The Tragical and lamentable History of two faithful Mates: Ceyx's King of Thrachine, and ALCIONE his wife: drawn into English Meeter.  
By W. Hubbard. 1569.  
IMPRINTED at London, by William How, for Richard johnes and are to be sold at his shop under the Lottery house.   

The Tragical and lamentable History of Ceyx and Alcione.  

WHen frowning Fortune 'gan assault  
her Foes: whose death she doth desire  
She will revenge, though for no fault,  
When Envy hath her set on fire:  
She seeks to bring men to decay  
whom erst aloft:  
She had set up at pleasant stay,  
though reeling oft.   

And then at last they tumbling down  
from highest stay, to lowest step:  
To lamentation from Renown,  
with tumbling cast they downward leap,  
Among all other, one I find  
unfortunate:  
For at his state, Fortune repined  
with cruel hate.   

He was sometime of Thracine King,  
And CEYX I read he had to name:  
Dame Fortune his mischance seeking  
she told him straight by flickering Fame  
How Peleus his brother was  
by ruinous chance,  
With Death destroyed, as came to pass,  
by Fortune's Lance.   

Whereat he musing stood dismayed,  
and vexed sore then in his thought:  
How easily might the signs he said,  
the which before his death were wrought  
Of all men well perceived be,  
as came to pass,  
Betokening this his destiny,  
which fearful was.   

When CEYX the matter did perceive,  
misdoubting what was best to do:  
He did devise where he might have,  
a remedy to slake his woe:  
For counsel he to seek with speed  
at Sacred SPELLS,  
Deviseth thus, as I do read,  
where this God dwells.   

The God of CLAROS I do mean,  
where as an Oracle would tell,  
Each thing to fill fond fancies stream,  
but no good counsel their did dwell:  
King CEYX disposed thus to go,  
to this fond God:  
Dame Fortune hath provided lo,  
this scorging Rod.   

He had a wife who had to name,  
ALCIONE then Thrachine Queen:  
She was a wife of passing fame,  
few such at this time can be seen:  
To whom he minded to disclose,  
all his intent,  
Unto his loving Mate he goes,  
untimely sent.   

He then began with faltering voice,  
to show the matter to his wife,  
At whose presence she did rejoice,  
for sure she loved him as her life,  
But when she heard he would depart,  
with fear there struck:  
A chilnes straight unto her heart  
that tears out broke.   

Three times she then about to speak,  
three times she washed her face with tears  
Three times she of from tears did break,  
and thus complained in his ears,  
What fault of mine (O Husband dear)  
doth thee compel?  
That thou wilt dwell no longer here,  
but go to SPELL.   

Do jorneys long delight thee now?  
or doth mine absence better please  
Then my presence? then I vow  
to NEPTUNE, Guider of the Seas  
Whose Storms uncertain thou must bide  
in woeful plight:  
To offer Gifts if he will guide  
thy Ship aright.   

Until thou comest at wished Port:  
For sure my care is great for thee,  
Thou art my joy and sure comfort,  
my faithful Spouse give ear to me:  
Shall I have cause only to mourn?  
And shall my care  
Of thy uncertain home return  
be void of fear?   

The Sea doth make me sore afraid  
to think on it, my Corpse doth quake,  
My mind with musing is dismayed,  
for very woe my joints do shake:  
For broken late upon the shore  
the Ribs of Ships  
I saw, whose Masters long before  
the waves in whips.   

But yet my Spouse, if that thy will  
I can by no entreatance move:  
But that thou wilt persever still,  
Consider then my tender love,  
And me dear Husband) with thee take  
that I may be  
Partaker of thy grief, and make  
some mirth for thee.   

O loving Wife ALCIONE,  
my Love, my dear and only joy  
(Quoth he) and wept full tenderly:  
Let not mine absence thee annoy:  
Content thyself full quietly,  
And will no more  
On hovering waves to go with me  
from Thrachine shore.   

For my Return shallbe again  
if that the Gods permit me life,  
Within two Months I tell thee plain,  
as thou art my espoused wife;  
With that she 'gan for joy to weep,  
that CEYX had,  
Appointed days and sighed deep,  
and waxed glad.   

She there doth bring him to the Shore,  
Where he his last farewell did take,  
ALCIONES, heart misgave before,  
she did with trembling joints oft quake,  
And straining CEYX in her arms,  
with piteous look,  
Her last farewell mistrusting harms,  
she sadly took.   

And when she saw the watermen,  
the Ship begin to drive from shore,  
And that she must her spouse leave then,  
she much more heavy than before,  
My only joy is gone she said,  
why do I live?  
Let death of thine, with mine be paid,  
I would it give.   

And casting up her watery eyes,  
she did behold her husband stand,  
On Hatches gone now far on Seas,  
she saw him becking with his hand:  
And she like wise her hands did shake,  
as love did move,  
Where as she did her last sight take,  
of her dear love.   

And when the Ship was out of sight,  
she strait unto her Chamber went,  
She screeked out with main and might,  
and piteously she did lament,  
She cast her body on her bed,  
with sorry heart,  
With dumped spirits as heavy as Led,  
renews her smart.   

And whilst she lieth musing here,  
a pleasant gale of wind doth blow,  
The wether waxeth very clear,  
these shipmen now in Seas do row,  
And CEYX doth make his men up hale,  
the highest mast,  
And set them up with the top sail,  
that no wind waste.   

