The Works of Edmund Spenser A Variorum Edition: Edited by Edwin Greenlaw: Charles Grosvenor Osgood: Frederick Morgan Padelford: Ray Heffner |
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Commendatory Sonnets.
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 | The Works of Edmund Spenser |  |
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Commendatory Sonnets.
1 To the right worshipfull, my singular good frend, M. Gabriell Haruey, Doctor of the Lawes.
Haruey, the happy aboue happiest menI read: that sitting like a Looker-on
Of this worldes Stage, doest note with critique pen
The sharpe dislikes of each condition:
And as one carelesse of suspition,
Ne fawnest for the fauour of the great:
Ne fearest foolish reprehension
Of faulty men, which daunger to thee threat.
But freely doest, of what thee list, entreat,
Like a great Lord of peerelesse liberty:
Lifting the Good vp to high Honours seat,
And the Euill damning euermore to dy.
For Life, and Death is in thy doomefull writing:
So thy renowme liues euer by endighting.
Dublin: this xviij. of Iuly: 1586.
Your deuoted frend, during life, Edmund Spencer.
264
2 [Prefixed to Nennio, or A Treatise of Nobility, &c.]
Who so wil seeke by right deserts t'attaine,Vnto the type of true Nobility,
And not by painted shewes and titles vaine,
Deriued farre from famous Auncestrie,
Behold them both in their right visnomy
Here truly pourtray'd, as they ought to be,
And striuing both for termes of dignitie,
To be aduanced highest in degree.
And, when thou doost with equall insight see
The ods twixt both, of both then deem aright
And chuse the better of them both to thee:
But thanks to him that it deserues, behight:
To Nenna first, that first this worke created,
And next to Jones, that truely it translated.
Ed. Spenser.
265
3 [Prefixed to The Historie of George Castriot, surnamed Scanderbeg.]
Wherefore doth vaine antiquitie so vaunt
Her ancient monuments of mightie peeres,
And old Heroes, which their world did daunt
With their great deedes, and fild their childrens eares?
Her ancient monuments of mightie peeres,
And old Heroes, which their world did daunt
With their great deedes, and fild their childrens eares?
Who rapt with wonder of their famous praise,
Admire their statues, their Colossoes great,
Their rich triumphall Arcks which they did raise,
Their huge Pyramids, which do heauen threat.
Admire their statues, their Colossoes great,
Their rich triumphall Arcks which they did raise,
Their huge Pyramids, which do heauen threat.
Lo one, whom later age hath brought to light,
Matchable to the greatest of those great:
Great both by name, and great in power and might,
And meriting a meere triumphant seate.
Matchable to the greatest of those great:
Great both by name, and great in power and might,
And meriting a meere triumphant seate.
The scourge of Turkes, and plague of infidels,
Thy acts, O Scanderbeg, this volume tels.
Thy acts, O Scanderbeg, this volume tels.
Ed. Spenser
266
4 [Prefixed to The Commonwealth and Gouernment of Venice.]
The antique Babel, Empresse of the East,Vpreard her buildinges to the threatned skie:
And Second Babell tyrant of the West,
Her ayry Towers vpraised much more high.
But with the weight of their own surquedry,
They both are fallen, that all the earth did feare,
And buried now in their own ashes ly,
Yet shewing by their heapes how great they were.
But in their place doth now a third appeare,
Fayre Venice, flower of the last worlds delight,
And next to them in beauty draweth neare,
But farre exceedes in policie of right.
Yet not so fayre her buildinges to behold
As Lewkenors stile that hath her beautie told.
Edw. Spencer.
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