Book 15
The people present woorshipped his Godhead there in syght,
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Repeating dowble that the preest did say. The Romaynes eeke
Devoutly did with Godly voyce and hart his favour seeke.
The God by nodding did consent, and gave assured signe
By shaking of his golden crest that on his head did shyne,
And hissed twyce with spirting toong. Then trayld he downe the fyne
And glistring greeces of his church. And turning backe his eyen,
He looked to his altarward and to his former shryne
And temple, as to take his leave and bid them all fare well.
From thence ryght huge uppon the ground (which sweete of flowres did smell
That people strewed in his way), he passed stately downe,
And bending into bowghts went through the hart of all the towne,
Untill that hee the bowwing wharf besyde the haven tooke.
Where staying, when he had (as seemd) dismist with gentle looke
His trayne of Chapleynes and the folke that wayted on him thither,
Hee layd him in the Romane shippe to sayle away toogither.
The shippe did feele the burthen of his Godhed to the full,
And for the heavye weyght of him did after passe more dull.
The Romanes being glad of him, and having killd a steere
Uppon the shore, untyde theyr ropes and cables from the peere.
The lyghtsum wynd did dryve the shippe. The God avauncing hye,
And leaning with his necke uppon the Gallyes syde, did lye
And looke uppon the greenish waves, and cutting easly through
Th'Ionian sea with little gales of westerne wynd not rough,
The sixt day morning came uppon the coast of Italy.
And passing foorth by Junos Church that mustreth to the eye
Uppon the head of Lacine he was caryed also by
The rocke of Scylley. Then he left the land of Calabrye
And rowing softly by the rocke Zephyrion, he did draw
To Celen cliffs the which uppon the ryght syde have a flawe.
By Romeche and by Cawlon, and by Narice thence he past,
And from the streyghtes of Sicily gate quyght and cleere at last.
Then ran he by th'Aeolian Iles and by the metall myne
Of Tempsa, and by Lewcosye, and temprate Pest where fyne
And pleasant Roses florish ay. From thence by Capreas
And Atheney the headlond of Minerva he did passe
To Surrent, where with gentle vynes the hilles bee overclad,
And by the towne of Hercules and Stabye ill bestad
And Naples borne to Idlenesse, and Cumes where Sybell had
Hir temples, and the scalding bathes, and Linterne where growes store
