murmur of life, or severe sentence of a present death, may, or ought to prevail, either to move, intreat, solicit, or persuade you, I then am and I will be the man who does honour in my inward thoughts, the dignity of so worthy a creature, and praising, in deepest weight, tho’ not to your
utmost value, the estimate of so incomparable a beauty, have resolved, living to love you, and tidying never to serve other but you; from whose indelicate looks, expecting no worse acceptance may seem answerable to so divine an excellency:
The MAID'S REPLY.
SIR,
That men have art and skill, by sundry commendable parts, to set forth their meaning, there needeth, as I think, no other testimony than your present writing: Your eloquence is far beyond the reach of my poor wit, and the number of your praises fitter for a goddess, than to the erection of such an earthly dress; for my part, I hold them as the fancies and toys of men, issuing from the weakness of their humours: and how far myself can deserve, none but myself can better conceive. Being one of the good sort as you are, I could do no less than write again unto you, the rather to satisfy the importunity of your pressing messenger. Wishing such an one to your lot, as will paragonize those you write of, and answer every way unto the substance of all those inestimable praises: I leave you, and am,
