University of Virginia Library

Search this document 
The Whole Works of William Browne

of Tavistock ... Now first collected and edited, with a memoir of the poet, and notes, by W. Carew Hazlitt, of the Inner Temple

collapse section1, 2. 
expand section 
expand section 
expand section 
collapse section 
expand sectionI. 
collapse sectionII. 
  
  
  
  
collapse section 
 1. 
 2. 
 3. 
 4. 
4.
 5. 
 6. 
 7. 
 8. 
 9. 
 10. 
 11. 
 12. 
 13. 
 14. 
expand sectionIII. 
expand sectionIV. 
expand sectionV. 
expand section 
expand sectionVII. 
expand sectionVIII. 
expand sectionIX. 
expand sectionX. 


285

4.

[Soe sat the Muses on the Bankes of Thames]

Soe sat the Muses on the Bankes of Thames,
And pleas'd to sing our heauenly Spencers wit,
Inspireing almost trees with powrefull flames,
As Cælia when she sings what I haue writ:
Me thinkes there is a Spirrit more diuine,
An Elegance more rare when ought is sung
By her sweet voice, in euery verse of mine,
Then I conceiue by any other tongue:
So a musitian sets what some one playes
With better rellish, sweeter stroke, then he
That first composd; nay oft the maker weighes,
If what he heares, his owne, or others be.
Such are my lines: the highest, best of choice,
Become more gratious by her sweetest voice.