DEDICATION OF

THE EPISTLE OF ROSAMOND.

TO THE EXCELLENT LADY, LVCY, COUNTESSE of BEDFORD.

MADAM, after all the admired wits of this excellent age, which haue laboured in the sad complaints of faire and vnfortunate Rosamond, and by the excellency of inuention, haue sounded the depth of her sundry passions, I present to your ladiship this epistle of hers to king Henry, whom I may rather call her louer, then beloued. Heere must your ladiship behold variablenesse in resolution; woes constantly grounded, laments abruptly broken off, much confidence, no certaintie, words begetting teares, teares confounding matter, large complaints in little papers, and many deformed cares, in one vniformed epistle. I striue not to affect singularitie, yet would faine flie imitation, and prostrate mine owne wants to other mens perfections. Your judiciall eye must modell forth what my pen hath laid together, much would she say to a king, much would I say to a countesse, but that the method of my epistle must conclude the modestie of hers, which I wish may recommend my euer vowed seruice to your honor.

MICHAEL DRAYTON.

DEDICATION OF

QUEEN ISABEL TO MORTIMER.

generous and noble disposition, which without this habite of ceremonie can estimate my loue: I will rather affect breuitie, though it should seeme my fault, than by my tedious complement, to trouble mine owne opinion setled in your iudgement and discretion. I make you the patron of this epistle of the Blacke Prince, which I pray you accept, till more easie houres may offer vp from me some thing more worthy of your view, and my trauell. Yours truely deuoted,

MICHAEL DRAYTON.

DEDICATION OF

QUEENE ISABEL.

TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND MY VERY GOOD LORD, EDWARD, EARLE OF BEDFORD.

THRICE noble and my gracious lord, the loue I haue euer borne to the illustrious house of Bedford, and to the honorable family of the Harringtons, to the which by marriage your lordship is happily vnited, hath long since deuoted my true and zealous affection to your honorable seruice, and my poems to the protection of my noble lady your countesse; to whose seruice I was first bequeathed, by that learned and accomplished gentleman, sir Henry Goodere, (not long since deceased) whose I was, whilest he was, whose patience pleased to beare with the imperfections of my heedlesse and vnstayed youth. That excellent and matchlesse

WIFE TO THE HONORABLE GENTLEMAN, SIR IOHN HARRINGTON, KNIGHT.

My singular good lady, your many vertues knowne in generall to all, and your gratious fauours to my vnworthy selfe, haue confirmed that in me, which, before I knew you, I onely saw by the light of other mens iudgements. Honor seated in your breast, findes her selfe adorned as in a rich palace, making that excellent which makes her admirable; which like the Sunne, (from thence) begetteth most precious things of this earthly world, onely by the vertue of his rayes, not the nature of the mould. Worth is best discerned by the worthy, deiccted mindes want that pure fire, which should giue vigor to vertue. I referre to your great thoughts (the vnpartiall iudges of true affection) the vnfained zeale I haue euer borne to your honorable seruice, and so rest your ladiships humbly to command, MICHAEL DRAYTON.

DEDICATION OF

EDWARD, THE BLACK PRINCE.,

TO MY WORTHY AND HONORED FRIEND, SIR WALTER ASTON, KNIGHT OF THE BATH.

SIR, though without suspition of flatterie I might in more ample and free termes, intimate my affection vnto you, yet hauing so sensible a taste of your

which had beene by his death left a poore orphan to the world, had he not before bequeathed it to that lady, whom he so dearely loued. Vouchsafe then, my deare lord, to accept this epistle, which I dedicate as zealously, as (I hope) you will patronize willingly, vntill some more acceptable seruice may be witnesse of my loue to your honor.

Your lordships euer,

MICHAEL DRAYTON.

DEDICATION OF

QUEENE KATHERINE.

TO SIR JOHN SWINERTON, KNIGHT, and one of thE ALDERMEN OF THE CITIE OF LONDON.

