Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, VIRGIDEMIAE: BOOK 1: PROLOGUE, by JOSEPH HALL


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

VIRGIDEMIAE: BOOK 1: PROLOGUE, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: I first aduenture, with fool-hardie might
Last Line: Truth be thy speed, and truth thy patron bee.
Subject(s): Muses; Truth; Virtue


I First aduenture, with fool-hardie might
To tread the steps of perilous despight:
I first aduenture: follow me who list,
And be the second English Satyrist.
Enuie waits on my backe, Truth on my side:
Enuie will be my Page, and Truth my Guide.
Enuie the margent holds, and Truth the line:
Truth doth approue, but Enuy doth repine.
For in this smoothing age who durst indite,
Hath made his pen an hyred Parasite,
To claw the back of him that beastly liues,
And pranck base men in proud Superlatiues.
Whence damned vice is shrouded quite from shame
And crown'd with Vertues meed, immortall Name:
Infamy dispossest of natiue due,
Ordain'd of olde on looser life to sue:
The worlds eye bleared with those shamelesse lies,
Mask'd in the shew of meal-mouth'd Poesies.
Goe daring Muse on with thy thanklesse taske,
And do the vgly face of vice vnmaske:
And if thou canst not thine high flight remit,
So as it mought a lowly Satyre fit,
Let lowly Satyres rise aloft to thee:
Truth be thy speed, and Truth thy Patron bee.





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