408 And to these idle rhymes lend little space, idle > empty; vain, trifling 409 Which, for their title's sake, may find more grace. 410 411 412 _To the right honourable the Lo. Burleigh Lo. high 413 Threasurer of England_. 414 415 TO you right noble Lord, whose carefull brest 416 To menage of most graue affaires is bent, 417 And on whose mightie shoulders most doth rest 418 The burdein of this kingdomes gouernement, 419 As the wide compasse of the firmament, 420 On _Atlas_ mighty shoulders is vpstayd; 421 Vnfitly I these ydle rimes present, 422 The labor of lost time, and wit vnstayd: 423 Yet if their deeper sence be inly wayd, 424 And the dim vele, with which from comune vew 425 Their fairer parts are hid, aside be layd. 426 Perhaps not vaine they may appeare to you. 427 Such as they be, vouchsafe them to receaue, 428 And wipe their faults out of your censure graue. 429 E. S. 430 411 412 _To the Right Honourable the Lord Burghley, Lord High Lord Burghley > (William Cecil, Lord Burghley, 1520-98: the most powerful man in England. An enemy of the Earl of Leicester, who was the uncle of Sir Philip Sidney (one of Spenser's friends). This, taken in combination with Spenser's friendship with Raleigh (another enemy) perhaps disinclined Burghley to favour the poet or his work) 413 Treasurer of England_ 414 415 To, you right noble lord, whose careful breast careful > {Full of cares; prudent} breast > heart; _hence:_ mind 416 To manage most grave affairs is bent, bent > inclined, directed 417 And on whose mighty shoulders most does rest 418 The burden of this kingdom's government burden > burden; fate, destiny 419 (As the wide compass of the firmament 420 On Atlas' mighty shoulders is upstayed); Atlas > (A mythical giant said to support on his shoulders the pillars of the universe) upstayed > supported 421 Unfitly I these idle rhymes present, idle > empty; vain, trifling 422 The labour of lost time and wit unstayed: wit > mind, intelligence unstayed > unsteady 423 Yet if their deeper sense be inly weighed, inly > inwardly 424 And the dim veil, with which from common view common > vulgar 425 Their fairer parts are hidden, aside be laid, 426 Perhaps not vain they may appear to you. vain > foolish, futile