Must I needes write, who's hee that can refuse, He wants a minde, for her that hath no Muse, The thought of her doth heau'nly rage inspire, Next powerfull, to those clouen tongues of fire....
This while we are abroad, Shall we not touch our Lyre? Shall we not sing an ODE? Shall that holy Fire, In vs that strongly glow'd, In this cold Ayre expire?
Douer, to doe thee Right, who will not striue, That dost in these dull yron Times reuiue The golden Ages glories; which poore Wee Had not so much as dream't on but for Thee?...
Such was old Orpheus cunning, That sencelesse things drew neere him, And heards of beasts to heare him, The stock, the stone, the Oxe, the Asse came running, Morley! but this enchaunting...
Olde CHAVCER doth of Topas tell, Mad RABLAIS of Pantagruell, A latter third of Dowsabell, With such poore trifles playing: Others the like haue laboured at Some of this thing, and some of that,...
That ten-yeares-trauell'd Greeke return'd from Sea Ne'r ioyd so much to see his Ithaca, As I should you, who are alone to me, More then wide Greece could to that wanderer be....
If in opinion of iudiciall wit, Primaleons sweet Invention well deserue: Then he (no lesse) which hath translated it, Which doth his sense, his forme, his phrase, obserue....
Chapman; We finde by thy past-prized fraught, What wealth thou dost vpon this Land conferre; Th'olde Grecian Prophets hither that hast brought, Of their full words the true interpreter:...
Like as a man, on some aduenture bound His honest friendes, their kindnes to expresse, T'incourage him of whome the maine is own'd; Some venture more, and some aduenture lesse,...
Such men as hold intelligence with Letters, And in that nice and Narrow way of Verse, As oft they lend, so oft they must be Debters, If with the Muses they will haue commerce:...
Into these loues who but for passion lookes, At this first sight, here let him lay them by, And seeke elsewhere in turning other bookes, Which better may his labour satisfie....
Great Lady, essence of my chiefest good, Of the most pure and finest tempred spirit, Adorn'd with gifts, enobled by thy blood, Which by discent true vertue do'st inherit:...
Not thy graue Counsells, nor thy Subiects loue, Nor all that famous Scottish royaltie, Or what thy soueraigne greatnes may approue, Others in vaine doe but historifie,...
My dearely loued friend how oft haue we, In winter evenings (meaning to be free,) To some well-chosen place vs'd to retire; And there with moderate meate, and wine, and fire,...
Deare friend, be silent and with patience see, What this mad times Catastrophe will be; The worlds first Wisemen certainly mistooke Themselues, and spoke things quite beside the booke,...
I will not striue m' inuention to inforce, With needlesse words your eyes to entertaine, T' obserue the formall ordinarie course That euerie one so vulgarly doth faine:...
Faire stood the Wind for France, When we our Sayles aduance, Nor now to proue our chance, Longer will tarry; But putting to the Mayne, At Kaux, the Mouth of Sene, With all his Martiall Trayne,...