Saturday, October 18, 2003

Written by Sir Walter Raleigh to Queen Elisabeth:

Praised be Diana's fair and harmless light,
Praised be the dews wherewith she moists the ground;
Praised be her beams, the glory of the night,
Praised be her power, by which all powers abound.
Praised be her nymphs, with whom she decks the woods,
Praised be her knights, in whom true honour lives,
Praised be that force, by which she moves the floods;
Let that Diana shine, which all these gives.

In heaven Queen she is among the spheres;
In aye she mistress-like makes all things pure;
Eternity in her oft change she bears;
She beauty is, by her the fair endure.

Time wears her not, she doth his chariot guide,
Mortality below her orb is placed;
By her the virtue of the stars down slide;
In her is virtue's perfect image cast
A knowledge pure is it her worth to know;
With Circes let them dwell that think not so.

From "Elizabeth I" by Anne Somerset, pg. 354

posted by: rjon | October 18, 2003 17:36 | comments