University of Virginia Library

The complainte of a sorrowfull wight, founde languishing in a Forrest.

When spring in lyuely greene, eche fielde hath deckt anewe,
And strowde the soyle with flowers sweete of sundry kinds of hewe.
What time the cheerefull buds, & blossoms braue in sight,
Inuites the weary dulled minde, abroad to take delight.
Then I by fancie led, a tyme to sporte and play,
To Forrest fayre of pleasant ayre, began to take the way.
And as I past through out a Ualley fayre and greene,
Where sundrye sweete & rare delights, I earst had heard & seene.
All whuste I found it tho, such silence was there kept,
As if it midnight then had beene, and all thing sounde had slept.
Whereat amazde I stoode, and listning long, might heare,
At last a dolefull sounding voyce, with lowe lamenting cheare,
In shrubs hard shrowded by, a wofull wight there lay,
Whose corps through care & lingering griefe, was welny worne away.
Where powring out his plainte he curst the tyme, and when
That fyrst on earth he placed was, to lead his lyfe with men.
Whose selfeloue seemth so sweete, that friendship yeeldes no tast,
And double dealing gaines such price, that plainenesse is displast.
Alas, quoth he the Babes, one wombe brought forth and bare.
Will nowe obiect, what are we bounde, the one to others care.
Whereas good nature bids, go meete thy friends distresse,
And beare some parte of his mishap, that he may beare the lesse.
If friend to friend thus doe, who faster friend should bee,
Then he (alas) in thy distresse, that nought will doe for thee.
Ah wofull man he sayth, thy lotte hath falne thee so,
That sowrce of sorrowes thee besets, with waues of wailful wo.
When he where fauour most, thou shouldst by nature finde,
Doth causelesse shake thee of in care, & shewes himselfe vnkinde.
O wretch in dolor drencht, O minde with mone opprest,
O gulfe of griefe, O sea of sighes, that straine the pensiue brest.
If wel by Pen thou couldst, thy present passions showe,
The hart that hardned nowe remaines, woulde soone relente I knowe.
But sith my hap is such, as reape may no redresse,
Come forth you Forrest Driads all, your mournefull Tunes expresse.
Drawe neere you Satyrs fower, and straine your dolefull cryes,
To wayle the woes of him (alas) in languor deepe that lyes.
Be witnesse woodes and Fields, ye Trees recorde my bale,
You Naides eke that haunt the Springs, repeate my wofull tale.
And say vnto the wight, that bydes vnfriendly bente,
How death would be so sweete to me, as ioy to his contente.
For better twere of bothe, then restlesse still remayne,
By ending quyte my lothed lyfe, to ende my lingering payne.
Here sparing further speeche, aside he cast his eye,
And fynding me, as one dismayde, away he sought to flye.
Whose will when I perceaude, to shunne my sight full bente;
I to him stept, and askte the cause, that moude him to lamente.
Wherto no worde he gaue, but stands like one amazde,
And with a strange and gastly looke, long tyme on me he gazde.
His face was thinne and leane, his collour dim as leade,
His cheeks were wanne, his body weake, his eyes deepe sunck-in head.
His hart straynde, his minde tost, his wyt with woe nere worne,
A rufull thing it was (alas) to viewe him so forlorne.
With deepe fet sighe from brest, sent forth by inwarde payne,
His feeble voice and foltring tongue, he gan at last to strayne.
And thus to me he sayde: O what art thou in wo:
Me Myser wretche that here dost finde, with griefe perplexed so?
Whose present state to learne, why dost thou thus require?
Smale gayne to thee, great paine to me, to yeelde to thy desire.
Yet sithe against my will, thine eares haue heard the plainte,
Which in this desarte place I paste, to ease my brest attainte.
Thus much at thy request, I further will reueale,
As for the rest this corps of mine, for euer shall conceale.
Whom earst a friend I founde, me causlesse hath forsaken,
What wouldst thou more this is the summe, that I with sighes am shaken.
But cruel fate I feare, doth force it so to be,
Adue farewell, let this suffice, inquier no more of me.
Which saide away he goes, God knoweth a wofull wight,
And leaues me there with sorrow fraight, yt sought to take delight