John Milton. (1608–1674). Complete Poems.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14. |
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| To Mr. H. Lawes on His Airs |
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| (1646) |
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| HARRY, whose tuneful and well-measured song | |
| First taught our English music how to span | |
| Words with just note and accent, not to scan | |
| With Midas’ ears, committing short and long, | |
| Thy worth and skill exempts thee from the throng, | 5 |
| With praise enough for Envy to look wan; | |
| To after age thou shalt be writ the man | |
| That with smooth air couldst humour best our tongue. | |
| Thou honour’st Verse, and Verse must lend her wing | |
| To honour thee, the priest of Phœbus’ quire, | 10 |
| That tunest their happiest lines in hymn or story. | |
| Dante shall give Fame leave to set thee higher | |
| Than his Casella, whom he wooed to sing, | |
| Met in the milder shades of Purgatory. | |
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