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and painfull Pilot. Some strike saile, others turne the maine yarde; some make fast againe the broken shrouds; others mende and calke the riuen planks; some ply the pompe apace, and some the routher; and in the end, all put their helping hands to preserue the miserable ship from ineuitable losse. But their painfull diligence did not helpe them, nor their vowes and teares profit them to pacifie proud Aeolus and Neptunes wrath: but rather, the more the night came on, the more the winds blew, and the storme waxed greater and more violent. And now darke night being fully come, and angrie Fortune continuing still her seuere punishment, the olde Father Eugerius being past all hope of helpe and remedie, looking on his children and son in lawe, with an appalled and altered countenance, felt such great sorrowe for the death that we had to passe, that his greefe and compassion for vs, was more bitter to our soules, then the thought of our proper and present misfortunes. For the la∣menting olde man, enuironed on euery side with care and sorrowe, with a pitifull voice and sorrowfull teares, said thus. Ah mutable fortune, common enimie to hu∣mane content, howe hast thou reserued so great mishap and miserie for my sorrow∣full olde age? O thrise blessed are they, who fighting in the middes of bloudie bat∣tails, with honour die in their yoong and lustie yeeres, bicause not drawing foorth their line to wearied old age, haue neuer cause with greefe to bewaile the vntimely death of their beloued children. O extreme sorrow! O balefull successe! who euer ended his daies in so heauie a plight as I poore distressed man, that hoping to haue comforted my naturall death, by leauing them to the worlde, that might haue surui∣ued, not onely to performe the due of my last obsequies, but to continue my line and memorie, must now (miserable man) perish in their deerest companie. O my deere children, who would haue thought that my life and yours should ende at one time and by one misfortune! Faine woulde I (poore soules) comfort you; but what can a sorrowful father tell you, in whose hart there is such aboundance of greefe and want of consolation? But comfort your selues my children, by arming your inuincible soules with patience, and lay all the burden of your sorrow vpon my backe, for besides that I shall once die for my selfe, I must suffer so maine deaths more, as you haue liues to leese.
This did the olde and sorrowfull man abruptly deliuer with so many teares and sobbes, that he could scarce speake, embracing first one and another, and then alto∣gither for his last farewell, before the very point of danger and death was fullie come. But now to tell thee of Alcidas teares, and to recount the greefe that I en∣dured for her sake, were too difficult and long a narration. Onely one thing I will not omit to tell thee, that that which did most torment me, was to thinke, that the same life which I had offered vp for her seruice, should now be iointly lost with hers.
In the meane while, the forlorne and tossed ship, by the force and violence of the fierce westerne windes, which by the streights of Gibraltar, came blowing as they were madde, sailed with greater speede then was expedient for our safetie, and being battered on euery side with the cruell blowes of enuious fortune by the space of a daie and a night (vnable also to be guided by the skill and ceaselesse labour of the marriners) ran many leagues in the long Mediterranean sea, wheresoeuer the force of the waues & windes did carrie her. The next day following Fortune see∣med a little while to waxe more calme & gentle, but on a sudden turning againe to her acccustomed crueltie, she droue vs into such danger, that nowe we looked not for one halfe hower of life. For in the ende a fierce and mightie tempest came so suddenly vpon vs, that the ship driuen on by the force of a boisterous blast, that