Wake from thy nest, robin-red-breast,
Sing birds in every furrow;

And from each hill let music shrill
Give my fair love good-morrow!
Blackbird, and thrush, in every bush,
Stare, linnet, and cock-sparrow!
You pretty elves, amongst yourselves,
Sing my fair love good-morrow!
To give my love good-morrow,
Sing birds in every furrow!

Shepherd's Song.

WE that have known no greater state
Than this we live in, praise our fate;
For, courtly silks in cares are spent,
When country's russet breeds content,
The power of sceptres we admire,
But sheep-hook for our use desire,
Simple and low is our condition,
For here with us is no ambition;
We with the sun our flocks unfold,
Whose rising makes their fleeces gold,
Our music from the birds we borrow,
They bidding us, we them, good-morrow,

Our habits are but coarse and plain, Yet they defend from wind and rain ;

As warm too, in an equal eye,

As those be stained in scarlet dye.
Those that have plenty wear, we see,
But one at once, and so do we.
The shepherd with his home-spun lass
As many merry hours doth

pass
As courtiers with their costly girls,
Though richly deck'd in gold and pearls ;
And, though but plain, to purpose woo,
Nay, oft-times, with less danger too.
Those that delight in dainties store
One stomach feed at once, no more:
And, when with homely fare we feast,
With us it doth as well digest;
And many times we better speed,
For our wild fruits no surfeits breed,
If we sometimes the willow wear,
By subtle swains that dare forswear,
We wonder whence it comes, and fear
They've been at court, and learnt it there.

WILLIAM ALEXANDER,

OF MENSTRIE, EARL OF STERLINE,

Was born in 1580. Having been early distinguished for his proficiency in classical learning, he was recommended to the Earl of Argyle as a companion in his travels. After some time spent abroad he returned to a rural retirement in Scotland, where he finished his Aurora," a collection of sonnets, &c. in honour of his first mistress, to whom he had become attached at the early age of fifteen, before leaving his own country. This lady, however, proving cruel, and bestowing her hand upon another and more aged admirer, he consoled himself by marrying Janet, the daughter and heir of Sir William Erskine. He was now warmly patronised by James I., who made him in 1613 gentleman-usher to Prince Charles, and in 1614 knighted him. By Charles I. he was in 1630 appointed secretary of state for Scotland (a post which he retained with credit till his death); and in 1633 created Earl of Sterline. He died in 1640.

His works consist of "Darius," 1603, Edinburgh, 4to, reprinted in London the following year: to which in 1607 were added three others: viz. "Croesus," "The Alexandrian Tragedy," and "Julius Cæsar," making together a small quarto, with the general title of "The Monarchicke Tragedies newly enlarged." These were again printed, with alterations, in a minute 12mo, in 1616, London, professing to be the third edition. Aurora," 1604, 4to.

"A Parænesis to the Prince," 1604, 4to.

66

Doomsday," a sacred poem in twelve parts, Edinburgh, 1614, 4to, and London, 1641, 4to, and "Jonathan, an Heroicke Poem

intended. The first booke." All these various works, excepting "Aurora," were, in 1637, with many changes and amendments, collected into one volume folio, under the title of" Recreations with the Muses."

For further particulars of our author, who deserves considerable praise as a masculine and vigorous writer, abounding with moral and political instruction, see Lang. baine, Cibber (i. e. Shiell), the Biographia Britannica, and Pinkerton's list prefixed to his Ancient Scotish Poems, 1786.

Extract from a Speech of Cœlia, in the Tragedy of Cræsus.

[The text is printed from ed. 1637, which agrees almost exactly with ed. 1616.-The various readings at the foot of the page are from ed. 1607.]

FIERCE tyrant, Death, who' in thy wrath didst take
One half of me, and left one2 half behind,

Take this to thee, or give the other3 back,
Be wholly cruel, or be no way' kind !

6

4

But whilst I live, believe, thou canst not die-
O! e'en in spite of death, yet still my choice!
Oft, with the inward all-beholding eye

I think I see thee, and I hear thy voice.

1 (6

"that."

2

3 So ed. 1616.-Ed. 1607 and 1637, "me th' other."

6" For."

And, to content my languishing desire,

1

To ease my mind each thing 1 some help affords : Thy fancied form doth oft2 such faith acquire 3, That in all sounds I apprehend thy words.

Then, with such thoughts my memory to wound,

I call to mind thy looks, thy words, thy graceWhere thou didst haunt, yet I adore the ground! And where thou stept-O sacred seems that place!

My solitary walks, my widow'd bed,

My dreary sighs, my sheets oft bath'd with tears, These shall record what life by me is led 5

Since first sad news breath'd death into mine ears.

Though for more pain yet spar'd a space by Death',
Thee first I lov'd, with thee all love I leave ;
For my chaste flames, which quench'd were with
thy breath',

Can kindle now no more but in thy grave!

*

1 "Each thing to ease my mind."

2 "Ed. 1616, "whiles."

"I fancy whiles thy form-and then a-fire."

4.66

In every sound."

Ed. 1607 and 1616, "can record the life that I have led." 6"I live but with despair my sprite to dash."

7 66 'extinguish'd in thy ash."