The Works in Verse and Prose of Nicholas Breton For the First Time Collected and Edited: With Memorial-Introduction, Notes and Illustrations, Glossarial Index, Facsimilies, &c. By the Rev. Alexander B. Grosart. In Two Volumes |
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The Lamentacion of Fancie.
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 | The Works in Verse and Prose of Nicholas Breton |  |
21
The Lamentacion of Fancie.
Alas, poore seelie wretche,now maiste thou weepe and wayle:
For now, thy Forte is of no force,
thou canst no more preuayle.
Fancie, let fall thy flagge,
thy brauerie is descride,
Thy shifts are seene, wherwith thou thoughtst,
thy selfe from sight to hide.
The man is got away,
whom late I entertainde:
And loe, by him I am defamde,
and all my state is staind:
Why did I not him feede,
with some more sweete repaste?
Why dyd I not deuise to dresse,
some toy, to please his taste?
I put into his drinke,
too much Drugges of despight:
Thou moughtst allayd the bitternes,
with drams of sweet delight.
Why didst thou, in a rage,
first fling him from thy lap,
And leaue to feede him any more,
with Worldly pleasures pap?
Why did I, in my rage,
not speakyng any worde,
Take him so roughly at the first,
and set him from my boorde?
And thrust him out of Doores,
in such a scornfull wise:
Thou hadst ben better let him dinde
and let himself to rise.
Why didst thou throw him downe
the Steares in such a sorte?
That he of thy discurtesie
may iustly make report:
And beeing falne downe so,
why didst thou, Vaine delight,
Thrust him out of doores
by force, in such dispight?
You, Jacke an Apeses too,
why caught you at him so?
To ride him like an Asse, as he
along the Courte did go?
Why did you hisse, you geese?
and Duckes, why cride you quacke,
To raile on him? why did you not
more gently let him packe?
Why didst thou, Daliaunce,
so thrust him out of doore?
That made him catch so great a fall
and bruze himself so sore.
Alas, what blame I you?
my selfe I ought to blame:
For, if I had forbidden it,
you had not done the same:
Coulde none of all my Flowers,
so faire and sweete of smell,
Cause him to haue desire, againe
within my Forte to dwell?
Coulde not my Bedchamber,
with all my Pictures faire,
Make him yet ere he die againe,
thither to make repaire?
Alasse, I feare he sawe
the words at my Beds head:
And, out of doubt, I feare in deede,
that sentence he hath read:
And that hath causéd him
to lothe my Bed and me:
But could not all the other sights,
that in the Chamber he
Did see, to mooue delight,
make him forget the same?
Oh no, well Fancie, yet
seeke none at all to blame,
But euon thy onely selfe,
who tookste so small regarde
Vnto a Stranger in such sorte,
and handle him so harde.
Well, since that he is gone,
and that I am discride;
And that from him my shiftes, alasse,
I can no longer hide:
I must a warning take,
the next that come againe
Vnto my Forte, for seruice mine,
better to entertaine.
And though he thus be gone,
I doubt not but there be,
Some youthes abroade yet in the worlde,
yt wil come seeke out me:
But all that I can euer
haue, to ease my paine,
Will neuer doe me halfe that good
as to see him againe:
Which if I euer haue,
I now not sorrow so,
But I shall then reioyce asmuch,
and ridde me of my wo.
Untill which time, alasse,
I languish still in paine,
And so shall doo, vntill I see,
my gentle youth againe.
FINIS.
| The Works in Verse and Prose of Nicholas Breton | |