| William Stanley Braithwaite, ed. The Book of Elizabethan Verse. 1907. | | | | Epigram: The Doubt | | By Queen Elizabeth (1533–1603) |
| | | THE DOUBT of future foes | |
| Exiles my present joy, | |
| And wit me warns to shun such snares | |
| As threaten mine annoy. | |
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| For falsehood now doth flow, | 5 |
| And subject faith doth ebb, | |
| Which would not be if reason ruled, | |
| Or wisdom weaved the web. | |
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| But clouds of toys untried | |
| Do cloak aspiring minds, | 10 |
| Which turn to rain of late repent, | |
| By course of changèd winds. | |
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| The top of hope supposed | |
| The root of ruth will be, | |
| And fruitless all their graffèd guiles, | 15 |
| As shortly ye shall see. | |
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| Then dazzled eyes with pride, | |
| Which great ambition blinds, | |
| Shall be unsealed by worthy wights, | |
| Whose foresight falsehood finds. | 20 |
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| The daughter of debate, | |
| That eke discord doth sow, | |
| Shall reap no gain where former rule | |
| Hath taught still peace to grow. | |
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| No foreign banished wight | 25 |
| Shall anchor in this port; | |
| Our realm it brooks no stranger’s force; | |
| Let them elsewhere resort. | |
| |
| Our rusty sword with rest | |
| Shall first his edge employ, | 30 |
| To poll their tops that seek such change | |
| And gape for future joy. | | | | |
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