XXXIIII.
[Ye stately Dames, whose beauties farre excell]
The Author in this Sonnet very highly commendeth the most rare
excellencies of his mistres, auouching her to haue no
equall. And he imitateth the second Sonnet, Nelle rime di
messer Agnolo Fiorenzuola the Florentine, whose beginning is
all one with that heere; and this it is:
Deh le mie belle donne et amorose,
Ditemi il ver per vostra cortesia,
Non è chiara tra voi la donna mia,
Come è'l Sol chiar tra tutte l'altre cose?
Ye
stately Dames, whose beauties farre excell,
Of courtesie confesse at my request,
Doth not my Loue amongst you beare the bell,
As Phebus goulden rayes obscures the rest
Of Planet Starres, and dimmeth eu'ry light
That shines in heau'n or earth by day or night?
Take wistly heed in vewing her sweete face,
Where nature hath exprest what ere she could
Gather for bewties blaze or comely grace:
Since when to prize her worke she brake the moulde,
So that who seekes to finde her Equall out,
Intends a thing will nere be brought about.
Therefore sweete Ladies all voutchsafe with me
To folow her desert, and my desire,
By praysing her vnto the ninth degree,
For honour by due right is vertues hire,
And Enuies mouth must saye when all is donne,
No Bird but one is sacred to the sunne.
