 | Poetical works (1908) |  |
14
[Fond ladds, that spend so fast your poasting time]
Fond ladds, that spend so fast your poasting time,
(Too poasting time, that spends your time as fast)
To chaunt light toyes, or frame some wanton rime,
Where idle boyes may glut their lustfull tast,
Or else with praise to cloath some fleshly slime
With virgins roses, and faire lillies chast:
While itching bloods, and youthfull eares adore it,
But wiser men, and once your selves will most abhorre it.
(Too poasting time, that spends your time as fast)
To chaunt light toyes, or frame some wanton rime,
Where idle boyes may glut their lustfull tast,
Or else with praise to cloath some fleshly slime
With virgins roses, and faire lillies chast:
While itching bloods, and youthfull eares adore it,
But wiser men, and once your selves will most abhorre it.
But thou (most neere, most deare) in this of thine
Hast proov'd the Muses not to Venus bound,
Such as thy matter, such thy muse, divine.
Or thou such grace with Merci's selfe hast found,
That she her selfe deigns in thy leaves to shine:
Or stol'n from heav'n, thou brought['st] this verse to ground,
Which frights the nummed soule with fearefull thunder,
And soone with honied dewes melts it twixt joy, and wonder.
Hast proov'd the Muses not to Venus bound,
Such as thy matter, such thy muse, divine.
Or thou such grace with Merci's selfe hast found,
That she her selfe deigns in thy leaves to shine:
Or stol'n from heav'n, thou brought['st] this verse to ground,
Which frights the nummed soule with fearefull thunder,
And soone with honied dewes melts it twixt joy, and wonder.
Then doe not thou malitious tongues esteeme,
The glasse, through which an envious eye doth gaze,
Can easily make a molehill mountaines seeme;
His praise dispraises, his dispraises, praise.
Enough if best men best thy labours deem,
And to the highest pitch thy merit raise,
While all the Muses to thy song decree
Victorious Triumph, Triumphant Victorie.
The glasse, through which an envious eye doth gaze,
Can easily make a molehill mountaines seeme;
His praise dispraises, his dispraises, praise.
Enough if best men best thy labours deem,
And to the highest pitch thy merit raise,
While all the Muses to thy song decree
Victorious Triumph, Triumphant Victorie.
Phin. Fletcher Regal.
| Poetical works (1908) | |