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Prothalamion

Or

A Spousall Verfe made by

Edm. Spenser.

IN HONOVR OF THE DOV-
ble mariage of the two Honorable & vertuous
Ladses, the Ladie Elizabeth and the Ladie Katherine
Somerset, Daughters to the Right Honourable the
Earle of Worcester and espoused to the two worthie
Gentlemen M. Henry Galford, and
M.Walham Peter Esquyers.

AT LONDON.
Printed for VVilliam Ponfonby.

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Vpon your Brydale day, which is not long :

Sweete Themmes run softlie, till I end my Faire branch of Honor, flower of Cheualrie,

And Hercules two pillors standing neere, Did make to quake and feare:

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Song.

7

So ended she; and all the rest around

That fillest England with thy triumphs fame, Ioy haue thou of thy noble victorie,

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To her redoubled that her vndersong,
Which said, their bridale daye should not be

long.

And gentle Eccho from the neighbour ground, Their accents did resound.

So forth those ioyous Birdes did passe along,
Adowne the Lee, that to them murmurde low,
As he would speake, but that he lackt a tong
Yeat did by signes his glad affection show,
Making his streame run slow.

And all the foule which in his flood did dwell
Gan flock about these twaine, that did excell
The rest, so far, as Cynthia doth shend
The lesser starres. So they enranged well,
Did on those two attend,

And their best seruice lend,

That through thy prowesse and victorious armes,
Thy country may be freed from forraine harmes :
And great Elisaes glorious name may ring
Through al the world, fil'd with thy wide Alarmes,
Which some braue muse may sing
To ages following,

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

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121

ing,

Against their wedding day, which was not long:

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:

Sweete Themmes run softly, till I end my song.

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

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MISCELLANEOVS SONNETS.

I

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

Haruey the happy aboue happiest men,

I read; that, sitting like a looker-on

Of this worldes stage, doest note, with critique

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Like a great lord of peerelesse liberty;
Lifting the good up to high Honours seat,
And the euill damning euermore to dy;

For Life, and Death, is in thy doomefull
writing!

So thy renowme liues euer by endighting.
Dublin, this xviij. of July, 1586.

Your deuoted frend during life,
EDMVND SPENCER.

II

W

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by right desertst'attaine, | And, when thou doost with equall insight see

Ho so wil seeke
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.

W

Herefore doth vaine antiquitie so vaunt | Their huge Pyramids, which do heauen threat. Herancient monuments of mightiepeeres, 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

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