But yet, alas! for all this, I The gown which I am used to wear, My ancestors are turn'd to clay, And many of my mates are gone; My youngers daily drop away, And can I think to 'scape alone? No, no; I know that I must die, And yet my life amend not I. * If none can 'scape Death's dreadful dart; If rich and poor his beck obey; If strong, if wise, if all do smart, Then I to 'scape shall have no way: Then grant me grace, O God! that I My life may mend, since I must die. LOVE'S SERVILE LOT. Love mistress is of many minds, The will she robbeth from the wit, With soothing words, inthralled souls Her little sweet hath many sours, Like winter rose, and summer ice, Fair first, in fine1 unseemly. Plough not the seas, sow not the sands, TIMES GO BY TURNS. The lopped tree in time may grow again, The driest soil suck in some moistening shower: Time goes by turns, and chances change by course, From foul to fair, from better hap to worse. 1 Fine:' end. The sea of Fortune doth not ever flow; She draws her favours to the lowest ebb: Her tides have equal times to come and go; Her loom doth weave the fine and coarsest web: No joy so great but runneth to an end, No hap so hard but may in fine amend. Not always fall of leaf, nor ever spring, The roughest storm a calm may soon allay. A chance may win that by mischance was lost; Few all they need, but none have all they wish. Who least, hath some; who most, hath never all. THOMAS WATSON. He was born in 1560, and died about 1592. All besides known certainly of him is, that he was a native of London, and studied the common law, but seems to have spent much of his time in the practice of rhyme. His sonnets-one or two of which we subjoin-have considerable merit; but we agree with Campbell in thinking that Stevens has surely overrated them when he prefers them to Shakspeare's. THE NYMPHS TO THEIR MAY-QUEEN. With fragrant flowers we strew the way, For though this clime was blest of yore, Now the air is sweeter than sweet balm, Now birds record new harmony, SONNET. Acteon lost, in middle of his sport, I dare not name the nymph that works my smart, THOMAS TURBERVILLE. Of this author-Thomas Turberville-once famous in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, but now almost totally forgotten, and whose works are altogether omitted in most selections, we have preserved a little. He was a voluminous author, having produced, besides many original pieces, a translation of Ovid's Heroical Epistles, from which Warton has selected a short specimen. IN PRAISE OF THE RENOWNED LADY ANNE, COUNTESS OF WARWICK. When Nature first in hand did take The clay to frame this Countess' corse, And was compell'd of very force, The gods that then in council sate, Dame Nature stand, that was assign'd First Jove began: What, daughter dear, That ought'st of duty to fulfil Thy undertaken charge at home? 1 'Kind:' nature.-2 'Imps:' children.-3 Wonne:' dwell. |