OF THE MEAN AND SURE ESTATE.

Stand whoso list, upon the slipper top

Of high estate; and let me here rejoice,
And use me quiet without let or stop,

Unknown in court, that hath such brackish joys.
In hidden place so let my days forth pass;

That when my years be done withouten noise,
I may die aged, after the common trace:

For him death grip'th right hard by the crop,
That is much known of other, and of himself, alas!
Doth die unknown, dased with dreadful face.

OF HIS RETURN FROM SPAIN.

Tagus, farewell! that westward with thy streams
Turns up the grains of gold already tried ;'
With spur and sail, for I go seek the Thames,
Gainward the sun that sheweth her wealthy pride;
And to the town which Brutus sought by dreams,2
Like bended moon, doth lend her lusty side,
My King, my Country, alone for whom I live,
Of mighty Love the wings for this me give.3

HENRY HOWARD, 1516-1547.

EARL OF SURREY.

HENRY HOWARD, Earl of Surrey, the eldest son of Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, and Lady Elizabeth Stafford, was born about 1516. We say about that year, for we are as ignorant of the precise date of his birth as we are of all that relates to his early education, and the habits of his early life. In 1535 his marriage with the Lady Frances Vere was publicly solemnized, from which time what relates to his personal history is authentic. In 1540 he began to take an active part in public affairs, being sent by the king over to the continent, to see that the English towns and garrisons were in a proper state of defence against the threatened attack of the French. In April, 1542, he was made Knight of the Garter, which was esteemed a great mark of royal favor; and in October of the same year, he bore an active and leading part in the expedition against Scotland. In 1544 he acted

1 "Gold already tried," pure gold.

2 This alludes to the old story, that Brutus, the third in descent from Eneas, on quitting his native land, sailed for parts unknown, landed at Albion, proceeded inland, and founded London on the north side of the Thames, which he called Troynovante, as many early English writers call it.

The meaning of this is, "The love I bear my king and my country, give me wings for my journey."

as field marshal of the English forces on the continent, and in that and the two succeeding years, he greatly distinguished himself by his valor and skill, at the sieges of Landrecy and Boulogne.

But as his popularity increased his interest declined with the king, whose caprices and jealousies grew more violent with his years and infirmities. The brilliancy of Surrey's character, the celebrity he had acquired in military science in his command on the continent, his general abilities, his wit, learning, and affability were viewed with suspicion by the Earl of Hertford, the king's brother, who, as he saw the monarch's end approaching, was anxious to secure to himself the protectorship during Edward the Sixth's minority; and he saw that the only rival he had to fear was the great and good Earl of Surrey. Accordingly he did all he could to poison the mind of the king against him; and in April, 1546, he was recalled from the continent, imprisoned in Windsor Castle,' and in December of the same year was sent to the Tower. He was soon brought to trial. The accusations against him were of the most frivolous character, the chief of which was, shameful to relate, brought against him by his own sister, the base, the unnatural Duchess of Richmond. She said that he wore on his arms, instead of a duke's coronet, what "seemed, to her judgment, much like a close crown;" and a cipher, "which she took to be the king's cipher, H. R." On this did she intimate that her brother was guilty of high treason. Surrey defended himself with great spirit and ability, and as to the main point in the indictment, showed conclusively that his ancestors had, of a long continuance, worn the same coat of arms, as well within the kingdom as without; and that it had constantly been borne by himself in Henry's presence. But all was of no avail: the ruling influences, with Hertford at their head, determined that he should be convicted. Accordingly he was pronounced guilty, and was beheaded on the 19th of January, 1547.

