles in their thought That not one word they vttred till at last Vbaldo spake and thus his guide besought O father tell me by what skill thou hast These wonders donne and to what place vs brought For well I know not if I wake or sleepe My hart is drownd in such amazement deepe 41 You are within the hollow wombe quoth he Of fertill earth the nurse of all things made And but you brought and guided are by me Her sacred entrals could no wight inuade My pallace shortly shall you splendant see With glorious light though built in night and shade A Pagan was I borne but yet the Lord To grace by baptisme hath my soule restor'd 42 Nor yet by helpe of deuill or aide from hell I doe this vncouth worke and woondrous feat The Lord forbid I vse or charme or spell To raise foule Dis from his infernall seat But of all herbes of euery spring and well The hidden powre I know and vertue great And all that kinde hath hid from mortall sight And all the starres their motions and their might 43 For in these caues I dwell not buried still From sight of heau'n but often I resort To tops of Libanon or Carmell hill And there in liquid aire my selfe disport There Mars and Venus I behold at will As bare as earst when Vulcan tooke them short And how the rest roule glide and moue I see How their aspects benigne or froward bee 44 And vnderneath my feet the cloudes I view Now thicke now thin now bright with Iris bow The frost and snow the raine the haile the dew The windes from whence they come and whence they blow How Ioue his thunder makes and lightning new How with the boult he strikes the earth below How comate crinite caudate starres are fram'd I knew my skill with pride my hart enflam'd 45 So learned cunning wise my selfe I thought That I suppos'd my wit so high might clime To know all things that God had fram'd or wrought Fire aire sea earth man beast sprite place and time But when your hermit me to baptisme brought And from my soule had washt the sinne and crime Then I perceiu'd my sight was blindnes still My wit was follie ignorance my skill 46 Then saw I that like owles in shining sonne So gainst the beames of truth our soules are blinde And at my selfe to smile I then begonne And at my hart puft vp with follies winde Yet still these artes as I before had donne I practised such was the hermits minde Thus hath he chang'd my thoughts my hart my will And rules mine art my knowledge and my skill 47 In him I rest on him my thoughts depend My Lord my teacher and my guide is he This noble worke he striues to bring to end He is the Architect the workmen we The hardie youth home to this campe to send From prison strong my care my charge shall be So he commands and me ere this foretold Your comming oft to seeke the champion bold 48 While this he said he brought the champions twaine Downe to a vault wherein he dwels and lies It was a caue high wide large ample plaine With goodly roomes halles chambers galleries All what is bred in rich and pretious vaine Of wealthie earth and hid from mortall eies There shines and faire adorn'd was euery part With riches growne by kinde not fram'd by art 49 An hundreth groomes quicke diligent and neat Attendance gaue about these strangers bold Against the wall there stood a cupboord great Of massie plate of siluer christall gold But when with pretious wines and costly meat They filled were thus spake the wisard old Now fits the time sir knights I tell and show What you desire to heare and long to know 50 Armidaes craft her sleight and hidden guile You partly wote her actes and artes vntrew How to your campe she came and by what wile The greatest Lords and Princes thence she drew You know she turn'd them first to monsters vile And kept them since clos'd vp in secret mew Lastly to Gaza ward in bonds them sent Whom yoong Rinaldo rescude as they went 51 What chanced since I will at large declare To you vnknowne a storie strange and trew When first her pray got with such paine and care Escapte and gone the witch perceiu'd and knew Her hands she wroong for griefe
I pray thee teach Of that hid world what be the lawes and speach 28 As diuers be their nations answred shee Their toongs their rites their lawes so diffrent arre Some pray to beasts some to a stone or tree Some to the earth the sunne or morning starre Their meates vnwholsome vile and hatefull bee Some eate mans flesh and captiues tane in warre And all from Calpes mountaine west that dwell In faith profane in life are rude and fell 29 But will our gracious God the knight replide That with his bloud all sinfull men hath bought His truth for euer and his Gospell hide From all those lands as yet vnknowne vnsought O no quoth she his name both farre and wide Shall there be knowne all learning thither brought Nor shall these long and tedious waies for euer Your world and theirs their lands your kingdoms seuer 30 The time