Well did she know, that who would guard and keepe The state and counsell of a realme aright, Not vtterly dissolu’d in ease and sleepe, Or led with loose affection of delight, They must insist in their owne appetite; But their state-charged thoughts in cares begun, Through broken sleepes, and easelesse toiles must run. 356. Yet if she did abstaine from graue affaires, And found fit time to solace her delay, With fond delight she did not ease her cares; But with the ladie muses wont to play, Or Pallas-like would often spend the day, In making wits quaint parlie her best sport, Amidst her virgin troope of stately port. 357. Mongst whom, if some, yet mindfull of her worth, With iuorie fingers touch do chance to turne These luckie leaues, I only picke them forth To grace Ioue’s wit-bred brood, the thrice three borne With their great worth, she dead, left now forlorne, That by their power, whence I this verse deriue, She may in them, and they in her suruiue. 358. And yee faire nymphs, that like to angels houer About the palace of our Britaine king, That locke the hearts of euery gazing louer Within your lookes, whence all delight doth spring, Of this faire queene vouchsafe to heare me sing, And let her life, to whom she was vnknowne, A Mirrour be for them to gaze vpon. 359. It was, alas that now it is not so, Praise-worthie deem’d amongst diuinest dames, In learning’s lore their leasure to bestow, For which the muses to their lasting fames, In golden verse might eternize their names; But now seduc’d with each mind-pleasing toy In learning’s liking, few do place their ioy. 360. Yet she, that could command all ioyes on earth, With sweets of iudgement suckt from learning, skill In all delights, did moderate her mirth, Nor gaue she swinge vnto her princely will In any pleasure to affect the fill; But with true temperance aduis’d aright, She best did loue the meane in each delight. 361. In musike’s skill mongst princes past compare She was esteem’d; and yet for that delight The precious time she did not wholly square, And though in daintie dance she goodly dight Was matchlesse held for her maiestike sprite; Yet not in dalliance did she go astray, Ne yet in dance did dallie out the day. 362.