Thus fell, at the early age of thirty, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey; a man of such elevated virtues, and such rare endowments, that his untimely death must, with every one, be a subject of deep regret; for what might he not have done for English Literature, had his life been spared ?2 The endowments of his mind were various; his acquirements great. There was no polite or manly accomplishment in which he did not excel. He was perfect master of the Latin, the French, the Italian, and the Spanish languages. He had a vigorous intellect, and a quick and ready wit. He was fond of literary fame, and studious of literary excellence: but he beheld it without envy in others. His own genius was of a moral and contemplative cast. His noble mind never stooped to anything that would inflame passion, or solicit improper desire. It is his peculiar praise that not a single thought, not a single expression can be found in all his writings, to wound the nicest sense of modesty, or to degrade the dignity of poetry. To crown all, he had the highest reverence for religion, and the Scriptures were equally his

1 Where he wrote the first poem here inserted. 2 Warton says, "For justness of thought, correctness of style, and purity of expression, he may ustly be pronounced the first English classical poet."

consolation and delight: by these he strengthened the moral principles which glowed so strong within him; and confirmed in his heart that generous contempt of vice which is experienced by none but men of noble minds. Such was the Earl of Surrey.'

PRISONER IN WINDSOR, HE RECOUNTETH HIS PLEASURE THERE PASSED IN FORMER YEARS.

So cruel prison how could betide, alas!

As proud Windsor? where I in lust and joy,
With a King's son, my childish3 years did pass,
In greater feast than Priam's sons of Troy.
Where each sweet place returns a taste full sour.

The large green courts, where we were wont to hove,4

I cannot but insert here a portion of Dr. Nott's very discriminating and just comparison between Surrey and Wyatt. "They were men whose minds may be said to have been cast in the same mould, for they differ only in those minuter shades of character, which must always exist in human nature. In their love of virtue, and their instinctive hatred and contempt of vice, in their freedom from personal jealousy, in their thirst after knowledge and intellectual improvement, in nice observation of nature, promptitude to action, intrepidity and fondness for romantic enterprises, in magnificence and liberality, in generous support of others, and high-spirited neglect of themselves, in constancy, in friendship, and tender susceptibility of affections of a still warmer nature, and in everything connected with sentiment and principle, they were one and the same; but when those qualities branch out into particulars, they will be found in some respects to differ.

66

Wyatt had a deeper and more accurate penetration into the characters of men than Surrey had; hence arises the difference in their satires. Surrey, in his satire against the citizens of London, deals only in reproach; Wyatt in his, abounds with irony, and those nice touches of ridicule which make us ashamed of our faults, and therefore often silently effect amendment. Surrey's observation of nature was minute; but he directed it towards the works of nature in general, and the movements of the passions, rather than to the foibles and characters of men; hence it is that he excels in the description of moral objects, and is always tender and pathetic. In Wyatt's Complaint we hear a strain of manly grief which commands attention, and we listen to it with respect for the sake of him that suffers. Surrey's distress is painted in such natural terms, that we make it our own, and recognize in his sorrows, emotions which we are conscious of having felt ourselves."

2 This poem was written about 1546, when Surrey was imprisoned at Windsor, not long after his return from Boulogne. See notice of his life. "It is a poem," says Dr. Nott, "of singular beauty, and may be ranked among the most perfect compositions in our language."

3 The words "child," "childish," "childhood," had in former times a much larger meaning than they now have. Both Chaucer and Spenser use these words as applied to "early manhood." The phrase," childish years," therefore, means to describe the time when the Duke of Richmond and himself were just entering on manhood. At the time of his residence in Windsor, 1534, Surrey was about eighteen and the Duke of Richmond about fifteen. "To hove," to linger about a place in expectation or hope: same as "to hover."

With eyes cast up unto the Maiden's tower,'
And easy sighs, such as folk draw in love.
The stately seats, the ladies bright of hue,

The dances short, long tales of great delight;
With words, and looks, that tigers could but rue,2
Where each of us did plead the other's right.
The palme-play,3 where, despoiled4 for the game,
With dazed eyes oft we by gleams of love,
Have miss'd the ball, and got sight of our dame,

To bait her eyes, which kept the leads above.6
The gravel'd ground,7 with sleeves tied on the helm,8
On foaming horse with swords and friendly hearts;
With chere, as though one should another whelm,
Where we have fought, and chased oft with darts.
The secret groves, which oft we made resound

