I.

One day, whiles that my daylie cares did sleepe, My spirit, shaking off her earthly prison, Began to enter into meditation deepe Of things exceeding reach of common reason; Such as this age, in which all good is geason*, And all that humble is and meane** debaced, Hath brought forth in her last declining season, Griefe of good mindes, to see goodnesse disgraced! On which when as my thought was throghly@ placed, Unto my eyes strange showes presented were, Picturing that which I in minde embraced, That yet those sights empassion$ me full nere. Such as they were, faire Ladie%, take in worth, That when time serves may bring things better forth.

[* _Geason_, rare.] [** _Meane_, lowly.] [@ _Throghly_, thoroughly.] [$ _Empassion_, move.] [% _Faire Ladie._ The names of the ladies to whom these Visions and those of Petrarch (see p. 210, VII. 9) were inscribed have not been preserved. C.]