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panie, I will tell you what the song was, and whatsoeuer else you shall commaunde me, since such an one did sing it, whom I shall neuer forget, nor the song it selfe, while I haue either life or memorie.
IF to my musickes skill
Apollo might his praises all resigne,
And if (vnto my will)
My speech were so diuine,
That Mercurie for greefe thereat might pine.
And if that eloquence
So famous of Minerua sweete, did seeme yet
But r•…ude irreuerence
To mine, and each one deeme it
But harsh, and plac’t with mine, but base esteeme it.
And if I were adorn’d
With hundred mouthes of iron, and like wit,
Or if I had bene borne
With Dimond toongs (admit)
Or sawe my selfe in euery part so fit:
The ruine, nor the fall
Of those, whom Ioue from scaled heauen did throwe,
Nor that great floud, when all
The drowned world did flowe,
I would not tell, nor time in them bestowe.
Onely by me thy praise
(O Chastitie) with honour should be told:
And with thy heauenly waies
I would no lesse vnfold
Those goodly partes, that thou dost still vphold.
Thou art a weeder out
Of vices, from the place of vertues graine:
And thou dost go about
Our honours to maintaine,
And dost our soules from cancred vice restraine.
The onely way and signe
Thou art, that doth the soule to vertue leade,
A captaine most diuine,
That vnder foote dost tread
Thy foes: Thy fort and tower no force doe dread.
Foule leacherie doth kill
Reason, if that it conquered hath the same,
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