 | The Gratefvll Servant |  |
I cannot fulminate or tonitruate words
To puzz'le intellects my ninth lasse affords
No sycophronian buskins, nor can straine
Garagantuan lines to Gigantize thy veine,
Nor make a iusiurand, that thy great playes
Are terra del fo'gos or incognitaes
Thy Pegasus in his admird carreere
Curuets on Capreolls of nonsence here.
To puzz'le intellects my ninth lasse affords
No sycophronian buskins, nor can straine
Garagantuan lines to Gigantize thy veine,
Nor make a iusiurand, that thy great playes
Are terra del fo'gos or incognitaes
Thy Pegasus in his admird carreere
Curuets on Capreolls of nonsence here.
Wonder not friend that I do entertaine
Such language that both thinke and speake so plaine
Know I aplaud thy smooth and euen straines
That will informe and not confound our braines
Thy Helicon like a smooth streame doth flow
While others with disturbed channels goe.
And headlong like Nile Cataracts do fall
With a huge noise, and yet not heard at all.
When thy intelligence on the Cockpit stage
Giues it a soule from the immortall rage
I heare the muses birds with full delight
Sing where the birds of mars were wont to fight
Nor flatter I, thou knowest I do abhorre it
Let others praise thy play, ile loue thee for it,
That he that knowes my friend shall say he has
A friend as gratefull as his seruant was
Such language that both thinke and speake so plaine
Know I aplaud thy smooth and euen straines
That will informe and not confound our braines
Thy Helicon like a smooth streame doth flow
While others with disturbed channels goe.
And headlong like Nile Cataracts do fall
With a huge noise, and yet not heard at all.
When thy intelligence on the Cockpit stage
Giues it a soule from the immortall rage
I heare the muses birds with full delight
Sing where the birds of mars were wont to fight
Nor flatter I, thou knowest I do abhorre it
Let others praise thy play, ile loue thee for it,
That he that knowes my friend shall say he has
A friend as gratefull as his seruant was
Tho. Randolph.
| The Gratefvll Servant | |