_Read_, consider.]
[@ _Entreat_, treat.]

II*.

Whoso wil seeke, by right deserts, t'attaine
Unto the type of true nobility,
And not by painted shewes, and titles vaine,
Derived farre from famous auncestrie,
Behold them both in their right visnomy**
Here truly pourtray'd as they ought to be,
And striving both for termes of dignitie,
To be advanced highest in degree.
And when thou doost with equall insight see
The ods twist both, of both then deem aright,
And chuse the better of them both to thee;
But thanks to him that it deserves behight@:
To Nenna first, that first this worke created,
And next to Iones, that truely it translated.

ED. SPENSER.

[* Prefixed to "Nennio, or A Treatise of Nobility, &c. Written in
Italian by that famous Doctor and worthy Knight, Sir John Baptista
Nenna of Bari. Done into English by William Iones, Gent." 1595. TODD.]
[** _Visnomy_, features.]
[@ _Behight_, accord.]

III*.

_Upon the Historie of George Castriot, alias Scanderbeg, King of the
Epirots, translated into English._

Wherefore doth vaine Antiquitie so vaunt
Her ancient monuments of mightie peeres,
And old heroees, which their world did daunt
With their great deedes and fild their childrens eares?
Who, rapt with wonder of their famous praise,
Admire their statues, their colossoes great,
Their rich triumphall arcks which they did raise,
Their huge pyramids, which do heaven threat.
Lo! one, whom later age hath brought to light,
Matchable to the greatest of those great;
Great both by name, and great in power and might,
And meriting a meere** triumphant seate.
The scourge of Turkes, and plague of infidels,
Thy acts, O Scanderbeg, this volume tels.

ED. SPENSER.

[* Prefixed to the "Historie of George Castriot, alias Scanderbeg, King
of Albanie: Containing his famous actes, &c. Newly translated out of
French into English by Z.I. Gentleman." 1596. TODD.]
[** _Meere_, absolute, decided.]

IV*.

The antique Babel, empresse of the East,
Upreard her buildinges to the threatned skie:
And second Babell, tyrant of the West,
Her ayry towers upraised much more high.
But with the weight of their own surquedry**
They both are fallen, that all the earth did feare,
And buried now in their own ashes ly,
Yet shewing, by their heapes, how great they were.
But in their place doth now a third appeare,
Fayre Venice, flower of the last worlds delight;
And next to them in beauty draweth neare,
But farre exce