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Bosworth-field

With a Taste of the Variety of Other Poems, Left by Sir John Beaumont ... Set Forth by his Sonne, Sir Iohn Beaumont
 

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To the deare Remembrance of his Noble Friend, Sir Iohn Beaumont, Baronet.
 
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To the deare Remembrance of his Noble Friend, Sir Iohn Beaumont, Baronet.

This Posthumus, from the braue Parents Name,
Likely to be the heire of so much Fame,
Can haue at all no portion by my prayse:
Onely this poore Branch of my with'ring Bayes
Offer to it; and am very glad,
Yet haue this; which if I better had,
My Loue should build an Altar, and thereon
Should offer vp such VVreaths as long agone,
Those daring Grecians, and proud Romans crownd;
Giuing that honour to their most Renown'd.
But that braue World is past, and we are light,
After those glorious dayes, into the night
Of these base times, which not one Heröe haue,
Onely an empty Title, which the graue
Shall soone deuoure; whence it no more shall sound,
Which neuer got vp higher then the ground.
Thy care for that which was not worth thy breath,
Brought on too soone thy much lamented death.


But Heau'n was kind, and would not let thee see
The Plagues that must vpon this Nation be,
By whom the Muses haue neglected bin,
VVhich shall adde weight and measure to their sinne;
And haue already had this curse from vs,
That in their pride they should grow barbarous.
There is no splendor, that our Pens can giue
By our most labor'd lines, can make thee liue
Like to thine owne, which able is to raise
So lasting pillars to prop vp thy prayse,
As time shall hardly shake, vntill it shall
Ruine those things, that with it selfe must fall.
Mi. Drayton.