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<DATE>2008-09-06</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B080824.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B02642">
<STC T="W">D1142</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99889197</BIBNO>
<VID>182726</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="poem">
<PB REF="1" MS="y"><!-- PDF PAGE 1 -->
<HEAD>A De&s;cription of a Great Sea-Storm, That happened to &s;ome Ships in the <HI>Gulph</HI> of <HI>FLORIDA,</HI> in <HI>September</HI> la&s;t; Drawn up by one of the Company, and &s;ent to his Friend at <HI>London.</HI></HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<HEAD>THE PREFACE.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L><HI>THe blu&s;tring Winds are hu&s;ht into a Calme;</HI></L>
<L><HI>No Air &s;tirs now, but what my Mu&s;e Embalm'd,</HI></L>
<L><HI>Breaths forth to thee, dear Friend; Heaven &s;miles upon</HI></L>
<L><HI>My Paper, and the Sea turnes</HI> Helicon;</L>
<L><HI>The</HI> Mermaids <HI>Mu&s;es all, the</HI> Sea-Nymphs, <HI>bring</HI></L>
<L><HI>Aid to my</HI> Genius, <HI>whil&s;t to thee I Sing</HI></L>
<L><HI>Of Storms, Gu&s;ts, Tempe&s;ts, if compar'd to the&s;e,</HI></L>
<L>Bermoodus <HI>Winds are but a Gentle Breez;</HI></L>
<L><HI>And to expre&s;s them fully, I am faine</HI></L>
<L><HI>To rai&s;e in</HI> Ver&s;e <HI>a kind of</HI> Hurrycane.</L>
</LG>
</ARGUMENT>
<HEAD>THE STORME.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>_NOthing but Air and Water is in &s;ight;</L>
<L>(I am no Poet here, &s;ince Truth I wright.)</L>
<L>When <HI>Eolus</HI> with his Iron whi&s;tle Rouzes</L>
<L>The blu&s;tring breathings from their Airy hou&s;es,</L>
<L>Which like to <HI>Libertines</HI> let loo&s;e, will know</L>
<L>No Law to guide them, but begin to blow</L>
<L>The Sea to &s;well her teaming Womb, brings forth</L>
<L>Wave after wave, and each of greater birth:</L>
<L>Waves grow to Surges, Surges Billowes turn;</L>
<L>The Ocean is all <HI>Timpany,</HI> the <HI>&V;rn</HI></L>
<L>Of water is a brimmer; <HI>Neptune</HI> drinks</L>
<L>So full a Cup it over-runs the brinks.</L>
<L>To <HI>Amphetrites</HI> Health, the proud waves da&s;h</L>
<L>At Heaven as though its Cloudy Face t'would wa&s;h:</L>
<L>Or &s;ure the lower Water now was bent</L>
<L>To mix with that above the Firmament;</L>
<L>Or the cold Element did go about</L>
<L>To put the Element of Fire out.</L>
<L>Our Ship now under water &s;eems to &s;ayle</L>
<L>Like to a drowned To&s;t in <HI>John Cook</HI>'s Ale.</L>
<L>The Sea rould up in Mountains: O! 'tis &s;uch</L>
<L>Your <HI>Cott&s;all-Hill's</HI> a Wart, if't be &s;o much,</L>
<L>Which fall again into &s;uch hollow Vales</L>
<L>I thought I'de cro&s;t the Sea by <HI>Land</HI> ore <HI>Wales;</HI></L>
<L>And then to add Confu&s;ion to the Seas,</L>
<L>The Saylers &s;peak &s;uch <HI>Babel</HI> words as the&s;e:</L>
<L><HI>Hale in maine Bowlin, Mizen tack aboard;</HI></L>
<L>A Language, like a Storm, to be abhorr'd:</L>
<L>I know not which was loude&s;t, their rude Tongues,</L>
<L>Or the Bigg Winds with her whole Cards of <HI>Lungs.</HI></L>
<L>So hideous was the Noi&s;e, that one might well</L>
