"Now doth not summer’s sunny smile Sink soft o’er that Ionian isle, While round the kindling waters sweep The murmured music of the deep, The many melodies that swell From breaking wave and red-lipped shell?"

"A hoary gleam through boughs prevailing Tells me how near the ocean lies, Here caged in many a waveless lake By cypressed ridge and shadowy brake: Far off the nightingale is wailing: More near the watery grot replies.The forest growths are rocked and dandled By airs with midnight odours faint, Soft, separate airs, o’er feathered grass That pass me often and repass, Like naked feet of nymphs unsandalled That tread each lawn and alley quaint. * * * * * I see not now those hills whose summits In August keep their ermined robes; But feel their freshness, know that round They gird the steely gulfs profound With feet that mock the seamen’s plummets, And foreheads crowned with starry globes.But see! vast beams divide the heaven; The orange-groves their blossoms shew; Over yon kindling deep the Moon Will lash her snowy coursers soon: Now, by her brow the east is riven! And now the west returns the glow!"

"Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀπέβη, ἐκράτει τε τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐδῄου ἐξειργασμένην μὲν παγκάλως καὶ πεφυτευμένην τὴν χώραν, μεγαλοπρεπεῖς δὲ οἰκήσεις καὶ οἰνῶνας κατεσκευασμένους ἐπὶ τῶν ἀγρῶν· ὥστ᾿ ἔφασαν τοὺς στρατιώτας εἰς τοῦτο τρυφῆς ἐλθεῖν ὥστ᾿ οὐκ ἐθέλειν πίνειν, εἰ μὴ ἀνθοσμίας εἴη."

"Τρία μὲν ὄντα λόγου ἄξια τοῖς Ἕλλησι ναυτικά, τὸ παρ᾿ ὑμῖν καὶ τὸ ἡμέτερον καὶ τὸ Κορινθίων."

"The sea lifted smooth blue muscles of wave as it stirred in the dawn light, and the foam of our wake spread gently behind us like a white peacock's tail, glinting with bubbles. The sky was pale and stained with yellow on the eastern horizon. Ahead lay a chocolate-brown smudge of land, huddled in mist, with a frill of foam at its base. This was Corfu, and we strained our eyes to make out the exact shapes of the mountains, to discover valleys, peaks, ravines, and beaches, but it remained a silhouette. Then suddenly the sun lifted over the horizon, and the sky turned the smooth enamelled blue of a jay's eye. The endless, meticulous curves of the sea flamed for an instant and then changed to a deep royal purple flecked with green. The mist lifted in quick, lithe ribbons, and before us lay the island, the mountains as though sleeping beneath a crumpled blanket of brown, the folds stained with the green of olive groves. Along the shore curved beaches as white as tusks among tottering cities of brilliant gold, red, and white rocks. We rounded the northern cape, a smooth shoulder of rust-red cliff carved into a series of giant caves. The dark waves lifted our wake and carried it gently towards them, and then, at their very mouths, it crumpled and hissed thirstily among the rocks. Rounding the cape, we left the mountains, and the island sloped gently down, blurred with the silver and green iridescence of olives, with here and there an admonishing finger of black cypress against the sky. The shallow sea in the bays was butterfly blue, and even above the sound of the ship's engines we could hear, faintly ringing from the shore like a chorus of tiny voices, the shrill, triumphant cries of the cicadas."

"O hound of Crete, think'st thou my spouse to get?"

"'Tis love of thee hath brought me to make so far a sea-course in a bull's likeness; and ere 'tis long thou shalt be in Crete, that was my nurse when I was with her; and there shall thy wedding be, whereof shall spring famous children who shall all be kings among them that are in the earth."

"The Greeks themselves looked upon Crete as the cradle of their , , and . The famous code of Lycurgus was the fruit of his training in Crete. When a plague fell upon Athens for a violation of sanctuary, Solon counselled that help should be sought from Crete, and a wise man was brought over to purify the city. Diodorus is of the opinion that all the chief Hellenic deities originated in Crete—Demeter, Aphrodite, Artemis, and even Apollo!"

