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482 COMPLAINTS
My part it is and my professed skill
The Stage with Tragick buskin to adorne,
And fill the Scene with plaint and outcries
shrii
Of wretched persons, to misfortune borne
But none more tragick matter I can finde
Than this, of men depnu'd of sense and minde
For all mans life me seemes a Tragedy,
Full of sad sights and sore Catastrophees ,
First comming to the world with weeping eye,
Where all his dayes like dolorous Trophees, 160
Are heapt with spoyles of fortune and of feare,
And he at last laid forth on balefull beare
So all with rufull spectacles is fild,
Fit for Megera or Persephone,
But I that in true Tragedies am skild,
The flowre of wit, finde nought to busie me
Therefore I mourne, and pitifully mone,
Because that mourning matter I haue none
Then gan she wofully to waile, and wring
Her wretched hands in lamentable wise, 170
And all her Sisters thereto answering,
Threw forth lowd shrieks and drerie dolefullj
cries
So rested she and then the next in rew,
Began her grieuous plaint as doth ensew
Thalia
Where be the sweete delights of learnings
treasure,
That wont with Comick sock to beautefie
The painted Theaters, and fill with pleasure
The listners eyes, and eares with melodic ,
In which I late was wont to raine as Queene,
And maske in mirth with Graces well beseene
O all is gone, and all that goodly glee, 181
Which wont to be the glorie of gay wits
Is layd abed, and no where now to see,
And in her roome vnseemly Sorrow sits,
With hollow browes and greisiv countenaunce,
Marring my loyous gentle dalliaunce
And him beside sits vgly Barbansme
And brutish Ignorance, ycrept of late
Out of dredd darbies of the deep Abysme,
Where being bredd, he light and heauen does
hate 190
They in the mindes of men now tyrannize,
And the faire Scene with rudenes foule disgu ze
All places they with folhe haue possest,
And with vaine toyes the vulgare entertaine
But me haue banished, with all the rest
That whilome wont to wait vpon my traine,
Fine Counterfesaunce and vnhurtfull Sport,
Debght and Laughter deckt in seemly sort
All these, and all that els the Comick Stage
With seasoned wit and goodly pleasance
graced, 200
By which mans life in his hkest image
Was limned forth, are wholly now defaced,
And those sweete wits which wont the like to
frame,
Are now despizd, and made a laughing game
And he the man, whom Nature selfe had made
To mock her selfe, and Truth to imitate,
With kindlv counter vnder Mimick shade,
Our pleasant Willy, ah is dead of late
With whom all loy and lolly menment
Is also deaded, and in dolour drent 210
In stead thereof scoffing Scurrlitie,
And scornfull Folhe with Contempt is crept,
Rolling in rymes of shameles ribaudne
Without regard, or due Decorum kept,
Each idle wit at will presumes to make,
And doth the Learneds taske vpon him take,
But that same gentle Spirit, from whose pen
Large streames of honnie and sweete Nectar
flowe,
Scorning the boldnes of such base borne men,
Which dare their follies forth so rashhe throwe,
Doth rather choose to sit in idle Cell, 221
Than so himselfe to mockerie to sell
So am I made the seruant of the manie,
And laughing stocke of all that list to scorne,
Not honored nor cared for of anie ,
But loath'd of losels as a thing forlorne
Therefore I mourne and sorrow with the rest
I Vntill my cause of sorrow be redrest
Therewith she lowdly did lament and shrike,
Pouring forth streames of tearcs abundantly,
And all her Sisters with compassion like, 231
The breaches of her singults did supply
So rested shee and then the next in rew
Began her grieuous plaint, as doth ensew
Euterpe
Like as the dearling of the Summers pryde,
Faire Philomele, when winters stormie wrath
The goodly fields, that earst so gay were dyde
In colours diuers, quite despoyled hath,
All comfortlesse doth hide her chearlesse head
During the time of that her widowhead 240
So we, that earst were wont in sweet accord
All places with our pleasant notes to fill,
Whilest fauourable times did vs afford
Free libertie to chaunt our charmes at will.
All comfortlesse vpon the bared bow,
I Like wofull Culuers doo sit wayling now