shall come that saylers shall disdaine To talke or argue of Alcides streat And landes and seas that namelesse yet remaine Shall well be knowne their bounders scite and seat The ships encompasse shall the sollid maine As farre as seas outstretch their waters great And measure all the world and with the sunne About this earth this globe this compasse runne 31 A knight of Genes shall haue the hardiment Vpon this wondrous voyage first to wend Nor windes nor waues that ships insunder rent Nor seas vnus'd strange clime or poole vnkend Nor other perill nor astonishment That makes fraile harts of men to bow and bend Within Abilas strait shall keepe and hold The noble spirit of this saylor bold 32 Thy ship Columbus shall her canuasse wing Spread ore that world that yet concealed lies That scant swift fame her lookes shall after bring Though thousand plumes she haue and thousand eies Let her of Bacchus and Alcides sing Of thee to future age let this suffies That of thine actes she some forewarning giue Which shall in verse and noble storie liue 33 Thus talking swift twixt South and West they runne And sliced out twixtfroth and fome their way At once they saw before the setting sunne Behind the rising beame of springing day And when the morne her drops and dewes begunne To scatter broad vpon the flowring lay Farre off a hill and mountaine high they spide Whose top the cloudes enuiron cloath and hide 34 And drawing neere the hill at ease they vew When all the cloudes were molten falne and fled Whose top Pyramide wise did pointed shew High narrow sharpe the sides yet more outspred Thence now and than fire flame and smoake out flew As from that hill where vnder lies in bed Enceladus whence with imperious sway Bright fire breakes out by night blacke smoake by day 35 About the hill lay other Islands small Where other rockes crags clifts and mountaines stood Th'isles fortunate these elder time did call To which high heau'n they fain'd so kinde and good And of his blessings ritch so liberall That without tillage earth giues corne for food And grapes that swell with sweete and pretious wine There without pruning yeelds the fertill vine 36 The Oliue fat there euer buds and flowres The honie drops from hollow okes distill The falling brooke her siluer streames downe powres With gentle murmur from their natiue hill The westren blast tempreth with deawes and showres The sunnie rayes least heat the blossoms kill The fields Elisian as fond heathen saine Were there where soules of men in blisse remaine 37 To these their pilot steard and now quoth shee Your voyage long to end is brought well neare The happie isles of fortune now you see Of which great fame and little truth you heare Sweet wholsome pleasant fertile fat they bee Yet not so rich as fame reports they weare This said towards an island fresh she bore The first of ten that lies next Africkes shore 38 When Charles thus if worthie gouernesse To our good speed such tariance be no let Vpon this isle that heau'n so faire doth blesse To view the place on land a while vs set To know the folke and what God they confesse And all whereby mans hart may knowledge get That I may tell the wonders therein seene Another day and say there haue I beene 39 She answ'red him well fits this high desire Thy noble hart yet cannot I consent For heau'ns decree firme stable and intire Thy wish repugnes and gainst thy will is bent Nor yet the time hath Titans gliding fire Met forth prefixt for this discouerment Nor is it lawfull of the Ocean maine That you the secrets know or knowne explaine 40 To you withouten needle map or card It s giuen to passe these seas and there arriue Where in strong prison lies your knight imbard And of her pray you must the witch depriue If further to aspire you be prepar'd In vaine gainst fate and heau'ns decree you striue While thus she said the first seene isle gaue place And high and rough the second show'd his face 41 They saw how Eastward stretcht in order long The happie islands sweetly flowring lay And how the seas betwixt those Isles inthrong And how they shouldred land from land away In seuen of them the people rude among The shadie trees their sheds had built of clay The rest lay waste vnlesse wilde beastes vnseene Or wanton Nymphes roam'd on the moūtaines greene 42 A secret place they found in one of those Where the cleft shore sea in his bosome takes And twixt his stretched armes doth fold and close An ample Bay a rocke the hauen makes Which to the maine doth his broad backe oppose Whereon the roaring billow cleaues and brakes And here and there two crags like turrets hie Point forth a port to all that saile thereby 43 The quiet seas below lie safe and still The greenewood like a garland growes aloft Sweete caues within coole shades and waters shrill Where lie the Nymphes on Mosse and Iuie soft No anchor there needes