X.
[From silent night, true register of moanes]
To my louing Country-man Mr. Iohn Forster the younger, Merchant of Dublin in Ireland.
[1]
From silent night, true register of moanes,
From saddest Soule consumde with deepest sinnes,
From hart quite rent with sighes, with sighes and heauie groanes,
My wayling Muse her woe, her wofull worke beginnes.
And to the world brings tunes of sad despayre,
Sounding nought else but sorrow, griefe and care.
2
Sorrow to see my sorrowes cause augmented,
and yet lesse sorrowfull were my sorrowes more:
Griefe that my griefe with griefe is not preuented,
for griefe it is must ease my grieued sore.
Thus griefe and sorrow cares but how to grieue,
For griefe and sorrow must my cares relieue.
3
If any eye therefore can spare a teare
to fill the well-spring that must wet my cheekes,
O let that eye to this sad feast draw neere,
refuse me not my humble soule beseekes:
For all the teares mine eyes haue euer wept
Were now too little had they all beene kept.
