EARL OF SURREY.

In everything,

correctness of style, and purity of expression; he Far, far passing

was the first to introduce the sonnet and blank verse That I can indite,

into English poetry. The gentle and melancholy Or suffice to write,

pathos of his style is well exemplified in the verses Of merry Margaret,

which he wrote during his captivity in Windsor As midsimmer flower,

Castle, when about to yield his life a sacrifice to
Gentle as falcon

tyrannical caprice :-
Or hawk of the tower ;
As patient and as still,

Prisoner in Windsor, he recounteth his Pleasure there
And as full of goodwill,

passed.
As fair Isiphil,
Coliander,

So cruel prison how could betide, alas !
Sweet Pomander,

As proud Windsor ? where I, in lust and joy,
Good Cassander;

With a king's son, my childish years did pass,
Stedfast of thought,

In greater feast than Priam's son of Troy:
Well made, well wrought

Where each sweet place returns a taste full sour !
Far may be sought,

The large green courts where we were wont to hove,
Ere you can find

With eyes cast up into the Maiden Tower,
So courteous, so kind,

And easy sighs such as folk draw in love.
As merry Margaret,
This midsimmer flower,

The stately seats, the ladies bright of hue;
Gentle as falcon,

The dances short, long tales of great delight,
Or hawk of the tower.

With words and looks that tigers could but rue,

Where each of us did plead the other's right.

The palm-play, where, despoiled for the game; From Chaucer, or at least from James I., the Have missed the ball and got sight of our dame,

With dazed eyes oft we by gleams of love, writers of verse in England had displayed little of the grace and elevation of true poetry. At length

To bait her eyes, which kept the leads above. a worthy successor of those poets appeared in the gravel ground, with sleeves tied on the helm Thomas Howard, eldest son of the Duke of Norfolk, Of foaming horse, with swords and friendly hearts; and usually denominated the EARL OF SURREY. With cheer, as though one should another whelm, This nobleman was born in 1516. He was educated Where we have fought, and chased oft with darts; at Windsor, in company with a natural son of the With silver drops the mead yet spread for ruth,

In active games of nimbleness and strength,
Where we did strain, trained with swarms of youth,

Our tender limbs that yet shot up in length:
The secret groves which oft we made resound,

Of pleasant plaint, and of our ladies' praise,
Recording oft what grace each one had found,

What hope of speed what dread of long delays:
The wild forest, the clothed holts with green,

With reins availed 3 and swift ybreathed horse; With cry of hounds and merry blasts between,

Where we did chase the fearful hart of force.
The wide vales, eke, that harboured us each night,

Wherewith, alas, reviveth in my breast,
The sweet accord such sleeps as yet delight,

The pleasant dreams, the quiet bed of rest :
The secret thoughts imparted with such trust,

The wanton talk, the divers change of play,
The friendship sworn, each promise kept so just;

Wherewith we passed the winter night away.
And with this thought, the blood forsakes the face,

The tears berain my cheeks of deadly hue,
Howard, Earl of Surrey.

The which, as soon as sobbing sighs, alas, king, and in early life became accomplished, not only Upsupped have, thus I my plaint renew: in the learning of the time, but in all kinds of courtly place of bliss ! renewer of my woes, and chivalrous exercises. Having travelled into Italy, he became a devoted student of the poets of whom in thy walls thou dost each night enclose 3

Give me accounts, where is my noble fere ;4 that country-Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, and Ari

To other leef,5 but unto me most dear: osto--and formed his own poetical style upon theirs. His poetry is chiefly amorous, and, notwithstanding Echo, alas! that doth my sorrow rue, his having been married in early life, much of it con Returns thereto a hollow sound of plaint. sists of the praises of a lady whom he names Geral. Thus I alone, where all my freedom grew, dipe, supposed to have been a daughter of the Earl In prison pine with bondage and restraint, of Kildare. Surrey was a gallant soldier as well as a poet, and conducted an important expedition, in And with remembrance of the greater grief 1542, for the devastation of the Scottish borders. To banish the less, I find my chief relief. He finally fell under the displeasure of Henry VIII., 1 Hover; loiter. and was beheaded on Tower Hill in 1547. The 2 A lover tied the sleeve of his mistress on the head of hla poetry of Surrey is remarkable for a flowing melody, horse. 3 Reins droppod. * Companion. 8 Agreeable.

fell far short of those effected in the literature of [Housewifely Physic.)

