The Whole Works of William Browne of Tavistock ... Now first collected and edited, with a memoir of the poet, and notes, by W. Carew Hazlitt, of the Inner Temple |
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 | The Whole Works of William Browne |  |
Sadd swayne (quoth Celadyne), who ere thou be,
I grieve not at my paines to followe thee;
Thou art a fitt companyon for my woe,
Which hearts suncke into misery should knowe.
O, if thou heare me, speake; take to thy home!
Receave into this dismall living tombe
A sorrowe-loaden wretch! one that would dye
And treade the gloomy shades of destinye
Onely to meet a soule that coulde relate
A storye true as his and passionate!
I grieve not at my paines to followe thee;
Thou art a fitt companyon for my woe,
Which hearts suncke into misery should knowe.
O, if thou heare me, speake; take to thy home!
Receave into this dismall living tombe
A sorrowe-loaden wretch! one that would dye
And treade the gloomy shades of destinye
Onely to meet a soule that coulde relate
A storye true as his and passionate!
By this a sadd and heavy sounde began
To fill the cave. And by degrees he wan
Soe neere, he heard a well accorded lute,
Touch'd by a hand had strooke the Thracian mute.
To fill the cave. And by degrees he wan
Soe neere, he heard a well accorded lute,
Touch'd by a hand had strooke the Thracian mute.
Had yt been heard when sweet Amphion's tones
Gave motion to the dull and senceles stones;
When, at the notes his skillfull fingers warble,
The pibble tooke the flynte, the flynte the marble;
And rouling from the quarry justly fall,
And mason-lesse built Cadmus towne a wall.
Each one each other to this labour woo,
And were the workemen and materialls too.
Had this man playde when tother touch'd his lyre,
Those stones had from the wall been seen retyre;
Or stopp'd halfe waye to heare him striking thus,
Thoughe each had been a stone of Sisyphus.
Naye, the musitian had his skill approv'd,
And been as ravish'd as the rocks he mov'd.
Gave motion to the dull and senceles stones;
When, at the notes his skillfull fingers warble,
The pibble tooke the flynte, the flynte the marble;
And rouling from the quarry justly fall,
And mason-lesse built Cadmus towne a wall.
Each one each other to this labour woo,
And were the workemen and materialls too.
Had this man playde when tother touch'd his lyre,
Those stones had from the wall been seen retyre;
Or stopp'd halfe waye to heare him striking thus,
Thoughe each had been a stone of Sisyphus.
Naye, the musitian had his skill approv'd,
And been as ravish'd as the rocks he mov'd.
Celadyne list'ned; and the arched skyes
Myght wish themselves as many eares as eyes,
That they might teach the starre-bestudded spheares
A musicke newe, and more devyne than theirs.
To these sadd-sweet strings, as ere woe befriended,
This verse was marry'd:—
Myght wish themselves as many eares as eyes,
That they might teach the starre-bestudded spheares
A musicke newe, and more devyne than theirs.
To these sadd-sweet strings, as ere woe befriended,
This verse was marry'd:—
136
Yet one dayes rest for all my cryes!
One howre amongst soe many!
Springs have their sabaoths; my poore eyes
Yet never mett with any.
One howre amongst soe many!
Springs have their sabaoths; my poore eyes
Yet never mett with any.
He that doth but one woe misse,
O Death, to make him thyne;
I would to God that I had his,
Or else that he had myne!
O Death, to make him thyne;
I would to God that I had his,
Or else that he had myne!
By this sadd wish wee two should have
A fortune and a wife;
For I should wedd a peacefull grave,
And he a happy lyfe.
A fortune and a wife;
For I should wedd a peacefull grave,
And he a happy lyfe.
Yet lett that man whose fortunes swym
Soe hye by my sadd woe,
Forbeare to treade a stepp on him
That dy'de to make them soe.
Soe hye by my sadd woe,
Forbeare to treade a stepp on him
That dy'de to make them soe.
Onely to acquitt my foes,
Write this where I am layne:
Heere lyes the man whome others woes
And those he lov'd have slaine.
Write this where I am layne:
Heere lyes the man whome others woes
And those he lov'd have slaine.
| The Whole Works of William Browne | |