1261MY toung-tide Mu
se in manners holds her
still,
1262While comments of your prai
se richly compil'd,
1263Re
serue their Chara
cter with goulden quill,
1264And precious phra
se by all the Mu
ses
fil'd.
1265I thinke good thoughts,
whil
st other write good wordes,
1266And like vnlettered clarke
still crie Amen,
1267To euery Himne that able
spirit a
ffords,
1268In poli
sht forme of well re
fined pen.
1269Hearing you prai
sd,
I
say 'tis
so, 'tis true,
1270And to the mo
st of prai
se adde
some-thing more,
1271But that is in my thought,
who
se loue to you
1272(Though words come hind-mo
st)holds his ranke before,
1273 Then others,
for the breath of words re
spe
ct,
1274Me for my dombe thoughts,
speaking in e
ffe
ct.
1276WAs it the proud full
saile of his great ver
se,
1277Bound for the prize of (all to precious) you,
1278That did my ripe thoughts in my braine inhearce,
1279Making their tombe the wombe wherein they grew?
1280Was it his
spirit,
by
spirits taught to write,
1281Aboue a mortall pitch,
that
struck me dead ?
1282No,
neither he,
nor his compiers by night
1283Giuing him ayde,
my ver
se a
stoni
shed.
1284He nor that a
ffable familiar gho
st 1285Which nightly gulls him with intelligence,
1286As vi
ctors of my
silence cannot boa
st,
1287I was not
sick of any feare from thence.
1288 But when your countinance
fild vp his line,
1289Then lackt I matter,
that infeebled mine.
1291FArewell thou art too deare for my po
sse
ssing,
1292And like enough thou know
st thy e
stimate,
1293The Charter of thy worth giues thee relea
sing:
1294My bonds in thee are all determinate.
1295For how do I hold thee but by thy granting,
1296And for that ritches where is my de
seruing?
1297The cau
se of this faire guift in me is wanting,
1298And
so my pattent back againe is
sweruing.
1299Thy
selfe thou gau'
st,
thy owne worth then not knowing,
1300Or mee to whom thou gau'
st it,
el
se mi
staking,
1301So thy great guift vpon mi
spri
sion growing,
1302Comes home againe,
on better iudgement making.
1303 Thus haue I had thee as a dreame doth
flatter,
1304In
sleepe a King,
but waking no
such matter.