Specimens with Memoirs of the Less-known British Poets Part 26

No, no; I know that I must die, And yet my life amend not I.

If none can 'scape Death's dreadful dart; If rich and poor his beck obey; If strong, if wise, if all do smart, Then I to 'scape shall have no way: Then grant me grace, O G.o.d! that I My life may mend, since I must die.

LOVE'S SERVILE LOT.

Love mistress is of many minds, Yet few know whom they serve; They reckon least how little hope Their service doth deserve.

The will she robbeth from the wit, The sense from reason's lore; She is delightful in the rind, Corrupted in the core.

May never was the month of love; For May is full of flowers: But rather April, wet by kind; For love is full of showers.

With soothing words, inthralled souls She chains in servile bands!

Her eye in silence hath a speech Which eye best understands.

Her little sweet hath many sours, Short hap, immortal harms Her loving looks are murdering darts, Her songs bewitching charms.

Like winter rose, and summer ice, Her joys are still untimely; Before her hope, behind remorse, Fair first, in fine[1] unseemly.

Plough not the seas, sow not the sands, Leave off your idle pain; Seek other mistress for your minds, Love's service is in vain.

[1] 'Fine:' end.

TIMES GO BY TURNS.

The lopped tree in time may grow again, Most naked plants renew both fruit and flower; The sorriest wight may find release of pain, The driest soil suck in some moistening shower: Time goes by turns, and chances change by course, From foul to fair, from better hap to worse.

The sea of Fortune doth not ever flow; She draws her favours to the lowest ebb: Her tides have equal times to come and go; Her loom doth weave the fine and coa.r.s.est web: No joy so great but runneth to an end, No hap so hard but may in fine amend.

Not always fall of leaf, nor ever spring, Not endless night, yet not eternal day: The saddest birds a season find to sing, The roughest storm a calm may soon allay.

Thus, with succeeding turns, G.o.d tempereth all, That man may hope to rise, yet fear to fall.

A chance may win that by mischance was lost; That net that holds no great, takes little fish; In some things all, in all things none are cross'd; Few all they need, but none have all they wish.

Unmingled joys here to no man befall; Who least, hath some; who most, hath never all.

THOMAS WATSON.

He was born in 1560, and died about 1592. All besides known certainly of him is, that he was a native of London, and studied the common law, but seems to have spent much of his time in the practice of rhyme. His sonnets--one or two of which we subjoin--have considerable merit; but we agree with Campbell in thinking that Stevens has surely overrated them when he prefers them to Shakspeare's.

THE NYMPHS TO THEIR MAY-QUEEN.

With fragrant flowers we strew the way, And make this our chief holiday: For though this clime was blest of yore, Yet was it never proud before.

O beauteous queen of second Troy, Accept of our unfeigned joy.

Now the air is sweeter than sweet balm, And satyrs dance about the palm; Now earth with verdure newly dight, Gives perfect signs of her delight: O beauteous queen!

Now birds record new harmony, And trees do whistle melody: And everything that nature breeds Doth clad itself in pleasant weeds.

SONNET.

Actaeon lost, in middle of his sport, Both shape and life for looking but awry: Diana was afraid he would report What secrets he had seen in pa.s.sing by.

To tell the truth, the self-same hurt have I, By viewing her for whom I daily die; I lose my wonted shape, in that my mind Doth suffer wreck upon the stony rock Of her disdain, who, contrary to kind, Does bear a breast more hard than any stock; And former form of limbs is changed quite By cares in love, and want of due delight.

I leave my life, in that each secret thought Which I conceive through wanton fond regard, Doth make me say that life availeth nought, Where service cannot have a due reward.

I dare not name the nymph that works my smart, Though love hath graven her name within my heart.

THOMAS TURBERVILLE.

Of this author--Thomas Turberville--once famous in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, but now almost totally forgotten, and whose works are altogether omitted in most selections, we have preserved a little. He was a voluminous author, having produced, besides many original pieces, a translation of Ovid's Heroical Epistles, from which Warton has selected a short specimen.

IN PRAISE OP THE RENOWNED LADY ANNE, COUNTESS OF WARWICK.

When Nature first in hand did take The clay to frame this Countess' corse, The earth a while she did forsake, And was compell'd of very force, With mould in hand, to flee to skies, To end the work she did devise.

The G.o.ds that then in council sate, Were half-amazed, against their kind,[1]

To see so near the stool of state Dame Nature stand, that was a.s.sign'd Among her worldly imps[2] to wonne,[3]

As she until that day had done.

First Jove began: 'What, daughter dear, Hath made thee scorn thy father's will?

Why do I see thee, Nature, here, That ought'st of duty to fulfil Thy undertaken charge at home?

What makes thee thus abroad to roam?

'Disdainful dame, how didst thou dare, So reckless to depart the ground That is allotted to thy share?'

And therewithal his G.o.dhead frown'd.

'I will,' quoth Nature, 'out of hand, Declare the cause I fled the land.

'I undertook of late a piece Of clay a featured face to frame, To match the courtly dames of Greece, That for their beauty bear the name; But, O good father, now I see This work of mine it will not be.

'Vicegerent, since you me a.s.sign'd Below in earth, and gave me laws On mortal wights, and will'd that kind Should make and mar, as she saw cause: Of right, I think, I may appeal, And crave your help in this to deal.'

When Jove saw how the case did stand, And that the work was well begun, He pray'd to have the helping hand Of other G.o.ds till he had done: With willing minds they all agreed, And set upon the clay with speed.

First Jove each limb did well dispose, And makes a creature of the clay; Next, Lady Venus she bestows Her gallant gifts as best she may; From face to foot, from top to toe, She let no whit untouch'd to go.