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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LIDFORD JOURNEY. |
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 | The Whole Works of William Browne |  |
LIDFORD JOURNEY.
I ofte haue heard of Lidford Lawe,
How in the Morne they hang & drawe,
And sitt in iudgment after:
At first I wonderd at it much;
But now I find their reason such,
That it deserues no laughter.
How in the Morne they hang & drawe,
And sitt in iudgment after:
At first I wonderd at it much;
But now I find their reason such,
That it deserues no laughter.
They haue a Castle on a hill;
I tooke it for an old Windmill,
The Vanes blowne of by weather;
Then lye therein one night, 'tis guessd,
'Tis better to be stond and prest,
Or hang'd, now chuse you whether.
I tooke it for an old Windmill,
The Vanes blowne of by weather;
Then lye therein one night, 'tis guessd,
'Tis better to be stond and prest,
Or hang'd, now chuse you whether.
353
Ten men lesse room wthin this Caue,
Then fiue Mice in a Lanthorne haue,
The Keepers they are sly ones:
If any could deuise by Art,
To gett it vpp into a Cart,
Twere fitt to carry Lyons.
Then fiue Mice in a Lanthorne haue,
The Keepers they are sly ones:
If any could deuise by Art,
To gett it vpp into a Cart,
Twere fitt to carry Lyons.
When I beheld it, Lord! thought I,
What Justice & what Clemency
Hath Lidford, when I spy all!
They know none there gladly would stay,
But rather hang out of the way,
Then tarry for the tryall.
What Justice & what Clemency
Hath Lidford, when I spy all!
They know none there gladly would stay,
But rather hang out of the way,
Then tarry for the tryall.
The Prince a hundred pounds hath sent,
To mend the leades & planthings rent,
Within this liuinge Tombe:
Some forty fiue pounds more had paide
The debts of all that shalbe layde
There 'till the day of Dome.
To mend the leades & planthings rent,
Within this liuinge Tombe:
Some forty fiue pounds more had paide
The debts of all that shalbe layde
There 'till the day of Dome.
One lyes there for a seame of Malt,
Another for three pecks of Salt,
Two Suretyes for a Noble;
If this be true, or else false newes,
You may goe aske of Mr Crewes,
John Vaughan, or John Doble.
Another for three pecks of Salt,
Two Suretyes for a Noble;
If this be true, or else false newes,
You may goe aske of Mr Crewes,
John Vaughan, or John Doble.
Neere to the men that lye in lurch,
There is a Bridge, there is a Church,
Seuen Ashes, & an Oake;
Three houses standing, and ten downe;
They say the Parson hath a Gowne,
But I saw nere a Cloake.
There is a Bridge, there is a Church,
Seuen Ashes, & an Oake;
Three houses standing, and ten downe;
They say the Parson hath a Gowne,
But I saw nere a Cloake.
354
Whereby you may consider well,
That plaine Simplicity doth dwell
At Lidford without brauery;
For in that towne, both yong & graue
Do loue the Naked truth, and have
No Cloakes to hide theyr knauerye.
That plaine Simplicity doth dwell
At Lidford without brauery;
For in that towne, both yong & graue
Do loue the Naked truth, and have
No Cloakes to hide theyr knauerye.
The people all, within this clyme,
Are frozen yn all Winter time,
Be sure I doe not faine;
And when the Summer is begun,
They lye like silkewormes in ye Sun,
And come to lyfe againe.
Are frozen yn all Winter time,
Be sure I doe not faine;
And when the Summer is begun,
They lye like silkewormes in ye Sun,
And come to lyfe againe.
One told me in King Cæsars tyme,
The towne was built of Stone & Lyme,
But sure the walls were Claye:
For they are falne, for ought I see,
And since the howses were got free,
The Towne is Run away.
The towne was built of Stone & Lyme,
But sure the walls were Claye:
For they are falne, for ought I see,
And since the howses were got free,
The Towne is Run away.
O Cæsar, if thou there didst Raigne,
Whilst one house stands, come there againe;
Come quickly, while there is One:
If thou but stay a little fitt,
But fiue yeares more, they may cōmitt
The whole Towne into Prison.
Whilst one house stands, come there againe;
Come quickly, while there is One:
If thou but stay a little fitt,
But fiue yeares more, they may cōmitt
The whole Towne into Prison.
To see it thus, much grieued was I,
The prouerbe says, Sorrow is dry;
So was I at this matter:
When by great chance, I know not how,
There thither came a strange strayde Cow,
And we had Milke and Water.
The prouerbe says, Sorrow is dry;
So was I at this matter:
When by great chance, I know not how,
There thither came a strange strayde Cow,
And we had Milke and Water.
355
Sure I belieue it then did rayne
A Cow or two from Charles his Wayne,
For none aliue did see
Such kynde of Creatures there before,
Nor shall from hence for euermore,
Saue Pris'ners, Geese, and we.
A Cow or two from Charles his Wayne,
For none aliue did see
Such kynde of Creatures there before,
Nor shall from hence for euermore,
Saue Pris'ners, Geese, and we.
To Nyne good Stomacks (with our Whigg)
At last we got a Tything Pigg;
This Dyet was our bounds:
And that was iust as if 'twere knowne,
One pound of Butter had byn throwne
Amongst a pack of Hounds.
At last we got a Tything Pigg;
This Dyet was our bounds:
And that was iust as if 'twere knowne,
One pound of Butter had byn throwne
Amongst a pack of Hounds.
One Glasse of Drinke I gott by Chance,
'Twas Clarett when yt was in France;
But now from that nought wyder:
I thinke a man might make as good
With Green Crabs, boyled with Brasil Wood,
And halfe a pynte of Syder.
'Twas Clarett when yt was in France;
But now from that nought wyder:
I thinke a man might make as good
With Green Crabs, boyled with Brasil Wood,
And halfe a pynte of Syder.
I kist the Mayors hand of the Towne,
Who though he weare no scarlett Gowne
Honors the ROSE & THISTLE:
A peece of Corrall to the Mace,
Which there I Saw to serue the place,
Would make a good Childes Whistle.
Who though he weare no scarlett Gowne
Honors the ROSE & THISTLE:
A peece of Corrall to the Mace,
Which there I Saw to serue the place,
Would make a good Childes Whistle.
At sixe a Clock I came away,
And prayde for those that were to stay,
Within a place so Arrant:
Wild and ope to windes that rore,
By Gods Grace Ile come there no more,
Vnlesse by Some Tin Warrant.
And prayde for those that were to stay,
Within a place so Arrant:
Wild and ope to windes that rore,
By Gods Grace Ile come there no more,
Vnlesse by Some Tin Warrant.
W. B.
| The Whole Works of William Browne | |