hold her frigot still Nor cabble twisted sure though breaking oft Into this desart silent quiet glade Entred the dame and there her hauen made 44 The pallace proudly built quoth she behold That sits on top of yonder mountaines hight Of Christes true faith there lies the champion bold In idlenesse loue fancie folly light When Phoebus shall his rising beames vnfold Prepare you gainst the hill to mount vpright Nor let this stay in your bold harts breed care For saue that one all howres vnluckie are 45 But yet this euening if you make good speed To that hils foote with day-light might you passe Thus said the Dame their guide and they agreed And tooke their leaue and leapt forth on the grasse They found the way that to the hill doth leed And softly went that neither tired was But at the mountaines foot they both arriued Before the sunne his teame in waters diued 46 They saw how from the crags and cliftes below His proud and stately pleasant top grew out And how his sides were clad with
vitall moisture was In trees in plants in herbes in flowres in grasse 58 Sleepe to his quiet dales exiled fled From these vnquiet nights and oft in vaine The souldiers restlesse sought the god in bed But most for thirst they mourn'd and most complaine For Iudais tyrant had strong poison shed Poison that breedes more woe and deadly paine Than Acheron or Stigian waters bring In euerie fountaine cestern well and spring 59 And little Siloe that his store bestowes Of purest Chrystall on the Christian bands The peebles naked in his chanell showes And scantly glides aboue the scorched sands Nor Poe in May when ore his bankes he flowes Nor Ganges watrer of the Indian lands Nor seu'n mouth'd Nile that yeelds all Egypt drinke To quench their thirst the men sufficient thinke 60 He that the gilding riuers earst had seene Adowne their verdant chanels gently rold Or falling streames which to the valleies greene Distill'd from tops of Alpine mountaines cold Those he desir'd in vaine new torments beene Augmented thus with wish of comforts old Those waters coole he dranke in vaine conceit Which more encreast his thirst encreast his heat 61 The sturdie bodies of the warriours strong Whom neither marching far nor tedious way Nor weightie armes which on their shoulders hong Could wearie make nor death it selfe dismay Now weake and feeble cast their limmes along Vnweildie burthens on the burned clay And in each vaine a smouldring fire there dwelt Which dride their flesh and sollid bones did melt 62 Languisht the stead late fierce and profred gras His fodder earst despis'd and from him kest Each step he stumbled and which loftie was And heigh aduanst before now fell his crest His conquests gotten all forgotten pas Nor with desire of glorie sweld his brest The spoiles wonne from his foe his late rewards He now neglects despiseth nought regards 63 Languisht the faithfull dog and wonted caire Of his deare Lord and cabben both forgot Panting he laid and gathred fresher aire To coole the burning in his entrals hot But breathing which wise Nature did prepare To swage the stomackes heat now booted not For little ease alas small helpe they win That breath foorth aire and scalding fire sucke in 64 Thus languished the earth in this estate Lay woefull thousands of the Christians stout The faithfull people grew nie desperate Of hoped conquest shamefull death they dout Of their distresse they talke and oft debate These sad complaints were heard the campe throughout What hope hath Godfrey Shall we still here lie Till all his souldiers all our armies die 65 Alas with what deuice what strength thinkes he To scale these walles or this strong fort to get Whence hath he engins new doth he not see How wrathfull heau'n gainst vs his sword doth whet These tokens showne true signes and witnesse be Our angrie God our proud attempts doth let And scorching sunne so hot his beames outspreeds That not more cooling Inde nor AEthiop needs 66 Or thinkes he it an eath or little thing That vs despis'd neglected and disdain'd Like abiects vile to death he thus should bring That so his Empire may be still maintain'd Is it so great a blisse to be a king When he that weares the crowne with blood is stain'd And buies his scepter with his peoples liues See whither glorie vaine fond mankinde driues 67 See see the man call'd holy iust and good That curteous meeke and humble would be thought Yet neuer car'd in what distresse we stood If his vaine honour were diminisht nought When dried vp from vs is spring and flood His water must from Iordan streames be brought And now he sits at feastes and bankets sweet And mingleth waters fresh with wines of Creet 68 The French thus murmour'd but the Greekish knight Tatine that of this war was wearie growne Why die we here quoth he slaine without fight Kild not subdu'd murdred not ouerthrowne Vpon the Frenchmen let