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And in regions far,

Such heroes bring ye forth

As those from whom we came;
And plant our name

Under that star

Not known unto our North.

And as there plenty grows
Of laurel everywhere-
Apollo's sacred tree-
You it may see

A poet's brows

To crown, that may sing there.

Thy Voyages attend,
Industrious Hakluyt,

Whose reading shall inflame

Men to seek fame,

And much commend

To after times thy wit.

70

LOVE'S FAREWELL

SINCE there's no help, come let us kiss and part,-
Nay I have done, you get no more of me;
And I am glad, yea, glad with all my heart,
That thus so cleanly I myself can free;
Shake hands for ever, cancel all our vows,
And when we meet at any time again,
Be it not seen in either of our brows
That we one jot of former love retain.
Now at the last gasp of love's latest breath,
When his pulse failing, passion speechless lies,
When faith is kneeling by his bed of death,
And innocence is closing up his eyes,

-Now if thou would'st, when all have given him over,
From death to life thou might'st him yet decover!

71

72

HENRY CONSTABLE

[1562-1613]

DIAPHENIA

DIAPHENIA like the daffadowndilly,
White as the sun, fair as the lily,
Heigh ho, how I do love thee!
I do love thee as my lambs

Are belovéd of their dams;

How blest were I if thou would'st prove me.

Diaphenia like the spreading roses,
That in thy sweets all sweets encloses,
Fair sweet, how I do love thee!

I do love thee as each flower

Loves the sun's life-giving power;

For dead, thy breath to life might move me.

Diaphenia like to all things blessed,
When all thy praises are expresséd,
Dear joy, how I do love thee!
As the birds do love the spring,

Or the bees their careful king:

Then in requite, sweet virgin, love me!

EDMUND SPENSER

[1552-1599]

PROTHALAMION

CALM was the day, and through the trembling air
Sweet-breathing Zephyrus did softly play-
A gentle spirit, that lightly did delay

Hot Titan's beams, which then did glister fair;
When I, (whom sullen care,

Through discontent of my long fruitless stay

In princes' court, and expectation vain
Of idle hopes, which still do fly away
Like empty shadows, did afflict my brain)
Walk'd forth to ease my pain

Along the shore of silver-streaming Thames;
Whose rutty bank, the which his river hems,
Was painted all with variable flowers,

And all the meads adorn'd with dainty gems
Fit to deck maidens' bowers,

And crown their paramours

Against the bridal day, which is not long:

Sweet Thames! run softly, till I end my song.

There in a meadow by the river's side
A flock of nymphs I chanced to espy,
All lovely daughters of the flood thereby,
With goodly greenish locks all loose untied
As each had been a bride;

And each one had a little wicker basket
Made of fine twigs, entrailéd curiously,

In which they gather'd flowers to fill their flasket,
And with fine fingers cropt full feateously

The tender stalks on high.

Of every sort which in that meadow grew
They gather'd some; the violet, pallid blue,
The little daisy that at evening closes,
The virgin lily and the primrose true:
With store of vermeil roses,

To deck their bridegrooms' posies
Against the bridal day, which was not long:
Sweet Thames! run softly, till I end my song.

With that I saw two swans of goodly hue
Come softly swimming down along the lee;
Two fairer birds I yet did never see;
The snow which doth the top of Pindus strow
Did never whiter show,

Nor Jove himself, when he a swan would be
For love of Leda, whiter did appear;

Yet Leda was (they say) as white as he,

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