And not his numbers; which were brave and high, And my dear Drummond, to whom much I owe, His poesy. In 1621 King James made a grant to Sir William of Nova Scotia, with a view to his colonizing it. This scheme had also the sanction of Charles I., who appointed him lieutenant of the new colony, and founded the order of the Baronets of Nova Scotia, the money to be derived from whom, for the title and land in the province, was to be expended in the formation of the settlement; but the project miscarried, and Sir William sold the colony to the French "for a matter of five or six thousand pounds English money." In 1626 he was made secretary of state for Scotland; in 1630 he was created Viscount Canada; and in 1633, at the coronation of King Charles at Holyrood, Earl of Stirling. He died in 1640, and the title has been dormant since the death of the fifth earl in 1739. Among the various claimants for the extinct title was Major-general Alexander of the United States army, who served with distinction during the Revolutionary War, and was generally known as Lord Stirling. Three years previous to his death the earl collected his poems, which were published in 1637 in one folio volume, entitled Recreations with the Muses. He also published at Oxford King James VI.'s version of the Psalms, which had been revised by him. Besides the works mentioned, he is believed to have written a supplement to complete the third part of Sir Philip Sydney's "Arcadia." A new edition of Stirling's works was undertaken in 1720 by A. Johnston, but never completed. The editor in his preface states that he had submitted the whole of them to Mr. Addison for his opinion of them, and that that very competent judge was pleased to say he had read them over with the greatest satisfaction, and found reason to be convinced that the beauties of our ancient English poets were too slightly passed over by the modern writers, "who, out of a peculiar singularity, had rather take pains to find fault with, than endeavour to excel them." A complete edition of his works was published in 1870 at Glasgow in three handsome octavo volumes, entitled "The Poetical Works of Sir William Alexander, Earl of Stirling, &c., now first collected and edited, with Memoir and Notes." Whilst in this manner I remaine, A field of fancies fights within my head: That diamantine hart; No wonder then although I wracke, My fervencie in love. Oft those that do deserve disdaine His fancies doth extend; My bashfulnesse when she beholds, As she could not conceive it. Not seeming to perceive it. Then since in vaine I plaints impart Henceforth I'll hide my losses, That do my joyes orethrow: At least to senselesse things, A SPEECH OF COELIA. (FROM THE TRAGEDY OF CROESUS.) Fierce tyrant, Death, who in thy wrath didst take But whilst I live, believe, thou canst not die- I think I see thee, and I hear thy voice. And to content my languishing desire, To ease my mind each thing some help affords: Thy fancied form doth oft such faith acquire, That in all sounds I apprehend thy words. Then with such thoughts my memory to wound, I call to mind thy looks, thy words, thy graceWhere thou didst haunt, yet I adore the ground! And where thou slept, O, sacred seems that place! My solitary walks, my widow'd bed, My dreary sighs, my sheets oft bath'd with tears, These shall record what life by me is led Since first sad news breath'd death into mine ear. Though for more pain yet spar'd a space by death, Thee first I lov'd, with thee all love I leave; For my chaste flames, which quench'd were with thy breath, Can kindle now no more but in thy grave! SONNET. I swear, Aurora, by thy starry eyes, And by those golden locks, whose lock none slips, And by the coral of thy rosy lips, And by the naked snows which beauty dyes; I swear by all the jewels of thy mind, Whose like yet never worldly treasure bought, Thy solid judgment, and thy generous thought, Mounts, vales, woods, flouds, and springs, Which in this darkened age have clearly shined; I shall them onely show. Ah! unaffected lines, True models of my heart, The world may see that in you shines The power of passion more than art. I swear by those, and by my spotless love, WILLIAM DRUMMOND. BORN 1585-DIED 1649. the vanity of human life, which has been pronounced equal to the splendid passages of Jeremy Taylor on this sublimest of all earthly topics. If tradition may be credited, it was composed in one of the caves in the lofty cliff on which the House of Hawthornden stands, and which is to this day called "The Cypress Grove." About this time, and while in the same frame of mind, he wrote what he called "Flowers of Zion; or Spiritual Poems." The publication of these volumes brought Drummond great fame, and led to a familiar correspondence with several of the literary magnates of his day, among whom may be mentioned Ben Jonson, Michael Drayton, Dr. Arthur Johnston the Latin poet, and the Earls of Ancrum and Stirling. Drayton in an elegy on the Eng. lish poets takes occasion to speak of Drummond with much distinction. From the Drummonds of Carnock, after- | "The Cypress Grove;" a prose rhapsody on wards Dukes of Perth, were descended the Drummonds of Hawthornden, a branch rendered as famous by the poet, as the other has been by statesmen and warriors. William Drummond, son of Sir John Drummond, was born at Hawthornden, December 13, 1585. He was educated at the recently founded University of Edinburgh, and being designed by his father for the legal profession, was in the year 1606 sent, in accordance with the custom of that day, to France to prosecute the study of the law. He appears to have been a most diligent student, studying with great assiduity, taking notes of the lectures which he attended, and writing observations of his own upon them. That he was well fitted for this profession is not left to conjecture. The learned President Lockhart, on being shown these manuscripts, declared that if Drummond had followed the law "he might have made the best figure of any lawyer of his time." In 1610 his father, Sir John, died, and he returned to Scotland to take possession of an independent inheritance, as Laird of Hawthornden, at the same time deciding to look for happiness in rural life and literary pursuits. 