of the Italian tongue, and, that he might give new luftre to the name of Geraldine, attained a just taste for the peculiar graces of the Italian poetry. He was recalled to England for fome idle reafon by the king, much fooner than he expected: and he returned home, the most elegant traveller, the moft polite lover, the most learned nobleman, and the most accomplished gentleman, of his age. Dexterity in tilting, and gracefulness in managing a horse under arms, were excellencies now viewed with a critical eye, and practifed with a high degree of emulation. In 1540, at a tournament held in the presence of the court at Westminster, and in which the principal of the nobility were engaged, Surrey was distinguished above the reft for his addrefs in the ufe and exercise of arms. But his martial skill was not folely difplayed in the parade and oftentation of these domeftic combats. In 1542, he marched into Scotland, as a chief commander in his father's army; and was confpicuous for his conduct and bravery at the memorable battle of Flodden-field, where James the fourth of Scotland was killed. The next year, we find the career of his victories impeded by an obftacle which no valour could refift. The cenfures of the church have humiliated the greatest heroes: and he was imprisoned in Windfor-castle for eating flesh in Lent. The prohibition had been renewed or strengthened by a recent proclamation of the king. I mention this circumstance, not only as it marks his character, impatient of any controul, and careless of very ferious confequences which often arife from a contempt of petty formalities, but as it gave occafion to one of his most fentimental and pathetic fonnets *. In 1544, he was field-marshal of the English army in the expedition to Bologne, which he took. In that age, love and arms conftantly went together and it was amid the fatigues of this protracted campaign, that he compofed his laft fonnet called the FANSIE of a wearied Lover". * Fol. 6. 7. 1 Fol. 18. See Dudg. BARONAG, ii. p. 275. But But as Surrey's popularity encreased, his intereft declined with the king; whose caprices and jealoufies grew more violent with his years and infirmities. The brilliancy of Surrey's character, his celebrity in the military science, his general abilities, his wit, learning, and affability, were viewed by Henry with disgust and suspicion. It was in vain that he poffeffed every advantageous qualification, which could adorn the scholar, the courtier, and the foldier. In proportion as he was amiable in the eyes of the people, he became formidable to the king. His rifing reputation was mifconftrued into a dangerous ambition, and gave birth to accufations equally groundless and frivolous. He was fufpected of a defign to marry the princefs Mary; and, by that alliance, of approaching to a poffibility of wearing the crown. It was infinuated, that he converfed with foreigners, and held a correfpondence with cardinal Pole. The addition of the efcocheon of Edward the Confeffor to his own, although used by the family of Norfolk for many years, and justified by the authority of the heralds, was a fufficient foundation for an impeachment of high treason. These motives were privately aggravated by those prejudices, with which Henry remembered the misbehaviour of Catharine Howard, and which were extended to all that lady's relations. At length, the earl of Surrey fell a facrifice to the peevish injustice of a mercilefs and ungrateful mafter. Notwithstanding his eloquent and masculine defence, which even in the cause of guilt itself would have proved a powerful perfuafive, he was condemned by the prepared fuffrage of a fervile and obfequious jury, and beheaded on Tower-hill in the year 1547 ". In the mean time we should remember, that Surrey's public conduct was not on all occasions quite unexceptionable. In the affair of Bologne he had made a false step. This had offended the king. But Henry, when once offended, could never forgive. And when Hertford was fent into France to take the command, he could not refrain from - See Stowe, CHRON. p. 592. Challoner, de REPUBL. ANGL. INSTAUBAND. lib. ii. P. 45. B 2 dropping dropping fome reproachful expreffions against a measure which feemed to impeach his perfonal courage. Confcious of his high birth and capacity, he was above the little attentions of caution and reserve; and he too frequently neglected to confult his own fituation, and the king's temper. It was his misfortune to serve a monarch, whofe refentments, which were easily provoked, could only be fatisfied by the most severe revenge. Henry brought those men to the block, which other monarchs would have only difgraced. Among these anecdotes of Surrey's life, I had almost forgot to mention what became of his amour with the fair Geraldine. We lament to find, that Surrey's devotion to this lady did not end in a wedding, and that all his gallantries and verses availed fo little! No memoirs of that incurious age have informed us, whether her beauty was equalled by her cruelty; or whether her ambition prevailed fo far over her gratitude, as to tempt her