SONNETS BY SPENSER

FROM

VARIOUS SOURCES.

I. From "Foure Letters, and Certaine Sonnets: Efpecially touching Robert Greene, and other parties by him abused, etc. London: Imprinted by Iohn Wolfe, 1592 (4°).”

To the right worshipfull my singular good frend,
M. Gabriell Haruey, Doctor of the Lawes.

HAruey, the happy aboue happiest men

I read that, fitting like a Looker-on
Of this worldes Stage, doeft note with critique pen
The sharpe diflikes of each condition:

And, as one careleffe of fufpition,

Ne fawneft 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 feat, 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.

II. From "Nennio, Or a Treatife of Nobility, etc. Written in Italian by that famous Doctor and worthy Knight, Sir Iohn Baptifta Nenna of Barri. Done into English by William Iones, Gent, 1595 (4°).”

W

Ho fo will feeke by right deserts t' attaine,
Vnto the type of true Nobility,

And not by painted fhewes & titles vaine,
Deriued farre from famous Ancestrie :
Behold them both in their right vifnomy

Here truly pourtrayt, as they ought to be,
And ftriuing both for termes of dignitie,
To be aduanced higheft in degree.

And when thou dooft with equall infight fee
the ods twixt both, of both the deem aright,
And chuse the better of them both to thee:
But thanks to him that it deferues, behight;
To Nenna first, that first this worke created,
And next to Jones, that truely it tranflated.

Ed. Spenfer.

III. From "Hiftorie of George Caftriot, surnamed Scanderbeg, King of Albanie: containing his famous actes, etc. Newly tranflated out of French into English by Z. I., Gentleman. Imprinted for W. Ponsonby, 1596 (folio)."

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 ? Who rapt with wonder of their famous praise, Admire their statues, their Coloffoes 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.

The scourge of Turkes, and plague of infidels,
Thy acts, ô Scanderbeg, this volume tels.

Ed. Spenfer.

IV. From "The Commonwealth and Government of Venice. Written by the Cardinall Gafper Contareno, and tranflated out of Italian into English by Lewis Lewkenor, Efquire. London: Imprinted by Iohn Windet for Edmund Mattes, etc., 1599 (4°).”

T1

He antique Babel, Empreffe of the East,

Vpreard her buildinges to the threatned skie:
And Second Babell, tyrant of the Weft,

Her ayry Towers vpraised much more high.
But, with the weight of their own furquedry,
They both are fallen, that all the earth did feare,
And buried now in their own ashes ly;
Yet fhewing by their heapes, how great they were.
But in their place doth now a third appeare,
Fayre Venice, flower of the laft 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 ftile that hath her beautie told.
Edm. Spencer.