User:Sbh/Sir Clyomon and Sir Clamydes (critical edition)/Prologue

Prologue

As lately lifting up the leaves of worthy writers’ works,

Wherein the noble acts and deeds of many hidden lurks,

Our author he hath found the glass of glory shining bright,

Wherein their lives are to be seen which honor did delight,

To be a lantern unto those which daily do desire

Apollo’s garland by desert in time for to aspire;

Wherein the froward chances oft of fortune you shall see,

Wherein the cheerful countenance of good successes be,

Wherein true lovers findeth joy with hugy heaps of care,

Wherein as well as famous facts, ignomious placed are,

Wherein the just reward of both is manifestly shown,

That virtue from the root of vice might openly be known.

And doubting naught right courteous all, in your accustomed wont

And gentle ears, our author he is prest to bide the brunt

Of babblers’ tongues, to whom he thinks as frustrate all his toil,

As pearls taste^[1] to filthy swine which in the mire doth moil.

Well,^[2] what he hath done for your delight, he gave not me in charge:

The actors come, who shall express the same to you at large.

[Exit.

Textual Notes

1. taste] Q; cast D B
2. Well] Dyce prints this word as a line by itself.

Explanatory Notes

ignomious: i.e. “ignominious.”—Dyce. Ignomy for ignominy is frequently found. We have it in sc. iii, l. 31.—Bullen.

prest: ready.

As pearls taste to filthy swine: Dyce and Bullen both emend taste to cast in reference to Matthew 7:6, "Do not cast your pearls before swine."

Prologue (old spelling)

The Prologue.

As lately lifting vp the leaues of worthy writers workes,

Wherein the Noble acts and deeds of many hidden lurks,

Our Author he hath found the Glaſſe of glory ſhining bright,

Wherein their liues are to be ſeen, which honour did delight,

To be a Lanthorne vnto thoſe which dayly do deſire,

Apollos Garland by deſert, in time for to aſpire,

Wherein the froward chances oft, of Fortune you ſhall ſee,

Wherein the chearefull countenance, of good ſucceſſes bee:

Wherein true Louers findeth ioy, with hugie heapes of care,

Wherein as well as famous facts, ignomious placed are:

Wherein the iuſt reward of both is manifeſtly ſhowne,

That vertue from the roote of vice, might openly be knowne.

And doubting nought right Courteous all, in your accuſtomed woont

And gentle eares, our Author he, is preſt to bide the brunt

Of bablers tongues, to whom he thinks, as fruſtrate all his toile,

As peereles taſte to filthy Swine, which in the mire doth moile.

Well, what he hath done for your delight, he gaue not me in charge,

The Actors come, who ſhall expreſſe the ſame to you at large.