Page:Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (1623).djvu/13

 To the memory of my beloued, The AVTHOR Mr. William Shakespeare And whatt he hath left vs

To draw no ? (Shakespeare) on they name Am I thus ample to thy Booke, and Fame : While I confee thy writings to be uch, As neither Man, nor Mue, can praise too much 'Tis true, and all means uffrage. But thee wayes, Were not the paths I meant vnto thy praie: For eelset Ignorance on thee may light, Which, when it ounds at bet, ecoho;s right Or blinde Affecton, which doth ne're aduance The truth, but gropes, and vrgeth all by chance; Or crfty Malice, might pretend, this praie, And thinke to ruine, where it eem'd so raie. Thee are, as ome infamous Baud, or whore Should praie a Matron, What could hurt her more? But thou art proofe againt them, and indeed Aboue th'ill fortune of them, or the need I ,therefore will begin. Soule of the Age! The applaue! delight! the wonder of our Stage! My Shakepeare, rie I will not lodge. thee by Chaucer; or Spener, or bid Beaumont lye A little further, to make thee a roome Thou art a Monimesnt, without a tombe. And art aliue till, while thy Books doth line, And we haue wits to read, and praie to giue That I not mixe thee o, my braine excues; I meane with great, but diproportton'd Mues: Tor,if I thought my judgement were of yeeres, I hould commit thee urely with thy peeres, And tell, how farre thou didtl our Lily out-hine, Or porting Kid, or Marlowes mighty line. And though thou had mall Latine, and lee Greeke, From thence to honour thee, I would not eeke For names, but call forth thundering Æchilus, Euripides, and Sophocles to vs, Paccuuius, Accius, him of Cordoua dead, To life againe, to heare thy Buskin tread, And hake a Stage: Or, when thy Sockes were on. Leaue thee alone,for the cornparion Of