The tempestuous and stormie winter.
THE seas, which a long time had beene calme, began now to swell, and to be
full of continuall storms and tempests, which were so raging, and so great, that
in all that winter there ariued searselie anie one ship or barke from anie place into
that land: neither was there anie news heard from out of anie countrie during that
winter. Whervpon men began to be afraid, and thinke verelie that God in his
anger would punish them, and be reuenged for their wricked & sinfull life, and
therefore had sent this plague vpon them. At this time in Southwales by reason of
the extreme and continuall tempests, the sea sides and shores, which had manie
yeares beene couered with great sand ridges, were now washed and carried awaie
with the seas, and then there appeared the former fast and firme earth, and therin
a great number of trees standing which did in times past grow there: and by reason
they had béene so long couered, & as it were buried vnder the sands, they stood
as trunked and polled trées, and were as blacke as is the Ebenie. A maruelous
alteration, that the place sometimes couered with seas, and a waie for ships to passe,
is now become a soile of ground and drie land. But some suppose that this was
so at the first, and that those trées were there growing before or shortlie after
the floud of Noah. The king remained at Wexford, still longing to heare news
from beyond the seas and thus lieng solitarie he practised by all the means and
sleights he could, how he might flocke and procure vnto him Reimond, Miles
Cogan, William Makerell; & other of the best gentlemen; that he being assured
of them to be firme of his side, he might be the stronger, and the earle the
weaker.
