Book 15
Excelled him. Although his sonne in no wyse would agree
745
To have his deedes preferd before his fathers: yit dooth fame,
(Whoo ay is free, and bound to no commaund) withstand the same
And stryving in that one behalf ageinst his hest and will,
Proceedeth to preferre his deedes before his fathers still.
Even so to Agamemnons great renowne gives Atreus place,
Even so Achilles deedes, the deedes of Peleus doo abace.
Even so beyond Aegaeus, farre dooth Theseyes prowesse go.
And (that I may examples use full matching theis) even so
Is Saturne lesse in fame than Jove. Jove rules the heavenly spheres,
And all the tryple shaped world. And our Augustus beares
Dominion over all the earth. They bothe are fathers: they
Are rulers both. Yee Goddes to whom both fyre and swoord gave way,
What tyme yee with Aenaeas came from Troy: yee Goddes that were
Of mortall men canonyzed: thou Quirin whoo didst reere
The walles of Rome: and Mars who wart the valeant Quirins syre
And Vesta of the household Goddes of Caesar with thy fyre
Most holy: and thou Phebus whoo with Vesta also art
Of household: and thou Jupiter whoo in the hyghest part
Of mountayne Tarpey hast thy Church: and all yee Goddes that may
With conscience sauf by Poets bee appealed to: I pray
Let that same day bee slowe to comme and after I am dead,
In which Augustus (whoo as now of all the world is head)
Quyght giving up the care therof ascend to heaven for ay,
There (absent hence) to favour such as unto him shall pray.
Now have I brought a woork to end which neither Joves feerce wrath,
Nor swoord, nor fyre, nor freating age with all the force it hath
Are able to abolish quyght. Let comme that fatall howre
Which (saving of this brittle flesh) hath over mee no powre,
And at his pleasure make an end of myne uncerteyne tyme.
Yit shall the better part of mee assured bee to clyme
Aloft above the starry skye. And all the world shall never
Be able for to quench my name. For looke how farre so ever
The Romane Empyre by the ryght of conquest shall extend,
So farre shall all folke reade this woork. And tyme without all end
(If Poets as by prophesie about the truth may ame)
My lyfe shall everlastingly bee lengthened still by fame.
