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And thou shalt see what numbers they present
Of good and honest Dames, before thine eies,
Of louing, faithfull, holy, chaste, and wise.
They doe adorne the world with goodly graces,
And with their vertues giue it golden light:
The shining beautie of their sweetest faces
Doth fill each hart and eie with great delight.
They bring all comforts, gladnes, peace, and ioy,
And driue away all sorrowes, and annoy.
By them (false men of bad and wicked mindes)
You get great honour, glorie, and renowne:
And for their sakes, inuenting sundry kindes
Of verses, get sometimes the Laurell crowne:
And for their loue, in Martiall feates againe
To golden praise and fame you doe attaine.
You therefore that imploy your wits and time,
In searching out the course of others liues,
If that you finde some woman toucht with crime
Amongst so many widowes, maides, and wiues:
Condemne not all for one poore soules offence,
But rather hold your iudgements in suspence.
And if so many Dames so chaste, and faire,
Cannot subdue your proud and hautie harts,
Behold but one, whose vertues are so rare,
To whom the heauens so many goods imparts,
That onely she possesseth in her brest
As many giftes, nay more then all the rest.
The brauest men, and most heroicall,
And those that are most perfect in conceate,
I see this Lady far excell them all,
With her diuine perfections, and so great,
Which Orpheus did sing vpon a day,
As on his harpe most sweetely he did play.
Saying: That in that happy land, where white
And chalkie cliffes are steept in Brittish seas,
A morning star should rise exceeding bright,
Whose birth will siluer Cynthia much displease,
In that her golden light, and beauties gleames
Shall far surpasse her brothers borrowed beames.
And such a Lady shall she be indeede,
That she shall ioy each hart with happy chaunce:
Her woorthy house, wherein she shall succeede,
With titles of great praise she shall aduaunce:
And make the same more glorious and more knowne,
Then euer did the Affrican his owne.
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