He was (wo worth that word!) to ech well thinking minde A spotlesse friend, a matchles man, whose vertue ever shinde, Declaring in his thoughts, his life, and that he writ, Highest conceits, longest foresights, and deepest works of wit. 16 He, onely like himselfe, was second unto none, Whose deth (though life) we rue, and wrong, and al in vain do mone: Their losse, not him, waile they, that fill the world with cries; Death slue not him, but he made death his ladder to the skies. 20 Now sinke of sorrow I, who live; the more the wrong Who wishing death, whom deth denies, whose thred is al-to long, Who tied to wretched life, who lookes for no reliefe, Must spend my ever dying daies in never ending griefe. 25 Harts ease and onely I, like parables run on, meet in one; Yet for not wronging him, my thoughts, my sorrowes cell, Shall not run out, though leake they will, for liking him so well. Farewell to you, my hopes, my wonted waking dreames; Farewell, sometimes enioyed, ioy; eclipsed are thy beames! 30 Farewell selfe pleasing thoughts, which quietnes brings foorth; And farewell friendships sacred league, uniting minds of woorth. And farewell mery hart, the gift of guiltlesse mindes, And all sports, which, for lives restore, varietie assignes; Let all, that sweete is, voyd; in me no mirth mày dwell: 35 Phillip, the cause of all this woe, my lives content, farewell! Now rime, the sonne of rage, which art no kin to skill, And endles griefe, which deads my life, yet knowes not how to kill, Go, seeke that haples tombe; which if ye hap to finde, Salute the stones, that keep the lims that held so good a minde. 40 TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE LADIE STRANGE. Most brave and noble Ladie; the things, that make ye so much honored of the world as ye bee, are such, as (without my simple lines testimonie) are throughlie knowen to all men; namely, your excellent beautie, your vertuous behavior, and your noble match with that most honourable Lord, the very Paterne of right Nobilitie: But the causes, for which ye have thus deserved of me to be honoured, (if honour it be at all,) are, both your particular bounties, and also some private bands of affinitie, which it hath pleased your Ladiship to acknowledge. Of which whenas I found my selfe in no part woorthie, I devised this last slender meanes, both to intimate my humble affection to your Ladiship, and also to make the same universallie knowen to the world; that by honouring you they might know me, and by knowing me they might honor you. Vouchsafe, noble Lady, to accept this simple remembrance, though not worthy of your self, yet such, as perhaps by good acceptance thereof ye may hereafter cull out a more meet and memorable evidence of your owne excellent deserts. So recommending the same to your Ladiships good liking, I humbly take leave. Your La: humbly ever. ED. SF. THE TEARES OF THE MUSES. REHEARSE to me, ye sacred Sisters nine, For since the time that Phoebus foolish sonne 5 10 Of you his mournfull Sisters was lamented, Such mournfull tunes were never since invented. Nor since that faire Calliope did lose Her loved Twinnes, the dearlings of her ioy, Her Palici, whom her unkindly foes, 15 The Fatall Sisters, did for spight destroy, Whom all the Muses did bewaile long space; Was ever heard such wayling in this place. |