"The Cretans had as leader , famed for his spear, even they that held Cnosus and Gortys, famed for its walls, Lyctus and Miletus and Lycastus, white with chalk, and Phaestus and Rhytium, well-peopled cities; and all they beside that dwelt in Crete of the hundred cities."

"Therein furthermore the famed god of the two strong arms cunningly wrought a dancing-floor like unto that which in wide Cnosus Daedalus fashioned of old for fair-tressed Ariadne. There were youths dancing and maidens of the price of many cattle, holding their hands upon the wrists one of the other. Of these the maidens were clad in fine linen, while. the youths wore well-woven tunics faintly glistening with oil; and the maidens had fair chaplets, and the youths had daggers of gold hanging from silver baldrics. Now would they run round with cunning feet exceeding lightly, as when a potter sitteth by his wheel that is fitted between his hands and maketh trial of it whether it will run; and now again would. they run in rows toward each other. And a great company stood around the lovely dance, taking joy therein; and two tumblers whirled up and down through the midst of them as leaders in the dance."

"This Cittadale or Fortresse of Sio, standeth full betweene the Sea, and the Harbour, was invaded by 800. Florentines, sent hither by the great Duke Ferdinando, brother to Queene Mother of Fraunce, and our owne Queene Maries Unkle, Anno 1600. August 7. The manner was thus, The Genouesen seede, had sold the Fort unto the Duke of Florence, whereupon he sent his Galleys and these Gallants thither: Where, when arrived in the night, they scaled the walles, slue the watches, and unhappily ram-forced all the Canon; and then entring the Fort put all the Turkes to the sword, and among them, too many Christians: The Galleys all this time, being doubtfull how it went, durst not enter the harbour, but a storme falling downe, they bore up to an Isolet for ancorage in the Æolid gulfe, and three miles distant: The next morning, the Turkish Bashaw, the Citty, and all the Ilanders were in armes: The Florentines being dismissed of their Galleys, grew discouraged, and trying the Canon, which they had spoyled at their first scallet, it would not be: Meane while, the Bashaw entred in parley with them, and promised faithfully, to send them safe to the Galleys if they would render. Upon the third day they yeeld, and as they issued forth, along the draw bridge, and the Bashaw set in a Tent to receive them as they came in, one by one, he caused strike off all their heads: And done, there was a Pinacle reared upon the Walles of the Fort with their bare sculs which stand to this day."

"I ... tooke journey through the Iland to Sio, for so is the City called, being thirty miles distant: In my way I past by an old Castle standing on a little hill, named Garbos, now Helias; where (as I was informed by two Greekes in my company) the Sepulcher of Homer was yet extant: for this Sio is one of the seven Iles and Townes, that contended for his birth:Septem urbes certant de stirpe insignis Homeri.These Cities seven (I undername) did strive, Who first brought Homer to the world alive. Smyrna, Rhodos, Colophon, Salamis, Chios, Argos, Athenæ:The which I willing to see, I entreated my associats to accompany me thither; where, when we came, we descended by 16. degrees into a darke Cell; and passing that, we entred in another foure squared roome, in which I saw an auncient Tombe, whereon were ingraven Greeke letters, which we could not understand for their antiquity; but whether it was this Tombe or not, I doe not know, but this they related, and yet very likely to have beene his Sepulcher."

