To looke upon a worke of rare devise The which a workman setteth out to view, And not to yield it the deserved prise That unto such a workmanship is dew, Doth either prove the judgement to be naught, Or els doth shew a mind with envy fraught. To labour to commend a peece of worke Which no man goes about to discommend, Would raise a jealous doubt, that there did lurke Some secret doubt, whereto the prayse did tend: For when men know the goodnes of the wyne, 'T is needlesse for the hoast to have a sygne. Thus then, to shew my judgement to be such As can discerne of colours blacke and white, As alls to free my minde from envies tuch, That never gives to any man his right, I here pronounce this workmanship is such, As that no pen can set it forth too much. And thus I hang a garland at the dore, Not for to shew the goodnes of the ware, But such hath beene the custome heretofore, And customes very hardly broken are. And when your tast shall tell you this is trew, Then looke you give your hoast his utmost dew. IGNOTO. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE BANNER OF THE JEW by EMMA LAZARUS ON THE DEATH OF THE REV. MR. GEORGE WHITEFIELD, 1770 by PHILLIS WHEATLEY THE WEAVER'S APPRENTICE by AL-RUSAFI DANS LA BOHEME by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH GOLD AND STEEL; THE ANSWER by LOUISA SARAH BEVINGTON AFTER OPERATION by JULIET BRANHAM THE HULDRA-WOMAN by STOPFORD AUGUSTUS BROOKE |