the penance light Of Godfreyes follie let me saue mine owne And as he said without farewell the knight And all his comet stole away by night 69 His bad example many a troupe prepares To imitate when his escape they know Clotharius his band and Ademares And all whose guides in dust were buried low Discharg'd of duties chaines and bondage snares Free from their oath to none they seruice owe But now concluded all on secret flight And shrunke away by thousands euery night 70 Godfredo this both heard and saw and knew Yet nould with death them chastise though he mought But with that faith wherewith he could remew The stedfast hils and seas drie vp to nought He praid the Lord vpon his flocke to rew To ope the springs of grace and ease this drought Out of his lookes shone zeale deuotion faith His hands and eies to heau'n he heaues and saith 71 Father and Lord if in the desarts wast Thou hadst compassion on thy children deare The craggie rocke when Moses cleft and brast And drew forth flowing streames of waters cleare Like mercie Lord like grace on vs downe cast And though our merits lesse than theirs appeare Thy grace supply that want for though they be Thy first borne sonne thy children yet are we 72 These praiers iust from humble hart forth sent Were nothing slow to climbe the starrie skie But swift as winged bird themselues present Before the father of the heauens hie The Lord accepted them and gently bent Vpon the faithfull host his gracious eie And in what paine and what distresse it laid He saw and greeu'd to see and thus he said 73 Mine armies deere till now haue suffred woe Distresse and danger hels infernall powre Their enimie hath beene the world their foe But happie be their actions from this howre What they begin to blessed end shall goe I will refresh them with a gentle showre Rinaldo shall returne th' Egyptian crew They shall encounter conquer and subdew 74 At these high words great heau'n began to shake The fixed stars the planets wandring still Trembled the aire the earth and Ocean quake Spring fountaine riuer forrest dale and hill From north to east a lightning flash out-brake And comming drops presag'd with thunders shrill With ioyfull shoutes the soldiers on the plaine These tokens blesse of long desired raine 75 A sodaine cloud as when Helias praid Not from drie earth exhail'd by Phebus beames Arose moist heau'n his windowes open laid Whence cloudes by heapes out-rush and watrie streames The world ore spred was with a gloomie shade That like a darke and mirksome eu'n it seames The dashing raine from molten skies downe fell And ore their banks the brookes and fountaines swell 76 In sommer season when the cloudie skie Vpon the parched ground doth raine downe send As ducke and mallard in the furrowes drie With merrie noise the promist showres attend And spreading broad their wings displaied lie To keepe the drops that on their plumes descend And where the streames swell to a gathred lake Therein they
streames he sent And so his waues his name himselfe he spent 9 The wondrous boate scant toucht the troubled maine But all the sea still husht and quiet was Vanisht the clouds ceased the winde and raine The tempests threatned ouerblow and pas A gentle breathing aire made eu'n and plaine The azure face of heau'ns smooth looking glas And heau'n it selfe smild from the skies aboue With a calme cleernesse on the earth his loue 10 By Ascalon they failed and foorth driued Towards the west their speedie course they frame In sight of Gaza till the barke arriued A little port when first it tooke that name But since by others losse so well it thriued A citie great and rich that it became And there the shores and borders of the land They found as full of armed men as sand 11 The passengers to landward turnd their sight And there sawe pitched many a stately tent Souldiour and footman captaine lord and knight Betweene the shore and cittie came and went Huge elephants strong camels coursers light With horned hoofes the sandie waies out rent And in the hauen many a ship and boate With mightie anchores fastned swim and floate 12 Some spred their sailes some with strong owers sweepe The waters smooth and brush the buxome waue Their breasts insunder cleaue the yeelding deepe The broken seas for anger fome and raue When thus their guide began sir knights take keepe How all these shores are spred with squadrons braue And troupes of hardie knights yet on these sands The monarch scant hath gathred halfe his bands 13 Of Egypt onely these the forces are And aid from other lands they here attend For twixt the nooneday sun and morning starre All realmes at his command do bowe and bend So that I trust we shall returne from farre And bring our iourney long to wished end Before this king or his lieutenant shall These armies bring to Sions conquerd wall 14 While thus she said as soaring eagles