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Neece to that greatest Duke and Conestable,
Speake fame of her, for I am far vnable.
Behold the beautie (on the other part)
Of many faire and braue Valencian Dames,
Whom with my pen, but more yet with my hart,
I will procure to celebrate their names?
Heere Fount of Helicone, vouchsafe thy art,
And heere Minerua helpe me in these blames;
To tell what those braue Ladies be, whose sight
Onely to them all eies and harts inuite.
See heere fowre blasing stars that brightly shine,
Of whom Fame brutes their name in euery ground,
That from three famous kingdomes drawe their line,
And from Cardonas aneient house come downe,
On th’one side Dukes most excellent decline,
And from the other scepter, throne, and crowne:
Daughters vnto Sogorbe, whose golden fame
From Atlas vnto Maurus soundes their name.
The light of all the world, the flowre of Spaine,
The end of perfect beautie, and of grace,
A royall hart, that euer doth maintaine
Valour, and bountie, in a vertuous race:
That looke so modest, and so sweete againe,
Adorned with so faire and milde a face,
Giuès Lady Anne of Aragon such fame,
That Loue himselfe is captiue to her name.
Her sister Lady Bettrice, that you see,
Is next (if that you can behold such light)
Whom none can praise, for this is onely shee,
Whom none can praise according to her right:
That Painter that did make her, so must bee
Her praiser, and her giftes he must reeite:
For where all humane wit cannot attaine,
My poore conceite doth labour there in vaine.
The Lady Frances of great Aragon
Shew you I vvould, but she is alvvaies hid:
Her svveetest beauties leaues not any one
With life, for so her starlike eies forbid
Our mortall sight to vievv the same alone:
In life and death, her vertues euer did
Subiect each hart to loue, and admiration:
As fame can tell in euery forrain nation.
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