Of pleasant plaint, and of our ladies' praise ;
Recording soft what grace each one had found,
What hope of speed, what dread of long delays.
The wild forest, the clothed holts with green; 10
With reins availed," and swiftly-breathed horse,
With cry of hounds, and merry blasts between,

Where we did chase the fearful hart of force.
The void walls 12 eke that harbour'd us each night:
Wherewith, alas! revive within my breast
The sweet accord, such sleeps as yet delight;
The pleasant dreams, the quiet bed of rest;
The secret thoughts, imparted with such trust;

The wanton talk,13 the divers change of play;

"Maiden's tower," that part of the castle where the ladies of the court had their apartments.

"Such looks and entreaties as might have moved tigers to pity."

Palme-play," a game played with a ball and hand, so called because the ball was hit with the "palm :" it was also played with the bat, and similar to tennis."

4" Despoiled," stripped for the game. 5" To bait," to allure, to attract.

"Which kept the leads above." The word "lead" is used by old writers for a flat roof covered with lead, and the plural "leads" is therefore probably used for the walks or galleries (covered with lead) around the upper stories of the building, where the ladies might sit and see the game played in safety.

The gravel'd ground," the space enclosed, made level with fine gravel. It was a general practice among ancient knights to tie to their helmets a sleeve or glove, received from their lady-love, which they wore not only in tilts and tournaments, but even in battle.

"Chere" is used by all the old poets for "the look," " the expression of the countenance."

10 The clothed holts with green," the high hills clothed with verdure. 11"Reins availed," mean slackened, so as to allow the horse to go at full speed.

12 Void walls," the walls of those chambers now desolate, which were wont each night to receive us.

13

Wanton talk," playful conversation. The word "wanton" was used by early writers, as descriptive of the sportiveness and innocence of infancy.

The friendship sworn, each promise kept so just,
Wherewith we past the winter nights away.
O place of bliss! renewer of my woes!

Give me account, where is my noble fere?
Whom in thy walls thou didst each night enclose;
To other lief; but unto me most dear.

1

THE FRAILTY AND HURTFULNESS OF BEAUTY.

Brittle beauty, that Nature made so frail,

Whereof the gift is small, and shorter is the season;
Flow'ring to-day, to-morrow apt to fail;

Tickle treasure, abhorred of reason:

Dangerous to deal with, vain, of none avail;

Costly in keeping, past, not worth two peason;3

Slipperer in sliding, than is an eel's tail;

Hard to obtain, once gotten never geason;4
Jewel of jeopardy,5 that peril doth assail;
False and untrue, enticed oft to treason;
En'my to youth, that most men bewail;

Ah! bitter sweet, infecting as the poison,
Thou farest as the fruit that with the frost is taken;
To-day ready ripe, to-morrow all to shaken.

IN PRAISE OF HIS LADY-LOVE COMPARED WITH ALL OTHERS.6

Give place, ye lovers, here before

That spent your boasts and brags in vain;

My lady's beauty passeth more

The best of yours, I dare well say'n,7

Than doth the sun the candle light,

Or brightest day the darkest night.

And thereto hath a troth as just

As had Penelope the fair;

For what she saith ye may it trust,

"Lief," spelled also leef and leve, is an adjective, meaning "dear." "The person here alluded to by Surrey was probably his sister, the Lady Mary who was married to the Duke of Richmond."

Tickle," having no foundation, liable to sudden downfall. "Peason," the plural of peas.

The word "geason," of which the derivation is unknown, is used by the old writers with different shades of meaning. Spenser employs it in the sense of rare and uncommon." Here it seems to mean "something worth possessing" for the sense of the passage is "once gotten not worth possessing."

5 "Jewel of jeopardy ;" that is, a jewel which there is much danger of losing.

6 Warton says that this ode "possesses almost the ease and gallantry of Waller; the versification is correct; the language polished; and the modulation musical."

"Say'n" for say, often thus used by the old writers.