The wearye nightes approched on apace With darksom shades which somewhat breedeth care, The Sun hath take more neere the earth his race, In Libra than his greatest swinge he bare, For pardy then the daies more colder are, Then fades the greene fruite timely, herbes are don, And wynter ginnes to waste that Sommer won, I deemde some booke of mourning theame was beste To reade, wherwith instructions mingled so As migh[t] againe refresh my wittes oppreste, With tediousnes not driue mee quyte therfro: Wherfore I went the printer’s straight vnto, To seeke some woorke of price I surely mente That might herein my carefull mynde contente. [84] At leength by hap, ib. [85] Wynter, ed. 1575. [86] Not leaue with once, ib. [87] Tell, ib. [88] Pleading, ib. [89] May. ib. [90] More cleare then any. ib. [91] Which, ib. [92] His. ib. [93] Thus in first edition. Me thinkes they might beware by others harme, And eke eschue to clammer vp so hye: Yet cursed pryde doth all their wittes becharme, They thinke of naught but prouerbes true do trie: Who hewes aloft the chips may hurte his eye: Who climes the tops of trees, wher bowes ar smal, Or hawty towres, may quickly catch a fall. This thing full well doth Phaëtons fall declare, And Icarus aloft would flie and soare: Eke Bladud once of Britayne rule that bare, Would clyme and flie, but eache did fal therfore: For Phaëton was with lightning all to tore, And Icarus the meane that did not recke, Was drownde; by fal did Bladud breake his neck. The scriptures eake of such beare witnes can; As Babilon for high presumption fell: But let me ende my tale-- [94] And past the night with labours long. ib. [95] My. ib. [96] Methoughte nothing my minde from them could take, So long as Somnus suffered me to wake. ib. [97] Then straight appeard in purple colour blacke. ib. At last appeared. N. [98] After paynes were past. ed. 1575. [99] I might receiue by Somnus ease at last. ib. [100] Vnhappy princes were of yore. ib. [101] Instead of Stanzas 13 and 14 the following are inserted in the first edit. At length hee foorth his seruant Morpheus calde, And bad him shewe mee from the first to th’ ende, Such persones as in Britayne Fortune thralde: Which straight vpon his calling did attende, And thus hee spake with countenaunce of frende, “Come on thy wayes and thou shalt see and here, “The Britaynes and their doinges what they were.” And as he led me through the darkes a whyle, At length wee came into a goodly hall, At th’ ende wherof there seemde a duskish Ile: Out of the which hee gan the Britaynes call, Such only as from Fortune’s hap did fall: Which when he called thryce, me seemde to heare, The doores to cracke from whence they should appeare.