"This Ile of Sio is divided into two parts, to wit, Appanomera, signifying the higher, or upper parts of it: The other Catomerea, that is, the levell, or lower parts of the Ile: It was first called Ethalia: It aboundeth so in Oranges and Lemmons, that they fill Barrels and Pipes with the juyce thereof, and carry them to Constantinople, which the Turkes use at their meate, as we doe the Verges. And also called Pythiosa; next Cios, . 15. And by Methrodorus, Chio, or Chione: but at this day Sio. Not long agoe it was under the Genueses, but now governed by the Turkes: It is of circuite an hundreth miles, and famous for the medicinable Masticke that groweth there on Trees: I saw many pleasant Gardens in it, which yeeld in great plenty, Orenges, Lemmons, Apples, Peares, Prunes, Figges, Olives, Apricockes, Dates, Adams Apples, excellent hearbes, faire flowers, sweete Hony, with store of Cypre and Mulbery-trees, and exceeding good silke is made here.At last I arrived at the Citty of Sio, where I was lodged, and kindly used with an old man, of the Genuesen race, for the space of eight dayes: I found here three Monasteries of the order of Rome, one of the Jesuits, another of Saint Francis, and the third of the Dominican Friers, being all come from Genoa; and because the greatest part of the Citty is of that stocke, and of the Papall Sea, these Cloysters have a braver life for good cheare, fat Wines, and delicate Leachery, than any sort of Friers can elsewhere find in the world."

"The Women of the Citty Sio, are the most beautifull Dames, (or rather Angelicall creatures) of all the Greekes, upon the face of the earth, and greatly given to Venery.If Venus foe-saw Sio’s faire-fac’d Dames, His stomacke cold, would burne, in lust-spred flames.They are for the most part exceeding proude, and sumptuous in apparell, and commonly go (even Artificers wives) in gownes of Sattin and Taffety; yea, in Cloth of Silver and Gold, and are adorned with precious Stones, and Gemmes, and Jewels about their neckes, and hands, with Rings, Chaines, & Bracelets. Their Husbands are their Pandors, and when they see any stranger arrive, they will presently demaund of him; if he would have a Mistresse: and so they make Whoores of their owne Wives, and are contented for a little gaine, to weare hornes: such are the base minds of ignominious Cuckolds. If a Straunger be desirous to stay all night with any of them, their price is a Chicken of Gold, nine Shillings English, out of which this companion receiveth his supper, and for his paines, a belly full of sinfull content."

"This Citty of Sio hath a large and strong Fortresse, which was built by the Genueses, and now detained by a Garison of Turkes, containing a thousand fire-houses within it, some whereof are Greekes, some Genoueses, some Turkes, and Moores: The Citty it selfe is unwalled, yet a populous and spacious place, spred along by the Sea-side, having a goodly harbour for Galleyes and Ships, the chiefe Inhabitants there, are descended of the Genoueses, and professe the superstition of Rome: The people whereof were once Lords of the Ægean Sea, maintaining a Navy of eighty Ships: In the ende they became successively subject to the Romane and Greeke Princes; till Andronico Paleologus, gave them and their Ile to the Justinianes, a Noble Family of the Genoueses: from whom it was taken by Solyman the Magnificent on Easter day 1566. being the same yeare that our late gracious, and once Soveraigne Lord, King James of blessed memory was borne."

"But the lord, the Shaker of Earth, kept no blind watch, for he sat marvelling at the war and the battle, high on the topmost peak of wooded Samothrace, for from thence all Ida was plain to see; and plain to see were the city of Priam, and the ships of the Achaeans. There he sat, being come forth from the sea, and he had pity on the Achaeans that they were overcome by the Trojans, and against Zeus was he mightily wroth."

"The Isle of Samothrace gives its name to a stone which it produces, black and imponderous, and similar to wood in appearance."

"The most harbourless of all isles."

"Insula importuosissima omnium."

"... and to the Thracian Samos that is now called Samothrace."

"Threiciamque Samum quae nunc Samothracia fertur."

"The lofty height of Samothrace appears in Homer in a very picturesque connection with the scenery of Troy. He describes Poseidon as gazing from this throne on the incidents of the war: and travellers in the Troad have noticed the view of Samothrace towering over Imbros as a proof of the truthfulness of the Iliad."