MATTHEW ROYDON.

EDMUND SPENSER.

7

bed;

Take thou of me sinooth pillows, sweetest Did never muse inspire beneath

A poet's brain with finer store. A chamber deaf to noise and blind to He wrote of love with high conceit light;

And beauty reared above her height. A rosy garland, and a weary head. And if these things, as being thine by right, Move not thy heavy grace, thou shalt in

me

Livelier than elsewhere Stella's image see.

EDMUND SPENSER.

(1553 - 1599.)

say.

ANGELIC MINISTRY.
MATTHEW ROYDON.

And is there care in Heaven? And is LAMENT FOR ASTROPHEL (SIR PHILIP

there love SIDNEY).

In heavenly spirits to these creatures base,

That You knew, — who knew not Astrophel? There is, - esse much more wretched

may compassion of their evils move? That I should live to say I knew,

were the case And have not in possession still !

Of men than beasts : but O the exceed. Things known permit me to renew.

ing grace Of him you know his merit such I cannot say — you hear— too much. And all his works with mercy doth em.

Of highest God, that loves his creaturesso,

brace, Within these wools of Arcady

That blessed angels he sends to and fro, He chief delight and pleasure took ;

To serve to wicked man, to serve his And on the mountain Partheny,

wicked foe! l'pon the crystal liquid brook, The muses met him every day, Taught him to sing, and write, and to come to succor us that succor want!

How oft do they their silver bowers leave,
How oft do they with golden pinions

cleave When he descended down the mount

The flitting skies, like flying pursuivant, His personage seemed most divine;

Against foul fiends to aid us militant ! A thousand graces one might count Upon his lovely, cheerful eyne.

They for us fight, they watch and duly

ward, To hear him speak, and see him and their bright squadrons round about smile,

us plant; You were in Paradise the while.

And all for love and nothing for reward ; A sweet, attractive kind of grace;

O, why should heavenly God to men

have such regard ?
A full assurance given by looks;
Continual comfort in a face;
The lineaments of gospel books:
I trow that countenance cannot lie

THE TRUE WOMAN.
Whose thoughts are legible in theeye.

Turice happy she that is so well assured Above all others this is he

Unto herself, and settled so in heart, Who erst approved in his song, That neither will for better be allured, That love and honor might agree, Ne fears to worse with any chance to start, And that pure love will do no wrong. But like a steadly ship doth strongly part

Sweet saints, it is no sin or blame The raging waves, and keeps her course
To love a man of virtuous name.

aright;

Neought for tempest doth from it depart, Did never love so gweetly breathe Ne ought for fairer weather's false deIn any mortal breast before :

light.

erence

Such self-assurance need not fear the | The pledge of all your band? spite

Sing, ye sweet angels! Alleluia sing, Of grudging foes, ne favor seek of friends; That all the woods may answer, and your But in the stay of herown steadfast might,

echo ring. Neither to one herself or other bends. Most happy she that most assured doth rest,

UNA AND THE LION. But he most happy who such one loves One day, nigh weary of the irksome way, best.

From her unhasty beast she did alight;

And on the grass her dainty limbs did lay FROM THE EPITHALAMIUM. In secret shallow, far from all men's sight;

From her fair head her fillet she undight, OPEN the temple-gates unto my love. And laid her stole aside : her angel's tace, Open them wide that she may enter in,

As the great eye of heaven, shined bright, And all the posts adorn as doth behove, And made a sunshine in a shady place: And all the pillars deck with garlands Did never mortal eye behold such heav. trim,

enly grace. For to receive this saint with honor due, That cometh in to you.

It fortunéd, out of the thickest wood, With trembling steps and humble rev. A ramping lion rushed suddenly,

Hunting full greedy after savage blood; She cometh in before the Almighty's view: Soon as the royal virgin he did spy, Of her, ye virgins ! learn obedience, With gaping mouth at her ran greedily, When so ye come into these holy places, To have at once devoured her tendercorse; To humble your proud faces.

