Specimens of English Sonnets Author:Alexander Dyce Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Why should your fair eyes with such sovereign grace Disperse their rays on every vulgar spirit, Whilst I in darkness, in the self-same place, Get not on... more »e glance to recompense my merit ? So doth the ploughman gaze the wandering star, And only rests contented with the light, That never learn'd what constellations are, Beyond the bent of his unknowing sight. O, why should Beauty (custom to obey) To their gross sense apply herself so ill! Would God I were as ignorant as they, When I am made unhappy by my skill! Only compell'd on this poor good to boast, Heavens are not kind to them that know them most. MICHAEL DRAVTON. Whilst thus my pen strives to eternize thee, Age rules my lines with wrinkles in my face, Where, in the map of all my misery, Is modell'd out the world of my disgrace: Whilst in despite of tyrannizing times, Medea-like, I make thee young again, Proudly thou scorn'st my world-out-wearing rhymes, And murther'st virtue with thy coy disdain: And though, in youth, my youth untimely perish, To keep thee from oblivion and the grave, Ensuing ages yet my rhymes shall cherish, Where I entomb'd my better part shall save ; And though this earthly body fade and die, My name shall mount upon eternity. MICHAEL DRAYTON. In pride of wit, when high desire of fame Gave life and courage to my labouring pen, And first the sound and virtue of my name Won grace and credit in the ears of men ; With those the thronged theatres that press, I in the circuit for the laurel strove, Where, the full praise, I freely must confess. In heat of blood, a modest mind might move. With shouts and claps, at every little pause, When the proud round on every side hath rung, Sadly I sit unmov'd with the applause, As though ...« less