Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, TO THE COUNTESS DOWAGER OF HUNTINGDON, by BATHSUA PELL MAKIN


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

TO THE COUNTESS DOWAGER OF HUNTINGDON, by                    
First Line: Illustrious lady, where shall I begin
Last Line: Speak out the rest, you cannot reach her praise.
Subject(s): Muses; Praise; Women


Illustrious Lady, where shall I begin
To speak your praises? or your merit in
Such rare perfections of both sexes joind,
And here epitomiz'd? Where shall we finde
Your paralel? for learning humane & divine?
For vertues where true piety doth shine?
A president for Ladies of this age,
So noble, humble, modest & so sage;
For French, Italian, Hebrue, Latin, Greek
The ornament of our sex; where may we seek
Another like her self? it is not here,
England affords not such another Peer.
The Muses are divided and contend
Who shall your splendid rarities commend,
Minerva she comes in among the throng
And chides them all for their poor empty song,
that reaches not above the hemisphare
Of our Meridian, for her race whose yeares
are by extraction of most noble birth,
Transcending chief nobility on earth;
Be silent then & let seraphick laies
Speak out the rest, you cannot reach Her praise.





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