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And riuers running with most swiftest course,
Filling them all with woonder, that shall throng
To heare his verse, and graue and solemne song.

The man to whom a woorthy name is due
Of right, for his abilitie and skill,
Whom all my sacred Nymphes in time shall knowe,
And all my Shepherdes shall with praises fill
For verse most high: amongst the learned crew
His honour and his praise shall daily growe:
Almudeuar it is, whose shining wing
Vnto the stars his golden praise must bring.

In vulgar toong the famous Espinose
Shall make the historie of Naples cleere,
After he hath reuiu’d the memorie
Of the Centellas highly linag’d heere
With such a loftie style: That fame bestowes
His praise abroad, the which shall neuer die:
And make this Poet, second vnto none,
To be renown’d in worlds but lately knowne.

But now I feele a certaine ioy of minde,
That makes mine aged hart to leape apace,
But onely thinking of that great content,
That Bonauida brings into this place:
In grauest learning he shall leaue behinde
The rest, whose glorie he shall still preuent:
â€¢â€¦is fine and pithie verse, with Laurell drest,
In euery age shall sound from east to west.

Now Don Alonso comes in place, who shall
The Rebolledos surname much increase
In all the world, to raise his woorthy name
Aboue great Maro he shall neuer cease,
And seeme to haue no humane wit at all
But singing with most loftie verse: the same,
His fine conceit, his art and vaine so high,
It seemes he shall haue robbed from the skie.

For end of this most sweete and pleasant song
And last conclusion of this generall skill,
I giue you him, by whom dame Nature shall
The Circle of the world with woonder fill:
My simple praises should but doe him wrong
And all his vertues most heroicall,
His valour, wit, nobilitie which graceth
His bountie, faith and zeale which he imbraceth.