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The seventh muse
79
And as I blew with all my might and maine,
The hollow rocks did answere make againe,
Then everie man in this cleare companie
Who best should winde the horne began to try;
Among the rest a fellow in the rout
Boldly began to boast, and brave it out,
That he would wind the horne in such a wise,
That easelie he would obtaine the prise,
But to record what chance there followed after
Gladly I would, but grief forbiddeth laughter,
For so it was the merrie man was mard,
Both tongue and teeth, I wot, were tightly tard;
Then no more stay; Fellow, good night, quod we,
Th'old proverb sayes, that Dirt partes Companie.
By this we were just at the Rocking stone, [1]
Amongst the worlds great wonders, it is one
Most rare: It is a Phaenix in its kinde,
The like in all the world yee shall not finde:
A stone so neicely set upon its kernels,
Not artificiall, but naturall chernels,
So huge, so grave, that if you please to prove it,
A hundred yoak of oxen will not move it,
Yet touch it with your fingers smallest knocking,
Incontinent it will fall to a rocking,
And shake, and shiver; as if obedient,
More by request, than by commandement.
Then up I clame this rock, as I was wonted,
And like Aegeon on Whales back I mounted,
And with Etites ratling stone I knocked,
And as it ratled, even so was I rocked.
The hollow rocks did answere make againe,
Then everie man in this cleare companie
Who best should winde the horne began to try;
Among the rest a fellow in the rout
Boldly began to boast, and brave it out,
That he would wind the horne in such a wise,
That easelie he would obtaine the prise,
But to record what chance there followed after
Gladly I would, but grief forbiddeth laughter,
For so it was the merrie man was mard,
Both tongue and teeth, I wot, were tightly tard;
Then no more stay; Fellow, good night, quod we,
Th'old proverb sayes, that Dirt partes Companie.
By this we were just at the Rocking stone, [1]
Amongst the worlds great wonders, it is one
Most rare: It is a Phaenix in its kinde,
The like in all the world yee shall not finde:
A stone so neicely set upon its kernels,
Not artificiall, but naturall chernels,
So huge, so grave, that if you please to prove it,
A hundred yoak of oxen will not move it,
Yet touch it with your fingers smallest knocking,
Incontinent it will fall to a rocking,
And shake, and shiver; as if obedient,
More by request, than by commandement.
Then up I clame this rock, as I was wonted,
And like Aegeon on Whales back I mounted,
And with Etites ratling stone I knocked,
And as it ratled, even so was I rocked.
So
- ↑ The rocking stone of Balvaird.