In another, which is commenced in the same way, occurs this passage:" :-"The last and inwardest Consolation that I can represent unto your Majesty, is your self, your own Soul, your own Virtues, your own Christian constancy and magnanimity: Whereby your Majesty hath exalted the glory of your Sex, conquered your Affections, and trampled upon your adversities. To conclude, you have shewed the World, that though you were born within the chance, yet without the power of fortune." (p. 556. He often repeats these expressions. Cf. pp. 129, 222, 450.) I believe the date assigned by Freeman to the Poem (1620) is nearly correct; for the Elector Palatine was not chosen King of Bohemia till September, 1619: and if it had been written long after that time, the lines would have contained some allusion to the Queen's misfortunes. It was set to music and printed as early as 1624.*

The Variations are now given from three copies of this Poem; viz. A=one in Archbishop Sancroft's Collection, MS. Tann. 465, fol. 43. Bone in MS. Malone 19, p. 23. Title, "To the Spanish Lady." (What this title means, I do not pretend to determine. The tune known as "the Spanish Lady" would not suit the metre of this piece. See Percy's Reliques, ii. 246, ed. 1839, and Chappell's Nat. Eng. Mel. No. 24, (bis) and Notes, pp. 44, 188.) C=one in Percy's Reliques, ii. 335, where it is "printed from the Reliquia

Namely, in Est's Sixt Set of Bookes, &c. with several variations, which are given in Mr. Dyce's edit, of Wotton's Poems. The copy is also mentioned by Haslewood, Pref. to Anc. Crit. Essays, vol. ii. p. xi. Mr. Dyce remarks, that "it is found also, much altered for the worse, and with a wretched Second Part, in Songs and Fancies, &c. Aberdeen, 1682." I do not know whether the additional verses which I have extracted from the MSS. form any portion of that" Second Part," but they are very inferior to the rest. In Park's copy of Rel. Wotton, is inserted "The Disparity, from a hint of Sir Henry Wotton," by Aaron Hill; but the writer has taken rather more than "a hint," and has completely spoiled the piece. Cleveland evidently had it in view in the commencement of his "General Eclipse;"-Poems, p. 72, ed. 1677.

Wottoniana, 1651, with some corrections from an old MS.
copy." Percy's readings have been previously given by Mr.
Dyce.]

OU meaner Beauties of the Night,
That poorly satisfie our Eyes,

More by your number, than your light,
You Common people of the Skies;

[5] What are you when the [Moon] shall rise?

[10]

[15]

You curious Chanters of the Wood,
That warble forth Dame Natures lays,
Thinking your [Passions] understood
By your weak accents; what's your praise,
When Philomel her voice shall raise?

You Violets that first appear,

By your pure purple mantles known,
Like the proud Virgins of the year,
As if the Spring were all your own;
What are you when the Rose is blown ?

So, when my Mistriss shall be seen
In Form and Beauty of her mind,

By Vertue first, then Choice, a Queen,
Tell me if she were not design'd

Th' Eclipse and Glory of her kind?

H. W.

[VARIATIONS.-1. 'Ye'—B.-2. 'Which'-B.' mens eyes'—

A. (afterwards corrected.) 4.

Like common'- A B.-5.

"What' altered in A to Where'—.

moon' is the reading of A

B C, Est, and Mr. Dyce. In Rel. Wotton. 'Sun.'-The second and third stanzas are transposed in all the copies but Rel. Wotton.-6. 'Ye'-C. 'Yee wandring chaunt".-B. 'warbling chanters'-A.-7. 'That fill the aire with natures laies'-A. So also B, except Which fill'. 8.' Passions' is the reading of all the copies but Rel. Wotton, which has Voices'-,and in ed. 1672, a semicolon at the end of the line.-9. 'By accents weake, what is' -B.' forc't accents.... where's the praise'-A.-10. ' her notes doe rayse'-B.-11. 'Ye'-BC.-12. Are by your'-A.' By yo' new'-B.-15. What' altered to Where'-in A.-A fourth stanza is introduced in A, as well as a sixth, the last in Rel. Wotton. being the fifth in that copy. The fourth is as follows:

"4. You Rubies, that doe gemmes adorne,
And Saphyres with yo' azure hewe,
Like to the skies, or blushing morne,
How pale's your brightnes in our veiw,
When Diamonds are mixt with you?"

In B, the last stanza is made up of the one just quoted, and the last of Rel. Wotton. by means which some new variations, not worth marking, are introduced.-16. 'Princesse'-B. A gives both words.-17. (Not in B.) In brightnes of her lookes & mind' -A, altered to 'In sweetnes-' which is the reading of C.-18. For beauty passing loues faire Queene'-A.-19. 'be not'-A. 'was not'-C.' assigned'-B. The following is the sixth verse

in A:

"6. The rose, the violett, all the spring
Vnto her breath for sweetnes runne;
The Diamond's dark'ned in the ring;
If she appeare, the Moones vndone,
As in the presence of the Sunne."]

LIIII

IIIII

IV.

TO A NOBLE FRIEND IN HIS SICKNESS.

[IN MS. Rawl. Poet. 147, p. 101, this Poem is entitled, "On ye Duke of Buckingham sicke of a feaver." It has the signature, "Sr. Henry Wotton."]

NTIMELY Fever, rude insulting guest,
How didst thou with such unharmonious

heat

Dare to distune his well-composed rest, Whose Heart so just and noble strokes did beat?

[5] What if his Youth and Spirits well may bear More thick Assaults, and stronger Siege than

this?

We measure not his Courage, but our fear:

Not what ourselves, but what the Times may

miss.

[10]

Had not that Blood, which thrice his Veins did

yield,

Been better treasur'd for some glorious day, At farthest West to paint the liquid Field,

And with new Worlds his Masters love to pay?

But let those Thoughts, sweet Lord, repose a while;

Tend only now thy vigour to regain;

[15] And pardon these poor Rhimes, that would be

guile,

With mine own Grief, some portion of thy pain.

H. W.

Who hart

[VARIATIONS in MS. Rawl.-2. 'in such'-. 4.

A more

so just so. 5. W though.... Spirritt'-. 6. deepe seige & strong assault then this'-. 9. 'the' for that'-. 10. better day'-. 13. tell those thoughts'.-]