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VERSE S

TO THE

AUTHOR OF THE FAERY QUEENE.

A Vifion upon this Concept of the Faery Queene.

Me thought I faw the graue where Laura lay,
Within that temple, where the veftal flame
Was wont to burne, and paffing by that way
To fee that buried dust of liuing fame,
Whose tumbe faire Loue, and fairer Vertue kept,
All fuddenly I faw the Faery Queene;
At whofe approch the foul of Petrarke wept,
And from thenceforth those Graces were not feene;
For they this Queene attended, in whose steed
Oblivion laid him down on Laura's herse :
Hereat the hardest stones were seen to bleed,
And grones of buried ghoftes the heuens did
perfe;

Where Homer's fpright did tremble all for griefe,
And curft the acceffe of that celeftial thiefe.

Another of the fame.

THE prayfe of meaner wits this Worke like profit brings, [fings. As doth the cuckoe's fong delight when Philumena If thou haft formed right true Vertue's face herein, Vertue herfelfe can beft difcerne, to whom they written bin.

If thou haft beautie prayfd, let her sole looks diuine

Iudge ought therein be amis, and mend it by hereine.

If chaftitie want ought, or temperance her dew,
Behold her princely mind aright, and write thy
Queen anew.
[fore

Mean while fhe fhall perceiue how far her vertues
Aboue the reach of all that liue, or such as wrote

of yore;

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COLLYN, I fee by thy new taken taske
Some facred fury hath enricht thy braynes,
That leades thy Mufe in haughty verfe to mafke,
And loath the layes that long to lowly swaynes;
That lifts thy notes from thepheards unto kinges,
So like the liuely lark that mounting finges.

Thy louely Rofalinde feemes now forlorne,
And all thy gentle flockes forgotten quight,
Thy chaunged hart now holdes thy pypes in
fcorne,

Thofe prety pypes that did thy mates delight;
Thofe trusty mates, that loued thee fo well,
Whom thou gau'ft mirth, as they gaue thee the
bell.

Yet as thou earft with thy sweet roundelayes,
Didft ftirre to glee our laddes in homely bowers,
So moughtit thou now in these refyned layes,
Delight the daintie eares of higher powers;
And fo mought they, in their deep scanning skill,
Alow and grace our Collyn's flowing quill.

And faire befall that Faery Queen of thine,
In whofe faire eyes Loue linckt with Vertue fittes,
Enfufing by thofe bewties fyers deuine
Such high conceits into thy humble wittes,

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When Spenfer faw the fame was fpredd fo large Through Faery Land of their renowned Queene Loth that his Muse should take so great a charge As in fuch haughty matter to be seene,

To feeme a fhepeheard then he made his choice;
But Sidney heard him fing, and knew his voice.

And as Ulyffes brought faire Thetis Conne
From his retyred life to menage armies;
So Spenfer was by Sidney's fpeaches wonne,
To blaze her fame, not fearing future harmes;
For well he knew his Mufe would foone be tyred
In her high praise, that all the world admired.

Yet as Achilles in those warlike frayes
Did win the palme from all the Grecian peeres;
So Spenser now, to his immortal prayse,
Hath wonne the laurell quite from all his feres.
What though his taske exceed a humaine witt,
He is excufed, fith Sidney thought it fit.

W. L.

To look upon a worke of rare deuife,
The which a workman setteth out to view,
And not to yield it the deferued prife,
That unto fuch a workmanship is dew,
Doth either prove the iudgment to be naught,
Or elfe doth fhew a mind with enuy fraught.

To labour to commend a peece of worke,
Which no man goes about to difcommend,
Would raise a iealous doubt, that there did lurke
Some fecret doubt, whereto the prayfe did tend;
For when men know the goodness of the wyne,
Tis needleffe for the hoast to have a synge.

Thus then to fhew my iudgment to be fuch
As car difcerne of colours blacke and white,
As alls to free my minde from enuie's tuch,
That neuer giues to any man his right,
I here pronounce this workmanship is such,
As that no pen can set it forth too much.

And thus I hang a garland at the dore,
Not for to fhew the goodness of the ware,
But fuch hath beene the custome heretofore;
And cuftomes very hardly broken are :
And when your taft fhall tell you this is trew,
Then look you giue your hoast his utmost dew,

IGNOTO.

SONNET S

SENT WITH

THE FAERY QUEENE

TO SEVERAL PERSONS OF QUALITY BY THE AUTHOR.

To the Right Honourable Sir Chriftopher Hatton, | Unfitly I thefe ydle rimes prefent,
Lord High Chancellor of England, &c.

THOSE prudent heads that with their counfels

wife

Whylom the pillours of th' earth did sustain,
And taught ambitious Rome to tyrannise,
And in the neck of all the world to rayne,
Oft from those graue affaires were wont abstaine,
With the sweet lady Mufes for to play:
So Ennius, the elder Africane,

So Maro oft did Cafar's cares allay:

So you great Lord, that with your counsell sway
The burdeine of this kingdom mightily,
With like delightes fometimes may eke delay
The rugged brow of carefull Policy;
And to thefe ydle rymes lend little space,
Which for their titles fake may find more grace.

