Are of imagination all compact: One sees more devils than vast hell can hold; Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven; The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen Midsummer Night's Dream. Sir Robert Ayton. Born 1570. Died 1638. A SCOTTISH poet and courtier, whose few pieces evince a delicacy of fancy rarely equalled; they are also written in the purest English. WOMAN'S INCONSTANCY. I LOVED thee once, I'll love no more, He that can love unloved again, When new desires had conquered thee, It had been lethargy in me, Not constancy, to love thee still. Yea, it had been a sin to go Since we are taught no prayers to say Yet do thou glory in thy choice, The height of my disdain shall be, Dr John Donne. Born 1573. Died 1631. DEAN of St Paul's, and founder of the Metaphysical School of poetry. His father was a London merchant, descended from an ancient family in Wales. Donne received a liberal education, and travelled in Spain and Italy. On his return he was appointed secretary to Lord Chancellor Ellesmere. Unfortunately he fell in love with a niece of the Chancellor, whom he privately married. This brought on his dismissal from his situation, and a whole train of troubles. He afterwards obtained a reconciliation with his wife's friends; and having won King James's favour by a book on the Protestant controversy, he was made Dean of St Paul's, and afterwards obtained other livings, which enabled him to live in affluence. He died in 1631. THE WILL. BEFORE I sigh my last gasp, let me breathe, Thou, Love, hast taught me heretofore, By making me serve her who had twenty more, My constancy I to the planets give; My truth to them who at the court do live; Mine ingenuity and openness To Jesuits; to buffoons my pensiveness; Thou, Love, taught'st me, by appointing me My faith I give to Roman Catholics; Thou, Love, taught'st me, by making me Only to give to those that count my gifts indignity. Which were my friends; mine industry to foes; To schoolmen I bequeath my doubtfulness; My sickness to physicians, or excess; Thou, Love, by making me adore Her who begot this love in me before, Taught'st me to make as though I gave, when I do but restore. To him for whom the passing bell next tolls I give my physic books; my written rolls Of moral counsels I to Bedlam give; In want of bread; to them which pass among Thou, Love, by making me love one Who thinks her friendship a fit portion For younger lovers, dost my gifts thus disproportion. Therefore I'll give no more, but I'll undo The world by dying, because love dies too. Then all your beauties will be no more worth Than gold in mines, where none doth draw it forth, Than a sun-dial in a grave. Thou, Love, taught'st me, by making me Love her who doth neglect both me and thee, To invent and practise this one way to annihilate all three. E Ben Jonson. Born 1574. Died 1637. BENJAMIN JONSON, of the family of the Johnstones of Annandale, was born at Westminster in 1574 His father was a clergyman. Jonson was educated at Westminster School; and after leaving it, enlisted as a soldier, and served with the army in Flanders. At the age of 20 we find him again in London, married, first acting, and then writing plays. In 1598 his first play was acted at the Globe Theatre, Shakespeare being one of the actors. His plays were very successful, and brought him greatly into notice; and he was appointed Poet Laureate, with a pension ultimately raised to £100 a year. Though receiving large sums for his pieces, he was, through want of economy, constantly poor; and in his latter days he was often in great distress. Jonson was often in quarrels and trouble from a too free use of his pen. On one occasion he assisted in writing a piece called "Eastward Hoe," which so greatly libelled the Scotch that James I. had him arrested, and with the other authors put in prison; from which, however, he was very soon released. His plays number about fifty in all, and were the beginning of a new style of English Comedy. The chief of his poems are "The Forest" and "The Underwood." He died 16th August 1637, and is buried in Westminster Abbey, where on his tablet is inserted, "O rare Ben Jonson." TO CELIA. DRINK to me only with thine eyes, And I will pledge with mine; Or leave a kiss but in the cup, The thirst that from the soul doth rise, But might I of Jove's nectar sup, Not so much honouring thee, But thou thereon didst only breathe, Since when it grows, and smells, I swear, Not of itself, but thee. ADVICE TO A RECKLESS YOUTH. WHAT Would I have you do? I'll tell you, kinsman: That would I have you do; and not to spend Your coin on every bauble that you fancy, Till men's affections, or your own desert, Which is an airy and mere borrowed thing, THE PLEASURES OF HEAVEN. THERE all the happy souls that ever were, There shall the brother with the sister walk, |