the four it is unlikely that he ever wrote at all. Of the other two," The Lie," and "The Pilgrimage," he was probably the Author, but certainly not at the time recorded. The following lines from Breton's "Melancholike Humours," 1600, (p. 34, Lee Priory reprint,) deserve insertion, as a parallel to this Poem: "Go! bid the world, with all its trash, farewell, "Account of pomp but as a shadow'd power, And lovers' fancies but as fabled lies: The Poem is here printed from the fourth edit. of Davison (p. 100), with a few corrections, which are marked by brackets. That copy has been given in the notes to the Lee Priory and Oxford editions, where the text (=A) is taken from Dr. Birch. Percy (=B) also professed to print from Davison, but he has introduced several of the readings of the other copy. So too has Ellis (=C), though more sparingly, as will be seen from the Variations. The two copies which Sir H. Nicolas printed from the Harl. MSS. at the end of his edit. of Davison (=D and E) present many minute variations, which it would have been tedious to give at length. I have therefore selected only a few of them; and have done Viz. Wotton's Hymn made at Venice, above, p. 45, and the " Farewell to the Vanities of the World," No. III. in this Part.-The note on p. 68 will supply a fifth instance.—In what is said above, I have assumed the antiquity of the tradition, (which seems to me very doubtful,) so as to state the case against Raleigh in the strongest way. the same with the copy in Pembroke (F). Some readings (=G) have also been selected from the fragments of the original preserved in Sylvester's Parody. The title in Davison is "The Lie," which is retained by Percy:-that of "The Soul's Errand" was taken by Ellis from Sylvester's Works, the only part of that copy which he preserved; and Mr. Campbell kept it, and argued from it, in spite of his just objections to Sylvester :-the title in Birch, &c. is "The Farewell."] [5] [10] [15] OE, soule, the bodies guest, vpon a thanklesse arrant; Feare not to touch the best ; the truth shall be thy warrant : Goe, since I needs must dye, Tell Potentates, they liue, Not loued, vnlesse they giue,- giue Potentates the lye. Tell men of high condition, [20] that mannage the estate, [25] [30] [35] [40] [45] Their purpose is ambition, then giue them all the lye. Tell them that braue it most, they beg for more by spending, And if they make reply, then giue them all the lie. Tell zeale it wants deuotion; And wish them not reply, for thou must giue the lie. Tell age it daily wasteth; tell honour how it alters; Tell beauty how she blasteth; tell fauour how it falters: Tell wit how much it wrangles her selfe in ouer wisenesse : straight giue them both the lie. 6 [50] [55] [60] Tell Phisicke of her boldnesse; Tell Charity of coldnesse; tell law it is contention: And as they doe reply, so giue them still the lye. Tell fortune of her blindnesse; Tell friendship of vnkindnesse; tell Iustice of delay: And if they will reply, then giue them all the lie. Tell Arts they haue no soundnesse, Tell schooles they want profoundnesse, and stand [too] much on seeming: [65] If Arts and Schooles reply, [70] giue arts and schooles the lye. Tell Faith its fled the Citie; tell how the countrey erreth; Tell manhood shakes off* pittie; tell vertue least preferre[th]: And if they doe reply, spare not to giue the lye. In a case like this, where the old spelling, of, though very common, might mislead the reader, it seems improper to retain it. [75] So, when thou hast, as I deserues no lesse than stabbing,- no stab th[e] soule can kill. [VARIATIONS.-2. Though Birch printed 'Arrant' (as in Dav. and B, and in D E 'errant') it is modernized in A C to 'errand' (so also FG) which Sir H. Nicolas properly rejects. The rhyme is not uncommon.*-3. 'to teach'-F.-5. 'Goe thou, since I must dye'-G.-'since thou must needs'-F.-6. 'And give them all the lie'-A D. 'And tell them all they lie'-E F.—7. ‘Go, tell the Court'-A B C G.-8. 'painted wood'-A.-9. 'Go, tell the Church'-A B C.-10. but does no good'-A. (so, nearly, DF G.)-11. 'If Court and Church reply'-A F. (so D, except or church')-12. 'Give Court and Church the lie'-A.13. 'Tell Protestants'-F. (so also in lines 17, 18,-a very curious corruption.)-14. 'but Oh! their actions'-A. 'but others actions'-E F. It is 'actions' also in B C D. In Dav, and G. 'action.-16. 'but by their factions'-A B C E F. In Dav. 'but by affection'-and in D, 'but by affections'-. I retain the reading of G, as being nearest to that of Davison.-20. "That rule affairs of state-A B C E F. That in affairs of state'D G.-23. 'do reply'-A.-25. 'Tell those'-A E F G.-27. 'And in'-F G.-28. So A B C E F. In Dav. and D, 'Like nothing'-'Seeke but a selfe-commending'-G.-30. 'Spare not to give'-A B.-31. 'it lacks devotion'-A B C.-33. So A B C F. In Dav. and E, 'it meets but motion'-. 'it's but a motion' -D.-39. 'that it blasteth'-A. 'Tell truth how that she blasteth' -D.-40. 'that she falters'-AD F. 'how she falters'-B C. For example, in George Wither's Speculum Speculativam, 1660, p. 4. "For doubtless I may boldly do mine Errant To Kings and Nations, when I have thy warrant.” See also Richardson's Dict. s. v. Arrand, where the passage in the text is cited, as from "Sir W. Raleigh. The Lye." |