Mary Sidney(1561–1621)

To the Thrice-Sacred Queen Elizabeth

Even now that care, which on thy crown attends,burden

And with thy happy 0 greatness daily grows,fortunate

Tells me, thrice-sacred Queen, my muse5 offends,

And of respect to thee the line out goes.6

One instant will or willing can she lose7

I say not reading, but receiving rhymes,

On whom in chief dependeth to dispose 0settle

What Europe acts in these most active times

Yet dare I so, as humbleness may dare,

Cherish some hope they 0 shall acceptancefind; the poems

Not weighing less thy state, lighter thy care,

But knowing more thy grace, abler thy mind.8

What heavenly powers thee highest throne assigned,

Assigned thee goodness suiting that degree,position or rank

And by thy strength thy burthen so defined,

To others toil, is exercise to thee.9

Cares, though still 0 great, cannot be greatest still,always

Business must ebb, though leisure never flow;

Then these the posts1 of duty and goodwill

Shall press 0 to offer what their senders owe,hurry

Which once in two, now in one subject go,2

The poorer left, the richer reft away,stolen

Who better might (O might, ah word of woe)

Have given for me what I for him defray.pay

How can I name whom sighing signs extend,3

And not unstop my tears' eternal spring

But he did warp, I weaved this web to end;4

The stuff5 not ours, our work no curious 0 thing,novel or ingenious

Wherein yet well we thought the Psalmist King6

Now English denizened, though Hebrew born,7

Would to thy music undispleased sing,

Oft having worse, without repining, worn;8

And I the cloth 0 in both our names present,poems

A livery robe9 to be bestowed by thee;

Small parcel of that undischarged 0 rent,unpaid

From which nor pains nor payments can us free.neither

And yet enough to cause our neighbors see

We will our best, though scanted 0 in our will;attempt I limited

And those nigh 0 fields where sown thy favors benearby

Unwealthy do, not else unworthy, till.1

For in our work what bring we but thine own

What English is, by many names is thine,

There humble laurels2 in thy shadows grown

To garland others would themselves repine.3

Thy breast the cabinet, thy seat4 the shrine,small room

Where muses hang their vowed 0 memories;consecrated

Where wit, where art, where all that is divine

Conceived best, and best defended lies.

Which if men did not (as they do) confess,5

And wronging worlds would otherwise consent,

Yet here who minds so meet a patroness6

For authors' state 0 or writings' argument 0 financial condition I subject

A King should only to a Queen be sent;

God's loved choice unto his chosen love;

Devotion to devotion's president;7

What all applaud, to her whom none reprove.

And who sees ought, 0 but sees how justly square 0 anything I correspond

His haughty 0 ditties 0 to thy glorious dayslofty I songs

How well beseeming 0 thee his triumphs 8 areresembling or matching

His hope, his zeal, his prayer, plaint, and praise,lamentation

Needless thy person to their height to raise;

Less need to bend them down to thy degree;

These holy garments9 each good soul assays,tries on

Some sorting all, all sort to none but thee.1

For even thy rule is painted in his reign;2

Both clear in right; both nigh by wrong oppressed;3

And each at length (man crossing God in vain)

Possessed of place, and each in peace possessed.

Proud Philistines did interrupt his rest,

The foes of heaven no less have been thy foes;4

He with great conquest, thou with greater blessed;

Thou sure to win, and he secure to lose.5

Thus hand in hand with him thy glories walk;

But who can trace them6 where alone they go

Of thee two hemispheres on honor talk,7

And lands and seas thy trophies jointly show.

The very winds did on thy party blow,

And rocks in arms thy foemen eft8 defy.

But soft, my muse, thy pitch9 is earthly low;

Forbear 0 this heaven where only eagles fly.avoid

Kings on a Queen enforced their states to lay;1

Mainlands for empire waiting on an isle;2

Men drawn by worth a woman to obey;

One moving all, herself unmoved3 the while;

Truth's restitution, vanity exile,4

Wealth sprung of want, war held without annoy,vexation

Let subject be of some inspired style,

Till then the object of her subjects'joy.

Thy utmost can but offer to her sight

Her handmaid's task, which most her will endears,5

And pray unto thy pains life from that light

Which lively lightsome, court and kingdom cheers,6

What 0 wish she may (far past her living peerswho

And rival still to Judah's faithful king)

eyn, Elizabeth's mother. Despite opposition, both prey soars before swooping down on its prey, but

David and Elizabeth came to possess their respec- also height in a figurative sense: degree, rank,

tive thrones, although "each in peace possessedstatus.

In more than he and more triumphant years,

Sing what God doth, and do what men may sing.7

1962

FRM DELIA 1