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AND ye high heavens, the temple of the gods, In which a thousand torches flaming bright 410 Doe burne, that to us wretched earthly clods In dreadful darkneffe lend defired light;

And all

ye powers

which in the fame remayne,

More than we men can fayne;

Poure out your bleffing on us plentiously, 415 And happy influence upon us raine,

That we may raise a large pofterity,

Which from the earth which they may long poffeffe

With lafting happineffe,

Up to your haughty pallaces may mount; 420
And, for the guerdon of theyr glorious merit,
May heavenly tabernacles there inherit,
Of bleffed Saints for to increase the count.
So let us reft, fweet Love, in hope of this,
And cease till then our tymely ioyes to fing: 425
The woods no more us anfwer, nor our eccho
ring!

SONG! made in lieu of many ornaments,
With which my Love fhould duly have been dect,
Which cutting off through hafty accidents,
Ye would not stay your dew time to expect, 430
But promift both to recompens;

Be unto her a goodly ornament,

And for fhort time an endlesse moniment!

433

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FOWRE HYMNES,

MADE BY

EDM. SPENSER.

VOL. VIII.

P

To the Right Honorable and most vertuous Ladies, the LADIE MARGARET, Counteffe of Cumberland; and the LADIE MARIE, Countee of Warwick.

HAVING, in the greener times of my youth, composed these former two Hymnes in the praise of love and beautie, and finding that the fame too much pleased thofe of like age and difpofition, which, being too vehemently carried with that kind of affection, do rather fucke out poyfon to their ftrong paffion, then honey to their honeft delight, I was moved, by the one of you two moft excellent Ladies, to call in the fame; but, being unable fo to do, by reason that many copies thereof were formerly fcattered abroad, I refolved at least to amend, and, by way of retraction, to reforme them, making (instead of those two Hymnes of earthly or naturall love and beautie) two others of heavenly and celeftiall; the which I doe dedicate joyntly unto you two honorable fifters, as to the moft excellent and rare ornaments of all true love and beautie, both in the one and the other kind; humbly befeeching you to vouchfafe the patronage of them, and to accept this my humble fervice, in lieu of the great graces and honourable favours which ye dayly fhew unto me, until fuch time as I may, by better meanes, yeeld you fome more notable teftimonie of my thankfull mind and dutifull devotion. And even fo I pray for your happineffe. Greenwich this firft of September, 1596. Your Honors moft bounden ever,

In all humble fervice,

ED. SP.

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