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207
[Lenvoy 16 continued]
On this in traunce I lay me thought a while,
And musde reioysing what a wight he was:
A worthy knight that for this noble Isle,
So fought it forth, a Mirroire playne, a glasse
(For those aliue) whose vertues so did passe:
As for his factes, fight, fortitude, and fame:
Hee well deseru'de, an euerlasting name.
And musde reioysing what a wight he was:
A worthy knight that for this noble Isle,
So fought it forth, a Mirroire playne, a glasse
(For those aliue) whose vertues so did passe:
As for his factes, fight, fortitude, and fame:
Hee well deseru'de, an euerlasting name.
At such a time and place is vertue tryde,
When manhode may, both prince and country please:
By such a brunt, the valiaunt will abide,
And bend their force to worke their countries ease.
They thinke no trauayle loste, by lande, or sease:
But venture fortune, goodes, life, landes and heale:
To fight it out, for Prince, and publique weale.
When manhode may, both prince and country please:
By such a brunt, the valiaunt will abide,
And bend their force to worke their countries ease.
They thinke no trauayle loste, by lande, or sease:
But venture fortune, goodes, life, landes and heale:
To fight it out, for Prince, and publique weale.
You that haue herd, or read the worthy factes,
Of Nennius here (so rudely pende by mee)
Learne so to fight, and let your noble actes
By those that after come, recounted bee.
I may full well reioyce, he spake to mee:
For if I had not stayde, to heare him then:
I thinke he scarce had come, to speake agen.
Of Nennius here (so rudely pende by mee)
Learne so to fight, and let your noble actes
By those that after come, recounted bee.
I may full well reioyce, he spake to mee:
For if I had not stayde, to heare him then:
I thinke he scarce had come, to speake agen.
208
But let me nowe, retourne againe to tell:
What after this, me chaunst to see and heare.
I trust yee Readers like my dealing well:
In promise that I made, this later yeare.
For sure I thinke, a man farre better were
Not speake at all: to promese hilles of gold,
And in performance, waxe as key full colde.
What after this, me chaunst to see and heare.
I trust yee Readers like my dealing well:
In promise that I made, this later yeare.
For sure I thinke, a man farre better were
Not speake at all: to promese hilles of gold,
And in performance, waxe as key full colde.
I saide (if God sent time, and space therfore)
Ye should receaue from mee (as leysure came)
Of these my simple toyles, a greater store.
And partly you perceaue, how I performe the same.
Such workes, as this my simple muse can frame,
(With all my harte and minde) you freely haue:
As free, as God these giftes, me frely gaue.
Ye should receaue from mee (as leysure came)
Of these my simple toyles, a greater store.
And partly you perceaue, how I performe the same.
Such workes, as this my simple muse can frame,
(With all my harte and minde) you freely haue:
As free, as God these giftes, me frely gaue.
Wherefore giue eare, now harken well to this:
As to these tunes, I gaue me thought some heede:
In doubte if sences, led my mynde amisse,
Or whether ωαθος me with toyes did feede.
What doth (said Morpheus) now this musing nede?
Art thou so farre orewatcht, thy wittes the fayle?
Or els do fancies, more then wit preuayle?
As to these tunes, I gaue me thought some heede:
In doubte if sences, led my mynde amisse,
Or whether ωαθος me with toyes did feede.
What doth (said Morpheus) now this musing nede?
Art thou so farre orewatcht, thy wittes the fayle?
Or els do fancies, more then wit preuayle?
Not so (quoth I) though far the night be past,
And yet me thinkes, I could be well content
To leaue them so (if this were now the last)
So thou therto and Somnus sweete consent:
This noble Nennius well the time hath spent.
I would haue staide, if he had spoken more:
Twas his departure, troubled me so sore.
And yet me thinkes, I could be well content
To leaue them so (if this were now the last)
So thou therto and Somnus sweete consent:
209
I would haue staide, if he had spoken more:
Twas his departure, troubled me so sore.
(Quoth he) thou must a whyle yet longer byde:
In fewe he shall declare, how he hath sped
That commes. And euen with that I lookt aside,
And sawe a coarse approache without a head.
What now (quoth I) though erste (by thee) the dead
Were causde to speake, declaring all their will?
Yet speach of headlesse men, doth passe my skill.
In fewe he shall declare, how he hath sped
That commes. And euen with that I lookt aside,
And sawe a coarse approache without a head.
What now (quoth I) though erste (by thee) the dead
Were causde to speake, declaring all their will?
Yet speach of headlesse men, doth passe my skill.
With that gan Morpheus touch him with his mace,
And sodainly an head, on shoulders pight.
For lacke of vse, he could not turne his face,
Or else had Morpheus scarcely set it right.
He had forgotten eke, to turne his sight:
But still he stode his face to set awrye,
And wappering turnid vp his white of eye.
And sodainly an head, on shoulders pight.
For lacke of vse, he could not turne his face,
Or else had Morpheus scarcely set it right.
He had forgotten eke, to turne his sight:
But still he stode his face to set awrye,
And wappering turnid vp his white of eye.
As t'were a dead man, reared vp an end
Deuoyde of life, and yet a feeling had:
His lippes lay open, grimly ofte, hee grend:
With hollowe eyes, full oft he frowned sad,
And bent his browes, and lookte as he were mad,
I sawe not in my life, I thinke his pere:
Nor shall not, if I liue this hundred yeare.
Deuoyde of life, and yet a feeling had:
His lippes lay open, grimly ofte, hee grend:
With hollowe eyes, full oft he frowned sad,
And bent his browes, and lookte as he were mad,
I sawe not in my life, I thinke his pere:
Nor shall not, if I liue this hundred yeare.
At length he tryde, which way to tell his mynde:
Yet how to speake, his tonge had quite forgotte:
Each instrument forgotten had his kinde:
That erste could run at randon and by roate
But then me thought, with fist his brest hee smote
The other hande, his musing browes did holde:
And as awakte (at laste) this tale he tolde.
Yet how to speake, his tonge had quite forgotte:
Each instrument forgotten had his kinde:
That erste could run at randon and by roate
But then me thought, with fist his brest hee smote
The other hande, his musing browes did holde:
And as awakte (at laste) this tale he tolde.
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