Ver. 239. —— and after him his brother dyde,] Ambrose Dudley, Earl of Warwick, died without issue Feb. 20, 1589 OLDYS.

Ver. 244. But unto thee &c.] Anne, the eldest daughter of Francis Lord Russel Earl of Bedford, was his last wife. OLDYS.

Ver. 260.- his Sister,] Lady Mary Sidney. OLDYS Ver. 261. that good Earle &c.] This Earl of Bedford died in 1585. TODD.

Ver. 267. He, noble Bud, &c.] Edward Lord Russel, grandson of Francis Earl of Bedford, succeeded in the Earldom; his father Francis having been slain by the Scots. OLDYS.

Ver. 275. That goodly Ladie, &c.] Lady Mary Sidney, mother of Sir Philip Sidney and the Countess of Pembroke. OLDYS.

Soone after this a Giaunt came in place,

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Of wondrous powre, and of exceeding stature,
That none durst vewe the horror of his face,
Yet was he milde of speach, and meeke of nature:
Not he, which in despight of his Creatour
With railing tearmes defied the Iewish hoast,
Might with this mightie one in hugenes boast;
For from the one he could to th' other coast
Stretch his strong thighes, and th' ocean overstride,
And reatch his hand into his enemies hoast.
But see the end of pompe and fleshlie pride!
One of his feete unwares from him did slide,
That downe hee fell into the deepe abisse,
Where drownd with him is all his earthlie blisse.

v.

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Then did I see a Bridge, made all of golde,
Over the sea from one to other side,
Withouten prop or pillour it t'upholde,
But like the coulored rainbowe arched wide:
Not that great Arche, which Traian edifide,
To be a wonder to all age ensuing,
Was matchable to this in equall vewing.
But (ah!) what bootes it to see earthlie thing
In glorie, or in greatnes to excell,
Sith time doth greatest things to ruine bring?
This goodlie Bridge, one foote not fastned well,
Gan faile, and all the rest downe shortlie fell,
Ne of so brave a building ought remained,
That griefe thereof my spirite greatly pained. 560

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Much was I troubled in my heavie spright, At sight of these sad spectacles forepast, That all my senses were bereaved quight, And I in minde remained sore agast, Distraught twixt feare and pitie; when at last I heard a voyce, which loudly to me called, That with the suddein shrill I was appalled. Behold (said it) and by ensample see, That all is vanitie and griefe of minde, Ne other comfort in this world can be, But hope of heaven, and heart to God inclinde; For all the rest must needs be left behinde : With that it bad me, to the other side To cast mine eye, where other sights I spide.

UPON that famous Rivers further shore,
There stood a snowie Swan of heavenly hiew,
And gentle kinde, as ever Fowle afore;
A fairer one in all the goodlie criew
Of white Strimonian brood might no man view :
There he most sweetly sung the prophecie
Of his owne death in dolefull Elegie.
At last, when all his mourning melodie
He ended had, that both the shores resounded,
Feeling the fit that him forewarnd to die,
With loftie flight above the earth he bounded,
And out of sight to highest heaven mounted,
Where now he is become an heavenly signe;
There now the ioy is his, here sorrow mine.

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GOO

Whilest thus I looked, loe! adowne the lee
I saw an Harpe stroong all with silver twyne,
And made of golde and costlie yvorie,
Swimming, that whilome seemed to have been
The Harpe, on which Dan Orpheus was seene
Wylde beasts and forrests after him to lead,
But was th' Harpe of Philisides now dead.
At length out of the river it was reard
And borne above the cloudes to be divin'd,
Whilst all the way most heavenly noyse was heard
Of the strings, stirred with the warbling wind,
That wrought both ioy and sorrow in my mind :
So now in heaven a signe it doth appeare,
The Harpe well knowne beside the Northern Beare.

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th' Harpe of Philisides] Of Sir Philip

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That in it did most precious treasure hide,
Exceeding all this baser worldes good :
Yet through the overflowing of the flood
It almost drowned was, and done to nought,
That sight thereof much griev'd my pensive thought.
At length, when most in perill it was brought,
Two Angels, downe descending with swift flight, 625
Out of the swelling streame it lightly caught,
And twixt their blessed armes it carried quight
Above the reach of anie living sight:

So now it is transform'd into that starre,
In which all heavenly treasures locked are.

IV.

Looking aside I saw a stately Bed,
Adorned all with costly cloth of gold,
That might for anie Princes couche be red,
And deckt with daintie flowres, as if it shold
Be for some Bride, her ioyous night to hold:
Therein a goodly Virgine sleeping lay;
A fairer wight saw never summers day.
I heard a voyce that called farre away,
And her awaking bad her quickly dight,
For lo! her Bridegrome was in readie ray
To come to her, and seeke her loves delight:
With that she started up with cherefull sight,
When suddeinly both Bed and all was gone,
And I in languor left there all alone.

V.

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Still as I gazed, I beheld where stood
A Knight all arm'd, upon a winged steed,
The same that was bred of Medusaes blood,
On which Dan Perseus, borne of heavenly seed,
The faire Andromeda from perill freed:
Full mortally this Knight ywounded was,
That streames of blood foorth flowed on the gras:
Yet was he deckt (small ioy to him alas!)
With manie garlands for his victories,
And with rich spoyles, which late he did purchas
Through brave atcheivements from his enemies :
Fainting at last through long infirmities,
He smote his steed, that straight to heaven him
And left me here his losse for to deplore. [bore,