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Du Bartas

His Divine Weekes And Workes with A Compleate Collectio[n] of all the other most delight-full Workes: Translated and written by yt famous Philomusus: Iosvah Sylvester

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1118

TO THE RIGHT NOBLE, Vertuous and Learned Lady, the Lady Mary Nevil.

Maria Nevila.
Alia Minerva.

Madame , Your love to Learning, and the Learned
(In such a time so full of Arts neglect)
Right worthily to Your rare Self hath earned
The Love of Learning, and the learned Sect:
Whereby, Your Name already is eterned
In Memory's fair Temple, high erect:
And there devoutly at Your Vertues Shrine,
I humbly offer this poor Mite of Mine;
Too small a Present to so great a Grace;
And too-vnworthy of Your Worthinesse:
Save that the Matter so exceeds the Masse,
That oft (perhaps) a greater may bee lesse.
For, You may see, within This little Glasse,
The Little-World's great-little-Mindednes:
Man's strife with Man; Our Flesh and Spirit in Duel:
Courageous Cowards, too-self-kindely-cruell.
Vouchsafe t'accept then This small New-yeers-Gift,
With humble Vowes of a disastred Muse,
Which lavishly hath sowne her Seeds of Thrift
So high and dry, that yet no Fruit ensues.
Else need Shee not have made so hard a Shift;
Nor this small Gift so greatly to excuse.
But sith, as yet, Shee cannot what Shee would;
Madame, accept her Zeal, and what Shee could.
To Your Honorable Vertues, most devoted, Iosvah Sylvester.