<L>Fancy him&s;elf to be with Souls in Hell;</L>
<L>But that the Torments differ, tho&s;e Souls are</L>
<L>With Fire puni&s;ht, we with Water here.</L>
<L>Our Helme that &s;hould our <HI>Swimming-Colledge</HI> &s;way,</L>
<L>We la&s;h't it up, le&s;t it &s;hould run away.</L>
<L>Have you a Hedge &s;een hung with Beggars Fleeces?</L>
<L>So hung our tattered <HI>Main&s;aile</HI> down in pieces.</L>
<L>Our <HI>Tackling</HI> crack't as if it had been made</L>
<L>To &s;tring &s;ome <HI>Fiddle,</HI> not the <HI>Sea-mans</HI> Trade.</L>
<L>Whil&s;t her own <HI>Knell</HI> the Sea-&s;ick <HI>Ve&s;&s;el</HI> Rings,</L>
<L>In breaking of her <HI>Ropes,</HI> the Ships Heart-&s;tring</L>
<L>As to repent, but never to amend;</L>
<L>So we pumpt th'Ship, even to as little end;</L>
<L>For all the water we pumpt out with pain,</L>
<L>The Sea returns with &s;corne, and more again.</L>
<L>The Guns we carry'd to be our Defence,</L>
<L>Heaven thunder'd &s;o, it almo&s;t &s;car'd them then<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"></L>
<L>And yet to Heaven for this give thanks we may,</L>
<L>But for it's Lightning we had had no Day.</L>
<L>The dropy Clouds drinking Salt-water &s;ick,</L>
<L>Did &s;pew it down upon our Heads &s;o thick;</L>
<L>That twixt the low'r and upper Seas that fell,</L>
<L>Our Ship a <HI>Ve&s;&s;el</HI> &s;eem'd, and we <HI>Mackrell.</HI></L>
<L>Pickl'd in Brine, and in our Cabines lye</L>
<L>Sou&s;t up for La&s;ting Immortality.</L>
<L>The Fear of being drowned, made us wi&s;h</L>
<L>Our &s;elves tran&s;peciated into <HI>Fi&s;h.</HI></L>
<L>Indeed this Fear did &s;o po&s;&s;e&s;s each one,</L>
<L>All look't like <HI>Shotten-Herring,</HI> or <HI>Poor-John:</HI></L>
<L>Nay of our Saving, there was &s;o much doubt,</L>
<L>The Ma&s;ters <HI>Faith</HI> begun to tack about;</L>
<L>And had he peri&s;h't in this doubtful Fit,</L>
<L>His Con&s;cience &s;ure (with his own Ship) had</L>
<L>For which way into Heaven could his Soul Steer,</L>
<L><HI>Starboard</HI> or <HI>Larbord</HI> that &s;till cries, <HI>No neer?</HI></L>
<L>But we were in great Danger, you will &s;ay,</L>
<L>If <HI>Sea-men</HI> once begin to <HI>Kneele,</HI> and <HI>Pray;</HI></L>
<L>What <HI>Holy Church</HI> ne're could, Rough Seas hav<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"></L>
<L>Made <HI>Sea-men</HI> buckle to <HI>Devotion,</HI></L>
<L>And force from them their <HI>Letany,</HI> whil&s;t thus</L>
<L>They whimper out, <HI>Good Lord deliver us!</HI></L>
<L>So pray I too, good Lord deliver thee,</L>
<L>Dear Friend, from being taught to Pray at <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"></L>
<L>Be wi&s;e, and keep the <HI>Shoar</HI> then, &s;ince you m<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"></L>
<L>Go in by <HI>Land</HI> to your <HI>VIRGINIA.</HI></L>
</LG>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="license">
<P>Licen&s;ed, <HI>Augu&s;t</HI> the 5th. 1671. Roger L'E&s;trange.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span"> Armes <HI>in the</HI> Poultry, 1671.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
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