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| To sing a song that old was sung, |
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| From ashes ancient Gower is come; |
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| Assuming man's infirmities, |
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| To glad your ear, and please your eyes. |
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| It hath been sung at festivals, |
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| On ember-eves and holy-ales; |
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| And lords and ladies in their lives |
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| Have read it for restoratives: |
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| The purchase is to make men glorious; |
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| Et bonum quo antiquius, eo melius. |
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| If you, born in these latter times, |
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| When wit's more ripe, accept my rhymes, |
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| And that to hear an old man sing |
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| May to your wishes pleasure bring, |
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| I life would wish, and that I might |
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| Waste it for you, like taper-light. |
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| This Antioch, then, Antiochus the Great |
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| Built up, this city, for his chiefest seat; |
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| The fairest in all Syria, |
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| I tell you what mine authors say: |
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| This king unto him took a fere, |
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| Who died and left a female heir, |
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| So buxom, so blithe, and full of face, |
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| As heaven had lent her all his grace; |
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| With whom the father liking took, |
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| And her to incest did provoke: |
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| Bad child; worse father! to entice his own |
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| To evil should be done by none: |
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| But custom what they did begin |
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| Was with long use account no sin. |
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| The beauty of this sinful dame |
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| Made many princes thither frame, |
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| To seek her as a bed-fellow, |
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| In marriage-pleasures play-fellow: |
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| Which to prevent he made a law, |
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| To keep her still, and men in awe, |
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| That whoso ask'd her for his wife, |
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| His riddle told not, lost his life: |
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| So for her many a wight did die, |
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| As yon grim looks do testify. |
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| What now ensues, to the judgement your eye |
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| I give, my cause who lest can justify. |
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