With that shee wept and waild fo pityouflie,
As if her eyes had beene two springing wells;
And all the reft, her forrow to fupplie,

Did throw forth fhrieks and cries and dreery yells.
So ended fhee; and then the next in rew

Began her mournfull plaint, as doth enfew.

POLYHYMNIA.

535

540

A DOLEFULL cafe defires a dolefull song,
Without vaine art or curious complements;
And fquallid Fortune, into basenes flong,
Doth scorne the pride of wonted ornaments :
Then fitteft are these ragged rimes for mee,
To tell my forrowes that exceeding bee.

For the sweet numbers and melodious measures,
With which I wont the winged words to tie,
And make a tunefull Diapafe of pleasures,
Now being let to runne at libertie

By those which have no skill to rule them right,
Have now quite loft their naturall delight.

Heapes of huge words uphoorded hideously,
With horrid found though having little fence,
They thinke to be chiefe praise of Poëtry;
And, thereby wanting due intelligence,
Have mard the face of goodly Poëfie,
And made a monster of their fantasie.

Whilom in ages paft none might profeffe
But Princes and high Priests that secret skill;
The facred lawes therein they wont expreffe,

545

550

555

560

* of goodly Poëfie.] Spenfer (perhaps his printer's fault) seems hardly confiftent with himself as regards "Poëtry " and "Poëfie." C.

And with deepe Oracles their verses fill:
Then was shee held in foveraigne dignitie,
And made the nourfling of Nobilitie.

But now nor Prince nor Priest doth her maintayne, 565 But fuffer her prophaned for to bee

Of the base vulgar, that with hands uncleane

Dares to pollute her hidden mysterie;
And treadeth under foote hir holie things,
Which was the care of Kefars and of Kings.

One onelie lives, her ages ornament,
And myrrour of her Makers majestie,

That with rich bountie, and deare cherishment,
Supports the praise of noble Poëfie;

Ne onelie favours them which it profeffe,
But is herselfe a peereles Poëteffe.

Most peereles Prince, most peereles Poëteffe,
The true Pandora of all heavenly graces,

Divine Elifa, facred Empereffe!

570

575

Live she for ever, and her royall P'laces'

580

Be fild with praises of divineft wits,

That her eternize with their heavenlie writs!

Some few befide this facred skill efteme,

Admirers of her glorious excellence;

Which, being lightned with her beawties beme,
Are thereby fild with happie influence;
And lifted up above the worldes gaze,

To fing with Angels her immortall praize.

585

y her royall Places.] That is, palaces. The word is printed in the original edition with the elifion, as I have printed it. Modern editions read places. TODD.

But all the reft, as borne of falvage brood,

And having beene with Acorns alwaies fed,
Can no whit favour this celestiall food,
But with base thoughts are into blindneffe led,
And kept from looking on the lightsome day:
For whome I waile and weepe all that I may.

Eftfoones fuch ftore of teares fhee forth did powre,
As if shee all to water would have gone;
And all her fisters, seeing her fad stowre,
Did weep and waile, and made exceeding mone,
And all their learned inftruments did breake:
The rest untold no living tongue can speake.2

590

595

600

The rest untold no living tongue can speake.] This is the emendation of the first folio: the original edition reads loving. TODD. "Living" is the word not only in the first folio, but in all other early impreffions, excepting the firft. C.

VIRGILS GNAT.

LONG SINCE DEDICATED

TO THE MOST NOBLE AND EXCELLENT LORD,

THE EARLE OF LEICESTER,

LATE DECEASED.

W

RONG'D yet not daring to expreffe my paine,
To you (great Lord) the causer of my care,

In clowdie teares my cafe I thus complaine
Unto yourselfe, that onely privie are:

But if that any Oedipus unware

Shall chaunce, through power of some divining spright,
To reade the fecrete of this riddle rare,

And know the purporte of my evill plight,
Let him rest pleased with his owne infight,
Ne further feeke to glose upon the text;
For griefe enough it is to grieved wight
To feele his fault, and not be further vext.

But what fo by my felfe may not be showen,
May by this Gnatts complaint be easily knowen.