flie Mongst other birdes securely through the aire And mounting vp behold with wakefull eie The radiant beames of old Hiperious haire Her gondelay so passed swiftly bie Twixt ship and ship withouten feare or caire Who should her follow trouble stop or stay And foorth to sea made luckie speed and way 15 Themselues forenenst old Raphias towne they fand A towne that first to sailers doth appeere As they from Syria passe to Egypt land The sterill coastes of barren Rinoceere They past and seas where Casius hill doth stand That with his trees orespreads the waters neere Against whose rootes breaketh the brackish waue Where Ioue his temple Pompeie hath his graue 16 Then Damiata next where they behold How to the sea his tribute Nilus paies By his seu'n mouthes renown'd in stories old And by an hundreth more ignoble waies They past the towne built by the Grecian bold Of him call'd Alexandria till our daies And Pharos towre and isle remou'd of yore Far from the land now ioyned to the shoer 17 Both Creet and Rhodes they left by North vnseene And sail'd along the coastes of Africke lands Whose sea townes faire but realmes more inward beene All full of monsters and of desart sands With her fiue cities then they left Cireene Where that old temple of false Hammon stands Next Prolemais and that sacred wood Whence spring the silent streames of Lethe flood 18 The greater Sirtes that sailers often cast In perill great of death and losse extreame They compast round about and safely past Then Cape Iudeca and flood Magras streame Then Tripolie gainst which is Malta plast That low and hid to lurke in seas doth seame The little Sirtes then and Alzerbes I le Where dwelt the folke that Lotos eate erewhile 19 Next Tunis on the crooked shore they spide Whose bay a rocke on either side defends Tunis all townes in beautie wealth and pride Aboue as far as Libias bounds extends Gainst which from faire Scicilias fertile side His rugged front great Lilebenni bends The Dame there pointed out where sometimes stoud Romes stately riuall whilome Carthage proud 20 Great Carthage lowe in ashes cold doth lie Her ruines poore the herbes in height scant passe So cities fall so perish kingdomes hie Their pride and pompe lies hid in sand and grasse Then why should mortall man repine to die Whose life is aire breath winde and bodie glasse From thence the seas next Biserts walles they cleft And far Sardignia on their right hand left 21 Numidias mightie plaines they coasted then Where wandring shepherds vs'd their flockes to feed Then Bugia and Argiere th' infamous den Of Pirates false Oran they left with speed All Tingitan they swiftly ouer-ren Where Elephants and angrie Lyons breed Where now the Realmes of Fesse and Marocke bee Gainst which Granadoes shores and coastes they see 22 Now are they there where first the sea brake in By great Alcides helpe as stories faine True may it be that where those floodes begin It whilome was a firme and solid maine Before the sea there through did passage win And parted Africke from the land of Spaine Abila hence thence Calpe great vp springs Such powre hath time to change the face of things 23 Foure times the sunne had spred his morning ray Since first the Dame launcht foorth her wandrous barge And neuer yet tooke port in creeke or bay But fairely forward bore the knights her charge Now through the strait her iolly ship made way And boldly sail'd vpon the Ocean large But if the sea in midst of earth was great O what was this wherein earth hath her seat 24 Now deepe engulphed in the mightie flood They saw not Gades nor the mountaines neare Fled was the land and townes on lande that stood Heau'n cou'red sea sea seem'd the heau'ns to beare At last faire Ladie quoth Vbaldo good That in this endlesse maine dost guide vs heare If euer man before here sailed tell Or other landes here be wherein men dwell 27 Great Hercules quoth she when he had quaild The monsters fierce in Affricke and in Spaine And all along your coastes and countries saild Yet durst he not assay the Ocean maine Within his pillours would he haue impaild The ouerdaring wit of mankinde vaine Till Lord Vlysses did those bounders pas To see and know he so desirous was 26 He past those pillours and in open waue Of the broad sea first his bould sailes vntwind But yet the greedie Ocean was his graue Nought helped him his skill gainst tide and wind With him all witnesse of his voyage braue Lies buried there no truth thereof we find And they whom storme hath forced that way sence Are drowned all or vnreturn'd from thence 27 So that this mightie sea is yet vnsought Where thousand Isles and kingdomes lie vnknowne Not voide of men as some haue vainely thought But peopled well and wonned like your owne The land is fertill ground but scant well wrought Aire wholesome temp'rate sunne grasse proudly growne But quoth Vbaldo dame