The amorose songes, sonets, and elegies: of M. Alexander Craige, Scoto-Britane

TO THE MOST GODLY, VERTVOVS, BEAVTIFVLL, and accomplished PRINCESSE, me∣ritoriously dignified with all the Titles Religion, Vertue, Honor, Beautie can receiue, challenge, afforde, or deserue; ANNA, by diuine prouidence, of Great Britane, France, and Ireland, Queene▪ ALEXANDER CRAIGE wisheth all health, wealth, and royall felicitie.

GReat Tamburlan cloa∣ked his fantasticall cru∣eltie hee exercised on Lazars and Leprous men, with a foolishe kind of humanity, put∣ting all he could find or heare of, to death,

(as he said) to rid them from so painefull & miserable a life: Though my Poyems (incomparably bountifull, incomparablie beautifull, and so peerelesse Princesse) be painefull to me, and vnpleasant to the de∣licat Lector; shall I with Tamburlan de∣stroy them? or like a cruell Althea, con∣sume with fire the fatall Tree, kill mine owne Meleager, and so inhumanlie cut off mine owne birth? I gaue life to my Lines, and shall I now become their burreau? O liue my deformed Child, some other hand shall commit thee to Phaeton or Deucalions mercie, then mine: Though Anaxagoras resolued to die; yet for Peri∣cles his Maisters sake he tooke courage,

& liues. Your royall God-mother poore Rymes hath saued your life: yet am I not like Hercules, who th••••w Ionius in the Sea, that by the violence of wind & waue the carkas might be caried to foraine shoares, for propagation of his fame. I hunt not for fame; nor print I those Papers for prayses, but to pleasure your Princely eyes with varietie of my vaine inuentions▪ Megabysus going to visit Apelles in his worke-house, stoode still a long tim•• without speaking one word, and then be∣gan to censure of Apelles works; of whom he receiued this rude & nipping checke So long as thou held thy peace, thou see••medst a wise man; but now thou has••

spoke, and the wotst Boy of my ••oppe thinkes thee a foole. I am ••old (diuine La∣die) to borrow thy blessed name, to beau∣tifie my blotted Booke; and haue se•••• those Poems, like Apelles Pictures through the world: nor doe I care (since it is your Princely pleasure to protect them) the foolish iudgement of Megabysus. Syrannes the Persian Prince answered those (who seemed to woonder why his negotiations succeeded so il, whē his discourses were so wise) that he was onely maister of his Dis∣courses, but Fortune mistris to the succes of his affaires. My Sonnets & Songes are (gracious Princesse) for the most part, full of complaints, sorrow, and lamentations:

The reason is, I was maister of my Ver∣ses; but Fortune Mistris of my Rewards. When Thetis courted Iupiter, and when the Lecedemonians sende Legates to the Athenians, they put them not in minde of the good they had done them, but of the benefites they had receiued of them. Your Maiesties munificens, and frequent benefites bestowed vpon mee, haue head∣long impelled mee to propine this worth∣lesse worke to your Royall view. Happie beyonde the measure of my merit shall I bee, if I can purchase this portion of your Princely approbation, as to accept and entertaine these triuiall toyes (where your Grace shall smell Flowes to refresh,

Hearbes to cure, and Weedes to be auoy∣ded) in the lowest degree of least fauour. But howsoeuer, wishing your Highnes as many happie yeares, as there be wordes in my Verses, and Verses in my worthles Volume: I am

Your Maiesties most obsequious Orator, Alexander Craige, Scoto-Britan.