The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser

Through discontent of my long fruitlesse stay
In Princes Court, and expectation vayne
Of idle hopes, which still doe fly away,
Like empty shaddowes, did aflict my brayne,
Walkt forth to ease my payne
Along the shoare of siluer streaming Themmes,
Whose rutty Bancke, the which his Riuer hemmes,
Was paynted all with variable flowers,
And all the meades adornd with daintie gemmes,
Fit to decke maydens bowres,
And crowne their Paramours,

Against the Brydale day, which is not long:
Sweete Themmes runne softly, till I end my
Song.

Them seem'd they neuer saw a sight so fayre, Of Fowles so louely, that they sure did deeme Them heauenly borne, or to be that same payre Which through the Skie draw Venus siluer Teeme,

For sure they did not seeme

To be begot of any earthly Seede,

But rather Angels or of Angels breede:
Yet were they bred of Somers-heat they say,
Insweetest Season, when each Flower and weede
The earth did fresh aray,

So fresh they seem'd as day,

Euen as their Brydale day, which was not long: Sweete Themmes runne softly, till I end my Song.

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From those high Towers, this noble Lord issu ing,

Like Radiant Hesper when his golden hayre
In th'Ocean billowes he hath Bathed fayre,
Descended to the Riuers open vewing,
With a great traine ensuing.
Aboue the rest were goodly to bee seene
Two gentle Knights of louely face and feature
Beseeming well the bower of anie Queene, 170
With gifts of wit and ornaments of nature,
Fit for so goodly stature:

That like the twins of Ioue they seem'd in sight, Which decke the Bauldricke of the Heauens bright.

They two forth pacing to the Riuers side, Receiued those two faire Brides, their Loues delight,

Which at th'appointed tyde,
Each one did make his Bryde,
Against their Brydale day, which is not long:
Sweete Themmes runne softly, till I end my
Song.
180

MISCELLANEOVS SONNETS.

To the right worshipfull my singular good Frend,
M. Gabriell Haruey, Doctor of the Lawes.

Prefixed to Nennio, or A Treatise of
Nobility, &c.

Ho so wil seeke by right deserts t'attaine, | And, when thou doost with equall insight see

W Vnto the type of true Nobility,

And not by painted shewes and titles vaine,
Deriued farre from famous Auncestrie:
Behold them both in their right visnomy
Here truly pourtrayt, as they ought to be,
And striuing both for termes of dignitie,
To be aduanced highest in degree.

The ods twixt both, of both them deem aright,
And chuse the better of them both to thee:
But thanks to him that it deserues, behight;
To Nenna first, that first this worke created,
And next to Jones, that truely it translated.
ED. SPENSER.

III

Upon the Historie of George Castriot, alias Scanderbeg, king of the Epirots, translated into English.

Wherefore doth vine antiquitie so vaunt Their huge Pyramids, which do heauen threat.

Her ancient monuments of mightie peeres,
And old Heroes, which their world did daunt
With their great deedes, and fild their childrens
eares?

Who, rapt with wonder of their famous praise,
Admire their statues, their Colossoes great,
Their rich triumphall Arcks which they did
raise,

Lo one, whom later age hath brought to light,
Matchable to the greatest of those great;
Great both by name, and great in power and
might,

And meriting a meere triumphant seate.
The scourge of Turkes, and plague of infidels,
Thy acts, O Scanderbeg, this volume tels.
ED. SPENSER

Prefixed to The Commonwealth and Government of

Venice.

"He antique Babel, Empresse of the East, | Yet shewing by their heapes how great they

TV antique Babel, Empresse of the East,

skie:

And second Babell, tyrant of the West,
Her ayry Towers upraised much more high.
But with the weight of their own surquedry,
They both are fallen, that all the earth did
feare,

And buried now in their own ashes ly,

were.

But in their place doth now a third appeare, Fayre Venice, flower of the last worlds delight And next to them in beauty draweth neare, But farre exceedes in policie of right.

Yet not so fayre her buildinges to behold As Lewkenors stile that hath her beautie told EDM. SPENCER.

APPENDIX

OF EPIGRAMS AND SONNETS

FROM:

A THEATRE wherein be repre

fented as wel the miferies & calamities that follow the voluptuous Worldlings, As alfo the greate ioyes and plefures which the faithfull do enioy.

An Argument both profitable and
delectable, to all that fincerely
loue the word of God.

Deufed by S. Iohn van-
der Noodt.

Seene and allowed according
to the order appointed.

Imprinted at London by
Henry Bynneman.
Anno Domini. 1569.

CVM PRIVILEGIO,

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