Don Zara del Fogo a mock-romance / written originally in the Brittish tongue, and made English by a person of much honor, Basilius Musophilus ; with a marginall comment, expounding the hard things of the history.

CHAP. I.

The Champion and Soto imbarque themselvs for No-Land, being on Board, he opens the Casket that Lamia had sent by Lapida at his departure from Mount Mongibell, wherein he finds a Charmed Be••t, together with an Epistle warning him of future events. A dreadfull Tem∣pest arising, himself and Soto are born from off the Deck above a Cables length; they are saved by a Sea-Horse, and cast upon an Iland inhabited by Fisher-men, where the Champion meets with a most strange Adventure.

FOunder-foot and Soto were in∣volv'd in sweat, ere the Champion could reach the Egean Sea, but arriving at the desired Bay, our Knight complemented the Captain

and Master * 1.1 very ventrously, recei∣ving from them as reasonabl a retort, they eat, drank, and discoursed toge∣ther, not like Aliens, but as having consanguinious Alliance, and as if Neptune & Aeolus had been our Cham∣pions Pensionaries, the wind on a sudden decame tractable to their de∣sign, so that weighing Anchor, and setting Sayle, they merrily set for∣ward for Zardona-pola-Mancha, the Seas calm, the winds courteous, the Seamen were singing, and the Passen∣gers priding themselvs in their happy fortune; but O! the sick lenes of For∣tune, * 1.2 whose blandishments are bruizes, and whose dandlings are dangerous; for they had not say led many leagues ere Hyperion hid his face, * 1.3 the Heavens were muffled in Mists, Eurus and Bo∣reas break from forth their prisons, bearing storms and tempests on their wings to the (already) inraged Oce∣an, nor Charls-Wain, nor the Lesser Bear can be perused by the dispairing Pilot, the angry Sea rowles it self in ridges as steep as the tall Pyramids of Cayr, the monstrous Leviathan open∣ing his mouth wider then Or••••s,

watcht every opportunity to swallow the sinking Ship and its sorrowfull inhabitants; nor could * 1.4 Sunius or Palinure know which way to drive the distressed Vessel by the Rule of the Rudder, while (alas) her whole bulk groans, and her Beak and Main-Mast crack, the Steers-man crying a∣loud, down with the Top-sayl, keep the Sprit-sayl tight, hale the Main Bowling, while the crazed Bark, like a Bear baited with Mastiffs, strives to keep her Beak aloof, some billows she breaks, others pass over her Poop and Prow.

While things were in this confusi∣on, Don Zara was sitting in his Cabin, in very serious contemplation, con∣ceiting (as indeed he had cause) that his Love Lamia had procured this storm on purpose to plague him, this cogitation remembred him of the Casket that Lapida presented him with when he left Lamia, hitherto not thought on; which fatall over-sight might (for ought any man knows) have cost him his life, had not the ce∣lestiall Powers indulged their Dar∣ling with divine ayde; but now (as

to the present business all-too-late) he opens the Carkanet, wherein he found a hilt borrowed from the hide of a Buck, lined with Magicall Cha∣racters, and Metricall Incantations, promising safety to the Wearer, though invironed with Millions of Enemies, & thrust at with thousands of swords; Tradition tells us that this was the Cincture which the mighty Son of Thetis, swift-foot A∣chilles, used to wear, by vertue where∣of he became invulnerable; this Gir∣dle was given to Ulysses with Achilles Armour (for he had not slaughtered the Woers else) he dying, lest it as an inestimable Legacy to his Son Telema∣chus, from whose custody the Inchan∣tress Lamia ravisht it by the potency of her Spells; one of the most effica∣cious Charms that was embossed in this Belt, spoke thus in Hexameter Verses:

Oswald, Paradine, Thulo, Hugo, Hubert, Aribert, Astragon, Hurgonill, Orgo, Ulfinor, Goltha, Tybalt. * 1.5

With this protection there was al∣so a Letter directed to the Champion in these words:

Heroick Champion,

THough your unkindnesses to me are of a more killing conse∣quence, then that of Theseus, Aeneas, Paris, or Ulysses, to Ariadne, Dido, Ae∣none, or Circe, for which your name (with theirs) should de hangd, drawn, and quartered, by the common Exe∣cutioneress Fame, yet so great is the love I yet retain towards you, that it not onely commands my forbearance from hurting you, but injoyns me to put your person (which shall be exposed to many hazzards) above the reach of danger; the Belt that this box incloses, if girt about you, will prove your protection better then a

Coat of Male, or the most inpenetra∣ble Armour, nor indeed can you be wounded while you wear this; but this gone, you are but the same Zara you were; My Art informs me that your Destiny shall decree you for No-land, appointing your passage through a turbulent Sea, but by no means im∣barque your self for that Ship (Pas∣sengers and all) shall become a prey to the barbarous Element; when you arrive in No-land, many shall be your dangers, some shall fight you, some flout you, and others fawn upon you, but your Girdle shall give you victo∣ry over all your Enemies; Parting from thence, you shall visit many strange Countries, and see more Mon∣sters then Mandevile, but at a certain time you shall find a winged Hog, grazing in a Green-plat, him ceize upon (for he has been used to the snaffle) and make him yours, giving the Gods and me thanks, who have made you Master of one of the rarest Beasts in the world: Thus imploring you would not altogether forget her who shall alwaies remember you, I commit you to your Fate,

remaining the sorrowful Lamia.

