Sonnet 13
John Milton
XIII To Mr. H. Lawes, on his Aires. Harry whose tuneful and well measur’d Song First taught our English Musick 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, With praise enough for Envy to look wan; To after age thou shalt be writ the man, That with smooth aire couldst humor best our tongue Thou honour’st Verse, and Verse must send her wing To honour thee, the Priest of Phoebus Quire That tun’st their happiest lines in Hymn or Story Dante shall give Fame leave to set thee higher Then his Casella, whom he woo’d to sing Met in the milder shades of Purgatory.
