Couentry, that do'st adorne[1] The Countrey wherein I was borne, Yet therein lyes not thy prayse Why I should crowne thy Tow'rs with Bayes: 'Tis not thy Wall, me to thee weds...
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?
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:...
In new attire (and put most neatly on) Thou Murray mak'st thy passionate Queene apeare, As when she sat on the Numidian throne, Deck'd with those Gems that most refulgent were....
Driue forth thy Flocke, young Pastor, to that Plaine, Where our old Shepheards wont their flocks to feed; To those cleare walkes, where many a skilfull Swaine To'ards the calme eu'ning, tun'd his pleasant Reede,...
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....
As Loue and I, late harbour'd in one Inne, With Prouerbs thus each other intertaine; In loue there is no lacke, thus I beginne? Faire words makes fooles, replieth he againe?...
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,...
As Love and I late harboured in one inn, With Proverbs thus each other entertain. "In love there is no lack," thus I begin: "Fair words make fools," replieth he again....
'Mongst all the creatures in this spacious round Of the birds' kind, the phoenix is alone, Which best by you of living things is known; None like to that, none like to you is found!...
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,...
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:...