The Champion was exceedingly vexed at his own stupidity, that he had not read this Epistle before, and so prevented the present danger, but yet he would not seem to be amated; How was he smitten with astonish∣ment at this unparalell'd affection of Lamia? how did he repent him of his sullen and sudden departure? By this time the Ship was shaken almost to pieces, Thunder rent the Ayr, the Sea roared hideously, the misshapen mon∣sters of the Deep were congregated in great numbers, expecting a Feast of flesh and marrow, and the dying Ves∣sell is even now ready to give up the Ghost, the unhappy Passengers pre∣paring themselvs to take the way of all Fish, yet the Champion views all these horrors unmoved, and while o∣thers are sighing, he and Soto were singing the * 2.1 heavenly tune of Wal∣singham; By this time the Ship (ha∣ving bin a long time sick of a Surfeit) being over-burthened; now, with what before supported her, becomes founder'd down-right; when, be∣hold, while magnanimous Zara, and

his fearless Soto were standing on the Deck, threatning defiance to Neptune, and all the Marine Powers, a boyste∣rous wave whirls them into the Sea above a Cables length.

O Neptune, Saron, and all ye watry Deities, what now shall become of our Sea-Champion, shall the Sword∣fish wound him, the Dog-fish bite him, or the Whale devour him.

Behold what care the righteous Gods took for the preservation of virtue; our Champion and Soto had not long brushed the azure billows with their active arms, * 2.2 but a huge Hyppocamp (or Sea-Horse) gliding gently between the Champions leggs, received him upon his back, to his no less joy then admiration, who beck∣ned Soto to get up behind him, when (alas) the poor Squire was almost out of breath, and now and then drank deep draughts of salt water, which he puked up agen; * 2.3 as I have seen a sul∣len Babe eject the new received pap, forced back agen by the thrifty Nurse, till at last it bulge the belly of the In∣fant; this was Soto's savoury, ore ra∣ther unsavoury condition, yet sum∣moning

all his strength (as a dying Candle, that contracts its ardour to make one parting blaze) he cut his passage through the swelling surges, with so vigorous a resolve, that though he attained not the crupper, he had sure hold of the tayle of this courteous creature; by this miracu∣lous indulgency of Fate, our Zara and his Servitor were set safe on shoar the Sea-Horse (not staying so much as for thanks) having delivered his charge safe and sound to Rhea, plun∣ged himself into the lap of Thetis, lea∣ving our Champion in the most insa∣nious extasie, who scarce could be∣lieve (what his eyes beheld) the won∣der of his deliverance.

They were now in a Rockey Iland, here and there a Tree, and (in some places) neer the Rocks, good store of * 2.4 grasse, here they feared as much to be famished as before to be drowned; yet (by the favour of Mavors) our Champion had his good Sword girt to his voluminous waste; nay more, his Charmed Girdle, Casket, and all safe lodged in his pocket; Soto had on his Brest plate and Helmet, and his

steel-pointed piece of Ash, fast in his fi••t, which instrument of defence he had such care of all the time he was sowced in the salt Ocean, that (as Cae∣sar swimming with one hand, and with the other preserving his Papers from pickle) he still kept it above water; but the loss of Founder-foot unspeakably grieved our Champion, so that he hardly refrained from tears.

Ah Founder-foot, Founder-foot, said he, have these hands of mine so often * 2.5 fed thee at Rack and Ma••ger, with Oats, Grains, Beans and Barley for this, to fatten the ravenous Fishes of the Sea, and have thy hide cut out in∣to more Thongs then the skin of Di∣does Bull, to make Harness for Nep∣tunes Coach-Mares; Farewell the glory of thy kind, thou Soveraign of Steeds, Prince of Palfrays, and ho∣nestest of all Horses:

* 2.6 Whose name shall live free from all black reproaches, While there are wincing Jades, or Hackney-Coaches.