their southern neighbours. The most eminent of Good huswife provides, ere a sickness do come, these writers was Sir DAVID LYNDSAY, born about Of sundry good things in her house to have some. 1490, who, after serving King James V., when that Good aqua composita, and vinegar tart,

monarch was a boy, as sewer, carver, cup-bearer, Rose-water, and treacle, to comfort thine heart. purse-master, chief cubicular; in short, everything Cold herbs in her garden, for agues that burn, -bearing him as an infant upon his back, and That over-strong heat to good temper may turn. dancing antics for his amusement as a boy-was White endive, and succory, with spinach enow; appointed to the important office of Lord Lyon King All such with good pot-herbs, should follow the at Arms, and died about the year 1555. He chiefly plough.

shone as a satirical and humorous writer, and his great Get water of fumitory, liver to cool,

fault is an entire absence of that spirit of refinement And others the like, or else lie like a fool.

which graced the contemporary literature of EngConserves of barbary, quinces, and such,

land. The principal objects of Lyndsay's vituperaWith sirops, that easeth the sickly so much.

tions were the clergy, whose habits at this period Ask Medicus' counsel, ere medicine ye take,

(just before the Reformation) were such as to atford And honour that man for necessity's sake.

unusually ample scope for the pen of the satirist. Though thousands hate physic, because of the cost, Our poet, also, although a state officer, and long a Yet thousands it helpeth, that else should be lost. servant to the king, uses little delicacy in exposing Good broth, and good keeping, do much now and than: the abuses of the court. His chief poems are placed Good diet, with wisdom, best comforteth man. in the following succession by his editor, Mr George In health, to be stirring shall profit thee best; Chalmers :- The Dreme, written about 1528; The In sickness, hate trouble; seek quiet and rest. Complaynt, 1529; The Complaynt of the King's Remember thy soul ; let no fancy prevail ;

Papingo (Peacock), 1530; The Play (or Satire) of Make ready to God-ward ; let faith never quail: the Three Estates, 1535 ; Kitteis Confession, 1541; The sooner thyself thou submittest to God,

The History of Squire Meldrum, 1550; The MoThe sooner he ceaseth to scourge with his rod. narchie, 1553. The three first of these poems are

moralisings upon the state and government of the [Moral Reflections, on the Wind.]

kingdom, during two of its dismal minorities. The

Play is an extraordinary performance, a satire upon Though winds do rage, as winds were wood, the wliole of the three political orders-monarch, And cause spring-tides to raise great flood; barons, and clergy-full of humour and grossness, And lofty ships leave anchor in mud,

and curiously illustrative of the taste of the times. Bereaving many of life and of blood;

Notwithstanding its satiric pungency, and, what is Yet, true it is, as cow chews cud,

apt to be now more surprising, notwithstanding the And trees, at spring, doth yield forth bud, introduction of indecencies not fit to be described, Except wind stands as never it stood,

the Satire of the Three Estates was acted in preIt is an ill wind turns none to good.

sence of the court, both at Cupar and Edinburgh,

the stage being in the open air. Kitteis Confession SIR DAVID LYNDSAY.

is a satire on one of the practices of Roman Catho

lics. By his various burlesques of that party, he is While Surrey and Wyatt were imparting fresh said to have largely contributed to the progress of beauties to English poetry, Dunbar and his contem- the Reformation in Scotland. The History of Squire

Meldrum is perhaps the most pleasing of all this author's works. It is considered the last poem that in any degree partakes of the character of the metrical romance.

Of the dexterity with which Lyndsay could point a satirical remark on an error of state policy, we may judge from the following very brief passage of his Complaynt, which relates to the too early committal of the government to James V. It is given in the original spelling.

Imprudently, like witles fules,
Thay tuke the young prince from the sculos,
Quhere he, under obedience,
Was lcarnand vertew and science,
And hastilie pat in his hand
The governance of all Scotland :
As quha wald, in ane stormie blast,
Quhen marinaris been all agast,
Throw danger of the seis rage,
Wald tak ane child of tender age,
Quhilk never had bin on the sey,
And gar his bidding all obey,
Geving him hail the governall,
To ship, marchand, and marinall,
For dreid of rockis and foir land,
To put the ruthir in his hand.

I give them to
Sir David Lyndsay.

Quhilk first devisit that counsell ;

I will nocht say that it was tressoun, poraries were succeeded in Scotland by several poets

But I dar sweir it was na ressoun. of considerable talent, whose improvements, however,

I pray God lat me never see ring
2 Mack
Into this realme sa young ane king.

4

Of tails I will no more indite, [A Carman's Account of a Law-suit.]