66 The most remarkable incident connected with the literary life of the Laird of Hawthornden, was the visit which the great dramatist "Rare Ben Jonson" paid to him in the spring of 1619. The Scottish poet kept notes of the opinions expressed by his distinguished guest, and chronicled some of his personal failings. Jonson alludes to all the contemporary poets and dramatists; but the most singular of all is his reference to Shakspere, of whom he speaks with as little reverence as of any of the others. He said, 'Shakspere wanted art, and sometimes sense; for in one of his plays he brought a number of men, saying they had suffered shipwreck in Bohemia, where is no sea near by an hundred miles." In describing Jonson Drummond says, "He was a great lover and praiser of himself, a contemner and scorner of others, given rather to lose a friend than a jest; jealous of every word and action of those about him, especially after drink, which is one of the elements in which he lived; a dissembler of the parts which reign in him; His next work was produced after his recovery a bragger of some good that he wanted; thinkfrom a dangerous illness, and was entitled | ing nothing well done, but what either he A more lovely spot for a poet's retreat we never saw in or out of Scotland. "Classic Hawthornden," Sir Walter called it. Within a small space are combined all the elements of sublime and picturesque scenery, and in the immediate neighbourhood is Roslyn Castle, one of the most interesting of Gothic ruins. In this charming retreat Drummond gave himself up to the study of the poets of Greece and Rome, of modern Italy and France; and to the formation upon them of an English style of his own. His earliest publication of which we have any knowledge, is a volume of poems of the date of 1616, when he was in his thirty-first year. This volume, however, is stated in the title to be the second edition. It was about the time of the English poet's himself or some of his friends have said or done. He is passionately kind or angry, care- | visit that Drummond formed an attachment less either to gain or keep; vindictive, but if he be well answered at himself, interprets best sayings and deeds often to the worst. He was for any religion, as being versed in both; oppressed with fancy, which hath overmastered his reason, a general disease in many poets." "In short," concludes Drummond, "he was in his personal character the very reverse of Shakspere, as surly, ill-natured, proud, and disagreeable, as Shakspere, with ten times his merit, was gentle, good-natured, easy, and amiable." It should be said to Ben's honour, that when he spared not the absent, neither did he overlook him who was present. Hawthornden's verses, he allowed, "were all good, especially his epitaph on Prince Henry; save that they smelled too much of the schools, and were not after the fancy of the times; for a child," said he, "may write after the fashion of the Greek and Latin verses, in running;-yet, that he wished for pleasing the king, that piece of 'Forth Feasting' had been his own." Our poet has been most unjustly attacked for his remarks about Jonson, which was simply a rough memorandum for his own use, never intended for publication. Though it treats with unparalleled severity the character and foibles of the English dramatist, there is every proof that he has not done him any injustice. It is not kindly, nor can it be said to be hostilely written. There is scarcely any writer that had any personal acquaintance with Jonson who does not confirm Drummond's sketch. Howell, in one of his letters, has a passage which may suffice to acquit our poet of any singularity in his opinions. "I was invited yesterday," he says, "to a solemn supper by B. J. There was good company, excellent cheer, choice wines, and jovial welcome. One thing intervened, which almost spoiled the relish of the rest, that B. began to engross all the discourse, to vapour extremely of himself, and by vilifying others to magnify his own name. T. Ca. buzzed me in the ear, that though Ben had barrelled up a great deal of knowledge, yet it seems he had not read the ethics, which, amongst other precepts of morality, forbid self-commendation, declaring it to be an ill-favoured solecism in good manners." for a young lady, daughter to Cunninghame of Barnes, an ancient and honourable house. His affection was reciprocated, the marriage day was appointed, and preparations going forward for its solemnization, when she was taken ill with a fever of which she soon after died. His deep grief on this sad event he has expressed in many of those sonnets which have given him