University of Virginia Library


109

Sonnet IN IMITATION OF THE STYLE OF EDMUND SPENSER.

Sweet impe of faerie land, wou'd I mote praise
Thy heav'nly fancy with poetic mind;
Would I mote herie with thy soaring lays,
Descrive my thoughts in virelays refin'd,
Showing the bard and scholar both combin'd;
So should I think myself renown'd for ever:
But, weal-away , 'tis not for me design'd,
Apollo's mandate did the spell dissever;
Thy rimes, great Spenser, I shall equal never:
Thou the proud sun, beaming magnifick splendor;
Myself the star, scarce twinkling what is clever,
Glad at thy baies my weak wit to surrender:
Then all I hope is, from thy glitterand beames
To gild my little orb with radiant gleams.
 

IMPE — OFFSPRING.

MOTE — MIGHT.

HERIE — PRAISE, CELEBRATE.

DESCRIVE — DESCRIBE.

VIRELAYS — POETIC SONGS.

WEAL-AWAY — ALAS.

GLITTERAND — GLITTERING.