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I. Royal Bedication

TO MY MOST GRACIOVS DREAD

SOVERAIGNE.

To that cleere maiestie which in the North

Doth, like another Sunne in glory rise;

Which standeth fixt, yet spreads1 her heauenly worth; Loadstone to hearts, and loadstarre to all eyes.

Like Heav'n in all; like th' Earth in this alone,

2

That though great States by her support doe stand, Yet she herselfe supported is of none,

But by the finger of the Almightie's hand:

To the diuinest and the richest minde,

Both by Art's purchase and by Nature's dowre,
That euer was from Heau'n to Earth confin'd,
To shew the utmost of a creature's power:

1 Spreds in 1st edn. G.

2 Thomas Davies, as before, misprints 'thro.' G.

To that great Spirit, which doth great kingdomes mooue,
The sacred spring whence right and honor streames,
Distilling Vertue, shedding Peace and Loue,
In euery place, as Cynthia sheds her beames:

I offer up some sparkles of that fire,

Whereby wee reason, liue, and moue, and be;
These sparkes by nature euermore aspire,
Which makes them to so high an highnesse flee.

Faire Soule, since to the fairest body knit,4

You give such lively life, such quickning power,
Such sweet celestiall influences to it,5

As keepes it still in youth's immortall flower:

(As where the sunne is present all the yeere,
And neuer doth retire his golden ray,
Needs must the Spring bee euerlasting there,
And euery season like the month of May.)

3 Bp. Hacket writes 'Deus' against 'Spirit': but perhaps the Queen only was (flatteringly) intended, as her poetic name of Cynthia would seem to indicate. This word 'Spirit' is misprinted by Thomas Davies and by Southey and usually, 'spring'. G. 4 Misprinted by Davies and Southey, as before, 'join'd'. G. 5 Davies and Southey misread

'And influence of such celestial kind'

which I find supported by none of the author's own texts. G.'

O many, many yeeres may you remaine,
A happy angell to this happy Land;

Long, long may you on Earth our empresse raigne,
Ere you in Heauen a glorious angell stand.

Stay long (sweet spirit) ere thou to Heauen depart, Which mak' st each place a heauen wherein thou art. Her Maiestie's least and vnworthiest Subiect6

IOHN DAVIES.7

6 Davies and Southey, as before, misread 'Her Maiesty's Devoted Subject and Servant' from Tate (1697). See our Memorial-Introduction. G.

7 In 1599 edition 'Dauies,' and in 1608 edition 'Davis' and also in its title-page: in 1622 edition, as above. G.

**TATE, and after him THOMAS DAVIES, dates this Dedication July 11th, 1592.' It is possible that the Poem' was then in manuscript but it was not printed or published until 1599, and there is no date to the Dedication either in that edition or in those of 1602, 1608 or 1622. G.

II. ANOTHER DEDICATION OF A GIFT-COPY (IN MS.)

IN THE POSSESSION OF HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND, AT ALNWICK CASTLE.1

1

To the right noble, valorous, and learned Prince Henry, Earle of Northumberland:

THE strongest and the noblest argument

To proue the soule immortall, rests in this: That in no mortall thing it finds content,

But seekes an object that æternall is.

If any soule hath this immortall signe,

(As every soule doth show it, more or lesse), It is your spirit, heröick and diuine;

Which this true noate most liuely doth expresse ;

For being a prince, and hauing princely blood,
The noblest of all Europe in your vaines;
Having youth, wealth, pleasure, and every good,

Which all the world doth seek, with endlesse paynes.

1 On this MS. of Nosce Teipsum see our Preface. G.

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