The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser

Prothalamion

A Spoufall Verfe made by
Edm. Spenfer.

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

AT LONDON.
Printed for VVilliam Ponsonby.

Alme was the day, and through the trem

Cbling ayre,

Sweete breathing Zephyrus did softly play
A gentle spirit, that lightly did delay
HotTitans beames, which then did glyster fayre:
When I whom sullein care,

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
10
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.

Seem'd foule to them, and bad his billowes spare To wet their silken feathers, least they might Soyle their fayre plumes with water not so fayre, And marre their beauties bright, 51 That shone as heauens light,

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

Eftsoones the Nymphes, which now had Flowers their fill,

Ran all in haste, to see that siluer brood,
As they came floating on the Christal Flood.
Whom when they sawe, they stood amazed still,
Their wondring eyes to fill,
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 issuing,

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.

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.

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
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 Herentientinovaine as ofmightie peres, Lo one, whom later age hath brought to light,

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

And old Heroes, which their world did daunt Matchable to the greatest of those great; With their great deedes, and fild their childrens | Great both by name, and great in power and eares?

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

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 Bubel, Empress 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.

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