WORTHY Sir, so much mistrust I my owne abilitie, to doe the least right to your vertues, that I could gladly wish any thing that is truely mine, were worthy to beare your name, so much (reuerend sir) I esteeme you, and so ample interest haue you in my loue: to some honorable friends haue I dedicated these poems; (with whom I ranke you: may I escape presumption.) Like not this Britaine the worse, though after some former impressions he be lastly to you consecrated; in this like an honest man that would partly approue his owne worth, before he would presume his friends patronage,

beene borne in so euill an hower, as to be poisoned with that gall of ingratitude: to your selfe am I ingaged for many more courtesies than I imagined could euer haue beene found in one of so few yeares: nothing doe I more desire, than that those hopes of your toward and vertuous youth, may prone so pure in the fruit, as they are faire in the bloome. Long may you liue to their comfort that loue you most, and may I euer wish you the increase of all good fortunes. Yours euer,

MICHAEL DRAYTON.

DEDICATION OF

LADY JANE GRAY,

TO THE VERTUOUS LADIE, THE LADY FRANCIS GOODERE, WIFE TO SIR HENRY GOODERE, KNIGHT.

My very gracious and good mistris, the loue and duetie I bare vnto your father whilest he liued, now after his decease is to you hereditarie; to whom by the blessing of your birth hee left his vertues. Who bequeathed you those which were his, gaue you whatsoeuer good is mine, as deuoted to his, hee being gone, whom I honoured so much whilst he liued; which you may iustly challenge by all sawes of thankefulnesse. My selfe hauing beene a witnesse of your excellent education, and milde disposition (as I may say) euer from your cradle,

dedicate this epistle of this vertuous and godly lady to your selfe; so like her in all perfection, both of wisdome and learning, which I pray you accept, till time shall enable me to leaue you some greater monument of my loue.

MICHAEL DRAYTON.

DEDICATION OF THE

BARONS WARS.

TO SIR WALTER ASTON, KNIGHT OF THE HONOURABLE ORDER OF THE BATH, AND MY MOST WORTHY PATRON.

I WILL not striue m'inuention to enforce,
With needlesse words your eies to entertaine,
T'obserue the formall ordinary course,
That euery one so vulgarly doth faine:

Our interchanged and deliberate choice,
Is with more firme and true election sorted,
Than stands in censure of the common voice,
That with light humour fondly is transported:

Nor take I patterne of an others praise,
Than what my pen may constantly auow,
Nor walke more publike nor obscurer waies
Than vertue bids, and iudgement will allow :
So shall my loue and best endeauours serue you,
And still shall study, still so to deserue you.

MICHAEL DRAYTON.

TO THE READER OF HIS POEMS.

SONNET I.

INTO these loues who but for passion lookes,
At this first sight heere let him lay them by,
And seeke elsewhere in turning other bookes,
Which better may his labour satisfie,

No far-fetch'd sigh shall euer wound my breast.
Loue from mine eye, a teare shall neuer wring,
Nor in ah-mees my whyning sonnets drest,
(A libertine) fantastickely I sing:

My verse is the true image of my minde,
Ever in motion, still desiring change,
To choice of all varietie inclin'de,
And in all humors sportiuely I range,

My actiue Muse is of the worlds right straine,
That cannot long one fashion entertaine.

THE SECOND TO THE READER.

SONNET II.

MANY there be excelling in this kinde,
Whose wel trick'd rimes with all inuention swell;
Let each commend as best shall like his minde,
Some Sidney, Constable, some Daniel.

That thus their names familiarly I sing,
Let none thinke them disparaged to be,
Poore men with reuerence may speake of a king,
And so may these be spoken of by me;
My wanton verse nere keepes one certaine stay,
But now, at hand; then, seekes inuention far,
And with each little motion runnes astray,
Wilde, madding, iocund, and irregular ;

Like me that lust, my honest merry rimes,
Nor care for criticke, nor regard the times.

