When the apostle Barnaby the bright O what a fame 'twill be, What reputation to my lines and me, When he shall read them at the Treasurer's board, What transcripts begg'd! how cried up, and how glad Wilt thou be, Muse, when this shall them befall! Being sent to one, they will be read of all. XCVII. A NEW-YEAR'S GIFT, SUNG TO KING CHARLES, MDCXXXV. Prelude. EW years expect new gifts: sister, your harp, To shew the rites, and usher forth the way 7 For he doth love my verses, and will look Upon them, next to Spenser's noble book.] Sir Kenelm had a great affection for the Fairy Queen, and wrote a commentary on a single stanza of that poem. It is called, Observations on the 22d stanza in the 9th canto of the 2d book of Spenser's Fairy Queen, Lond. 1644. Octavo. WHAL. Of the new year, in a new silken warp, To fit the softness of your year's-gift; when We sing the best of monarchs, masters, men; For had we here said less, we had sung nothing then. Chorus of Nymphs and Shepherds. Rector Cho. To-day old Janus opens the new year, 1 Shep. Pan is the great preserver of our bounds. 2 Shep. To him we owe all profits of our grounds. 3 Shep. Our milk. 4 Shep. Our fells. 5 Shep. Our fleeces. 6 Shep. And first lambs. 7 Shep. Our teeming ewes. 8 Shep. And lusty mounting rams. 9 Shep. See where he walks, with Mira by his side. Cho. Sound, sound his praises loud, and with his hers divide. Of Pan we sing, the best of hunters, Pan, That drives the hart to seek unused ways. Shep. And in the chase, more than Sylvanus can; Cho. Hear, O ye groves, and, hills, resound his praise. Of brightest Mira do we raise our song, Sister of Pan, and glory of the spring; Nym. Who walks on earth, as May still went along. Cho. Rivers and valleys, echo what we sing. Of Pan we sing, the chief of leaders, Pan, Cho. of Shep. That leads our flocks and us, and calls both forth To better pastures than great Pales can: worth. Of brightest Mira is our song; the grace Cho. of Nym. Of all that nature yet to life did bring And were she lost, could best supply her place: Rivers and valleys, echo what we sing. 1 Shep. Where'er they tread the enamour'd ground, The fairest flowers are always found: 2 Shep. As if the beauties of the year Still waited on them where they were. I Shep. He is the father of our peace; 2 Shep. She to the crown hath brought increase. Cho. Our great, our good. Where one's so drest Rect. Cho. Haste, haste you hither, all you gentler swains, That have a flock or herd upon these plains: And hunting, Pan, exceedeth thee: Rect. Cho. Where-e'er he goes, upon the ground To sweeter pastures lead he can, Than ever Pales could, or Pan: He drives diseases from our folds, 8 XCVIII. ON THE KING'S BIRTH-DAY.9 OUSE up thyself, my gentle Muse, Though now our green conceits be gray, And yet once more do not refuse To take thy Phrygian harp, and play In honour of this cheerful day : Long may they both contend to prove, Make first a song of joy and love, To this let all good hearts resound, 8 In the old copy, several love verses are ridiculously tacked to this chorus: they have already appeared, and the circumstance is only noted here, to mark the carelessness or ignorance of those who had the ransacking of the poet's study, after his death. This is probably Ben's last tribute of duty to his royal master: it is not his worst; it was, perhaps, better as it came from the poet, for a stanza has apparently been lost, or confounded with the opening one. Long may he round about him see His roses and his lilies blown: And kingdom's hopes so timely sown. XCIX. TO MY LORD THE KING, ON THE CHRISTENING HIS SECOND SON JAMES.' HAT thou art lov'd of God, this work is done, Great king, thy having of a second son : Oceano secura meo, securior umbris. 1 James II. was born October 15, 1633, and the ceremony, here mentioned, took place in the succeeding month. In the Diary of Laud's Life, (fol. 1695, p. 49,) is the following memorandum by the archbishop. November 24, 1633. Sunday in the afternoon, I christened king Charles his second son, James duke of York, at St. James's." 66 |