Book 14
And lying lyke a Lyon feerce or hunger sterved hownd
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Uppon them, very eagerly he downe his greedy gut
Theyr bowwels and theyr limbes yit more than half alive did put,
And with theyr flesh toogither crasht the bones and maree whyght.
I trembling like an aspen leaf stood sad and bloodlesse quyght.
And in beholding how he fed and belked up againe
His bloody vittells at his mouth, and uttred out amayne
The clottred gobbets mixt with wyne, I thus surmysde: Like lot
Hangs over my head now, and I must also go to pot.
And hyding mee for many dayes, and quaking horribly
At every noyse, and dreading death, and wisshing for to dye,
Appeasing hunger with the leaves of trees, and herbes and mast,
Alone, and poore, and footelesse, and to death and pennance cast,
A long tyme after I espyde this shippe afarre at last,
And ronning downeward to the sea by signes did succour seeke.
Where fynding grace, this Trojane shippe receyved mee, a Greeke.
But now I prey thee, gentle freend, declare thou unto mee
Thy Capteines and thy fellowes lucke that tooke the sea with thee.
He told him how that Aeolus, the sonne of Hippot, he
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That keepes the wyndes in pryson cloce did reigne in Tuskane sea.
And how Ulysses having at his hand a noble gift,
The wynd enclosde in leather bagges, did sayle with prosperous drift
Nyne dayes toogither: insomuch they came within the syght
Of home: but on the tenth day when the morning gan give lyght,
His fellowes being somewhat toucht with covetousenesse and spyght,
Supposing that it had beene gold, did let the wyndes out quyght.
The which returning whence they came, did drive them backe amayne
That in the Realme of Aeolus they went aland agayne.
From thence (quoth he) we came unto the auncient Lamyes towne
Of which the feerce Antiphates that season ware the crowne.
A cowple of my mates and I were sent unto him: and
A mate of myne and I could scarce by flyght escape his hand.
The third of us did with his blood embrew the wicked face
Of leawd Antiphate, whoo with swoord us flying thence did chace,
And following after with a rowt threw stones and loggs which drownd
Both men and shippes. Howbeeit one by chaunce escaped sound,
Which bare Ulysses and my self. So having lost most part
Of all our deare companions, we with sad and sory hart
And much complayning, did arryve at yoonder coast which yow
May ken farre hence. A great way hence (I say) wee see it now
