Queene Elizabeths Teares Or, Her resolute bearing the Christian Crosse, inflicted on her by the persecuting hands of Steuen Gardner Bishop of Winchester, in the bloodie time of Queene Marie. Written By Christopher Leuer |
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My loue to the Argument, and the Author.
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 | Queene Elizabeths Teares |  |
My loue to the Argument, and the Author.
The times are now maleuolent to Verse,(To verse that trauells in graue Argument,)
Yet thy graue Muse adornes the sable Herse
Of her, whose glories were most eminent.
In this thy Art hath well deseru'd of Fame,
That thou Elizaes glories dost commend,
And that in Verse she hath a liuing name,
And that her Teares (in verse) by thee are pen'd.
O the depraued pleasures of vilde men,
That haue no pleasure in this moouing Arte!
And O those spirits, whose licentious Pen
Haue made these trauells of so small desert!
When men were better, then, the times were so,
And Verse had then their high deseruing praise:
Now Time is old, he doth in weakenesse goe.
All things (in worth) doe alter as their Daies.
Let not the faults of men and euill Time
Dis-heart thy spirite from Poetike fire:
Thy Verse is free from all dishonest Rhyme,
And from the tract of Cupids idle sire,
This is the glorie, that thy Muse doth sing
The holie secrets of the holie Crosse;
And of this Saint, and of her suffering,
In which expence of time there is no losse.
Then sith that thus thy trauells doe indeuour,
I doe not see but Leuer may liue euer.
Robert Posket
| Queene Elizabeths Teares | |