To my long approoued approoved and singular good frende, Master G.H.

GOod Good Master H. I doubt not but you haue have some great important matter in hande, which al this while restraineth youre Penne, and wonted readinesse in prouoking provoking me vnto unto that, wherein your selfe nowe faulte. If there bee a-ny such thing in hatching, I pray you hartily, lette vs us knowe, before al the worlde see it. But if happly you dwell altogither in Iustini-ans Justini-ans Courte, and giue give your selfe to be deuoured devoured of secreate Studies, as of all likelyhood you doe: yet at least imparte some your olde, or newe, Latine, or Englishe, Eloquent and Gallant Poesies to vs us , from whose eyes, you saye, you keepe in a manner nothing hidden. Little newes is here stirred: but that olde greate matter still depending. His Honoure neuer never better. I thinke the Earthquake was also there wyth you (which I would gladly learne) as it was here with vs us : ouerthrowing overthrowing diuers divers old buildings, and peeces of Churches. Sure verye straunge to be hearde of in these Countries, and yet I heare some saye (I knowe not howe truely) that they 6 Sidneys haue have knowne the like before in their dayes. Sed quid vobis vi-detur magnis Philosophis? I like your late Englishe Hexame-ters so exceedingly well, that I also enure my Penne some-time in that kinde: whyche I fynd indeede, as I haue have heard you often defende in worde, neither so harde, nor so harshe, but that that it will easily and fairely, yeelde it selfe to oure Moother tongue. For the onely, or chiefest hardnesse, whych seemeth, is in the Accente: whyche sometime gapeth, and as it were yawneth ilfauouredly ilfavouredly , comming shorte of that it should, and sometime exceeding the measure of the Number, as in Car-penter, the middle sillable being vsed used shorte in speache, when it shall be read long in Uerse Verse , seemeth like a lame Gosling, that draweth one legge after hir: and Heauen Heaven , beeing vsed used shorte as one sillable, when it is in Uerse Verse Uerſe, stretched out with a Diastole, is like a lame Dogge that holdes vp up one legge. But it is to be wonne with Custome, and rough words must be subdued with Use. For, why a Gods name may not we, as else the Greekes, haue have the kingdome of oure owne Lan-guage, and measure our Accentes, by the sounde, reseruing reserving the Quantitie to the Uerse Verse ? Loe here I let you see my olde vse use of toying in Rymes, turned into your artificial straight-nesse of Uerse Verse , by this Tetrasticon. I beseech you tell me your fancie, without parcialitie.

See yee the blindefoulded pretie God, that feathered Archer, Of Louers Lovers Miseries which maketh his bloodie Game? Wote ye why, his Moother with a Veale hath coouered coovered his Face? Trust me, least he my Looue Loove happely chaunce to beholde.

Seeme they comparable to those two, which I translated you ex tempore in bed, the last time we lay togither in West-minster?

That which I eate, did I ioy joy , and that which I greedily gorged, As for those many goodly matters leaft I for others.

I would hartily wish, you would either send me the Rules and Precepts of Arte, which you obserue observe in Quantities, or else followe mine, that M. Philip Sidney gaue gave me, being the very same which M. Drant deuised devised , but enlarged with M. 7 certè Sidneys own iudgement judgement , and augmented with my Obserua-tions, Observa-tions, that we might both accorde and agree in one: leaste we ouerthrowe overthrowe one an other, and be ouerthrown overthrown of the rest. Truste me, you will hardly beleeue beleeve what greate good liking and estimation Maister Dyer had of youre Satyricall Verses, and I, since the viewe thereof, hauing having before of my selfe had speciall liking of Englishe Versifying, am euen even nowe aboute to giue give you some token, what, and howe well therein I am able to doe: for, to tell you trueth, I minde shortely at con-uenient con-venient leysure, to sette forth a Booke in this kinde, whyche I entitle, Epithalamion Thamesis, whyche Booke I dare vndertake undertake wil be very profitable for the knowledge, and rare for the Inuention Invention , and manner of handling. For in setting forth the marriage of the Thames: I shewe his first begin-ning, and offspring, and all the Countrey, that he passeth thorough, and also describe all the Riuers Rivers throughout En-glande, whyche came to this Wedding, and their righte na-mes, and right passage, &c etc . A worke beleeue beleeve me, of much labour, wherein notwithstanding Master Holinshed hath muche furthered and aduantaged advantaged me, who therein hath be-stowed singular paines, in searching oute their firste heades, and sourses: and also in tracing, and dogging oute all their Course, til they fall into the Sea.

O Tite, siquid, ego, Ecquid erit pretij pretii ?

But of that more hereafter. Nowe, my Dreames, and dying Pellicane, being fully finished (as I partelye signi-fied in my laste Letters) and presentlye to bee imprinted, I wil in hande haude forthwith with my Faery Queene, whyche I praye you hartily send me with al expedition: and your frend-ly Letters, and long expected Iudgement Judgement wythal, whyche let not be shorte, but in all pointes suche, as you ordinarilye vse use , and I extraordinarily desire. Multum vale. Westminster. Quarto Nonas Aprilis 1580. Sed, amabò te, Meum Corculum ti-bi se ex animo commendat plurimùm: iamdiu mirata, te nihil ad li-teras suas responsi dedisse. Vide quæso, ne id tibi Capitale sit: Mihi Mih 8 certè quidem erit, neque neque tibi hercle impunè, vt ut opinor, Iterum vale, & et quàm voles sæpè.

Yours alwayes to commaunde IMMERITO.

Postscripte.

I take best my Dreames shoulde come forth alone, being growen by meanes of the Glosse, (Glosse ( rũning running continually in ma-ner of a Paraphrase)Paraphrase), full as great as my Calendar. Therin be some things excellently, and many things wittily discour-sed of E.K. and the Pictures so singularly set forth, and pur-trayed, as, as if Michael Angelo were there, he could (I think) nor amende the best, nor reprehende the worst. I know you woulde lyke them passing wel. Of my Stemmata Dudleiana, and especially of the sundry Apostrophes therein, addressed you knowe to whome, muste more aduisement advisement be had, than so lightly to sende them abroade: howbeit, trust me (though I doe neuer never very well,) well), yet in my owne fancie, I neuer never dyd better: Veruntamen te sequor solùm: nunquam verò assequar.