LADY ELIZABETH CAREW,

Is understood to be the authoress of The tragedy of Mariam, the fair queen of Jewry, written by that learned, virtuous, and truly noble lady, E. C. 1613.

In the MS. Notes of Oldys on Langbaine, in the British Museum, I find the following observation concerning her: "I believe her name should be spelt Cary, for John Davis of Hereford dedicates his Muses' Sacrifice, or Divine Meditations, to the noble and renowned ladies, darlings as well as patronesses of the Muses, Lucy, Countess of Bedford, Mary, Countess dowager of Pembroke, and Elizabeth, Lady Cary, wife of Sir Henry Cary, printed 12mo. 1612: and in the poetical dedication there are four or five stanzas upon her, wherein it appears that Davis was a writing-master; she had been his scholar," &c.

Chorus in Act III. of MARIAM,

'Tis not enough for one that is a wife
To keep her spotless from an act of ill;
But from suspicion she should free her life,

And bare herself of power as well as will. 'Tis not so glorious for her to be free, As by her proper self restrain'd to be.

When she hath spacious ground to walk upon, Why on the ridge should she desire to go? It is no glory to forbear alone

Those things that may her honour overthrow: But 'tis thankworthy, if she will not take All lawful liberties for honour's sake.

That wife her hand against her fame doth rear, That more than to her lord alone will give A private word to any second ear;

And though she may with reputation live, Yet tho' most chaste, she doth her glory blot, And wounds her honour, tho' she kills it not.

When to their husbands they themselves do bind,

Do they not wholly give themselves away? Or give they but their body, not their mind,

Reserving that, tho' best, for others' prey? No, sure, their thoughts no more can be their own, And therefore should to none but one be known.

Then she usurps upon another's right,

That seeks to be by public language grac'd; And tho' her thoughts reflect with purest light Her mind, if not peculiar, is not chaste.

For in a wife it is no worse to find

A common body, than a common mind.

And every mind, tho' free from thought of ill, That out of glory seeks a worth to show, When any's ears but one therewith they fill,

Doth in a sort her pureness overthrow. Now Mariam had (but that to this she bent) Been free from fear, as well as innocent.

Chorus in Act IV.

The fairest action of our human life
Is scorning to revenge an injury;
For who forgives without a further strife,
His adversary's heart to him doth tie.

And 'tis a firmer conquest truly said,

To win the heart, than overthrow the head.

If we a worthy enemy do find,

To yield to worth it must be nobly done; But if of baser metal be his mind,

In base revenge there is no honour won.
Who would a worthy courage overthrow,
And who would wrestle with a worthless foe?

We say our hearts are great and cannot yield; Because they cannot yield, it proves them poor;

Great hearts are task'd beyond their power, but

seld

The weakest lion will the loudest roar. Truth's school for certain doth this same allow, High-heartedness doth sometimes teach to bow.

A noble heart doth teach a virtuous scorn,
To scorn to owe a duty overlong;
To scorn to be for benefits forborne,

To scorn to lie, to scorn to do a wrong.

To scorn to bear an injury in mind,

To scorn a free-born heart slave-like to bind.

But if for wrongs we needs revenge must have, Then be our vengeance of the noblest kind; Do we his body from our fury save,

And let our hate prevail against our mind? What can, gainst him a greater vengeance be, Than make his foe more worthy far than he?

Had Mariam scorn'd to leave a due unpaid,
She would to Herod then have paid her love;
And not have been by sullen passion sway'd,
To fix her thoughts all injury above

Is virtuous pride. Had Mariam thus been proud,
Long famous life to her had been allow'd.

MARY, COUNTESS OF PEMBROKE,

died 1621.

This lady, born about the middle of the sixteenth century, was the sister of the all-accomplished Sir Philip Sidwho dedicated to her his Arcadia; and she is mentioned by Spenser, as

ney,

Of her poetry, various elegant specimens remain, and many writers have recorded her generous patronage of literary men.

A translation of the Psalms, the joint labour of Sir Philip Sidney and the Countess of Pembroke, was first printed in 1823.

A Dialogue between two Shepherds, THENOT and PIERS, in praise of ASTREA.

[From DAVISON's Poetical Rhapsody.]

THENOT.

I SING divine Astrea's praise,
O Muses! help my wits to raise,
And heave my verses higher.