At last they all arrived are,  
when night was come and day was spent,  
Where each of them must end their care:  
and eke must there, their lives relent,  
For BOREAS with his bitter blasts  
doth fiercely blow:  
And waves do rise up all in haste  
to overthrow   

Their ship and they with fearful speed  
do cut down Sails, & Clothes down rend  
Each man is busy now at need,  
Yet all in vain they do contend:  
For now the Tempest hath by force  
the upper hand:  
King CEYX doth oftimes wish his Corpse  
to be on land.   

With his dear Love ALCIONE  
who now he saith, did warning give  
Of foaming Tempests of the Sea,  
yet he as then would not believe:  
But willingly would forward go  
to seek Counsel,  
To pass the Sea would forward row  
to go to SPELL.   

King CEYX did of his Love still speak,  
he always cried (ALCIONE,)  
Nothing would make his tongue of break  
but wicked waves of watery Sea  
When thus with Death he conquered was  
and dying in Sea:  
He seemed to speak half dead (alas)  
ALCIONE.   

Whilst CEYX doth lie thus in the Sea:  
quite drowned with over gulfing waves  
On rueful Bed ALCIONE  
with weeping eyes, she restless craves  
For safe and speedy coming home  
of CEYX her Mate:  
Who lieth tossed on salt Sea foam,  
unfortunate.   

Now dead and drowned in the Sea,  
yet she the days doth count and tell,  
She thinks poor wretch ALCIONE,  
her husbands home return from SPELL  
To be but slow: and she doth think,  
each hour a day,  
No joys into her heart can sink,  
for his delay.   

She hopeth yet to see him again  
alive at his appointed hour:  
Her expectation was in vain,  
for Fortune was disposed to lower,  
On him poor wretch as late befell,  
yet she doth make,  
Account of his return from SPELL  
her loving make.   

The Lady being thus mindful still,  
of her own spouse and husband dear  
The day is passed the night doth fill,  
each thing with darkness bright & clear,  
And she to restless Bed is gone,  
to take her sleep  
And strait a slumber stealing on,  
her eyes yet weep:   

This woeful wight ALCIONE,  
doth dream she seeth stand by her Bed,  
Her only joy late drowned in Sea,  
pale, wan, stark nakt, and cold as lead,  
She thought he leaned on her breast,  
and to her said,  
My loving wife me thou knowest,  
be not dismayed.   

Thy CEYX is dead, therefore in vain  
of my return no reckoning make,  
The boisterous winds with might & main  
our ship on Seas did toss and shake,  
Until it was turned upside down,  
and drowned in Sea,  
O worthy wight of high renown,  
ALCIONE,   

Thou hearest not by false report,  
but I myself my shipwreke show,  
Arise therefore come and comfort  
thy husband, and some tears bestow  
Upon thy spouse, and deck the now  
with morning weed,  
For I can mirth no more allow,  
now I am dead.   

With that she stretched forth her hands,  
her husband's Ghost for to embrace,  
He steps a side and backward stands,  
with that the tears ran down her face  
she screeketh out, why dost thou fly?  
and leave me alone,  
Then take me with thee, for I must die,  
if thou art gone.   

All this she did yet being a sleep,  
and by and by she did awake,  
And rewfully began to weep,  
and heavily the matter take:  
She rend her Clothes, and far her here,  
with extreme woe:  
Her Nurse then rose with rueful fear  
and ran her to.   

She did demand what was the cause  
of her great grief and piteous moan  
Whereat this Lady yet did pause  
at last she said, I am undone,  
ALCIONE is cast away  
with CEYX his death:  
For he hath yielded up I say  
his vital breath.   

This, this, it is that I did fear  
before thy journey in my mind:  
I warned thee, thou didst not care,  
That thou shouldst not trust to the wind  
And whilst she talked, the night was gone,  
and day was bright:  
Unto the shore with speed she run  
and footsteps light.   

She standing mourning on the shore,  
and casting up her weeping eyes  
And listening how the Sea did roar  
a great way of, on Sea she spies  
A thing come tumbling on the Sea  
much like a Corce,  
She marveled what it should be  
that waters force   

Brought hovering so toward the shore,  
at last she saw, it was a man:  
She knew not who it was therefore,  
To speak she then with woe began,  
Alas poor wretch (she said) thy wife  
if any there be,  
May wish herself devoid of life  
for Death of thee.   

And as the Wind, the waves did toss,  
the Body floated nearer land  
Yet she not ware of her great loss  
Until it came unto her hand,  
Anon it did arrive on shore:  
ALCIONE  
Saw CEYX who grieved her full sore  
late drowned in Sea.   

And therewithal she scratched her face,  
her Hear and Garments she did tear  
She reached out in woeful case  
to CEYX'S her trembling hands with fear  
She said now comest thou home my love,  
in such a case:  
He being dead, she did remove  
to touch his face.   

And also yet not being content,  
this wretched wight ALCIONE,  
She ●ieth D' ●tropos consent,  
and cast herself into the Sea▪  
And on her husbands corce doth 〈◊〉,  
as Poets feign:  
And both were turned to 〈…〉  
and still remain.   

Their love right well we may 〈◊〉  
for few such Mates are at this day:  
Who love so steadfast to the end,  
Therefore e●●●●le take we may,  
By CEYX and ALCIONE.  
which both live still,  
As I do read and haunt the Sea,  
as Poets will,   Faelix quem fa● 〈…〉 Cantum. 
FINIS