ED. SPENSER.

[* Prefixed to “Nennio, or A Treatise of Nobility, &c.  Written in Italian by that famous Doctor and worthy Knight, Sir John Baptista Nenna of Bari.  Done into English by William Iones, Gent.” 1595.  TODD.] [** Visnomy, features.] [@ Behight, accord.]

III*.

Upon the Historie of George Castriot, alias Scanderbeg, King of the Epirots, translated into English.

Wherefore doth vaine Antiquitie so vaunt
Her ancient monuments of mightie peeres,
And old heroees, which their world did daunt
With their great deedes and fild their childrens eares? 
Who, rapt with wonder of their famous praise,
Admire their statues, their colossoes great,
Their rich triumphall arcks which they did raise,
Their huge pyramids, which do heaven threat. 
Lo! one, whom later age hath brought to light,
Matchable to the greatest of those great;
Great both by name, and great in power and might,
And meriting a meere** triumphant seate. 
  The scourge of Turkes, and plague of infidels,
  Thy acts, O Scanderbeg, this volume tels.

ED. SPENSER.

[* Prefixed to the “Historie of George Castriot, alias Scanderbeg, King of Albanie:  Containing his famous actes, &c.  Newly translated out of French into English by Z.I.  Gentleman.” 1596.  TODD.] [** Meere, absolute, decided.]

IV*.

The antique Babel, empresse of the East,
Upreard her buildinges to the threatned skie: 
And second Babell, tyrant of the West,
Her ayry towers upraised much more high. 
But with the weight of their own surquedry**
They both are fallen, that all the earth did feare,
And buried now in their own ashes ly,
Yet shewing, by their heapes, how great they were. 
But in their place doth now a third appeare,
Fayre Venice, flower of the last worlds delight;
And next to them in beauty draweth neare,
But farre exceedes in policie of right. 
  Yet not so fayre her buildinges to behold
  As Lewkenors stile that hath her beautie told.

EDM.  SPENCER.

[* Prefixed to “The Commonwealth and Government of Venice, Written by the Cardinall Gaspar Contareno, and translated out of Italian into English by Lewes Lewkenor, Esquire.”  London, 1599.  TODD.] [** Surquedry, presumption.]

* * * * *

APPENDIX.

APPENDIX I.

VARIATIONS FROM THE ORIGINAL EDITIONS.