the title of the Scottish Petrarch; and it has been well said that he celebrated his dead mistress with more passion and sincerity than others use to praise their living ones. Finding his home, after this event, irksome to him, he sought consolation on the Continent, where he resided for eight years, spending his time chiefly in Paris and Rome. During his travels he collected a large library of the best ancient Greek and Latin authors, and the works of the most esteemed modern writers of France, Italy, and Spain. He afterwards presented the collection to the College of Edinburgh. The catalogue accompanying the gift, about 500 volumes, printed in the year 1627, is furnished with a Latin preface, from Drummond's pen, upon "the advantage and honour of libraries." On his return to his native land, which Drummond found already breaking out into those political troubles which so unhappily closed the career of Charles I., he retired to the residence of his brother-in-law, Sir John Scot, where he wrote his History of the Five Jameses, Kings of Scotland. For purity of style and elegance of expression it is not surpassed by any Scottish work of his day. It was not published until after Drummond's death. In the year 1630 he married Elizabeth Logan, daughter to Sir Robert Logan, in whom he either found, or fancied he had found, a resemblance to his first love. his marriage he had several children, the eldest of whom, a son, was knighted by Charles II. We know little of the private life of the poet after this period, but that he lived a retired life at his beautiful house of Hawthornden, which he repaired, as we learn from an inscription bearing date 1638 still to be seen upon the building. Drummond died December 4, 1649, wanting only nine days to the completion of his sixty-fourth year. His body By was interred in Lasswade church, in the neighbourhood of Hawthornden. Besides his history he wrote several political tracts, all strongly in favour of royalty. It is as a poet, however, that Drummond is now known and remembered. His poems, though occasionally tinged with the conceits of the Italian school, possess a harmony and sweetness unsurpassed by the productions of any of his English or Scottish contemporaries. His sonnets are particularly distinguished for tenderness and delicacy. William Hazlitt remarks, "Drummond's sonnets, I think, come as near as almost any others to the perfection of this kind of writing, which should embody a sentiment, and every shade of a sentiment, as it varies with time, and place, and humour, with the extravagance or lightness of a momentary impression." It is generally conceded that Drummond is second only to Shakspere as a sonnet writer; and Henry Hallam, Thomas Campbell, and Robert Southey have concurred, with some variations in degree of praise, in assigning him a high place among British poets who appeared before Milton. Drummond seems throughout his life, if we except the early collections, to have entertained little concern for the preservation of his poems. Many of them were only printed, during his lifetime, upon loose sheets; and it was not till 1656 that Sir John Scot caused them to be collected and published in one volume. An edition of this collection was republished in London in 1659, with the following highly encomi- | astic title: "The most Elegant and Elaborate Poems of that great Court Wit, Mr. William Drummond; whose labours both in Prose and Verse, being heretofore so precious to Prince Henry and to King Charles, shall live and flourish in all ages, whiles there are men to read them, or art and judgment to approve them." Some of his poems remained in MS. till incorporated in the folio edition of his works issued in 1711. The most popular of those detached productions printed in the poet's lifetime was entitled "Polemo-Middinia, or the Battle of the Dunghill." This was a satire upon some of the author's contemporaries; and contains much humour in a style of composition which had not before been attempted in Scotland. It long retained its popularity in Edinburgh, where it was almost yearly reprinted; and it was published at Oxford in 1691, with Latin notes and a preface by Bishop Gibson. The latest edition of Drummond's works appeared in London in 1833, with a life by Peter Cunningham, a son of "honest Allan." In 1873 another memoir of the poet appeared, from the pen of Professor David Masson. The first poem which appears among our selections from Drummond was designed as a compliment to King James VI., on his visit to Scotland in 1617. Of the many effusions which that event called forth this only has maintained its popularity, and indeed, as a performance professedly panegyrical, it is no ordinary praise to say that it has done so. "It attracted," as Lord Woodhouselee has remarked, "the envy as well as the praise of Ben Jonson, is superior in harmony of numbers to any of the compositions of the contemporary poets of England, and in its subject one of the most elegant panegyrics ever addressed by a poet to a prince." THE RIVER OF FORTH FEASTING. (EXTRACT.) What blust'ring noise now interrupts my sleep? This golden people, glancing in my sight? And seem to call me from my watery court? | Whence doth this praise, applause, and love arise? Am I awake, or have some dreams conspir'd Whence come these glittering throngs, these Then find I true what I long wish'd in vain; meteors bright, My much-beloved prince is come again. |