For dreaıl some dudulron' me despite . Marry, I lent my gossip my mare, to fetch haine coals, Notwithstanding, I will conclude, And he her drounit into the quarry holes ;

That of side tails can come nae gude, And I ran to the consistory, for to pleinyie,

Sider nor may their ankles hide, And there I happenit amang ane greedie meinyie. The remanent proceeds of pride, They gave me first ane thing they call citandum; And pride proceeds of the devil, Within aucht days I gat but libellanulum;

Thus alway they proceed of evil. Within ane month I gat ad opponendum;

Ane other fault, Sir, may be seen, In half ane year 1 gat inter-loquendum,

They hide their face all bot the een ; And syne I gat-how call ye it?-a replicandum;

When gentlemen bid them gude day, Bot I could never ane word yet understand him : Without reverence they slide away. And then they gart me cast out raony placks, Without their faults be soon amended, And gart me pay for four-and-twenty acts.

My flyting,2 Sir, shall never be ended ; Bot or they came half gate to concludendum,

But wald your grace my counsel tak, The fiend ane plack was left for to defend him.

Ane proclamation ye should mak, Thus they postponed me twa year with their train,

Baith through the land and burrowstouns, Syne, hodie ad octo, bade me come again :

To shaw their face and cut their gowns. And then thir rooks they rowpit wonder fast

Women will say, this is nae bourds, 3 For sentence, silver, they cryit at the last.

To write sic vile and filthy words ; Of pronunciandum they made me wonder fain,

But wald they clenge their filthy tails, Bot I gat never my gude grey mare again.

Whilk over the inires and middings trails,

Then should my writing clengit be,
Supplication in Contemption of Side Tails.? None other mends they get of me.
(1538.)

Quoth Lindsay, in contempt of the side tails,
Sovereign, I means of thir side tails,

That duddrous and duntibours through the dubs trails. Whilk through the dust and dubs trails, Three quarters lang behind their heels,

[The Building of the Tower of Babel, and Express again' all commonweals.

Confusion of Tongues. ] Though bishops, in their pontificals,

(From the Monarchie.) Have men for to bear up their tails, For dignity of their office;

Their great fortress then did they found, Richt so ane queen or ane emprice ;

And cast till they gat sure ground. Howbeit they use sic gravity,

All fell to work both man and child, Conforinand to their majesty,

Some howkit clay, some burnt the tyld. Though their robe-royals be upborne,

Nimron, that curious champion, I think it is ane very scorn,

Deviser was of that dungeon. That every lady of the land

Nathing they spared their labours, Should have her tail so side trailand ;

Like busy bees upon the flowers, Howbeit they been of high estate,

Or emmets travelling into June; The queen they should not counterfeit.

Some under wrocht, and some aboon,

With strang ingenious masonry, Wherever they go it may be seen

Upward their wark did fortify; How kirk and causay they soop clean.

The land about was fair and plain, The images into the kirk

And it rase like ane heich montane. May think of their side tails irk ; 4

Those fulish people did intend,
For when the weather been maist fair,

That till the heaven it should ascend:
The dust flies highest into the air,
And all their faces does begary,

Sae great ane strength was never seen

Into the warld with men's een. Gif they could speak, they waid them wary.

The wallis of that wark they made, But I have maist into despite

Twa and fifty fathom braid: Poor clagrocks5 clad in Raploch white,

Ane fathom then, as some men says, Whilk has scant twa merks for their fees,

Micht been twa fathom in our days; Will have twa ells beneath their knees.

Ane man was then of mair stature
Kittock that cleckit 6 was yestreen,

Nor twa be now, of this be sure.
The morn, will counterfeit the queen.
In barn nor byre she will not bide,

The translator of Orosius
Without her kirtle tail be side.

Intil his chronicle writes thus; In burghs, wanton burgess wives

That when the sun is at the hicht, Wha may have sidest tails strives,

At noon, when it doth shine maist brichty Weel bordered with velvet fine,

The shadow of that hideous strength But followand them it is ane pyne :

Sax mile and mair it is of length: In summer, when the streets dries,

Thus may ye judge into your thocht, They raise the dust aboon the skies ;

Gif Babylon be heich, or nocht. Nane inay gae near them at their ease,

Then the great God omnipotent, Without they cover mouth and neese.

To whom all things been present, I think maist pane after ane rain,

He seeand the ambition, To see them tuckit up again ;

And the prideful presumption, Then when they step furth through the street,

How thir proud people did pretend, Their fauldings flaps about their feet ;

Up through the heavens till ascend, They waste inair claith, within few years,

Sic languages on them he laid, Nor wald cleid fifty score of freirs.

That nane wist what ane other said;

Where was but ane language afore, 1 Company & The over-long skirts of the ladies' dresses

God send them languages three score; of those days.

% Complain. * May feel annoyed. • Draggle-tails

1 Sent.
2 Scolding.

6 Born.

3 Jest