Englands Sorrowe Or, A Farewell to Essex: With A Commemoration of the famous Liues, and vntimely Deaths of many woorthie Personages which haue liued in England. By W. H. [i.e. William Harbert] |
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A Defence against Envy.
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 | Englands Sorrowe |  |
A Defence against Envy.
What bin they all who do the Muse admire,
And rev'rence Art, what, al esteemed base?
No Envy, no, thy wrath and impious ire
Cannot the least, the least of thee disgrace,
Whose zeale doth Science sacred selfe embrace.
What dreads me then? not thou, this mind I beare,
He who doth no man wrong, shuld no wrong feare.
And rev'rence Art, what, al esteemed base?
No Envy, no, thy wrath and impious ire
Cannot the least, the least of thee disgrace,
Whose zeale doth Science sacred selfe embrace.
What dreads me then? not thou, this mind I beare,
He who doth no man wrong, shuld no wrong feare.
Were not the Sages wont in elder dayes
To blaze the worth of honourable men,
In lofty numbers and heroicke layes?
And did not antique Bard at banquet then
Inspirde with rage, mans braver action pen?
They did; we will (but not in banquet I)
Vertues admired glory dignifie.
To blaze the worth of honourable men,
In lofty numbers and heroicke layes?
And did not antique Bard at banquet then
Inspirde with rage, mans braver action pen?
They did; we will (but not in banquet I)
Vertues admired glory dignifie.
Now Envy, do thy worst, I patience have,
To guarde my innocence from prowd disdaine,
Revile my labours, and my lines deprave,
Yet I will be my selfe, and will remaine
Constant vnmoov'd, who strive against the maine
Danger attempts: I will not: world forgive
Me who doth erre, because in thee I live.
To guarde my innocence from prowd disdaine,
Revile my labours, and my lines deprave,
Yet I will be my selfe, and will remaine
Constant vnmoov'd, who strive against the maine
Danger attempts: I will not: world forgive
Me who doth erre, because in thee I live.
What neede I thus so basely me excuse,
Sith the wide world each day doth error view?
Yet doe not let these motives thee seduce;
My vnstain'd pen be chaste, be ever true,
Full of Invention and of matter new;
Submit thee to the wise, tis wisedomes end,
Happy those houres which we in study spend.
Sith the wide world each day doth error view?
Yet doe not let these motives thee seduce;
My vnstain'd pen be chaste, be ever true,
Full of Invention and of matter new;
Submit thee to the wise, tis wisedomes end,
Happy those houres which we in study spend.
FINIS.
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