A Gentleman Seing his Brother Desirous to Goe to the Seas, Wrote these Verses Following, Unwitting to Any, and Layed Them in his Brothers Way by John Grange

True to see the raging of the seas,
When nothing may king Eolus wrath appease.
Boreas blastes asunder rendes our sayles:
Our tacklings breake, our ankers likewise fayles.
The surging seas, they battred have my shippe,
And eke mine oares avayle me not a chippe.
The ropes are slackte, the maste standes nothing strong:
Thus am I toste, the surging seas along.
The waves beate in, my barke to overflowe,
The rugged seas, my ship will overthrowe.
Yea, driven I am, sometimes against a Rocke,
Sometimes againe a Whale his backe I locke.
When Neptune thus, and Eol falles to stryfe,
Then stand I most in daunger of my lyfe.
And when the winde beginneth moste to rage,
Then out I caste (my barke for to asswage)
Each thing of waight, and then if sea at will
I chaunce to have, I lesse regard mine ill.
It shipwrack once, I suffer in my life,
Farewell my goodes, farewell my gentle wife.
Adewe my friendes, adewe my children all,
For nought prevayles, though on your helpe I call.
First goe I to the bottome of the seas,
And thrice I rise, but nothing for mine ease.
For why? at length, when last of all I fall,
My winde doth fayle, wherewith I burst my gall.
My body then, so full as it may be
With water store, then may each man me see
All borne alofte, amid the fomyng froth,
And dryven to lande, if Neptune waxeth wrothe.
But yet if so I cunnyng have to swimme,
When first I fall into the water brimme:
With streakyng armes and eke with playing feete,
My parte I play the water flouddes to grete.
And then perchaunce, some shippe comes sayling bye,
Whiche saves my life, if me they doe espie.
Perchaunce likewise I drowne before they come,
Perchaunce the crampe my feete it maketh numme.
If so it dothe, then sure I am to die,
In this distresse the sea will ayde denie.
Wherefore (I wishe) who well may live by lande,
And him forbid the sea to take in hande.

From: Grange, John, The golden Aphroditis a pleasant discourse, penned by John Grange Gentleman, student in the common lawe of Englande. Whereunto be annexed by the same authour aswell certayne metres upon sundry poyntes, as also divers pamphlets in prose, which he entituleth his Garden: pleasant to the eare, and delightful to the reader, if he abuse not the scente of the floures, 2003, Text Creation Partnership: Ann Arbor, Michigan and Oxford, pp. [unnumbered].
(http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A02027.0001.001)

Date: 1577

By: John Grange (fl. 1577)