Montemayor's Diana

Page 450

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This is Aldana monarch of such might,
That iointly souldiours and braue verses makes:
That (with great reason) the most famous men
As far as Phebus with his light awakes
Doe doubte if he be Petrarke Tuscans light,
Or Petrarke he: But yet admiring then,
To see that where fierce Mars doth shew his face,
Apollo milde should haue so great a place.
After this captaine there is none whom I
With my poore verse may honour and commend,
For next vnto the golden sunne that star
That brightest shines, in darknes must depend:
And yet besides the short time doth denie,
To praise each one for poesie and war:
Farewell, farewell, for vnto you the rest
Heereafter I will sing with cleerer brest.

This was the song of the riuer Turia, to the which the Shepherds and Nymphes gaue great eare, as well for the sweetnes of it, as also for that the most famous men which were foretolde in it, should be afterwards in the kingdome of Valentia. I could tell you many other things, that I saw in those happie fields, but the trouble that you haue taken by my tediousnes will not permit me. Marcelius and the Shepherds maruelled much at Clenardas report, who hauing made an end of it, they perceiued that they were neere to Dianas Temple, where they began to discouer the high tur∣rets of it, most stately reared aboue the tops of the trees. But before they came to the great Palace, they saw a faire Nymphe gathering sweete and fine flowers, whose name, and what succeeded by seeing of her, you shall know in the booke that fol∣loweth.

The end of the third Booke.

The fourth Booke of the third Part of Diana.

THe complaints that men do ordinarily attribute to Fortune are verie great, which would not be so many nor so grieuous, if they considered well the good that commeth oftentimes by her mutabilities. He that now reioyceth (hauing beene in a misera∣ble estate before) that Fortune is changed, hath no reason to checke her, nor to call her wauering, when some contrary euent doth happen. But though she hath both in good, and in ill inconstancie incident vnto her, as part of her proper nature; yet a wise man (how much soeuer he is touched with her) should not liue with affiance in the possession of worldly felicities, nor with despaire in suffering aduersities; but should rather mo∣derate himselfe with such wisedome, to entertaine pleasure as a thing not perma∣nent, and griefe and sorrow as things that may haue an ende in time. Of such men God hath a particular regard, as of sorrowfull and painefull Marcelius, deliuering

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