Of the Sound and Echo

1

A sound2 seems nothing, yet a while it lives,3
And like a wanton lad, mock answers gives,4
Not like the souls that from the bodies5 go,
For echo hath a body6 of air, we know.
But7 strange it8 is that sounds9 so strong and clear              5
Resisting bodies have, yet10 not appear,
But11 air, which subtle is, encounter may:
Thus words as sounds may with self-echo12 play.
But they grow weary soon, hold not13 out long,
Seem14 out of breath, and falter with the tongue.               10

  1. In 1653 this poem is called “Of Sound”
  2. A sound] Eccho 1664, 1668
  3. it lives,] doth live, 1653
  4. gives,] give. 1653
  5. the souls that from the bodies] to Soules, which from the Body 1653
  6. echo hath a body] Eccho’s Body is 1664, 1668
  7. But] Yet 1653
  8. it] is 1664. In the 1664 Errata list this “is” is corrected back to “it”; the correction is also carried forward into 1668.
  9. sounds] Sound 1653
  10. yet] and 1664, 1668
  11. But] Yet 1664, 1668
  12. as sounds may with self–echo] a Sound may with self Eccho 1653
  13. But they grow weary soon, hold not] Grow weary soone, and cannot hold 1653
  14. Seem] Seemes 1653