That he would haue him to Cocitus Coast,
Where he and Cores daughter rules the roast.
First therefore I in wisedome hold it best,
To yeeld vnto the mighty loues request:
And on the Grecian coast I'l safely place him,
Where he may wāder where his fortunes trace him.
Thes•• messengers thus answer'd, were dismist,
And Neptune did to land his guest persist:
•••• now all hell was in an expectation
For Coriats comming, making preparation,
The Stigian Ferri-man on Stixes shore,
Did wait with diligence to wast him o'r,
And hels three headed Porter sweetly sung
For ioy, that all the Coastes of Limbo rung
With howling Musickes, dambe despightfull notes,
From out his triple Chaps, and treble throats.
•••• from the tortring wheele was eas'd,
And pining Tantall was with iunkets pleas'd:
And further, 'twas commanded, and decreed,
The Gripe no more on Titius guts should feed.
The nine and forty wenches, water silling,
In tubs vnbottom'd, which was euer spilling:
They all had leaue to leaue their endlesse toyles,
To dance, sing, sport, and to keepe reuell coyles.
Three forked Hecate to mirth was prone,
And Si••••phus gaue o'r the restlesse stone.
All in conclusion, had free leaue to play,
And for Tom Coriats sake make holiday.
Thus all blacke Barathrum is fill'd with games,
With lasting bone-fires, casting sulphur-flames.
In Vse'rers skuls the molten gold they quaffe,
And skink, and drink, and wink, and stink, and lasse.
But when the Post was come and told his Tale,
Then all this sport was turn'd to banefull bale.
Grim Pluto storm'd, and Proserpina mournd,
And tortur'd Ghosts, to torments were returnd.
The Sea god (carefull of great Iones high hest)
To great Constantinople brought his guest:
Where (nothing that may honour him omitting)
His entertainement to his state was fitting:
There in all pleasure he himselfe disports,
Conuersing daily with such braue consorts,
As Turkes, and Tartars, Englishmen and Greekes,
That he thinkes ages yeeres, and yeeres but weekes,
That's wasted in this rare time stealing chat.
All his delight's in nothing else but that.
But his high honour further to relate,
I'l sing the new aduancement of his state.
Some English Gentlemen with him consulted,
And he as nat'rally with them constulted:
Where they perceiuing his deserts were great,
They striu'd to mount him into honours seat:
And being found of an vnmatched spright,
He there, was double dub'd a doughty Knight.
Rise vp, sir Thomas, worship'd mayst thoube
Of people all (that are as wise as thee.)
Now rap't with ioy, my Muse must needs record,
How he was knighted with a royall sword:
But into what a puzzell now got I am?
They say it was the Bilbo of King Priam,
The fatall blade which he in fury drew,
When in reuenge the Mirmidons he flew.
Im pell mel vengeance for great Hectors bane,
Who by Achillis faire foule-play was slaine.
That sword that mow'd the Grecians like a sithe:
That sword that made victorious Troyans blithe:
That sword, that through so many dangers rub'd,
That famous sword hath Monsier Coriat dub'd.
What though 'twas rusty? spight of cankerd rust,
The memory of honour liues in dust,
'Twas no disgrace it was so rusty shap'd,
It had (like Coriat) many a scowring scap'd.
BVt 'mongst the rest, this must not be forgot,
How he did from Constantinople trot,
And how a solemne counsell there decreed,
That he should trauell in a Grecian weede.
To this (for his owne safety) they doe woo him,
Because the language is so nat'rall to him.
And then bespake a sober sage wise fellow,
(When wine had made them all in general mellow)
Take heed, quoth he, I counsell you, beware
That of your selfe you haue a speciall care,
You be not taken for a French-man, for
The Turks in these parts doe the French abhor.
Since Godsries times, that braue bold Bullen Duke,
Who put them all to shame, and rough rebuke,
And made the Sarasins by Millions bleed,
And holy Toombe, from faithlesse fiends he freed.
Wherefore (quoth he) in friendship I aduise you
T'auoid suspect, 'twere best we Circumcise you:
And then you freely may through perils passe,
Despight the Turks, so like a Grecian Asse.
Noman with Linxes eyes will deeme you other,
And thus you safely may suspition smother.
Sir Thomas gaue this fellowes speech the hearing,
But told him 'twas too heauy for his bearing:
For why, fall backe, fall edge, come good, come ill,
He vow'd to keepe his fore-mans fore-skin still.
This resolution was no sooner spoken,
The friendly counsell was dismist and broken.
Where after leaue was tane twixt him and them,
He tooke his iourny toward Ierusalem:
And what he can obserue 'twixt morne and night,
With due obseruance he doth daily write,
That if my iudgement be not much mistooke,
An Elephant will scarce support his booke.
For he in fiue months built a paper hulke,
And this must be ten times of greater buike.