Sonnet.

** Poor Love in chains and fetters, like a thief, I met led forth as chaste Diana's gain,

Vowing the untaught lad should no relief

From her receive, who gloried in fond pain. She call'd him thief; with vows he did maintain He never stole; but some sad slight of grief Had given to those, who did his power disdain; In which revenge his honour was the chief. She said, he murder'd, and therefore must die:

He, that he caus'd but Love, did harms deny. But while she thus discoursing with him stood, The Nymphs untied him, and his chains took off, Thinking him safe; but he, loose, made a scoff; Smiling and scorning them, flew to the wood."

Song.

"Love, a child, is ever crying;
Please him, and he strait is flying;
Give him he the more is craving;
Never satisfied with having.

His desires have no measure;

Endless folly is his treasure:
What he promiseth, he breaketh;

Trust not one wordy that he speaketh.

He vows nothing but false matter;

And to cosen you will flatter;

Let him gain the hand; he'll leave you,
And still glory to deceive you.

He will triumph in your wailing;
And yet cause be of your failing:
These his virtues are, and slighter
Are his gifts; his favours lighter.

Fathers are as firm in staying;
Wolves no fiercer in their preying :
As a child then, leave him crying;
Nor seek him so given to flying."

Song.*

"Come, merry Spring, delight us;
For Winter long did spite us;
In pleasure still persever,
Thy beauties ending never :

Spring, and grow,

Lasting so,

With joys increasing ever.

Let cold from hence be banish'd,
Till hopes from me be vanish'd;
But bless thy dainties growing,
In fullness freely flowing:
Sweet birds, sing;

For the Spring

All mirth is now bestowing.

Philomel, in this arbour,

'Makes now her loving harbour;
Yet of her state complaining,

Her notes in mildness straining,

• From the subjoined "Crown of Sonnets dedicated to Love,"

Which though sweet,

Yet do meet

Her former luckless paining..

Sonnet.

Late in the forest I did Cupid see;

Cold, wet, and crying, he had lost his way;
And being blind, was farther like to stray;
Which sight a kind compassion bred in me.
I kindly took, and dried them, while that he,
Poor child, complain'd, he starved was with stay,
And pin'd for want of his accustom'd prey;
For none in that wild place his host would be.
I glad was of his finding, thinking sure,

This service should my freedom still procure;
And in my arms I took him then unharm'd,
Carrying him safe unto a myrtle bower:

But in the way he made me feel his power,
Burning my heart, who had him kindly warm'd."*

Concluding Sonnet.

"My Muse, now happy, lay thyself to rest;
Sleep in the quiet of a faithful love;

Write you no more; but let these fancies move
Some other hearts; wake not to new unrest.

But if your study be those thoughts addrest
To truth, which shall eternal goodness prove,
Enjoying of true joy the most and best,

The endless gain, which never will remove,

It is needless to point out the imitation here attempted of Anaereon's celebrated ode, which has been so often translated.

Leave the discourse of Venus, and her son

To young beginners, and their brains inspire
With stories of great Love, and from that fire

Get heat to write the fortunes they have done.
And thus leave off! What's past shews you can love;
Now let your constancy your honour prove!"

"Nocturnall Lucubrations: or Meditations divine and morall. Whereunto are added Epigrams and Epitaphs. Written by Rob. Chamberlain.

In mundo spes nulla boni, spes nulla salutis :
Sola salus servire Deo, sunt cætera fraudes.

"London: printed by M. F. for Daniel Frere, at the signe of the red Bull in Little Brittaine. 1638."

12mo. pp. 124.

༧༨༴

THIS little volume is curious on account of its rare occurrence, and valuable on account of its meritorious contents. The prose portion is inscribed to "The worshipful and his honored master, Peter Balle, Esq. sollicitor-general to the Queen:" and the poetical pages, which do not much exceed thirty, are dedicated to "His honored and dearely affected master, Mr. Wm. Balle," son to the former; who, as Wood informs us, sent the author to Exeter College, Oxford, to complete his academical learning, in the beginning

Ath. Oxon. i. 659.

of the year 1637, at the age of 30. In the Biog. Dram. it is conjectured that he was bred to the pulpit. At what time our author died, Wood had not been able to ascertain but a comedy was published by him in 1640, entitled "The Swaggering Damsel," with five copies of verses prefixed. Winstanley, probably from Wood, speaks of a Pastoral by Chamberlain, under the name of "Sicelides;" but this is likely to have been the "Piscatory Drama" attributed, on no sufficient ground, to Phineas Fletcher. Chamberlain has complimentary verses before Leonard Blunt's Asse upon Asse, a poem, and Nabbes's Spring's Glory, 1638. The latter has repaid the obligation by a tribute in the present volume.

I proceed to exhibit a selection of extracts from each portion of his neatly printed publication.

"Learning is like Scanderbeg's sword, either good or bad, according to him that hath it: an excellent weapon, if well used; otherwise, like a sharp razor in the hand of a child.

To incurre God's displeasure for man's favour, is for a man to kill himselfe to avoid a hurt.

Though the waies of Vertue seem rough and craggie, yet they reach to Heaven; and in the end invest humanity in the bright robes of immortality. Tendit in ardua Virtus.

Humility is a grace itself, and a spotlesse vessel to entertain all other graces.

Fair commendation sets a foole in the chaire of ostentation, but dyes the cheek of wisdome a scarlet blush.

Halcyon days make a man forget both God and himselfe; but afflictions make us runne to seek God early.

To master a man's self, is more than to conquer a world: for he that conquered the world, could not master himself.