COMPLAINTS: CONTAINING SUNDRIE SMALL POEMES OF THE WORLDS VANITIE. WHEREOF THE NEXT PAGE MAKETH MENTION. BY ED. SP. Imprinted for William Ponfonbie dwelling in Paules Churchyard at the figne of the Bishops head. 1591. A NOTE OF THE SUNDRIE POEMES CONTAINED IN THIS VOLUME. 1. The Ruines of Time. 2. The Teares of the Muses. 3. Virgils Gnat. 4. Prosopopoia, or Mother Hubberd's Tale. 5. The Ruines of Rome: by Bellay. 6. Muiopotmos, or The Tale of the Butterfie. 7. Visions of the World's Vanitie. 8. Bellayes Visions 9. Petrarche's Visio 1. THE PRINTER TO THE GENTLE READER. INCE my late setting foorth of the Faerie Queene, finding that it hath found a favourable passage amongst you, I have sithence endevoured by all good meanes (for the better encrease and accomplishment of your delights,) to get into my handes such smale Poemes of the same Authors, as I heard were disperst abroad in sundrie hands, and not easie to be come by, by himselfe, some of them having bene diverslie imbeziled and purloyned from him since his departure over Sea. Of the which I have, by good meanes, gathered together these fewe parcels present, which I have caused to bee imprinted altogeather, for that they al seeme to containe like matter of argument in them; being all complaints and meditations of the worlds vanitie, verie grave and profitable. To which effect I understand that he besides wrote sundrie others, namelie Ecclesiastes and Canticum canticorum translated, A senights slumber, The hell of lovers, his Purgatorie, being all dedicated to Ladies; so as it may seeme he ment them all to one volume. Besides some other Pamphlets looselie scattered abroad: as The dying Pellican, The howers of the Lord, The sacrifice of a sinner, The seven Psalmes, &c. which when I can, either |