and such sorts, as well-nigh persuaded me of Mahomet's paradise. We had women, and indeed wine too, in such plenty as wou'd have astonish'd each sober beholder. Our feasts were magnificent, and the two royal guests did most lovingly embrace each other at table. I think the Dane hath strangely wrought on our good English nobles; for those, whom I never could get to taste good liquor, now follow the fashion, and wallow in beastly delights. The ladies abandon their sobriety, and seem to roll about in intoxication. In good sooth the parliament did kindly to provide his Majestie so seasonably with money, for there hath been no lack of good livinge, shows, sights, and banquetings, from morn

to eve.

One day, a great feast was held, and, after dinner, the representation of Solomon, his Temple, and the coming of the Queen of Sheba was made, or (as I may better say) was meant to have been made before their Majesties, by device of the Earl of Salisbury and others.—But, alass as all earthly thinges do fail to poor mortals in enjoyment, so did prove our presentment thereof. The lady who did play the queen's part, did carry most precious gifts to both their Majesties; but, forgetting the steppes arising to the canopy, overset her casket into his Danish Majesty's lap, and fell at his feet, though I rather think it was in his face. Much was the hurry and confusion; cloths and napkins were at hand, to make all clean. His Majesty then got up and wou'd dance with the Queen of Sheba; but he fell down and humbled himself before her, and was carried to an inner chamber and laid on a bed of state; which was not a little defiled with the presents of the queen, which had been bestowed upon his garments; such as wine, cream, jellies, beverage, cakes, spices, and other good matters. The entertainment and show went forward, and most of the presenters went backward, or fell down; wine did so occupy their upper chambers. Now did appear, in rich dress, Hope, Faith, and Charity: Hope did essay to speak, but wine rendered her endeavours so feeble that she withdrew, and hoped the king would excuse her brevity: Faith was then all alone, for I am certain she was not joyned with good works, and left the court in a staggering condition: Charity came to the king's feet, and seemed to cover the multitude of sins her sisters had committed: in some sorte she made obeysance and brought giftes; but said she would return home again, as there was no gift which Heaven

had not already given his Majesty. She then returned to Hope and Faith, who were both in the lower hall. Next came Victory, in bright armour, and presented a rich sword to the king, who did not accept it, but put it by with his hand; and by a strange medley of versification, did endeavour to make suit to the king. But Victory did not triumph long; for, after much lamentable utterance, she was led away like a silly captive, and laid to sleep on the outer steps of the ante-chamber. Now did Peace make entry, and strive to get foremost to the king; but I grieve to tell how great wrath she did discover unto those of her attendants; and, much contrary to her semblance, most rudely made war with her olive branch, and laid on the pates of those who did oppose her coming.

I have much marvelled at these strange pagentries, and they do bring to my remembrance what passed of this sort in our queen's days; of which I was sometime an humble presenter and assistaut: but I ne'er did see such lack of good order, discretion, and sobriety, as I have now done. I have passed much time in seeing the royal sports of hurting and hawking, where the manners were such as made me devise the beasts were pursuing the sober creation, and not man in quest of exercise or food. I will now, in good sooth, declare to you, who will not blab, that the gunpowder fright is got out of all our heads, and we are going on hereabouts, as if the devil was contriving every man should blow up himself, by wild riot, excess, and devastation of time and temperance. The great ladies do go well masked, and indeed it be the only show of their modesty to conceal their countenance; but, alack, they meet with such countenance to uphold their strange doings, that I marvel not at aught that happens. The lord of the manor is overwhelmed in preparations at Theobalds, and doth marvellously please both kings, with good meat, good drink, and good speeches. I do often say (but not aloud), that the Danes have again conquered the Britons, for I see no man or woman either, that can now command himself or herself. I wish I was at home:- rus, quando te aspiciam?

To Mr. Sec. Barlow, 1606.

From Nuga Antiquæ, being a Miscellaneous Collection of Original Papers in Prose and Verse; written in the reigns of Henry VIII. and King James. Vol. ii., p. 131, Lond 1792.

Of Treason.

Treason doth never prosper, what the reason?
For if it prosper none dare call it treason.

Of Fortune.

Fortune (men say) doth give too much to many:
But yet she never gave enough to any.

Epigrams, Lond., 1615.

66. Samuel Daniel, 1562-1619. (Handbook, pars. 129, 254, 315.) 'The well-languaged,' 'the pithy,' as his admirers have called him: author of eight books on the History of the Civil War; of various sonnets, and other poems.

The Nobility exhorted to the Patronage of Learning.

