The Honovr of the Garter Displaied in a Poeme gratulatorie: Entitled to the worthie and renowned Earle of Northumberland. Created Knight of that Order, and installd at Windsore. Anno Regni Elizabetha. 35. Die Iunij. 26. By George Peele |
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Ad Mæcænatem Prologus. |
 | The Honovr of the Garter |  |
Ad Mæcænatem Prologus.
Plaine is my coate, and humble is my gate,Thrice noble Earle, behold with gentle eyes
My wits poore worth: euen for your noblesse,
(Renowmed Lord, Northumberlands fayre flower)
The Muses loue, Patrone, and fauoret,
That artizans and schollers doost embrace,
And clothest Mathesis in rich ornaments,
That admirable Mathematique skill,
Familiar with the starres and Zodiack.
(To whom the heauen lyes open as her booke)
By whose directions vndeceiueable,
(Leauing our Schoolemens vulgar troden pathes)
And following the auncient reuerend steps
Of Trismegistus and Pythagoras,
Through vncouth waies and vnaccessible,
Doost passe into the spacious pleasant fieldes
Of diuine science and Phylosophie,
From whence beholding the deformities
Of common errors and worlds vanitie,
Doost heere enioy that sacred sweet content
That baser soules not knowing, not affect:
And so by Fates and Fortunes good aspect
Raysed; In thy height and these vnhappy times,
Disfurnisht wholy of Heroycall spirites,
That learning should with glorious hands vphold.
(For who should learning vnderbare, but hee
That knowes thereof the precious worthinesse,
And sees true Science from base vanitie)
Hast in regard, the true Philosophie,
That in pure Wisedome seates hir happines.
And you the Muses, and the Graces three,
You I invoke from Heauen and Helicon.
For other Patrons haue poore Poets none,
But Muses and the Graces to implore.
Augustus long agoe hath left the world:
And liberall Sidney, famous for the loue
And vertuous Walsingham are fled to heauen.
Why thether speede not Hobbin and his pheres?
Great Hobbinall on whom our shepheards gaze.
And Harrington well letter'd and discreet,
That hath so purely naturalized
Strange words, and made them all free-denyzons.
Why thither speedes not Rosamonds trumpeter,
Sweet as the Nightingall. Why goest not thou
That richly cloth'st conceite with well made words,
Campion, accompaned with our English Fraunce,
A peerelesse sweet Translator of our time?
Why follow not a thousand that I know,
Fellowes to these Apolloes fauourets:
And leaue behind our ordinary groomes,
With triuiall humors to pastime the world,
That fauours Pan and Phœbus both alike?
Why thither post not all good wits from hence,
To Chaucer, Gowre, and to the fayrest Phaer
That euer ventured on great Virgils works?
To Watson, worthy many Epitaphes
For his sweete Poësie, for Amintas teares
And ioyes so well set downe. And after thee
Why hie they not, vnhappy in thine end,
Marley, the Muses darling for thy verse;
Fitte to write passions for the soules below,
If any wretched soules in passion speake?
Why goe not all into th'Elisian fieldes,
And leaue this Center, barren of repast,
Vnlesse in hope Augusta will restore,
The wrongs that learning beares of couetousnes
And Courts disdaine, the enemie to Arte.
Leaue foolish lad, it mendeth not with words,
Nor herbes nor tyme such remedy affoordes.
Your Honors in all humble seruice, Geo: Peele.
| The Honovr of the Garter | |