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The poetical works of Edmund Spenser in three volumes...
The poetical works of Edmund Spenser in three volumes Author:Edmund Spenser 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: THE SIXTE BOOKE OF THE FAERIE QVEENE. Containing THE LEGEND OF S. CALIDORE OR OF COVRTESIE. :He waies, through which my weary steps I guyde, J... more »In this delightfull land of Faery, |Are so exceeding spacious and wyde, 'And sprinckled with such sweet variety, Of all that pleasant is to eare or eye, That I nigh rauisht with rare thoughts delight, My tedious trauell doe forget thereby; And when I gin to feele decay of might, It strength to me supplies, and chears my dulled spright. Such secret comfort, and such heauenly pleasures, Ye sacred imps, that on Parnasso dwell, And there the keeping haue of learnings threasures, Which doe all worldly riches farre excell, Into the mindes of mortall men doe well, And goodly fury into them infuse; Guyde ye my footing, and conduct me well In these strange waies, where neuer foote did vse, Ne none can find, but who was taught them by the Muse. i 9 It] tl Reuele to me the sacred noursery ui Of vertue, which with you doth there remaine, Where it in siluer bowre does hidden ly From view of men, and wicked worlds disdaine. Since it at first was by the Gods with paine Planted in earth, being deriu'd at furst From heauenly seedes of bounty soueraine, And by them long with carefull labour nurst, Till it to ripenesse grew, and forth to honour burst. Amongst them all growes not a fayrer flowre, iv Then is the bloosme of comely courtesie, Which though it on a lowly stalke doe bowre, Yet brancheth forth in braue nobilitie, And spreds it selfe through all ciuilitie: Of which though present age doe plenteous seemer Yet being matcht with plaine Antiquitie, Ye will them all but fayned showes esteeme, Which carry colours faire, that feeble eies misdeeme. But in the triall of true curtesie, v Its no...« less