Soto bore a part in his Masters sor∣row, for the losse of Founder-foot, though his grief had a very different originall from that of Zara's, for he (grown a perfect Thracian) wisht him there rather to feed on, then ride on, and indeed his Sea-sickness made an Apology for the eagerness of his ap∣petite, all know what a civill war the tumbling of the vessell creates in the small guts, and that those who have not been inur'd to Hoyes and Hulks, are very hainously harrassed the first time of their gaze upon the garulous Ocean. Long time they travailed up and down in hope to finde some shed of shelter, but Fortune was not so fa∣vourable to further their wishes, so that wet and weary as they were (their carkasses curdled with cold, and their wembs repleat with water) they sat down at the root of a blasted Oak, wishing for immediate death, rather then a lingring destruction: Being thus reduced to the very brink of dispair, and every minute in ex∣pectation to become a prey to some ravenous Wolf, or blood-thirsty Ty∣ger, they might hear the showtings

(as they thought) of Shepheards, but indeed Fishermen, who had even then surprized somthing (stiled by them a Fish) of weighty importance, so that they were forced to summon in the adjacent Fish-takers, with whoop∣ings and hallowings, who understan∣ding the occasion of their clamour, soon incorporated themselvs with them; no tongue can tell, or Pen propose, how much the ship-wrackt Zara, and his sorrowfull Servitor, were rejoyced at these ecchoings, and therefore they rose up, and (as neer as they could guess) trod that path that might lead them to the place where they heard these noyses, so much were they favored by Fate, that in a short time (as if they had taken notice of the track for many Ages) they arrived where they found not onely Mortals but Mansions, Fabricks as well as Fishermen, to their infinite contentment they saw the Fish-finders corroborated in one lump, clubbing all their nets and strength to boot, to make themselvs Masters of some un∣wonted prize, some crying out they had caught a Whale, others that they

had fastned upon some Chest stuffed with Treasure; others, that they should make some strange discovery, to the wonder of the world; Zara and Soto stood as spectators all the time, while by main strength and Herculean Fortitude they brought to shoar what they had so long labou∣red for, but (to their astonishment) instead of Fish, were saluted with flesh; * 2.7 Behold, a Panoplia, a Goat of Ar∣mour richly gilded, with a Shield, and a stately Steed (of a Chesnut co∣lour, his Main curiously curled, a blue Star in his fore-head, a fair white spot upon either foot, &c.) and other Martiall Utensils; the Sea-Swaines were as much grieved, as our Cham∣pion comforted, to peruse their Draught, insomuch that they were minded to return their gains to him that gave them, had not Zara stept in, and (after the Narration of his late Ship-wrack) besought them to confer the Horse and Armour up∣on him, they all heard him atten∣tively, and as freely answered his de∣mands, departing every man to his Cottage.

The duskish shades of night had now inveloped the world, and Zara (by the suffrage of one of the Fisher∣men Piscatorio) was conducted (with his new acquired Courser, and war∣like Furniture) into a sedgie Cot, where he was kindly received by Pis∣catorio's wife, and set to supper with a Cods head, and a Salmons tayle, wheron he and Soto fed like Farmers, nor was drink wanting (a kind of Sider * 2.8 made of Alder-Berries and Wildings) whereof (having cured their Garments of the Dropsey) they drank merrily, till the time of night warned them to their rest, they there∣fore came to their lodging of clean Rye-straw, with Battavian Blankets, where we will leave them to their Repose.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Meaning as became a Champion & a Knight Errant.
• * 1.2

  Sentence grave and wise.
• * 1.3

  The De∣scription of a sad Sea∣storm.
• * 1.4

  Two emi∣nent Steers∣men, who guided Sir Walter Ra∣leighs Ship on the Oce∣an, when he was bound for the dis∣covery of the Silver Mines.
• * 1.5

  Thus Interpreted: Ye mighty Dukes of Darkness, let no wrong Happen to him, who wears this Charmed Thong.
• * 2.1

  There is much con∣troversie a∣mongst Ex∣positors a∣bout this place, some will have walsingham others Troy Town, and a third so••t the Mer∣chants daughter of Bristoll.
• * 2.2

  Don Zara preserved by miracle, but the truth is the Sea-horses were ever very courte∣ous to man∣k••nd. See Pliny, Soli∣••us, Alber∣tus Magnus, and the Spa nish Man∣devile.
• * 2.3

  Simile of a new yeand Babe.
• * 2.4

  But withall very scurvey. see Dr. Trigs Treatise of purging Ale.
• * 2.5

  Zara's com∣plaint for the los•• of his Steed.
• * 2.6

  Founder-foots Elogi••.
• * 2.7

  O strange and never e∣quall'd acci∣dent, that as Zara surpas∣sed al knights in the world for courage & true Magna∣n〈…〉〈…〉ity, so ••e might be fur∣nished with Warlike Ha∣biliments, as never any worthy save himself 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 2.8

  This must needs be a comfortable kind of drink