Be fild with praises of divineft wits,

That her eternize with their heavenlie writs!

Some few befide this facred fkill efteme,
Admirers of her glorious excellence;

586

Which, being lightned with her beawties beme,
Are thereby fild with happie influence;
And lifted up above the worldës gaze,
To fing with Angels her immortall praize.

591

But all the reft, as borne of falvage brood,
And having beene with acorns alwaies fed;
Can no whit favour this celeftiall food,
But with base thoughts are into blindnesse led,
And kept from looking on the lightsome day:
For whome I waile and weepe all that I

may.

Eftfoones fuch ftore of teares fhee forth did

powre,

595

As if fhee all to water would have gone ;
And all her Sifters, feeing her fad ftowre,
Did weep and waile, and made exceeding mone,
And all their learned inftruments did breake:
The reft untold no living tongue can fpeake. 600

Ver. 600.

living] This is the emendation of the first folio. The original edition reads loving. TODD.

VIRGILS GNAT.

LONG SINCE DEDICATED

TO THE MOST NOBLE AND EXCELLENT LORD,

THE EARLE OF LEICESTER,

LATE DECEASED.

WRONG'D, yet not daring to expreffe my paine, To you (great Lord) the caufer of my care, In clowdie teares my cafe I thus complaine Unto your felfe, that onely privie are. But if that any Edipus unware

Shall chaunce, through power of fome divining fpright,

To reade the fecrete of this riddle rare,

And know the
purporte of my evill plight;
Let him rest pleased with his owne infight,
Ne further feeke to glofe upon the text:
For griefe enough it is to grieved wight
To feele his fault, and not be further vext.

But what fo by my felfe may not be showen,
May by this Gnatts complaint be easily knowen.

Ver. 1. Wrong'd, &c.] See the Life of the Poet. TopD.