scribe. It is constructed after the Italian model; and

not unsuccessfully.

"Even as the eagle through the empty skie

Convoys her young ones on her soaring wings
Above the azur'd vaults, till she them brings
Where they on Phoebus' glorious beames may pry;
So, mighty Prince! my Muse now soars on high
Above the vulgar reach to higher spheres,
With this scarce-ripen'd eaglet birth of her's,
Unto the view of your majestick eye.

But if it hap (as hap I feare it shall)

She may not bide your censure's dazling touch;
The higher flight, the more renowned fall;

It shall suffice that her attempt was such:
But if in aught she please your princely view,
Then she attains the marke at which she flew.

Your Highnesse most loyall & affectionate servant,
DA. MURRAY."

Complimentary verses follow, by Michael Drayton, the well-known poet; by Simon Grahame, the author of the "Anatomie of Humors ;" and by John Murray, who has a MS. volume of sonnets* in the college library, Edinburgh, and who styles himself the "loving cousin" of David Murray. The love-sonnets entitled "Calia," which Mr. Pinkerton had not been able to meet with, † are inscribed to Richard, Lord Dingwall, in a metrical dedication which intimates a suspicion that his Lordship's martial mind would have been

To these Drummond seems to allude, when he says-" Murray, with others I know, hath done well, if they could be bought to publish their works." Conversation with Ben Jonson, in 1619.

+ See Preliminaries to Scotish poems, 1792, Vol. I. p. xxxiii. Mr. A. Campbell, in his Hist. of Poetry in Scotland, notices a copy, at p. 130.

more

more congenially amused if the poet had saluted him with the dread sounds

"Of neighing coursers and of trumpets shrill."

He at the same time announces his future intention to impart some subject to his patron's "noble ears,' which shall seem of more worth than these idle and light conceits,

"Where youth and folly shew their skil-lesse art." That his poetical conceits were not skil-less the following quatuorzain may show.

"On his being accused by a Gentlewoman for stealing of a book.

"Let not thyselfe, faire nimphe!. nor none of thine,
Accuse me of a sacrilegious theft;

For by the world, and by the starry lift, *
And by the honour I do owe thy shrine,
By the infernall spirits and gods divine,

And by the hallowed stately Stigian brayes, t
I never meant, sweete dame, thee to displease:
For why? thy griefe had likewise then been mine.
If ever aught, deare love, from thee I stole,

I both protest & sweare it was no booke;
No: nothing but a poore inveigling looke,
For which againe I left my freedome thrall.

Then blame me not for stealing of thy books,
Since you steal hearts-I only steale poore looks."

One of his sonnets was "made, at the author's being in Bourdeaux." Mr. Alex. Campbell has reprinted another "on the misfortune of Belisarius." Two others are addressed "to the right worthy gentleman and his loving cousin Mr. John Murray."

Another was written "on the death of Lady Cicely Weemes, Lady of Tillebarne." This is followed by an epitaph, or rather elegy, on the death of his deare cousin, M. David Murray, and a sonnet on the death of his cousin Adam Murray. The following little poem appears to be composed on the plan of one among the Uncertain Authors annexed to Lord Surrey's poems, which is considered by Mr. Warton as the first example in our language, now remaining, of the pure and unmixed pastoral. *

"The Complaint of the shepheard Harpalus.

"Poore Harpalus, opprest with love,

Sate by a christal brooke;
Thinking his sorrowes to remove
Oft times therein did looke;

And hearing how on pebble stones
The murmuring river ran,
As if it had bewail'd his grones,

Unto it thus began:

Faire stream, (quoth he) that pities me,

And hears my matchlesse moane,

If thou be going to the sea,

As I do so suppone; †

Attend my plaints, past all releefe,

Which dolefully I breath;

Acquaint the sea-nymphes with the greefe,

Which still procures my death:

Who, sitting on the cliffy rocks,

May in their songs expresse,

While as they combe their golden locks,

Poore Harpalus' distresse.

See Hist. of Eng. Poetry, iii. 31.

+ Suppose.

And

And so, perhaps, some passenger,
That passeth by the way,
May stay & listen for to hear
Them sing this dolefull lay ;-

Poore Harpalus, a shepheard-swaine
More rich in youth than store,
Lov'd faire Philena, hapless man!
Philena, oh! therefore.

Who still, remorceless-hearted maide,
Took pleasure in his paine,

And his good will, poor soule! repayd
With undeserv'd disdayne.

Ne're shepheard lov'd a shepheardesse
More faithfully then he;
Ne're shepheard yet beloved lesse
Of shepheardesse could be.

How oft with dying looks did he
To her his woes impart!
How oft his sighes did testifie
The dolour of his heart!

How oft from vallies to the hills

Did he his griefs rehearse! How oft re-echo'd they his ills Abacke again, alas!

How oft on barks of stately pines

Of beech, of holen greene,
Did he ingrave in mournfull lines

The dole he did sustaine !

Yet all his plaints could have no place,

To change Philena's mind;

The more his sorrowes did increase,

The more she prov'd unkind.

The

The thought whereof, through verie care,

Poore Harpalus did move;

That overcome with high despaire,

He quat both life and love."

Several of the sonnets bear much similarity in their structure to those of the Scotian Petrarch, Drummond; but they appeared five years before any known edition of the bard of Hawthornden, whose tender amatory effusions long preceded the mythological elegancies of Waller, as Mr. Neve has fully shewn in his "Cursory Remarks on ancient English poets." T. P.

ART. VIII. Additions to the Censura, Vol. IV. p. 348, and Miscellanea.

I have the authority of the Bibliographia Rawlinsoniana, No 1120, for an edition in 4to. printed by Henry Wykes: and in my own possession is "A verie fruitfull and pleasant booke called the Instruction of a Christian Woman, made first in Latin by the right famous Clearke, M. Lewes Viues, and translated into English, by Richard Hyrde. At London, printed by John Danter, dwelling in Hosier Lane neere Holburne Conduit, 1592." Sm. 8vo. black letter.

Bristol, 1809.

J. F.

I.

1. "The Obedyence of a Chrysten man, and howe Christen rulers ought to governe wher in also (if thou marke dilygently) thou shalt finde eyes to perceave ye crafty conveiance of all jugglers."

At the end, Imprinted at London, by Wyllyam Coplande, 1561, 16mo. folios 182.