The Poetical Works of - OUDL Home

TO HIS BOOKE
Got little booke iky selfe present,
As child whose parent is vnkent
To him that is the president
Of noblesse and of cheualree, \
And if that Enute barke at thes,
As sure it will, for succour'e flee
Vnder the shadow of his wing,
And asked, who thee forth did bring,
A shepkeards swatne saye,did thee sing,
All as his straying flocke hefedde 10
And when his honor has thee tedde,
Craue pardon for my hardyhedde
But if that any aske thy name,
Say thou wert base begot with blame
For thy thereof thou takest shame
And when thou art past teopardee,
Come tell me, what was sayd of mee
And I will send more after thee
Immerito
5 To the most excellent and learned both
Drator and Poete, Master Cabnell haruee, his
verie special and singular good frend E K commendeth
the good lyking of this his labour,
and the patronage of the
new Poete
VNCOVTHE VNKISTE, Sayde the olde I sons, in matter, in speach, and generally in al
famous Poete Chaucer whom for his seemely simplycitie of handeling his matter,
excellence and wonderfull skil in making, his and framing his words the which of many
scholler Lidgate,a worthy scholler of so excel thinges which in him be straunge, I know will
lent a maister, calleth the Loadestarre of our seeme the straungest, the words them selues
Language and whom our Colin clout in his being so auncient, the knitting of them so short
AEglogue calleth Tityrus the God of shepheards, and intricate, and th' whole Periode and com
comparing hym to the worthines of the Roman passe of speache so delightsome for the round
Tityrus Virgile Which prouerbe, myne owne nesse, and so graue for the straungenesse
good friend Ma Haruey, as in that good old And firste of the wordes to speake, I graunt
Poete it serued well Pandares purpose, for the they be something "hard, and of most men
bolstering of his baudy brocage, so very well vnused, yet both English, and also vsed of
taketh place in this our new Poete, who for most excellent Authors and most famous
that he is vncouthe (as said Chaucer) is vnkist, Poetes In whom whenas this our Poet hath
and vnknown to most men, is regarded but of bene much traueiled and throughly redd, how
few But I dout not, so soone as his name shall could it be, (as that worthy Oratour sayde) but
come into the knowledg of men, and his worthi that walking in the sonne although for other
nes be sounded in the tromp of fame, but that I cause he walked, yet needes he mought be sun
he shall be not onely kiste, but also beloued of I burnt, and hauing the sound of those auncient
all, embraced of the most, and wondred at of Poetes still ringing in his eares, he mought
the best No lesse I thinke,deserueth his with ntedes in singing hit out some of theyr tunes
nesse in deuising, his pithmesse in vttering, his But whether he vseth them by such casualtyei
complaints of loue so louely, his discourses of and custome, or of set purpose and choyse, as
pleasure so pleasantly, his pastorail rudenesse, thinking them fittest for such rustical! rude
his morall wisenesse, his dewe obserumg of nesse of shepheards, eyther for that theyr rough
Decorum euerye where, in personages, in sea I sounde would make his rymes more ragged and