What more felicitie can fall to creature And to be lord of all the workes of Nature, I was promised on a time To have reason for my rhyme; I received nor rhyme nor reason. Lines on his promised Pension.1 For of the soul the body form doth take, Full little knowest thou that hast not tride, To fret thy soule with crosses and with cares; To eate thy heart through comfortlesse dispaires; To fawne, to crowche, to waite, to ride, to ronne, To spend, to give, to want, to be undonne. Mother Hubberd's Tale. Line 895. 1 This tradition is confirmed by an entry in Manningham's nearly contemporaneous Diary, May 4, 1602. SIR WALTER RALEIGH. 1552-1618. If all the world and love were young, The Nymph's Reply to the Passionate Shepherd. Passions are likened best to floods and streams; Silence in love bewrays more woe May challenge double pity. Ibid. Methought I saw the grave where Laura lay. Verses to Edmund Spenser. Go, Soul, the body's guest, Upon a thankless arrant; Fear not to touch the best, The truth shall be thy warrant ; Go, since I needs must die, The Lie. 1 This poem is traced in manuscript to the year 1593. It first appeared in print in Davison's Poetical Rhapscdy, second edition, 1608. It has been assigned to various authors, but on Raleigh's side there is good evidence, besides the internal testimony, which appears to us irresistible. Two answers to it, written in Raleigh's lifetime, ascribe it to him; and two manu Cowards [may] fear to die; but courage stout, On the Snuff of a Candle the night before he died. Even such is Time, that takes on trust Verses written the night before his death. Accord ing to Oldys, they were found in his Bible. O eloquent, just and mightie Death! whom none could advise, thou hast perswaded; what none hath dared, thou hast done; and whom all the world hath flattered, thou only hast cast out of the world and despised: thou hast drawne together all the farre stretchèd greatnesse, all the pride, crueltie and ambition of man, and covered it all over with these two narrow words, Hic jacet! Historie of the World, Book v. Pt. 1, ad fin. Fain would I climb, yet fear I to fall.1 script copies of the period of Elizabeth bear the title of "Sir Walter Rawleigh his Lie."- Chambers's Cyclopædia, Vol. i. p. 120. 1 Written in a glass window obvious to the Queen's eye; her Majesty, either espying or being shown it, did underwrite, "If thy heart fails thee, climb not at all.". Fuller's Worthies. LORD BROOKE. 1554-1628. O wearisome condition of humanity! Mustapha. Act v. Sc. 4. And out of mind as soon as out of sight.1 Sonnet lvi. MATHEW ROYDON. A sweet attractive kinde of grace, The lineaments of Gospell bookes. Was never eie did see that face, Was never eare did heare that tong, But eies, and eares, and ev'ry thought Ibid. 1 See Kempis, Imitation of Christ, Book i. Ch. 23. 2 This piece (ascribed to Spenser) was printed in The Phonix Nest, 4to, 1593, where it is anonymous. Todd has shown that it was written by Mathew Roydon. SIR PHILIP SIDNEY. 1554-1586. Sweet food of sweetly uttered knowledge. The Defence of Poesy. He cometh unto you with a tale which holdeth children from play, and old men from the chimney corner. Ibid. I never heard the old song of Percy and Douglass, that I found not my heart moved more than with a trumpet. Ibid. High erected thoughts seated in the heart of courtesy. Arcadia. Book i. They are never alone that are accompanied with noble thoughts. Ibid. Many-headed multitude.1 Ibid. Book ii. My dear, my better half. Ibid. Book iii. Have I caught my heav'nly jewel.2 Astrophel and Stella. Second Song. 1 Shakespeare, Coriolanus, Act ii. Sc. 3. Many-headed monster. - Daniel, Civil Wars, Book ii. Massinger, The Roman Actor, Act iii. Sc. ii. Voltaire, Merope, Acti. Sc. 4. Pope, Epist. i. Book ii. Line 305. Scott, Lady of the Lake, Canto v. St. 30. 2 Quoted by Shakespeare in Merry Wives of Windsor. |