They passing by, that griesly mouth did see, vi Sucking the seas into his entralles deepe, That seem’d more horrible then hell to bee, Or that darke dreadfull hole of _Tartare_ steepe, Through which the damned ghosts doen often creepe Backe to the world, bad liuers to torment: But nought that falles into this direfull deepe, Ne that approcheth nigh the wide descent, May backe returne, but is condemned to be drent. On th’other side, they saw that perilous Rocke, vii Threatning it selfe on them to ruinate, On whose sharpe clifts the ribs of vessels broke, And shiuered ships, which had bene wrecked late, Yet stuck, with carkasses exanimate Of such, as hauing all their substance spent In wanton ioyes, and lustes intemperate, Did afterwards make shipwracke violent, Both of their life, and fame for euer fowly blent. For thy, this hight _The Rocke of_ vile _Reproch_, viii A daungerous and detestable place, To which nor fish nor fowle did once approch, But yelling Meawes, with Seagulles hoarse and bace, And Cormoyrants, with birds of rauenous race, Which still sate waiting[828] on that wastfull clift, For spoyle of wretches, whose vnhappie cace, After lost credite and consumed thrift, At last them driuen hath to this despairefull drift. The Palmer seeing them in safetie past, ix Thus said; Behold[829] th’ensamples in our sights, Of lustfull luxurie and thriftlesse wast: What now is left of miserable wights, Which spent their looser daies in lewd delights, But shame and sad reproch, here to be red, By these rent reliques, speaking their ill plights? Let all that liue, hereby be counselled, To shunne _Rocke of Reproch_, and it as death to dred. So forth they rowed, and that _Ferryman_ x With his stiffe oares did brush the sea so strong, That the hoare waters from his frigot ran, And the light bubbles daunced all along, Whiles the salt brine out of the billowes sprong. At last farre off they many Islands spy, On euery side floting the floods emong: Then said the knight, Loe I the land descry, Therefore old Syre thy course do thereunto apply. That may not be, said then the _Ferryman_ xi Least we vnweeting hap to be fordonne: For those same Islands, seeming now and than, Are not firme lande, nor any certein wonne, But straggling plots, which to and fro do ronne In the wide waters: therefore are they hight The _wandring Islands_. Therefore doe them shonne; For they haue oft drawne many a wandring wight Into most deadly daunger and distressed plight.