E. S.

The labor of loft time, and wit unftayd:
Yet if their deeper fence be inly wayd,
And the dim vele, with which from commune vew
Their fairer parts are hid, afide be layd,
Perhaps not vaine they may appeare to you.
Such as they be, vouchfafe them to reccaue,
And wipe their faults out of your cenfure graue.

E. S.

To the Right Honourable the Earl of Oxenford, Lord
High Chamberlayne of England, &c.

RECEIVE, moft noble Lord, in gentle gree
The vnripe fruit of an vnready wit,
Which by thy countenaunce doth craue to bee
Defended from foule enuie's poifnous bit;
Which fo to doe may thee right well befit,
Sith th' antique glory of thine auncestry
Vnder a fhady vele is therein writ,

To the Right Honourable the Lord Burleigh, Lord And eke thine owne long liuing memory,

Higb Threafurer of England.

To you, right noble Lord, who carefull breft
To menage of most grave affaires is bent,
And on whofe mightie shoulders most doth reft
The burdein of this kingdomes gouernment
As the wide compaffe of the firmament
On 'Atlas' mighty shoulders is vpftayd;

Succeeding them in true nobility;

And alfo for the loue which thon doeft beare
To th' Heliconian ymps, and they to thee;
They vnto thee, and thou to them most deare;
Deare as thou art vnto thyfelfe; fo loue
That loues and honours thee, as doth behove.

E. S.

To the Right Honourable the Earle of Northumberland.

THE facred Mufes haue made alwaies clame
To be the nourses of nobility,

And registres of euerlafting fame,

To all that arms profeffe and cheualry;
Then by like right the noble progeny,

To the Right Honourable the Earl of Ormond ar
OfJory.

RECEIVE, moft noble Lord, a fimple taste

Of the wilde fruite which faluage foyl hath bred
Which being through long wars left almost wafte
With brutish barbarifme is overfpredd,
And in fo faire a land as may be redd,

Which them fucceed in fame and worth, are tyde Not one Parnaffus, nor one Helicone

[dide,

T embrace the feruice of fweete Poetry,
By whofe endeauours they are glorifide;
And eke from all, of whom it is enuide,
To patronize the author of their praise,
Which gives them life, that els would foone haue
And crownes their afhes with immortal baies.
To thee therefore, right noble Lord, I fend
This prefent of my pains, it to defend,

E. S.

Left for fweete Mufes to be harboured,
But where thy felfe haft thy brave manfione;
There indeede dwel faire Graces many one,
And gentle Nymphes, delights of learned wits,
And in thy perfon without paragone
All goodly bountie and true honour fits.
Such therefore, as that wasted foyl doth yield,
Receiue, dear Lord, in worth the fruit of barren
field.
E. S.

To the Right Honourable the Earle of Cumberland.

REDOUBTED Lord, in whofe corageous mind
The flowre of cheualry, now bloofming faire,
Doth promife fruite worthy the noble kind,
Which of their praises haue left you the haire;
To you this humble prefent I prepare,
For loue of vertue and of martiall praise,
To which though nobly ye inclined are,
As godlie well ye fhew'd in late affaies,
Yet brave enfample of long paffed daies,
In which trew honor yec may fashiond fee,
To like defire of honour may ye raile,
And fill your mind with magnanimitee,
Receiue it, Lord, therefore as it was ment,
For honour of your name and high descent.

To the Right Honourable the Lord Ch. Howard, Lord
Higb-Admiral of England, Knight of the Noble
Order of the Garter, and one of ber Maiefee's Pri-
wie Counsel, &c.

AND ye, braue Lord, whofe goodly personage,
And noble deeds, cach other garnishing,
Make you enfample to the prefent age
Of th' old heroes, whofe famous offspring
The antique poets wont fo much to fing,
In this fame pageaunt have a worthy place,
Sith thofe huge caftles of Caftilian king,
That vainly threatned kindomes to difplace,
Like flying doves, ye did before you chace;
And that proud people, woxen infolent
Through many victories, did first deface,
E. S. Thy praife's euerlafting monument
Is in this verfe engrauen femblably.
That it may liue to all posterity

To the Moft Honourable and Excellent Lord, the
Earl of Effex, Great Maifler of the Horfe to ber
Highnesse, and Knight of the Noble Order of the
Garter, &c.

MAGNIFICKE Lord, whofe vertues excellent
Doe merit a most famous poet's witt
To be thy liuing praises inftrument,
Yet doe not fdeigue to let thy name be writt
In this bafe Poem, for thee far vnfitt ;
Nought is thy worth disparaged thereby :
But when my, Mufe, whofe fethers, nothing flitt,
Doe yet but flagg, and lowly learne to fly,
With bolder wing fhall dare alofte to sty
To the laft praises of the Faery Queene,
'i hen fhall it make more famous memory
Of thine heroicke parts, fuch as they beene:]
Till then vonchfafe thy noble countenance
To thefe first labours needed furtherance.

E. S.

E. S.

To the Right Honourable the Lord of Hunfdon, High
Chamberlaine to her Maicfty.

