IDENTILIN$$  F145O20\Sal\MS Eng. poet. e.99, ff. 40-41\GL\mf\P:EWS\o\6-17-93;6-28-95\C:JSC\'95;12-4-00\GAS format change 10-16-02
145.O20.0HE  %XTo the Countesse of Salisbury. Aug: 1614.
145.O20.001  Fayre, Greate, and Good, since seeing You, wee see
145.O20.002  What Heaun can doe, and what any Earth ca%M bee,
145.O20.003  Since now your beauty shines, now when the Sunne
145.O20.004  Growne stale, is to soe lowe a Value runne
145.O20.005  That hys discheuel'd beames, and scattred fyres
145.O20.006  Serue but for Ladyes Periwiggs, and Tyres
145.O20.007  In louers Sonnetts, you come to repayre
145.O20.008  Gods booke of Creatures, teaching what is fayre.
145.O20.009  Since now, when all is wither'd, shroncke, and dryde,
145.O20.010  All Vertue ebbd out, to a dead lowe tyde,
145.O20.011  All the worlds frame beeing crumbled into sand
145.O20.012  Where eu'ry Man thincks by Himselfe to stand,
145.O20.013  Integritye, frendship, and Confidence
145.O20.014  Ciments of Greatenes, beeing vapor'd hence
145.O20.015  And narrowe Man, beeing fill'd w%5th%6 litle shares
145.O20.016  Court, City, Church, are all shops of small wares,
145.O20.017  All hauing blowne to Sparks, theyre Noble fyre
145.O20.018  And drawne theyre sound gold-Ingott into wyre,
145.O20.019  All trying by a loue of litlenes
145.O20.020  To make Abridgments, and to drawe to lesse
145.O20.021  Euen that Nothing, w%5ch%6 at first wee weare,
145.O20.022  Since in these Times your Greatenes doth appeare
145.O20.023  And that wee learne by ytt, that Man to gett
145.O20.024  Towards him, that's infinite, must first be greate;
145.O20.025  Since in an Age so ill, as none ys Fitt [CW:om]
145.O20.026  So much as to accuse, much lesse mend yt, [40v]
145.O20.027  (For who can iudge, or wittnes of those Times
145.O20.028  Where all alike are guiltye of the Crimes?)
145.O20.029  Where he that wold be Good, is thought by All
145.O20.030  A Monster, or at best, fantasticall,
145.O20.031  Since now you durst bee Good, and that I doe
145.O20.032  Discerne, by daring to Contemplate you,
145.O20.033  That there may be Degrees of Fayre, Greate, Good,
145.O20.034  Through your Light, Largnes, Vertu, vnderstood;
145.O20.035  Yf in thys Sacrifice of myne, be showen
145.O20.036  Any small sparcke of these, call yt your owne.
145.O20.037  And if thinges like these, haue bin sayd by mee
145.O20.038  Of Others, Call not that Idolatree.
145.O20.039  For had God made man first, and Man had seene
145.O20.040  The third dayes fruites, and flowers, and varyous Greene,
145.O20.041  Hee might haue sayd the best that he cold say,
145.O20.042  Of those fayre Creatures, w%5ch%6 weare made that day;
145.O20.043  And when next Day, he had admir'd the birth,
145.O20.044  Of Sunne, Moone, Starrs, fayrer then late prays'd Earth,
145.O20.045  Hee might haue sayd the best, that he cold say,
145.O20.046  And not be chidde for praysing yesterday,
145.O20.047  So though some thinges are not togeather true
145.O20.048  (As that Another is worthyest, and that you)
145.O20.049  Yett to say soe, doth not condemne a Ma%M,
145.O20.050  Yf when he spoke them, they weare both true than.
145.O20.051  How fayre a Proofe of thys, in our Soule growes?
145.O20.052  Wee first haue Soules of Grouth, and Sence, & those
145.O20.053  When our last Soule, our Soule Immortall came,
145.O20.054  Were swallowed into yt, and haue no Name.
145.O20.055  Nor doth he iniure those Soules, w%5ch%6 doth Cast
145.O20.056  The Power and Prayse of both them, on the last. [CW:om]
145.O20.057  No more doe I wrong Any; I adore [41]
145.O20.058  The same thinges now, w%5ch%6 I ador'd before,
145.O20.059  The Subiect chang'd, and Measure; The same thinge
145.O20.060  In a lowe Constable, and in the King
145.O20.061  I reuerence; Hys Power to worke on Mee:
145.O20.062  So did I humbly reuerence each Degree
145.O20.063  Of Fayre, Greate, Good, but more now I am come
145.O20.064  From having found theyre walkes, to find theyre home.
145.O20.065  And as I owe my first Soules thanckes, that they
145.O20.066  For my last Soule did fitt, and mould my Clay,
145.O20.067  So ame I Debtor vnto them, whose worthe
145.O20.068  Enabled mee to proffit, and take forthe
145.O20.069  Thys new greate lesson, thus to study you,
145.O20.070  W%5ch%6 none, not reading others first cold doe.
145.O20.071  Nor lacke I light to read thys Booke, though I
145.O20.072  In a darke Caue, yea in a Graue doe lye,
145.O20.073  For as your fellow-Angells, soe you doe
145.O20.074  Illustrate them, who come to study you.
145.O20.075  The first whom wee in Historyes doe find,
145.O20.076  To haue profest all Artes, was One borne blind;
145.O20.077om
145.O20.078om
145.O20.079  So though I am borne, w%5th%6out those Eyes to liue
145.O20.080  W%5ch%6 fortune, who hath none herselfe, doth giue,
145.O20.081  W%5ch%6 are fitt meanes to see bright Courts, & you.
145.O20.082  Yett may I see you thus, as now I doe;
145.O20.083  I shall by that All Goodnes haue discern'd
145.O20.084  And though I burne my Librarye, be learn'd.|
145.O20.0SS  [om]
145.O20.0$$  No ind; p. 191. %1in later ink left of HE; modern pencil foliation = 44-45; 
a later writer has added 6 ampersands in RM at ll. 80-84%2