William Stanley Braithwaite, ed. The Book of Elizabethan Verse. 1907. The Great Adventure By William Browne (c. 1590–c. 1645)
AS 1 careful merchants do expecting stand, After long time and merry gales of wind, Upon the place where their brave ship must land: So wait I for the vessel of my mind. Upon a great adventure it is bound, 2 5 Whose safe return will valued be at more Than all the wealthy prizes which have crown’d The golden wishes of an age before. Out of the East jewels of worth she brings; Th’ unvalued diamond of her sparkling eye 10 Wants in the treasures of all Europe’s kings; And were it mine, they, nor their crowns should buy. The sapphires ringèd on her panting breast Run as rich veins of ore about the mould, And are in sickness with a pale possess’d, 15 So true, for them I should disvalue gold. The melting rubies on her cherry lip Are of such power to hold, that as one day Cupid flew thirsty by, he stoop’d to sip, And fasten’d there could never get away. 20 The sweets of Candy are no sweets to me When hers I taste; nor the perfumes of price, Robb’d from the happy shrubs of Arabye, As her sweet breath so powerful to entice. O hasten then! and if thou be not gone 25 Unto that wishèd traffic through the main, My powerful sighs shall quickly drive thee on, And then begin to draw thee back again. If in the mean rude waves have it oppress’d It shall suffice I ventured at the best. 30
Note 1. Britannia’s Pastorals, lines 1029–1058, Song 3, Book 2. Compare Spenser’s Sonnet, Amoretti, xv.: Ye tradeful merchants that with weary toil, etc.
Note 2. Upon a great adventure is it bound: Spenser’s Red Cross Knight too: “Upon a great adventure he was bond,” Faerie Queene, Bk. 1, ct. i., st. 3 . [back ]
