Ayres and dialogues For One, Two, and Three Voyces. By Henry Lawes ... The First Booke |
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To my Honour'd Friend, Mr. Henry Lawes, upon his Book of Ayres.
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 | Ayres and dialogues |  |
To my Honour'd Friend, Mr. Henry Lawes, upon his Book of Ayres.
To calm the rugged Ocean, and asswageThe horrid tempests in their highest rage,
To tame the wildest Beasts, to still the Winds,
And quell the fury of distemper'd minds,
Making the Pensive merry, th'overjolly
Composing to a sober Melancholy:
These are th'effects of sacred harmonie;
Which being an Art so well attain'd by thee,
(Most Honour'd Laws) what can we less then number
Thy Works with theirs who were the Ancients wonder?
And give thee equall praise; but I forget;
For we do owe thee a far greater debt,
The charming sweetness of whose shorter Lay's,
Not only we do hear with great amaze,
But they have low descended to the deep,
And wak'ned Theseus Queen from Stygian sleep;
Who slighting Orpheus, comes to beg of thee
To ayd her with thy pow'rfull harmonie,
Knowing thy strains more truly can expresse
Her sense of Theseus strange forgetfulnesse;
Which makes us here to double thy Renown;
Hereafter thou shalt wear fair Ariadne's Crown.
JOHN PHILLIPS.
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