RENOWMED Lord, that for your worthinesse
And noble deeds haue your deferued place
High in the favour of that Empereffe,
The world's fole glory and her sexes grace;
Here eke of right haue you a worthie place,
Both for your neerne's to that Faerie Queene,
And for your owne high merit in like cace;
Of which apparaunt proofe was to be seene,
When that tumultuous rage and fearfull deene
Of northerne rebels ye did pacify,
And their disloiall powre defaced clene,
The record of enduring memory.
Liue, Lord, for euer in this lafting verse,
Ihat all pofteritie thy honour may reheise.

E. S.

EA

To the mof renouvened and valiant Lord, the Lord Grey of Wilton, Knight of the Noble Order of the Garter, &c.

Most noble Lord, the pillor of my life,
And patron of my Muse's pupillage,

Through whofe large bountie poured on me rife,
In the first feafon of my feeble age,

I now doe liue, bound your's by vaffalage:
Sith nothing euer may redeeme, nor reaue
Out of your endleffe debt so fure a gage,
Vouchfafe in worth this small guift to receaue,
Which in your noble hands for pledge I leaue
Of all the refl that I am tyde t' account;
Rade rymes, the which a ruftic Muse did weaue
la favadge foyle, far from Parnaffo mount,
And roughly wrought in an vnlearned loome :
The which vouchfafe, dear Lord, your favourable
doome.

E. S.

To the Right Honourable the Lord of Buckburf, one of ber Maieftie's Priuie Counsell.

Is vain I think, right honourable Lord,
By this rude ryme to memorize thy name,
Whofe learned Mufe hath writ her own record
In golden verfe, worthy immortal fame :
Thou much more fit (were leasure to the fame)
Thy gracious fouerain praifes to compile,
And her imperiall maieftie to frame,
la leftie numbers and heroicke stile.
But fith thou mayft not fo, giue leaue a while
To bafer wit his power therein to spend,
Whole groffe defaults thy daintie pen may file,
And vnaduised ouerfights amend :
But evermore vouchfafe it to maintaine
Against vile Zoilus backbitings vaine.

E. S.

To the Right Noble Lord, and most valiant Captain, Sir John Norris Knight, Lord President of Moun fer.

WHO euer gave more honourable prize

To the fweet Mufe then did the martiall crew,
That their braue deeds the might immortallize
In her fhrill tromp, and found their praises dew!
Who then ought more to fauour her, then you,
Most noble Lord, the honor of this age,
And precedent of all that armes enfue?
Whofe warlike proweffe and manly courage,
Tempred with reason and aduizement fage,
Hath fild fad Belgicke with victorious spoile,
In Fraunce and Ireland left a famous gage,
And lately fhakt the Lufitanian foile?
Sith then each where thou haft difpredd thy fame,
Loue him that hath eternized your name.

E. S.

To the right noble and valorous Knight, Sir Walter Raleigh, Lord Wardein of the Stanneryes, and Lieftenaunt of Cornewaile.

To thee, that art the fummer's nightingale,
Thy foueraine goddeffes moft deare delight,
Why doe I fend this rufticke madrigale,
That may thy tunefull eare unfeafon quite ?
Thou onely fit this argument to write, [bowre,
In whofe high thoughts Pleasure hath built her
And daintie Love learnd fweetly to endite.
My rimes I know unfauory and sowre,
To tafte the streames, that like a golden fhowre
Flow from thy fruitfull head, of thy loue's praife,
Fitter perhaps to thonder martiall ftowre,
When fo thee lift thy lofty Muse to raise :
Yet till that thou thy poeme wilt make knowne,
Let thy faire Cinthia's praises be thus rudely
fhowne.

E. S.

To the Right Honourable Sir Fr. Walfingham Knight, principal Secretary to ber Maiefly, and of ber Homurable Privy Counfell.

THAT Mantuane poet's incompared fpirit,
Whole girland now is fet in highest place,
Had not Mecenas, for his worthy merit,
It firft aduaunft to great Auguftus grace,
Might long perhaps haue lien in filence bace,
Ne bene fo much admir'd of later age.
This lowly Mufe, that learns like steps to trace,
Fies for like aide unto your patronage,
That are the great Mecenas of this age,
As wel to al that ciuel artes profeffe
As these that are infpir'd with martial rage,
And cranes protection of her feebleneffe;
Which if ye yield, perhaps ye may her rayse
bigger tunes to found your living praise.

E. S.

To the Right Honourable and moft vertuous Lady, the Count:fe of Pembroke.

REMEMBRAUNCE of that most heroicke spirit,
The heauens pride, the glory of our daies,
Which now triumpheth through immortall merit
Of his brauc vertues, crownd with lasting baies,
Of heuenlie blifs and euerlasting praies;
Who firft my Mufe did lift out of the flore,
To fing his fweet delights in lowlie laies,
Bids me, moft noble Lady, to adore
His goodly image, liuing euermore
In the diuine refemblaunce of your face,
Which with your vertues ye embellish more,
And natiue beauty deck with heuenlie grace:
For his, and for your own efpecial fake, [take.
Vouchsafe from him this token in good worth to

E. S

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