may pertake;
    If otherwise it perrish in the flood,
    Yet like good friends theirs perish’d for his sake. 
    On thy returne I put this little forth,
    My chaunce with thine indifferently to proue,
    Which though (I know) not fitting with thy worth,
    Accept it yet since it proceedes from loue;
      And if thy fortune prosper, I may see
      I haue some share, though most returne to thee.

Mich.  Drayton.

Prefixed to John Davies of Hereford; Holy Roode (1609).

To M. IOHN DAVIES, my good friend.

Such men as hold intelligence with Letters, And in that nice and Narrow way of Verse, As oft they lend, so oft they must be Debters, If with the Muses_ they will haue commerce:  Seldome at Stawles, me, this way men rehearse, To mine Inferiours, not unto my Betters:  He stales his Lines that so doeth them disperse; I am so free, I loue not Golden-fetters.  And many Lines fore Writers, be but Setters To them which cheate with_ Papers; which doth pierse, Our Credits:  when we shew our selues Abetters:  To those that wrong our knowledge:  we rehearse
  Often (my good Iohn_; and I loue) thy_ Letters_;
Which lend me Credit, as I lend my Verse._

Michael Drayton.

Prefixed to Sir David Murray’s Sophonisba &c. (1611).

To my kinde friend Da:  Murray.

In new attire (and put most neatly on)
Thou Murray mak’st thy passionate Queene apeare,
As when she sat on the Numidian throne,
Deck’d with those Gems that most refulgent were. 
So thy stronge muse her maker like repaires,
That from the ruins of her wasted vrne,
Into a body of delicious ayres: 
Againe her spirit doth transmigrated turne,
That scortching soile which thy great subiect bore,
Bred those that coldly but exprest her merit,
But breathing now vpon our colder shore,
Here shee hath found a noble fiery spirit,

    Both there, and here, so fortunate for Fame,

  That what she was, she’s euery where the same.

M. DRAYTON.

Among the Panegyrical Verses before Coryat’s Crudities (1611).

Incipit Michael Drayton.

A briefe Prologue to the verses following.

Deare Tom, thy booke was like to come to light, Ere I could gaine but one halfe howre to write; They go before whose wits are at their noones, And I come after bringing Salt and Spoones.

    Many there be that write before thy Booke,
    For whom (except here) who could euer looke? 
    Thrice happy are all wee that had the Grace
    To haue our names set in this liuing place. 
    Most worthy man, with thee it is euen thus,
    As men take Dottrels, so hast thou ta’n vs.