University of Virginia Library

To Mayster Alexander Nowell.

The Muses ioye,
and well they may to se,
So well theyr la-
boure com to good successe,
That they sustay-
ned long agoe in the,
Minerua smyles,
Phebus can do no lesse,
But ouer all,
they chyefly do reioyse,
That leauyng thyngs,
which are but fond and vayne,
Thou dyddest chuse,
(O good and happy choyse)
In sacred Scoles,
thy luckye yeares to trayne,
By whiche thou hast
obtaynde (O happy thyng)
To learne to lyue,
whyle other wander wyde,
And by thy lyfe,
to please the unmortall kyng,
Then whiche so good,
nothyng can be applyed,
Lawe gyues the gayne,
and Physycke fyls the Purse,
Promotions hye,
gyues Artes to many one,
But this is it,
by whiche we scape the Curse,
And haue the blys
of God, when we be gone.
Is this but one-
ly Scriptures for to reade?
No, no. Not talke,
but lyfe gyues this in deade.