"IT IS THE MIND THAT MAKETH GOOD OR ILL, THAT MAKETH WRETCH OR HAPPY, RICH OR POOR."-SPENSER.

12

"FOR OF THE SOUL THE BODY FORM DOTH TAKE;

UNA AND THE LION.

"AS LAMPS BURN BRIGHTEST WITH UNCONSCIOUS LIGHT, SO MODEST EASE IN BEAUTY SHINES MOST BRIGHT."-PRIOR.

To have at once devoured her tender corse :

But to the prey when as he drew more nigh,
His bloody rage assuagèd with remorse,
And with the sight amazed, forgat his furious force.

Instead thereof he kissed her weary feet,
And licked her lily hands with fawning tongue;
As he her wrongèd innocence did weet.
Oh, how can beauty master the most strong,
And simple truth subdue avenging wrong!
Whose yielded pride and proud submissiön,
Still dreading death when she had marked long,
Her heart 'gan melt in great compassion:
And drizzling tears did shed for pure affectiön.

FOR SOUL IS FORM, AND DOTH THE BODY MAKE."-SPENSER.

"THE LOVE OF SOUL DOTH LOVE OF BODY PASS NO LESS THAN PERFECT GOLD THE MEANEST BRASS."-SPENSER.

"THERE IS IN SOULS A SYMPATHY WITH SOUNDS."-COWPER.

"The lion, lord of every beast in field,”

Quoth she, "his princely puissance doth abate,
And mighty proud to humble weak does yield,

Forgetful of the hungry rage, which late
Him pricked, with pity of my sad estate:
But he, my lion, and my noble lord,

How does he find in cruel heart to hate

Her, that him loved, and ever most adored

As the god of my life? Why hath he me abhorred ?"...

The lion would not leave her desolate,
But with her went along, as a strong guard
Of her chaste person, and a faithful mate
Of her sad troubles and misfortunes hard:
Still when she slept he kept both watch and ward;
And when she waked he waited diligent,
With humble service to her will prepared :

From her fair eyes he took commandèment,
And even by her looks conceived her intent.*

[EDMUND SPENSER, born at London in 1553, died 1599. Author of "The
Faery Queen," "The Shepherd's Calendar," and other poenis. "Three
things," says Leigh Hunt, "must be conceded to the objectors against this
divine poet: first, that he wrote a good deal of allegory; second, that he
has a great many superfluous words; third, that he was very fond of alli-
teration. The answer is, that his genius not only makes amends for all, but
overlays them, and makes them beautiful with 'riches fineless.' When
acquaintance with him is once begun, he repels none but the anti-poetical.
Others may not be able to read him continuously; but more or less, and as
an enchanted stream 'to dip into,' they will read him always."]

* Una is the personification of Truth. Mrs. E. B. Browning thus alludes to the above passage :

"Mindful oft

Of thee, whose genius walketh mild and soft
As Una's lion, chainless though subdued,
Beside thy purity of womanhood."

And Keats speaks of—

"Lovely Una in a leafy nook."

"THE NOBLEST MIND THE BEST CONTENTMENT has."-spenser.

"SO EVERY SPORT, AS IT IS MOST PURE, SO IT THE FAIRER BODY DOTH PROCURE TO HABIT IN."-SPENSER.

"THE MAN THAT HATH NO MUSIC IN HIMSELF, IS FIT FOR TREASONS, STRATAGEMS, AND SPOILS."-SHAKSPEARE.

14

MUSIC, WHICH GENTLIER ON THE SPIRIT LIES

ENCHANTED MUSIC.

ENCHANTED MUSIC.

FTSOONS they heard a most melodious sound
Of all that might delight a dainty ear,
Such as, at once, might not on living ground,
Save in this paradise, be heard elsewhere:

Right hard it was for wight which did it hear
To weet* what manner music that might be,
For all that pleasing is to living ear

Was there consorted in one harmony-.
Birds, voices, instruments, winds, waters, all agree.

The joyous birds, shrouded in cheerful shade,
Their notes unto the voice attempered sweet :

* Guess.

"THERE'S MUSIC IN THE SIGHING OF A REED; THERE'S MUSIC IN THE GUSHING OF A RILL."-BYRON.

"TIRED NATURE's Sweet RESTORER, BALMY SLEEP."-YOUNG.

SLEEP.

Th' angelical, soft, trembling voices made
To th' instruments divine respondence meet;
The silver-sounding instruments did meet

With the base murmur of the water's fall;
The water's fall, with difference discreet,

Now soft, now loud, unto the wind did call ;
The gentle warbling wind low answered to all.

15

[EDMUND SPENSER. I give the foregoing passage as a specimen of what Coleridge calls "the indescribable sweetness and fluent projections of his

verse."]

"HAIL, BOUNTEOUS MAY, THAT DOST INSPIRE MIRTH, AND YOUTH, AND WARM Desire."-john mILTON.

MAY.

HEN came fair May, the fairest maid on ground,
Decked all with dainties of her season's pride,

And throwing flowers out of her lap around:
Upon two brethren's shoulders she did ride,
The Twins of Leda;* which, on either side,
Supported her, like to their sovereign queen.
Lord! how all creatures laughed when her they spied,
And leaped and danced as they had ravished been;
And Cupid's self about her fluttered all in green.
[EDMUND SPENSER. See p. 11.]

"FOR THEE, SWEET MONTH, THE GROVES GREEN LIV'RIES WEAR, IF NOT THE FIRST, THE FAIREST OF THE YEAR."-DRYDEN.

SLEEP.

JOME, Sleep, O Sleep, the certain knot of peace,
The baiting-place of wit, the balm of woe,
The poor man's wealth, the prisoner's release,
The indifferent judge between the high and low.
* Castor and Pollux, the "Dioscuri" of Greek mythology.

66 CARE-CHARMING SLEEP, THOU EASER OF ALL WOES."-BEAUMONT.

16

"HARK! HOW THE CHEERFUL BIRDS DO CHANT THEIR LAYS,

SONGS OF BIRDS.

With shield of proof shield me from out the prease
Of those fierce darts Despair at me doth throw;
Oh, make in me those civil wars to cease:

I will good tribute pay, if thou do so.

[Sir PHILIP SIDNEY, poet, courtier, knight, whose life has been said to be " poetry put in action," was born at Penshurst, in Kent, in 1554, died 1586. His chief works are the "Defence of Poesy," and the prose romance

of The Arcadia."]

"SWEET SONGSTER! THOU MY MIND DOST RAISE TO AIRS OF SPHERES-YES, AND TO ANGEL LAYS."-DRUMMOND.

"HARK! HOW THROUGH MANY A WINDING NOTE, SHE NOW PROLONGS HER LAY."-MARK AKENSIDE.