MOST Honourable and
bountifull Ladie, there
bee long sithens deepe
sowed in
my brest, the
seede of most entire
louelove
&and humble
affection
vntounto that most
brauebrave Knight your noble brother
deceased; which taking
roote began in
his life
time somewhat to bud forth: and to
shew
thẽseluesthẽ- selvesthemseluesthemselves to him, as then in the
weakenes of their
first spring: And would in
their riper strength
(had it pleased high God till then to drawe
out
his daies) spired forth fruit of more
perfection. But since God hath
disdeigned the
world of that most noble Spirit, which was
the hope
of all learned men, and the Patron
of my young
Muses; togeather with
him both
their hope of anie further fruit was cut off:
and also
the
tender delight of those their first
blossoms nipped and quite dead.
Yet sithens
my late cumming into
England, some frends
of mine (which
might much
preuaileprevaile with me,
and indeede
commaund
me) knowing with
howe straight bandes of duetie I was tied
to
him: as also bound
vntounto that noble house,
(of which the chiefe hope then rested in him)
hauehave sought to
reuiuerevive them by
vpbraidingupbraiding
me: for that I
hauehave
not shewed
anie thankefull remembrance
towards him or any of
thẽthem;
but suffer
their names to sleep in silence and
forgetfulnesse.
VVhomeWhome chieflie
to
satisfie,
or els to
auoideavoide that fowle
blot of
vnthankefulnesse,unthankefulnesse, I
hauehave
conceiuedconceived
this small Poeme,
intituled by a generall name of the
worlds Ruines: yet speciallie
intended to the renowming of that noble
race, from
which both you
and he sprong, and to the eternizing of some
of the chiefe of them
late deceased. The which
I dedicate
vntounto your
La. as whome it most
speciallie concerneth: and to whome I
acknowledge
my selfe bounden,
by manie
singular
fauoursfavours
&and great graces.
I pray
for your Honourable
happinesse:
&and so humblie
kisse your haudes.