Note 406 — How King Mempricius geuen to all lust was deuoured by wolues, the yeare before Christ, 989.

On this me thought he vanisht quite away, And I was left with Morpheus all alone: Whom I desirde these gryzely ghostes to stay, Till I had space to heare them one by one. And euen with that was Somnus seruaunt gone, Whereby I slept and toke mine ease that night, And in the morning rose their tale to wrighte. Nowe (Reader) if you thinke I miste my marke, In any thing whilere but stories tolde: You must consider that a simple clarke, Hath not such skill theffect of things t’vnfolde, But may with ease of wiser be controlde: Eke who so writes as much the like as this, May hap be deemde likewyse as much to misse. Wherefore if these may not content your minde As eche man cannot fauour all mens vaines: I pray you yet let me this frendship finde, Giue your good will, I craue nought els for paines. Which if you grutch me, as to great a gaines: Then is my loue to you, and labour lost, And you may learne take heede, with greater cost. But now me thinkes I heare the carpers tell, Saith one, the writer wanted wordes to fill: The next reprou’d the verse not couched well: The third declares, where lackte a point of skill: Some others say they like the meeter ill: But what of this? shall these dismay mee quite? No sure, I will not cease for such to write. For with more ease, in other workes they finde A fault, then take vpon them selues to pen So much, and eke content eche readers minde: How should my verse craue all their likings then? Sith sondry are the sects of diuers men, I must endeuour only those to please: Which like that comes, so it be for their ease. The rest I recke as they blame worthy bee, For if the words I wrote for good intent: Take other sence then they receiu’de of mee, Be turnde to worse, torne, reached, rackt, or rent Or hackt and hewde, not constret as I ment: The blame is theirs, which with my workes so mell: Lesse faulty he, that wisht his country well. If some be pleasde and easde, I lease no toyle, At carpers gyrdle hanges not all the keyes: What price gaines he, that giues him fall or foyle, Which neuer wan by wrastling any prayse, I haue not spent in poetrye my dayes, Some other workes in proase I printed haue: And more I write for which I leysure saue. And for mine age not thirty yeares hath past, No style so rype can yonger yeares attaine. For of them all, but only ten the last, To learne the tongues, and write I toke the paine, If I thereby receiued any gaine, By Frenche or Latine chiefely which I chose, These fiue yeares past by writing I disclose. Of which, the first two yeares I Grammer taught: The other twaine, I Hulœts worke enlargde: The last translated Aldus phrases fraught With eloquence, and toke of Terence charge At Printers hande, to adde the flowers at large Which wanted there, in Vdalles worke before! And wrote this booke with other diuers more. Then pardon whats amisse, a while giue eare, So shall you heare the rest that I recite, Describing next what Princes did appeare: When I had ended these are past to wrighte. In slomber as I chaunst to lye one night, Was Somnus prest, whom I desyrde to sende His Morpheus ayde, these Tragedies to ende. Wherewith he graunted my request and calde For Morpheus straight: which knew wherto he came I will (quoth he) the rest, whom Fortune thralde Of Britaynes shewe: thy selfe to heare them frame. And therewithall he set forth one like Fame. In fethers all with winges so finely dight, As twere a birde, in humaine shape of flight. Yet twas not Fame that femme of painted plume, He rather seemed Icarus deceau’de, With winges to flye nighe Phœbus did presume. At length in deede I plainly well perceau’de, It was some king of vitall breath bereaude, From flight he fell presuming farre to hye: Giue eare take heede and learne not so to flye. ed. 1575.