Book 11
A chilnesse to her verry bones, and pale was all her face
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Like box and downe her heavy cheekes the teares did gush apace.
Three times about to speake, three times shee washt her face with teares,
And stinting oft with sobbes, shee thus complayned in his eares:
What fault of myne, husband deere, hath turnd thy hart fro mee?
Where is that care of mee that erst was woont to bee in thee?
And canst thou having left thy deere Alcyone merrye bee?
Doo journeyes long delyght thee now? dooth now myne absence please
Thee better then my presence dooth? Think I that thou at ease
Shalt go by land? Shall I have cause but onely for to moorne?
And not to bee afrayd? And shall my care of thy returne
Bee voyd of feare? No no. The sea mee sore afrayd dooth make.
To think uppon the sea dooth cause my flesh for feare to quake.
I sawe the broken ribbes of shippes alate uppon the shore.
And oft on Tumbes I reade theyr names whose bodyes long before
The sea had swallowed. Let not fond vayne hope seduce thy mynd,
That Aeolus is thy fathrinlaw who holdes the boystous wynd
In prison, and can calme the seas at pleasure. When the wynds
Are once let looce uppon the sea, no order then them bynds.
Then neyther land hathe priviledge, nor sea exemption fynds.
Yea even the clowdes of heaven they vex, and with theyr meeting stout
Enforce the fyre with hideous noyse to brust in flashes out.
The more that I doo know them, (for ryght well I know theyr powre,
And saw them oft a little wench within my fathers bowre)
So much the more I think them to bee feard. But if thy will
By no intreatance may bee turnd at home to tarry still,
But that thou needes wilt go: then mee, deere husband, with thee take.
So shall the sea us equally togither tosse and shake.
So woorser than I feele I shall bee certeine not to feare.
So shall we whatsoever happes togitherjoyntly beare.
So shall wee on the broad mayne sea togither joyntly sayle.
Theis woordes and teares wherewith the imp of Aeolus did assayle
Her husbond borne of heavenly race, did make his hart relent.
(For he lovd her no lesse than shee lovd him.) But fully bent
He seemed, neyther for to leave the journey which he ment
To take by sea, nor yit to give Alcyone leave as tho
Companion of his perlous course by water for to go.
He many woordes of comfort spake her feare away to chace.
But nought hee could perswade therein to make her like the cace.
This last asswagement of her greef he added in the end,
