The Defence of Poesie Author:Philip Sidney Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: A LETTER TO QUEEN ELIZABETH Most Feared and Beloved, most Sweet and Gracious Sovereign, O seek out Excuses of this my Boldness, and to arm the Ackno... more »wledging of a Fault with Reasons for it, might better shew I knew I did amis, than any Way diminish the Attempt, especially in your Judgment; who being able to discern lively into the Nature of the Thing done, it were Folly to hope, by laying on better Colours, to make it more acceptable. Therefore carrying no other Olive-branch of Intercession, then the Laying of my self at your Feet; nor no other Insinuation, either for Attention or Pardon, but the true vowed Sacrifice of unfeigned Love; I will, in simple and diredl Terms (as hoping they shall only come to your merci- full Eyes) set down the Overflowing of my Mind in this most important Matter, importing, as I think, the Continuance of your Safety; and, as I know, the Joys of my Life. And because my Words (I confess shallow, but coming from the deep Well-spring of most loyal Affedlion) have delivered to your most gracious Ear, what is the general Sum of my travelling Thoughts therein;A Let- I will now but only declare, what be the Reasons ter to that make me think, that the Marriage with Mon- Queen sieur will be unprofitable unto you; then will I Eliza- answer the Objection of those Fears, which might beth procure so violent a Refuge. The Good or Evils that will come by it, must be considered, either according to your Estate or Person. To your Estate, what can be added to the being an absolute born, and accordingly respected, Princess? But, as they say the Irishmen, are wont to call over them that die, "They are rich, they are fair, what needed they to dye so cruelly:" Not unfitly of You, endowed with Felicity above all others, a Man might well ask; what makes you in ...« less