The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #15603   Message #141417
Posted By: Bruce O.
27-Nov-99 - 03:44 PM
Thread Name: Tom of Bedlam
Subject: ADD: Darksome Cell - Re: Tom of Bedlam
Here is the copy that Hales and Furnival gave from the Percy Folio MS

Darksome Cell:

Fforth ffrom my sadd & darksome cell,
ffrom the deepe abisse of hell,
madd Tom is come into the world againe
to see if hee can ease his distempered braine.

ffeare & dispayre pursue my soule!
harke how the angry ffuryes howle!
Pluto laughes, proserpine is gladd
to see poor naked Tom of Bedlam madd.

through woods I wander night and day
to seeke my stragling sences;
In an angrye mood I ffound out time
with his Pentarchye of tenses.

when mee he spyes, away hee fflyes;
time will stay ffor no man;
In vaine with cryes hee rends the skyes,
pitty is not common.

Cold & comfortlesse I lye.
helpe, oh helpe! or else I dye.

harke! I heere Appolloes teeme,
the Carman 'gins to whistle;
Chast Dyana bends her browe,
the bore begins to bristle.

Come, vulcan with tooles & with takells,
& knocke of my troublesome shakells!
bid Charles make ready his waine
to ffeitch my ffiue sences againe.

Last night I heard the dogstar barke,
Mars mett venus in the darke;
Limping vulcan heates an Iron barr,
& furyouslye runs att the god of warr.

Mars with his weapons layd about,
but vulcans temples had they gout,
ffor his broad hornes did hang soe in his light
that hee cold not see to aime arright.

Mercurye, the nimble post of heauen,
stayd to see this quarrell,
gorreld-bellyed Bacchus, gyant-like
bestryds a strong beere barrell:

to me he dranke, I did him thanke,
but I cold gett now Cyder;
hee dranke whole butts till hee burst his gutts;
but mine were neere the wyder.

poore naked Tom is verry drye;
a litle drinke, ffor charitye!

hearke! I heare Acteons hounds.
the huntsman woopp and hallowe;
Ringwood, Royster, Bowman, Iowler,
all the chase doe ffollowe.

the man in the moone drinkes Clarett,
eates pouthered beefe, turnipp & Carrett;
a cup of old Maligo sacke
will fire the bush att his backe.

The two line verses are attached at the beginning of the following verse in the Pills copy, which differs a bit in wording in several places.