Page:Venus and Adonis, Lucrece, and the Minor Poems (1927).djvu/13

 

I know not how I shall offend in dedicating my

unpolished lines to your lordship, nor how the world

will censure me for choosing so strong a prop to support

so weak a burthen: only, if your honour seem

but pleased, I account myself highly praised, and

vow to take advantage of all idle hours, till I have

honoured you with some graver labour. But if the

first heir of my invention prove deformed, I shall be

sorry it had so noble a godfather, and never after ear

so barren a land, for fear it yield me still so bad a

harvest. I leave it to your honourable survey, and

your honour to your heart’s content; which I wish

may always answer your own wish and the world’s

hopeful expectation.

Your honour’s in all duty,

 Epigraph; cf. n.

Ded. 2 Wriothesley; cf. n.

13 ear: plough

2 weeping: shedding dew

3 Rose-cheek’d; cf. n.

hied him: hastened 