To see that this to taske is giuen me silly wight: And of Minerua helpe I aske that she me teach aright. Helpe now without delay, helpe, helpe, ye Muses nine, O Cleo, and Calliope, shew me how to define In condigne stile and phrase eche thing in euery line, To you I giue loe all the praise the trauell only mine. Giue care then ye that long to know of my estate, Which am in France in prison strong as I wrote home of late: Against all lawe or right as I doe thinke in deede, Sith that the warre is ended quite, [The warre at Newe hauen.] and pease is well agreed Yet least perchaunce you might much maruell, how that I Into a Frenchmans powre should light In prison here to lie: Giue now attentiue heede, a straunge tale gin I tell, How I this yeare haue bene besteede, scaping the gates of hell, More harde I thinke truly, in more daunger of life, Than olde Orpheus did when he through hell did seeke his wife, Whose musike so did sounde in pleasant play of string, That Cerberus that hellish hounde (who as the poets sing Hauing three huge heads great, which doe continually Still breath out firy flames of heate most horrible to see) Did giue him leaue to passe in at the gates of Hell: Of which gate he chiefe porter was the Poets thus me tell. And how he past alone through great king Plutos Court Yea ferried ouer with Charon [Caron passenger of Hell.] and yet he did no hurt. Well to my purpose now, in Hell what hurt had hee? Perchance he might strange sights inow and vgly spirits there see: Perhaps eke Tantalus, there, making of his mone, Who staru'd always: and Sysiphus still rolling vp the stone. Yet Orpheus passed by, and went still on his way, There was no torment came him nigh or heate to make him stay. And I a Gods name woulde at hazarde play my life In Guinie lande, to seeke for golde, as Orpheus sought his wife. At which saide lande of Guinie [His first voyage 1562.] I was eke once before, And scapt the death as narrowly As Orpheus did and more. Which first ill lucke will I recite, then iudge you plaine, If loue plagued me not now rightly this yeare to goe againe. The other yeere before when Neptune vs had brought Safely vnto that burning shore, for which so long we sought, One day when shippe was fast in sea at anker holde, The sailes vpfirll'd, all businesse past the boteswaine then I tolde, That he forthwith shoulde see the small pinnesse well mande, Eke all things therin prest to be that we shoulde haue a lande, And gunner see that ye want not bowe, pike, or bill. Your ordinance well primed be with lintstocks burning still. With merchandize a shore, we hied to traffike then, Making the sea fome vs before, by force of nine good men.