CONTENTS
OF THE FIFTH VOLUME.
MISCELLANIES.
COMPLAINTS.
CONTAINING SUNDRIE SMALL POEMES OF THE WORLDS VANITIE:
WHEREOF THE NEXT PAGE MAKETH MENTION.
BY ED. SP.
LONDON.
IMPRINTED FOR WILLIAM PONSONBIE,
DWELLING IN PAULES CHURCHYARD
AT THE SIGNE OF THE
BISHOPS HEAD.
1591.
A NOTE OF THE SUNDRIE POEMES CONTAINED IN THIS VOLUME.
1. The Ruines of Time.
2. The Teares of the Muses.
3. Virgils Gnat.
4. Prosopopoia, or Mother Hubberds Tale.
5. The Ruines of Rome: by Bellay.
6. Muiopotmos, or The Tale of the Butterflie.
7. Visions of the Worlds Vanitie.
8. Bellayes Visions.
9. Petrarches Visions.
THE PRINTER TO THE GENTLE READER.
Since my late setting foorth of the Faerie Queene, finding that it hath found a favourable passage amongst you, I have sithence endevoured by all good meanes, (for the better encrease and accomplishment of your delights,) to get into my handes such smale poemes of the same Authors as I heard were disperst abroad in sundrie hands, and not easie to bee come by by himselfe; some of them having bene diverslie imbeziled and purloyned from him, since his departure over sea. Of the which I have by good meanes gathered togeather these fewe parcels present, which I have caused to bee imprinted altogeather, for that they al seeme to containe like matter of argument in them, being all complaints and meditations of the worlds vanitie, verie grave and profitable. To which effect I understand that he besides wrote sundrie others, namelie: Ecclesiastes and Canticum Canticorum translated, A Senights Slumber, The Hell of Lovers, his Purgatorie, being all dedicated to ladies, so as it may seeme he ment them all to one volume: besides some other pamphlets looselie scattered abroad; as The Dying Pellican, The Howers of the Lord, The Sacrifice of a Sinner, The Seven Psalmes, &c., which, when I can either by himselfe or otherwise attaine too, I meane likewise for your favour sake to set foorth. In the meane time, praying you gentlie to accept of these, and graciouslie to entertaine the new Poet*, I take leave.
[* Spenser had printed nothing with his name before the Faerie Queene.—Ponsonby’s account of the way in which this volume was collected is rather loose. The Ruins of Time and The Tears of the Muses were certainly written shortly before they were published, and there can be equally little doubt that Mother Hubberd’s Tale was retouched about the same time. C.]