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Don Gaspar Romani to the Authour.

If Lady LAVRAS memorie vnstained
PETRARC in endlesse verse hath left renowned:
And if with Laurell HOMER hath beene crowned
For writing of the wars the Greekes obtained:
If Kings t’aduaunce the glorie they haue gained
In life time, when fierce MARS in battell frowned,
Procure it should not be in LETHE drowned,
But after death by historie maintained:
More iustly then shouldst thou be celebrated
(O excellent DIANA) for the fairest
Of all the faire ones, that the world hath brought foorth:
Since all those wits, whose pens were estimated
To write the best, in glorie thou impairest,
And from them all the Laurell crowne hast sought foorth.

Don Hieronymo Sant-Perez, to
George of Montemayor.

Parnasse, O sacred mount and full of glorie,
The Poets muse, delight of their desires:
Me thinkes thou art too comfortlesse and sorie,
Compar’d with this, whose famous name aspires.

In deede J am, since that the Muses left me,
And with their gracious Quire from hence descended
To mount this Hill, whose Greatnes hath bereft me
Of all my fame, and glorie that is ended.

Thrise happie his Diana, since her flower
In top of this High Hill was set so lately,
That all the world might view it euery hower,
Where she doth liue most soueraigne and stately:

In all the world most celebrate and graced,
Being no lesse excelse, then highly placed.