Some and the haven is at a distance". At another, it is a spring trickling from the fummit of the Alps, which gathering force in its fall, at length overflows all the plain beneath '. times, it is a gun, which being overcharged, expands the flame within itself, and bursts in pieces'. Sometimes it is like a prodigious mountain, which is perpetually weeping in copious fountains, and sending forth fighs from its forefts: which bears more leaves than fruits: which breeds wild-beafts, the proper emblems of rage, and harbours birds that are always finging'. In another of his fonnets, he fays, that all nature fympathises with his paffion. The woods refound his elegies, the rivers ftop their course to hear him complain, and the grafs weeps in dew. These thoughts are common and fantastic. But he adds an image which is new, and has much nature and fentiment, although not well expressed. The hugy okes have rored in the winde, Eche thing, methought, complaining in theyr kinde. This is a touch of the penfive. And the apostrophe which follows is natural and fimple. Ah ftony hart, who hath thus framed thee So cruel, that art clothed with beautie! And there is much strength in thefe lines of the lover to his bed. The place of flepe, wherein I do but wake, But fuch paffages as these are not the general characteristics of ticable mass of forced reflections, hyperbolical metaphors, and complaints that move no compaffion. But Wyat appears a much more pleafing writer, when he moralifes on the felicities of retirement, and attacks the vanities and vices of a court, with the honeft indignation of an independent philofopher, and the freedom and pleasantry of Horace. Three of his poetical epiftles are profeffedly written in this strain, two to John Poines, and the other to fir Francis Bryan: and we must regret, that he has not left more pieces in a style of compofition for which he seems to have been eminently qualified. In one of the epiftles to Poines on the life of a courtier, are these spirited and manly reflections. Myne owne John Poines, fince ye delite to know W And flee the prease of courtes, where fo they go*; Of lordly looks, wrapped within my cloke; It is not that, because I scorne or mocke The power of them, whom Fortune here hath lent He feems to have been a person about the court. See LIFE of Sir Thomas Pope, P. 46. Prefs. Croud. The court was perpetually moving from one palace to another. Juftice. z To speak favourably of what is bad. My My Poines, I cannot frame my tune to faine, In pursuit of this argument, he declares his indifpofition and inability to disguise the truth, and to flatter, by a variety of inftances. Among others, he protests he cannot prefer Chaucer's TALE of SIR THOPAS to his PALAMON AND ARCITE. Prayfe SIR THOPAS for a noble tale, And scorne the STORY that the KNIGHT tolde; Grinne when he laughes, that beareth all the sway; I mention this circumstance about Chaucer, to fhew the esteem in which the KNIGHT'S TALE, that noble epic poem of the dark ages, was held in the reign of Henry eighth, by men of taste. The poet's execration of flatterers and courtiers is contrasted with the following entertaining picture of his own private life and rural enjoyments at Allingham-castle in Kent. This is the cause that I could never yet Hang on their fleeves, that weigh, as thou maist fe, In frost and fnowe then with my bow to stalke, In lufty leas at liberty I walke: And of these newes I fele no weale nor wo: Perhaps the reading is tongue. In large fields. Over fruitful grounds. Save that a clogge doth hange yet at my hele'; That I may leape both hedge and dike ful wele. Among the Muses, where I reade and rime; Where if thou lift, mine owne John Poines to come, In another epistle to John Poines, on the fecurity and happiness of a moderate fortune, he verfifies the fable of the City and Country Moufe with much humour. My mother's maides, when they do fowe and spinne, This fable appofitely suggests a train of sensible and pointed obfervations on the weakness of human conduct, and the delufive plans of life. Alas, my Poines, how men do feke the beft, O wretched myndes! There is no golde that may Eche kinde of life hath with him his disease: Probably he alludes to fome office which he ftill held at court; and which fometimes recalled him, but not too frequently, from the country. • Fol. 47. • Halbert. A parade of guards, &c. The claffical allufion is obvious. And And thou shalt finde, when luft doth most thee please, A small thing is it, that may thy minde appease? To feke for grapes on brambles or on breeres*; These Platonic doctrines are clofed with a beautiful application of virtue perfonified, and introduced in her irresistible charms of visible beauty. For those who deviate into vain and vicious purfuits, None other paine pray I for them to be, But when the rage doth leade them from the right, Even as she is, fo goodly faire and bright'! With these difinterested strains we may join the following fingle stanza, called THE COURTIERS LIFE. So read, instead of bryars, Free. i Paffions. * Affigned. 1 Fol. 45, 46. |