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T.T. IN COMMENDATION OF THE AUTHOR HIS WORKE, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Whylom that in a shepheards gray coate masked
Last Line: (larke mounting muse) with more then common praise.
Alternate Author Name(s): Barnefield, Richard
Subject(s): Praise


Whylom that in a shepheards gray coate masked,
(Where masked love the nonage of his skill)
Reares new Eagle-winged pen, new tasked,
To scale the by-clift Muse sole-pleasing hill:
Dropping sweete Nectar poesie from his quill,
Admires faire CYNTHIA with his ivory pen
Faire CHYTHIA lov'd, fear'd, of Gods and men.

Downe sliding from that cloudes ore-pearing mounteine:
Decking with double grace the neighbour plaines,
Drawes christall dew, from PEGASE foote-sprung fountain,
Whose flower set banks, delights, sweet choice containes:
Nere yet discoverd to the country swaines:
Heere bud those branches, which adorne his turtle,
With love made garlands, of hear-bleeding Mirtle.

Rays'd from the cynders, of the thrice-sact towne:
ILLIONS sooth-telling SYBILLIST appeares,
Eclipsing PHOEBUS love, with scornefull frowne,
Whose tragicke end, affords warme-water teares,
(For pitty-wanting PACOE, none forbeares)
Such period haps, to beauties price ore-priz'd:
Where IANUS-faced love, doth lurke disguiz'd.

Nere-waining CYNTHIA yeelds thee triple thankes,
Whose beames unborrowed darke the worlds faire eie,
And as full streames that ever fill their bankes,
So those rare Sonnets, where wits ripe doth lie,
With Troian Nimph, doe soare thy fame to skie,
And those, and these, contend thy Muse to raise
(Larke mounting Muse) with more then common praise.





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