You mighty lords, that with respected grace

Do at the stern of fair example stand,

And all the body of this populace
Guide with the turning of your hand;

Keep a right course; bear up from all disgrace;
Observe the point of glory to our land:

Hold up disgraced Knowledge from the ground;
Keep Virtue in request; give worth her due,
Let not Neglect with barbarous means confound
So fair a good, to bring in night a-new;

Be not, O be not accessary found

Unto her death, that must give life to you.

Where will you have your virtuous name safe laid ?—
In gorgeous tombs, in sacred cells secure?

Do you not see those prostrate heaps betray'd

Your father's bones, and could not keep them sure?
And will you trust deceitful stones fair laid,
And think they will be to your honour truer ?

No, no; unsparing Time will proudly send
A warrant unto Wrath, that with one frown
Will all these mockeries of vain-glory rend,
And make them (as before) ungraced, unknown:
Poor idle honours, that can ill defend

Your memories, that cannot keep their own!

From Musophilus.

67. Joshua Sylvester, 1563-1618. (Handbook, pars. 67, 163.) The translator of the Divine du Bartas, and a favourite of Milton's. The following lines are a favourable specimen of his translation.

The Celestial Orbs inhabited.

I'll n'ere beleeue that the Arch-Architect
With all these fires the heauenly arches deckt
Onely for shew, and with their glistring shields
T' amaze poore shepheards watching in the fields:
I'll n'ere beleeue that the least flower than prancks
Our garden borders, or the common banks,
And the least stone that in her warming lap
Our kind nourse Earth doth couetously wrap
Hath some peculiar vertue of its owne;

And that the glorious starres of Heau'n haue none,
But shine in vaine, and haue no charge precise,
But to be walking in Heau'ns galleries,

And through that pallace vp and doune to clamber
As golden gulls about a presence chamber.

DU BARTAS, His Deuine Weekes and Workes, Lond., p. 230. 68. Michael Drayton, 1563-1631. (Handbook, pars. 17, 24, 101, 130.)

The author of above a hundred thousand rhyming verses-most of them written before he was thirty. His Barons' Wars describe the civil wars of Edward II. His Polyolbion describes England, county by county, in thirty books of Alexandrines. Selden has added notes to part of this poem. The Severn-personified.

Now Sabrine as a queen, miraculously fair,

Is absolutely placed in her imperial chair

Of crystal richly wrought, that gloriously did shine,

Her grace becoming well a creature so divine.

And as her god-like self, so glorious was her throne,

In which himself to sit great Neptune had been known;

Whereon there were engraved those nymphs the god had wooed,
And every several shape wherein for love he sued;
Each daughter, her estate and beauty, every son;
What nations he had ruled what countries he had won.
No fish in this wide waste, but with exceeding cost
Was there in antique work most curiously embossed.

.

She, in a watchet weed, with many a curious wave,

Which as a princely gift great Amphitrite gave;

Whose skirts were to the knee, with coral fringed below,
To grace her goodly steps. And where she meant to go,

The path was strewed with pearl: which though they orient were,
Yet scarce known from her feet, they were so wondrous clear;
To whom the mermaids hold her glass, that she may see
Before all other floods how far her beauties be.

The Stag Hunt.

Polyolbion, Fifth Song.

Now when the hart doth hear

The often bellowing hounds to vent his secret leir,
He rousing rusheth out, and through the brakes doth drive,
As though up by the roots the bushes he would rive.
And, through the cumbrous thicks, as fearfully he makes,
He with his branchéd head the tender saplings shakes,
That sprinkling their moist pearl, do seem for him to weep;
When after goes the cry, with yellings loud and deep,
That all the forest rings, and every neighbouring place;
And there is not a hound but falleth to the chase.
Rechating with his horn, which then the hunter cheers,
Whilst still the lusty stag his high-palmed head up-bears,
His body showing state, with unbent knees upright,
Expressing (from all beasts) his courage in his flight.
But when, the approaching foes still following, he perceives
That he his speed must trust, his usual walk he leaves,
And o'er the champain flies: which when the assembly find,
Each follows, as his horse were footed with the wind.

d

But being then imbost, the noble stately deer

When he hath gotten ground (the kennel cast arrear)
Doth beat the brooks and ponds for sweet refreshing soil:

That serving not, then proves if he his scent can foil,
And makes amongst the herds, and flocks of shag-wool'd sheep,
Them frighting from the guard of those who had their keep.
But, when as all his shifts his safety still denies,
Put quite out of his walk, the ways and fallows tries.
Whom when the ploughman meets, his team he letteth stand
Tassail him with his goad; so with his hook in hand,

■ Azure robe; so called from blue watchet cloth.

Lair.

• Thicket

d Bosses are foam babbles,