But to the prey when as he drew more Bring her up to the high altar, that she nigh, may

His bloody rage assuagéd with reniorse, The sacred ceremonies there partake, And, with the sight amazed, forgot his The which do endless matrimony make;

furious force. And let the roaring organs loudly play The praises of the Lord, in lively notes,

Instead thereof he kissed her weary feet, The whiles with hollow throats

And licked her lily hands with fawning The choristers the joyous anthems sing,

tongue, That all the woods' may answer, and As he her wrongéd innocence did weet. their echo ring

O how can beauty master the most strong,

And simple truth subdue avenging wrong Behold whiles she before the altar stands, Whose yielded pride and proud submisHearing the holy priest that to her speaks, sion, And blesses herwith his two happy hands, Still dreading death, when she had How red the roses flush up in her cheeks! marked long, And the pure snow, with goodly vermeil Her heart 'gan melt in great compassion, stain,

And drizzling tears did shed for pure Like crimson dyed in grain,

atfection. That even the angels, which continually About the sacred altar do remain, The lion would not leave her desolate, Forget their service, and about her fly, But with her went along, as a strong Oft peeping in her face, that seems more guard fair

Of her chaste person, and a faithful mate The more they on it stare;

Of her sad troubles, and misfortunes hard. But her sad eyes, still fastened on the Still, when she slept, he kept both watch ground,

and ward ; Are governed with goodly modesty, And, when she waked, he waited diligent, That suffers not one look to glance awry, With humble service to her will preWhich may let in a little thought un pared : sound.

From her faireyes he took commandment, Why blush ye, Love! to give to me your And ever by her looks conceived her in. hand,

tent.

THE HOUSE OF RICHES. The painted flowers, the trees upshoot

ing high, That house's form within was rude and The dales for shade, the hills for breathstrong,

ing space, Like an huge cave hewn out of rocky clift, The trembling groves, the crystal runFrom whose rough vault the ragged ning by; breaches hung

And that which all fair works doth most Embossed with massy gold of glorious

aggrace, gift,

The art, which all that wrought, apAnd with rich metal loaded every rift,

peared in no place. That heavy ruin they did seem to threat ; And over them Arachne high did lift One would have thought (so cunningly Her cunning web, and spread her subtle the rude net,

And scorned parts were mingled with the Enwrapped in foul smoke and clouds

fine) more black than jet.

That nature had for wantonness ensued

Art, and that art at nature did reBoth roof, and floor, and walls, were all pine ; of gold,

So striving each the other to underBut overgrown with dust and old de

mine, cay,

Each did the other's work more beautify; And hid in darkness, that none could So differing both in wills, agreed in behold

tine : The hue thereof: for view of cheerful So all agreed through sweet diversity, day

This garden to adorn with all variety. Did never in that house itself display, But a faint shadow of uncertain light;

Eftsoons they heard a most melodious Such as a lamp whose life does fade away;

sound, Or as the Moon, clothed with cloudy of all that might delight a dainty ear, night,

Such as at once might not on living Does show to him that walks in fear and

ground, sad affright.

Save in this paradise be heard elsewhere :

Right hard it was for wight which did In all that room was nothing to be seen it hear, But huge great iron chests, and coffers To read what manner music that might

strong, All barred with double bends, that none For all that pleasing is to living ear, could ween

Was there consorted in one harmony; Them to enforce by violence or wrong; Birds, voices, instruments, winds, waOn every side they placéd were along.

ters, all agree. But all the ground with sculls was scatteréd

The joyous birds, shrouded in cheerful And dead men's bones, which round about

shade, were flung;

Their notes unto the voice attempered Whose lives, it seeméd, whilome there

sweet; were shed,

The angelical soft trembling voices made And their vile carcasses now left unburied. To the instruments divine respondence

meet; The silver sounding instruments did

meet THE BOWER OF BLISS.

With the base murmur of the water's

fall : There the most dainty paradise on ground The water's fall with difference discreet, Itself doth offer to his sober eye,

Now soft, now loud, unto the wind did In which all pleasures plenteously call: abound,

The gentle warbling wind low answered And none does others' happiness envy;

to all.

be :