The Forrest of Fancy Wherein is conteined very prety Apothegmes, and pleasaunt histories, both in meeter and prose, Songes, Sonets, Epigrams and Epistles, of diuerse matter and in diuerse manner. With sundry other deuices, no lesse pithye then pleasaunt and profytable [by H. C.] |
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R. W. to the Reader, in the Authours behalfe.
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 | The Forrest of Fancy |  |
R. W. to the Reader, in the Authours behalfe.
VVhat led Leander to presume,so oft to swim through surging seas:
But hope to fynd his Hero there,
where he ariu'de his hart to ease.
What moude the Troyan to attempt,
to go to Greece, but hope to haue
The princely pearle, the promised pray,
which most of all his hart did craue?
And what procured Æsons soone,
to put his life in perrill so,
To fetch the Fleece from Colcos Coste?
where to augment his greefe and wo,
So many perrils were preparde,
but that he hopte thereby to gaine:
Such glory great as after death,
should make his fame for aye remayne.
If all these hopte, and had in fine,
the thing that they did hold most deare:
Let him that hath this prety booke,
for thy delight compyled heare,
Good Reader, reape his iust reward,
to recompence his meere good will,
Receiue his gift in gratefull wise,
and of the same conceiue none ill.
For euill none he ment thereby,
(what euer enuious mates surmise:)
Right sure I am: conceiue therefore,
of him and his none otherwise.
So shalt thou make him think his paynes,
imployed well in each respect.
And happy count his hap that some,
will with good will his work protect.
Finis.
| The Forrest of Fancy | |