SONNET I'

THINE eies taught me the alphabet of loue,
To kon my cros rowe ere I learn'd to spell,
For I was apt, a scholler like to proue,
Gaue me sweet lookes when as I learned well,
Vowes were my vowels, when I then beguune
At my first lesson in thy sacred name,
My consonants the next when I had done,
Words consonant, and sounding to thy fame:
My liquids then, were liquide christall teares,
My cares, my mutes, so mute to craue reliefe,
My dolefull dipthongs were my lifes despaires,
Redoubling sighes the accent of my griefe:

My loues schole mistresse now hath taught me so,
That I can reade a story of my woe.

In the old editions, this was Sonnet I. of the Idea, C.

ΤΟ

THE HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE JAMES,
KING OF SCOTS.

THY prudent counsels, nor thy subjects loue,
Nor all that famous Scottish royaltic,

Or what thy soueraigne greatnesse may approue,
Others in vain do but historifie,

When thine owne glory from thy selfe doth spring:
As though thou didst all meaner praises scorne :
Of kings a poet, and the poets king,

They princes, but thou prophets doost adorne;
Whilst others by their empires are renown'd,
Thou dost enrich thy Scotland with renowne,
And kings can but with diadems be crown'd,
But with thy laurell thou dost crowne thy crowne:
That they whose peus (even) life to kings do giue,
In thee a king, shall seeke themselves to liue.

TO LVCY, COUNTESS OF BEDFORD. GREAT lady, essence of my chiefest good, Of the most pure and finest tempered spirit. Adorn'd with gifts, ennobled by thy blood, Which by descent true vertue dost inherit: That vertue which no fortune can depriue, Which thou by birth tak'st from thy gratious mother, Whose royall mindes with equall motion striue, Which most in honour shall excell the other; Vnto thy fame my Muse her selfe shall taske, Which rain'st vpon me thy sweet golden showers, And but thy selfe no subiect will I aske, Vpon whose praise my soule shall spend her powers, Sweet lady then, grace this poore Muse of mine, Whose faith, whose zeale, whose life, whose all, is thine.

TO THE LADY ANNE HARINGTON.

MADAM, my words cannot expresse my minde,
My zealous kindnesse to make knowne to you
When your deserts all seuerally I finde,
In this attempt of me doe craue their due:

Your gracious kindnesse first doth claime my hart;
Your bounty bids my hand to make it knowne,
Of me your vertues each do challenge part,
And leaue me thus the least that is mine owne:
What should commend your modesty and wit,
Is by your wit and modesty commended,
And standeth dumbe, in most admiring it,
And where it should begin, is onely ended;
Returning this, your praises only due,
And to your selfe, say you are onely you.

TO THE LADY L. S.

BRIGHT starre of beauty, on whose eye-lids sit,
A thousand nymph-like and enamored graces,
The goddesses of memory and wit,
Which in due order take their seuerall places,
In whose deere bosom, sweet delicious Loue,
Layes downe his quiuer, that he once did beare
Since he that blessed Paradise did proue,
Forsooke his mothers lap to sport him there.
Let others striue to entertaine with words,
My soule is of another temper made;
I hold it vile that vulgar wit affords,
Deuouring time my faith shall not inuade:
Still let my praise be honoured thus by you,
Be you most worthy, whilst I be most true.

TO SIR ANTHONY COOKE.

VOUCHSAFE to grace these rude vnpolisht rimes,
Which but for you had slept in sable night,
And come abroad now in these glorious times,
Can hardly brooke the purenesse of the light.
But sith you see their destinie is such,
That in the world their fortune they must try,
Perhaps the better shall abide the tuch,
Wearing your name their gracious liuery,
Yet these mine owne, I wrong not other men,
Nor traffique farther than this happy clime,
Nor filch from Portes, nor from Petrarchs pen,
A fault too common in this latter time.

Diuine sir Philip, I auouch thy writ,
I am no pick-purse of anothers wit.