FOOTNOTES:

THE THIRDBOOKE OF THEFAERIE QVEENE.Contayning,THE LEGEND OF BRITOMARTIS.OROf Chastitie.

It falls me here to write of Chastity,iThat[859]fairest vertue, farre aboue the rest;For which what needs me fetch fromFaeryForreine ensamples, it to haue exprest?Sith it is shrined in my Soueraines brest,And form’d so liuely in each perfect part,That to all Ladies, which haue it profest,Need but behold the pourtraict of her hart,If pourtrayd it might be by any liuing art.But liuing art may not least part expresse,iiNor life-resembling pencill it can paint,All were itZeuxisorPraxiteles:His dædale hand would faile, and greatly faint,And her perfections with his error taint:Ne Poets wit, that passeth Painter farreIn picturing the parts of beautie daint,So hard a workmanship aduenture darre,For fear through want of words her excellence to marre.

It falls me here to write of Chastity,i

That[859]fairest vertue, farre aboue the rest;

For which what needs me fetch fromFaery

Forreine ensamples, it to haue exprest?

Sith it is shrined in my Soueraines brest,

And form’d so liuely in each perfect part,

That to all Ladies, which haue it profest,

Need but behold the pourtraict of her hart,

If pourtrayd it might be by any liuing art.

But liuing art may not least part expresse,iiNor life-resembling pencill it can paint,All were itZeuxisorPraxiteles:His dædale hand would faile, and greatly faint,And her perfections with his error taint:Ne Poets wit, that passeth Painter farreIn picturing the parts of beautie daint,So hard a workmanship aduenture darre,For fear through want of words her excellence to marre.

But liuing art may not least part expresse,ii

Nor life-resembling pencill it can paint,

All were itZeuxisorPraxiteles:

His dædale hand would faile, and greatly faint,

And her perfections with his error taint:

Ne Poets wit, that passeth Painter farre

In picturing the parts of beautie daint,

So hard a workmanship aduenture darre,

For fear through want of words her excellence to marre.

How then shall I, Apprentice of the skill,iiiThat whylome in diuinest wits did raine,Presume so high to stretch mine humble quill?Yet now my lucklesse lot doth me constraineHereto perforce. But O dred SoueraineThus farre forth pardon, sith that choicest witCannot your glorious pourtraict figure plaineThat I in colourd showes may shadow it,And antique praises vnto present persons fit.But if in liuing colours, and right hew,ivYour selfe you[860]couet to see pictured,Who can it doe more liuely, or more trew,Then that sweet verse, withNectarsprinckeled,In which a gracious seruant picturedHisCynthia, his heauens fairest light?That with his melting sweetnesse rauished,And with the wonder of her beames bright,My senses lulled are in slomber of delight.But let that same delitious Poet lendvA little leaue vnto a rusticke MuseTo sing his mistresse prayse, and let him mend,If ought amis her liking may abuse:Ne let his fairestCynthiarefuse,In mirrours more then one her selfe to see,But eitherGlorianalet her chuse,Or inBelphœbefashioned to bee:In th’one her rule, in th’other her rare chastitee.

How then shall I, Apprentice of the skill,iii

That whylome in diuinest wits did raine,

Presume so high to stretch mine humble quill?

Yet now my lucklesse lot doth me constraine

Hereto perforce. But O dred Soueraine

Thus farre forth pardon, sith that choicest wit

Cannot your glorious pourtraict figure plaine

That I in colourd showes may shadow it,

And antique praises vnto present persons fit.

But if in liuing colours, and right hew,ivYour selfe you[860]couet to see pictured,Who can it doe more liuely, or more trew,Then that sweet verse, withNectarsprinckeled,In which a gracious seruant picturedHisCynthia, his heauens fairest light?That with his melting sweetnesse rauished,And with the wonder of her beames bright,My senses lulled are in slomber of delight.

But if in liuing colours, and right hew,iv

Your selfe you[860]couet to see pictured,

Who can it doe more liuely, or more trew,

Then that sweet verse, withNectarsprinckeled,

In which a gracious seruant pictured

HisCynthia, his heauens fairest light?

That with his melting sweetnesse rauished,

And with the wonder of her beames bright,

My senses lulled are in slomber of delight.

But let that same delitious Poet lendvA little leaue vnto a rusticke MuseTo sing his mistresse prayse, and let him mend,If ought amis her liking may abuse:Ne let his fairestCynthiarefuse,In mirrours more then one her selfe to see,But eitherGlorianalet her chuse,Or inBelphœbefashioned to bee:In th’one her rule, in th’other her rare chastitee.

But let that same delitious Poet lendv

A little leaue vnto a rusticke Muse

To sing his mistresse prayse, and let him mend,

If ought amis her liking may abuse:

Ne let his fairestCynthiarefuse,

In mirrours more then one her selfe to see,

But eitherGlorianalet her chuse,

Or inBelphœbefashioned to bee:

In th’one her rule, in th’other her rare chastitee.

FOOTNOTES:[859]Proem i 2 That] The1590[860]iv 2 Thy selfe thou1590

[859]Proem i 2 That] The1590

[860]iv 2 Thy selfe thou1590

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