Ye have been fresh and green," Ye have been filled with flowers; And ye the walks have been Where maids have spent their hours. Ye have beheld where they With wicker arks did come, To kiss and bear away The richer cowslips home. You've heard them sweetly sing, But now we see none here Whose silvery feet did tread, And with disheveled hair Adorned this smoother mead. Like unthrifts, having spent Your stock, and needy grown, You're left here to lament Your poor estates alone. ROBERT HERRICK, 1591 FRENCH SONG. Dear the felicity, Gentle, and fair, and sweet, Love and simplicity, When tender shepherds meet: Better than store of gold, Which to our lords belong! While summer's beauties last, Dance, feast, and jocund song; No envy can destroy. Translated by LOUISA COSTELLO. MARTIAL D'AUVERGNE, 1440-150S. VIII. The Garland. AMONG the pieces in the following group will be found some old verses of Gawain Douglas, bishop of Dunkeld. This ancient Scottish poet and Church dignitary was a son of the famous Archibald, earl of Argus, surnamed Bell-theCat, from his share in one of the peculiar conspiracies of that strange period-a conspiracy which resulted in hanging a number of the royal favorites of James III., chiefly architects and musicians, ennobled by that prince. James was in this respect too liberal in his tastes to please the fierce old barons surrounding his throne, though doubtless his favor was often weakly lavished upon those in whose society he took pleasure. But one would hardly have expected to find the leader of such a conspiracy the father of a distinguished poet; such, however, was the fact. Bishop Gawain was a great clerk in his day. He wrote a metrical version of the Eneid in the Scot tish dialect, and many lesser poetical works, admitted to pos Sir Walter Scott has introduced both father sess great merit. 'A letter forged! Saint Jude to speed! Did ever knight so foul a deed! At first in heart it liked me ill, Let my boy-bishop fret his fill." Canto VI. And in another passage we have the poet-bishop himself: "Amid that dim and smoky light, Checkering the silver moonshine bright— A bishop by the altar stood, A noble lord of Douglas' blood. With mitre sheen, and rocquet white. But little pride of prelacy; More pleased that in a barbarous age Canto VI Bishop Gawain was compelled by the troubles in Scotland to flee from his native country, and to take refuge at the court of Henry VIII., where he lived for years an honored exile, dying in 1522, at London, of the plague. He was born in 1474. Each canto of his translation of Virgil was preceded by an original prologue; the address to Spring-whence the extract on flowers is taken-is one of the most pleasing of these, and forms his introduction to the 12th Canto of the Eneid. Far from regretting the Scotticisms of his style, the bishop only mourned that his verses were still so English in their aspect a defect which will not be likely to strike the modern reader. But in spite of the obsolete words and rugged style, the touch of a poetical spirit, and something of the freshness of the natural blossoms still lingers about Bishop Gawain's Spring chaplet. FLOWERS. Through their beauty, and variety of coloure, and exquisite forme, they do bringe to a liberal and gentle minde the remembrance of honestie, comelinesse, and all kinds of virtues; for it would be an unseemly thing (as a certain wise man saith) for him that doth look upon and handle faire and beautiful things, and who frequenteth and is conversant in faire and beautiful places, to have his minde not faire also. JOHN GERARDE, 1545-1607. SPRING-FLOWERS. And blissful blossoms in the bloomed sward, Some pers, some pale, some burnet, and some blue; Some heavenly-coloured in celestial gré, Some watery-hued, as the haw-waly sea; And some depeint in freckles red and white; Some bright as gold, with aureate levis lite. And every flower unlapped in the dale. The flower-de-luce forth spread out his heavenly hue, Sere downis smale on dandelion sprung, The young green-bloomed strawberry leaves among; |