University of Virginia Library

Chorus.

Lauish of life and dreadlesse was the wyght,
Attempting fyrst in slender tottring Barge
Wyth sliuing Ore the slyced waue to smyte,
And durst commit the dainty tender charge
Of hazered life to inconstant course of wynde,
That turnes with chaunge of chaunces euermore,
To vew the land forsooke aloofe behynde,
And shoouing forthe the Ship fro safer shore,
And glauncing through the fomy Channell deepe
On sunder cut with slender Stemme the waue,
Twixt hope of lyfe, and dread of death to sweepe,
In narrow gut him selfe to spill or saue:
Experience yet of Planets no man had,
They needed not the wandring course to knowe
Of Starres, (wherewith the paynted sky is clad,)
Not Pleiads, (which returne of sayling show)
Nor Hyads (that with showrs the Seas doe beate)
No nor the sterne Amaltheas horned head
(Who gaue the lyppes of sucking Ioue the Teate)
Were wont to put the blundering ships in dread.
They feared not the northerne Isy wayne,
Whych lazy olde bootes wieldes behinde,
And twynes about, no name yet could they fayne
For Boreas rough, nor smother western wynde.
Yet Typhys bould on open seas durst show
His hoysted sayles, and for the wyndes decree
New lawes: as now full gale aloofe to blow,
Now tackle turnde to take syde wynde alee,
Now vp to farle the crossayle on the mast,
There safe to hang, the topsayle now to spred,
Now missel sayle, and drabler out to cast,
VVhen dagling hanges his shottring tackle red
VVhyle stearsman stur, and busye neuer blin,
VVith pyth to pull all sayles eke to display,
VVith tooth and nayle all foree of winde to wyn,
To sheare the seas, and quick to scud awaye.
The golden worlde our fathers haue possest,
VVhere banysht fraude durst neuer come in place,
All were content to liue at home in rest
VVith horye head, gray beard, and furrowed face.
VVhych tract of time within his countrey brought.
Riche hauing lytle, for more they did not toyle,
No vente for wares, nor Traficque far they sought,
No wealth that sprange beyond theyr natiue soyle,
The Thessail shyp together now hath set,
The Thessail ship together now hath set,
The Worlde that well with Seas disseuered lay,
It biddes the flouds with Oares to be bet,
And streames vnknowen with shipwrack vs to fray
That wicked Keele was lost by ruthfull wrack
Ytossed through such perylles passing great,
Where Cyanes Rocks gan rore as thunder crack,
Whose bouncing boult the shaken soyle doth beat.
The sowsing Surges dasshed euery starre,
The pesterd seas the cloudes aloft berayde,
This scuffling did bould TYPHIS minde detarre,
Hys helme did slip from trembling hande dismayde.
Then ORPHEVS with his drowping Harp was mum
Dead in her dumpes the flaunting ARGOS glee,
All husht in rest with silence wexed dum,
What hardy heart astound heere would not bee?
To see at once eche yawning mouth to gape,
Of Syllas gulph compact in wallowing paunch,
Of dogges, who doth not loth her mongrell shape,
Her visage, breast, and hyddeous vgly haunch:
Whom erketh not the scoulde with barking still?
To here the Mermaydes dyre who doth not quayle,
That lure the Eares with pleasaunt singing shrill
Of such as on Ausonius Sea doe sayle:
When ORPHEVS on his twanckling Harpe did play,
That earst the Muse Calliop gaue to him
Almost those Nymphes that wonted was to stay
The shyps, he causd fast following him to swim.
How deerely was that wicked iourney bought?
MEDEA accurst, and eke the golden Fleece,
That greater harme then storme of seas hath wrought
Rewarded well that voyage first of Greece.
Now seas controulde doe suffer passage free,
The Argo proude erected by the hand
Of PALLAS first, doth not complayne that shee,
Conueyde hath back, the kynges vnto theyr land
Eche whirry boate now scuddes aboute the deepe,
All stynts and warres are taken cleane away,
The Cities frame new walles themselues to keepe,
The open worlde lettes nought rest where it lay:
The Hoyes of Ind Arexis lukewarme leake,
The Perseans stout in Rhene and Albis streame
Doth bath their Barkes, time shall in fine out breake
When Ocean waue shall open euery Realme.
The wandring World at will shall open lye.
And TYPHIS vvill some nevve founde Land suruay
Some trauelers shall the Countreys farre escrye,
Beyonde small Thule, knovven furthest at this day.