And ever-drizling raine upon the loft, Mixt with a murmuring winde, much like the sowne (5)

Of swarming bees, did cast him in a swowne. (6)

365

No other noyse, nor peoples troublous cryes, As still are wont t'annoy the walled towne, Might there be heard; but carelesse Quiet lyes,

Wrapt in eternall silence farre from enimies.

Of Hecate; whereat he gan to quake, And lifting up his lumpish head, with blame Halfe angrie, asked him, for what he came? 'Hether, quoth he, 'me Archimago sent, 'He that the subborne sprites can wisely tame, 385 'He bids thee to him send for his intent 'A fit false Dreame, that can delude the sleepers sent.' (1)

The god obayde; (2) and calling forth straight way

A diverse Dreame out of his prison darke, Delivered it to him, and downe did lay 390 His heavie head, devoide of careful carke,(3) Whose senses all were straight benumbd and stark.

He backe returning by the yvorie dore, Remounted up as light as cheerful larke, And on his little winges the Dreame he bore In hast unto his lord, where he him left afore. (4)

Who all this while, with charmes and hidden artes,

Had made a lady of that other spright, And fram'd of liquid ayre her tender partes, So lively, and so like in all mens sight, 400 That weaker sense it could have ravisht quight; (5)

The makers selfe, for all his wondrous witt,
Was nigh beguiled with so goodly sight.
Her all in white he clad, and over it
Cast a black stole, (6) most like to seeme
for Una fit. 405
Now when that ydle Dreame was to him
brought,

Unto that elfin knight he bad him fly,
Where he slept soundly, void of evil thought,
And with false shewes abuse his fantasy,
In sort as he him schooled privily,
And that new creature, borne without her
dew, (7)

410

Full of the maker's guyle with usage sly He taught to imitate that lady trew, (8) Whose semblance she did carrie under feigned hew. (9)

The knight gan fayrely couch his steady speare,

10

And fiersely ran at him with rigorous might; The pointed steele, arriving rudely theare,(2) His harder hyde would nether perce (3) nor bight, (4)

But glauncing by, foorth passed forward right:

Yet sore amoved with so puissaunt push, 15 The wrathfull beast about him turned light, And him so rudely passing by did brush With his long tayle, that horse and man to ground did rush.

Both horse and man up lightly rose againe, And fresh encounter towardes him addrest; 20

But th'ydle stroke yet backe recoyld in vaine, And found no place his deadly point to

FROM THE EPITHALAMION. Wake now, my love, awake; for it is time; The rosy Morn long since left Tithon's bed, All ready to her silver couch to climb; And Phoebus 'gins to show his glorious head. Hark! how the cheerful birds do chaunt their lays,

And carol of Jove's praise!
The merry lark her matins sings aloft;
The thrush replies, the mavis (3) descant (4)
plays,
The ouzel (5) shrills; the ruddock (6) war-
bles soft;

So goodly all agree, with sweet consent,
To this day's merriment.

(1) Rhyme. (2) Drowned. (3) High-noted thrush. (4) High tenor. (5) Blackbird. (6) Redbreast.

long, When meeter were that ye should now awake,

To await the coming of your joyous make,

For they of joy and pleasaunce to you sing, That all the woods them answer, and their echoes ring.

JAMES VI. of Scotland and I. of England was the author of several books; the principal is the 'Basilicon Doron', written for the use of his son Henry. Before the union of the kingdoms in 1602 he published two volumes of poetry, which however are not very interesting: he was a great pedant, and delighted in appropriating to himself the title of the British Solomon.' In his 'Dæmonology' he tries to prove the existence of

TO HIS SON PRINCE HENRY, God gives not kings the stile of Gods in vaine, For on his throne his scepter do they swey: And as their subjects ought them to obey, So kings should feare and serve their God againe.

If then ye would enjoy a happie reigne, 5 Observe the statutes of our heavenly King; And from his law make all your laws to spring;

Since his lieutenant here ye should remaine.

Rewarde the just, be stedfast, true and plaine; Represse the proud, maintayning aye the right;

10

Walke always so, as ever in His sight, Who guardes the godly, plaguing the prophane.

And so ye shall in princely vertues shine, Resembling right your mightie King di

vine.

witches, and shows the way in which they travel, but the book is now looked upon more as a curiosity than as a learned production. In his reign tobacco-smoking was introduced into England: the king was very averse to the custom, and used to say that he had 'no notion of men making a chimney of their mouths.' He wrote a work entitled a 'Counterblast to Tobacco' in order to defend his opinions. (Born 1566. Died 1625.)

10

The balmie dew through birning drouth he dryis, Which made the soile to savour sweit and smell,

By dew that on the night before downe fell,

Which then was soukit (1) up by the Del-
phienus heit
Up in the aire: it was so light and weit.

Whose hie ascending in his purpour chere 15
Provokit all from Morpheus to flee:
As beasts to feid, and birds to sing with
beir, (2)

Men to their labour, bissie (3) as the bee:
Yet idle men devysing did I see,
How for to drive the tyme that did them irk,
By sindrie pastymes, quhile that it grew
mirk. (4)

Then woundred I to see them seik a wyle,

So willingly the precious tyme to tine: (5) And how they did themselfis so farr begyle, To fushe of tyme; which of itself is fyne. 25 Fra tyme be past to call it backwart syne Is bot in vaine: therefore men sould be warr, To sleuth (6) the tyme that flees fra them so farr.