The pleasant daintie fish
To entangle or deceive.

The shepheards left their wont

ed places of resort,

Their bagpipes now were still;
Their loving mery layes

Were quite forgot; and now

Their flocks, men might perceive
To wander and to straie,

All carelessly neglect;

And in the stead of mirth

330

335

Yet wish their verses might

So farre and wide thy fame
Extend, that envies ráge

Nor time, might end the same*.

390

*After the preceding poem, there follows, in the edition by Mr. Hughes, an advertisement in these words; The poems which follow are by different hands, but being written on the same subject, it is thought proper to add them here.'-The poems referred to by this advertisement are four in number, viz. A pastoral Eglogue upon the death of Sir Philip Sydney, Kt.; An Elegy, or Friend's Passion, for his Astrophel, written upon the death of Sir Philip Sidney; together with two Epita, hs upon the same illustrious character.-But as these poems are confessedly not Spenser's, and not even conspic.ous for poetical merit, it is hoped, however interesting the subject, they are with propriety excluded from this edition of Spenser, in which it is intended to comprehend only the geàuide poems of Spenser.

MISCELLANIES.

THE TEARES OF THE MUSES.

To the right honourable

THE LADIE STRANGE.

MOST brave and noble Ladie! the things that make ye so much honoured of the world as ye bee, are such, as (without my simple lines testimonie) are throughlie knowen to all men; namely, your excellent beautie, your vertuous behavior, and your noble match with that most honorable lord, the very paterne of right nobilitie: But the causes, for which ye have deserved of me to be honoured, (if honour it be at all,) are both your particular bounties, and also some private bands of affinitie, which it hath pleased your Ladyship to acknowledge; of which whenas I found my selfe in no part worthie, I devised this last slender meanes, both to intimate my humble affection to your Ladiship, and also to make the same universallie knowen to the world, that by honouring you they might know me, and by knowing me they might honour you.

Vouchsafe, noble Lady! to accept this simple remembrance, though not worthy of your self, yet such as, perhaps, by good acceptance thereof, ye may hereafter cull out a more meet and memorable evidence of your owne excellent deserts. So, recommending the same to your Ladiships good liking, I humbly take leave.

Your La: humbly ever,

ED. SP.