The Works of the English Poets, from Chaucer to Cowper, Vol. 4 of 21: With Prefaces, Biographical and Critical; Drayton, Warner (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from The Works of the English Poets, From Chaucer to Cowper, Vol. 4 of 21: With Prefaces, Biographical and Critical; Drayton, Warner

Faire and vertuous mistris, since first it was my good fortune to be a witnesse of the many rare perfections wherewith nature and education haue adorned you, I haue beene forced since that time, to attribute more admiration to your sexe, then euer Petrarch could before perswade me to by the praises of his'laura. Sweet is the French tongue, more sweet the Italian; but most sweet are they both, if spoken by your admired selfe. If poesie were praise-lease, your vertues alone were a sub iect sufficient to make it esteemed, though among the barbarous Getes; by how much the more your tender yeares glue scarcely warrant for your more than woman-like wisedome, by so much is your iudgement and reading the more to be wondred at. The Graces shall haue one more sister by your selfe, and England to her selfe shall adde one muse more to the Muses. I rest the humble denoted seruant, to my deere and modest mistris, to whom I wish the happiest fortunes I can denise.

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