Euen all the nation of vnfortunate xxxvi And fatall birds about them flocked were, Such as by nature men abhorre and hate, The ill-faste Owle, deaths dreadfull messengere, The hoars Night-rauen, trump of dolefull drere, The lether-winged Bat, dayes enimy, The ruefull Strich, still waiting on the bere, The Whistler shrill, that who so heares, doth dy, The hellish Harpies, prophets of sad destiny. All those, and all that else does horrour breed, xxxvii About them flew, and fild their sayles with feare: Yet stayd they not, but forward did proceed, Whiles th’one did row, and th’other stifly steare; Till that at last the weather gan to cleare, And the faire land it selfe did plainly show. Said then the Palmer, Lo where does appeare The sacred soile, where all our perils grow; Therefore, Sir knight, your ready armes about you throw. He hearkned, and his armes about him tooke, xxxviii The whiles the nimble boate so well her sped, That with her crooked keele the land she strooke, Then forth the noble _Guyon_ sallied, And his sage Palmer, that him gouerned; But th’other by his boate behind did stay. They marched fairly forth, of nought ydred, Both firmely armd for euery hard assay, With constancy and care, gainst daunger and dismay. Ere long they heard an hideous bellowing xxxix Of many beasts, that roard outrageously, As if that hungers point, or _Venus_ sting Had them enraged with fell surquedry; Yet nought they feard, but past on hardily, Vntill they came in vew of those wild beasts: Who all attonce, gaping full greedily, And rearing fiercely their vpstarting[844] crests, Ran towards, to deuoure those vnexpected guests. But soone as they approcht[845] with deadly threat,[846] xl The Palmer ouer them his staffe vpheld, His mighty staffe, that could all charmes defeat: Eftsoones their stubborne courages were queld, And high aduaunced crests downe meekely feld, In stead of fraying, they them selues did feare, And trembled, as them passing they beheld: Such wondrous powre did in that staffe appeare, All monsters to subdew to him, that did it beare. Of that same wood it fram’d was cunningly, xli Of which _Caduceus_ whilome was made, _Caduceus_ the rod of _Mercury_, With which he wonts the _Stygian_ realmes inuade, Through ghastly horrour, and eternall shade; Th’ infernall feends with it he can asswage, And _Orcus_ tame, whom nothing can perswade, And rule the _Furyes_, when they most do rage: Such vertue in his staffe had eke this Palmer sage.