to prefer the folid glories of a more splendid title and ample fortune, to the challenges and the compliments, of fo magnanimous, so faithful, and fo eloquent a lover. She appears, however, to have been afterwards the third wife of Edward Clinton, earl of Lincoln. Such alfo is the power of time and accident over amorous vows, that even Surrey himself outlived the violence of his paffion. He married Frances, daughter of John earl of Oxford, by whom he left several children. One of his daughters, Jane countess of Weftmoreland, was among the learned ladies of that age, and became famous for her knowledge of the Greek and Latin languages ". Surrey's poems were in high reputation with his cotemporaries, and for many years afterwards. He is thus characterised by the author of the old ARTE OF ENGLISH POESIE, whose opinion remained long as a rule of criticism. "In the latter "end of the fame kinges [Henry] raigne, fpronge up a new "company of courtly makers, of whom fir Thomas Wyat the Dugd. BARON. i. 533. ii. 275. <<< elder "elder and Henry earle of Surrey were the two CHIEFTAINES, "who having travailed into Italie, and there tafted the fweete "and stately measures and ftile of the Italian poefie, as novices 66 newly crept out of the schooles of Dante, Ariofto, and Pe"trarch, they greatly polished our rude and homely manner of "vulgar poefie from that it had bene before, and for that cause "may justly be fayd the first reformers of our English meeter "and stile "." And again, towards the close of the same chapter. Henry earle of Surrey, and fir Thomas Wyat, between "whom I finde very little difference, I repute them (as before) "for the two chief lanternes of light to all others that have "fince employed their pennes upon English poefie: their con"ceits were loftie, their ftiles ftately, their conveyance cleanly, "their termes proper, their meetre fweete and well-propor❝tioned, in all imitating very naturally and ftudiously their "maifter Francis Petrarcha "." I forbear to recite the teftimonies of Leland, Sydney, Tuberville, Churchyard, and Drayton. Nor have these pieces, although scarcely known at present, been without the panegyric of more recent times. Surrey is praised by Waller, and Fenton; and he seems to have been a favorite with Pope. Pope, in WINDSOR - FOREST, having compared his patron lord Granville with Surrey, he was immediately reprinted, but without attracting many readers o. It was vainly imagined, that all the world would eagerly wish to purchase the works of a neglected antient English poet, whom Pope had called the GRANVILLE of a former age. So rapid are the revolutions of our language, and fuch the uncertainty of literary fame, that Philips, Milton's nephew, who wrote about the year 1674, has remarked, that in his time Surrey's poetry was antiquated and totally forgotten'. Our authors SONGES AND SONNETTES, as they have been stiled, were first collected and printed at London by Tottell, • Lib. i. ch. xxxi. p. 48. edit. 1589. Ibid. p. 50. By Sewell 1717. Reprinted by Curl, ib. THEATR. PORTAR. p. 67. edit. 1674. I 2mo. in 1557'. As it happens in collections of this kind, they are of various merit. Surrey is faid, by the ingenious author of the MUSES LIBRARY, to have been the first who broke through the fashion of stanzas, and wrote in the heroic couplet. But all Surrey's poems are in the alternate rhyme; nor, had this been true, is the other pofition to be granted. Chaucer's Prologues and most of the Canterbury Tales are written in long verfe: nor was the use of the couplet resumed, till late in the reign of Elifabeth. In the fonnets of Surrey, we are furprised to find nothing of that metaphysical cast which marks the Italian poets, his fuppofed masters, especially Petrarch. Surrey's fentiments are for the most part natural and unaffected; arifing from his own feelings, and dictated by the present circumstances. His poetry is alike unembarraffed by learned allufions, or elaborate conceits. If our author copies Petrarch, it is Petrarch's better manner: when he defcends from his Platonic abstractions, his refinements of paffion, his exaggerated compliments, and his play upon oppofite fentiments, into a track of tenderness, fimplicity, and nature. Petrarch would have been a better poet had he been a worse scholar. Our author's mind was not too much overlaid by learning. The following is the poem abovementioned, in which he laments his imprisonment in Windfor-castle. But it is rather an elegy than a fonnet. So cruel prifon, how coulde betyde, alas, W As proude Windfor! where I, in lust and joye ", Where eche fwete place returnes a taste full sower: In quarto. It is extraordinary, that A. Wood fhould not have known this edition. Another edition appeared in 1565. Others, in 1574-1585-1587.-Others appeared afterwards. How could the stately caftle of Windfor become fo miferable a prison. "In unrestrained gaiety and pleasure. "With the young duke of Richmond. To hover, to loiter in expectation. So Chaucer, TROIL. CRESS. B. 5. ver. 33. But at the yate there fhe fhould outride With certain folk he lowid her t' abide. |