XV. A SONNET BY Q ELIZABETH. The following lines, if they difplay no rich vein of poetry, are yet fo ftrongly characteristic of their great and spirited authorefs, that the infertion of them will be pardoned. They are preferved in Puttenham's Arte of English Poefie: a book in which are many fly addreffes to the queen's foible of fhining as a poetess The extraordinary manner in which thefe verfes are introduced fhews what kind of homage was exacted from the courtly writers of that age, viz. 66 I find, fays this antiquated critic, none example in Eng"lish metre, fo well maintaining this figure [Exargafia, or "the Gorgeous, Lat Expolitio] as that dittie of her majef"ties owne making paffing fweete and harmonicall; which "figure beyng as his very originall name purporteth the moft "bewtifull and gorgious of all others, it asketh in reason to "be referved for a laft complement, and defciphred by a la"dies penne be fefe beyng the most bewtifull, or rather bew"tie of queenest.ind this was the occafion: our foveraigne lady perceiving how the Scottish queenes refidence within this realme at fo g eat libertie and eafe (as were fkarce "meete for fo great and dangerous' a pryfoner) bred fecret "factions among her people, and made many of the nobilitie "incline to favour her partie: fome of them defirous of in"novation in the fiate: others afpiring to greater fortunes "by her libertie and life The queene our foveraigne ladie "to declare that he was nothing ignorant of thofe fecret practizes, though he had long with great wijdome and pacience diffembled it, writeth this dittie moft fweete and 66 + She was at this time near three-fcore. " fenten 66 "fententious, not hiding from all fuch aspiring minds the danger of their ambition and disloyaltie: which after"wards fell out moft truly by th' exemplary chaftifement of "fundry perfons, who in favour of the faid Scot. Qu. de"clining from her majestie. fought to interrupt the quiet of the "realme by many evill and undutifull practizes. This fonnet feems to have been composed in 1569, not long before the D. of Norfolk, the earls of Pembroke and Arundel, the lord Lumley, Sir Nich. Throcmorton, and others, were taken into cuftody. See Hume, Rapin, &c.-It was originally written in long lines or alexandrines, each of which is here divided into two. The prefent edition is improved by fome readings adopted from a copy printed in a collection from the papers of Sir John Harrington, intituled, NUGE ANTIQUA, Lond. 1769, 1210. where the verfes are accompanied with a very curious letter, in which this fonnet is jaid to be "of her Highnefs own inditing. own inditing... My Lady Willoughby did 66 covertly get it on her Majefties tablet, and had much "bazzard in fo doing; for the Queen did find out the thief, "and chid for her Spreading evil bruit of her writing fuch toyes, when other matters did fo occupy her employment at "this time; and was fearful of being thought too lightly " of for fo doing." *** HE doubt of future foes TH Exiles my present joy; And wit me warnes to fhun such snares, As threaten mine annoy. For falfhood now doth flow, And fubjects faith doth ebbe ; Which would not be, if reafon rul'd, Or wisdome wove the webbe. V. 1. Dread. al. ed. 5 And fruteleffe all their graffed guiles, Then dazeld eyes with pride, Which great ambition blindes, Whose forefight falfhood finds. The daughter of debate *, That difcord ay doth fowe, Shal reape no gaine where former rule No forreine bannisht wight Shall ancre in this port; Our realme it brookes no strangers force, Let them elsewhere refort. Our rufty fworde with rest. Shail first his edge employ, To poll the toppes, that feeke such change, Or gape for fuch like joy.. 20 25 30 Ver. g. toyes. al. ed. * She evidently means here the Queen of Scots. +++ I cannot help fubjoining to the above fonnet another diftich of Elizabeth's preferved by Puttenham (p. 197.) "which fays he) our foveraigne lady wrote in defiance of " fortune.” Never thinke you, Fortune can beare the fway, Where Vertue's force can cause her to obay. The flighteft effufion of fuch a mind deferves attention. XV. KING OF SCOTS AND ANDREW BROWNE. This ballad is a proof of the little intercourse that fubfifted between the Scots and English, before the acceffion of James I. to the crown of England. The tale which is here fo circumfantially related does not appear to have had the leaf foundation in hiftory, but was probably built upen fome confufed hearfay report of the tumults in Scotland during the minority of that prince, and of the confpiracies formed by different factions to get poffeffion of his perfon. It should feem from ver. 97 to have been written during the regency or at least before the death, of the earl of Morton. who was condemned and executed June 2, 1581; when James was in his 5th year. The original copy (preferved in the archives of the Antiquarian Society, London) is intitled, "A new Ballad, dlvr. ing the great treafon confpired against the younging of "Scots, and bow one Andrew Browne an English-man, "which was the king's chamberlaine, prevented them?. "To the tune of Milfield, or els to Green-fleeves." At ibe end is fubjoined the name of the author W. ELDERTON. 66 "Imprinted at London for Yarathe James, dwelling in Newgate Market, over againft Ch. Church," in black-letter, folio. This ELDERTON, who had been originally an attorney in the Sheriffs courts of London, and afterwards (if we may believe Oldys) a comedian was a facetious fuddling companion, whole tippling and rhymes rendered him famous among his contemporaries He was author of many popular fongs and ballads and probably other pieces in thefe volumes, befides the following are of his compofing. He is believed to have fallen a victim to his bottle before the year 1592. His epitaph has been recorded by Camden, and tranflated by Oldys. Hic fitus eft fitiens, atque ebrius Eldertonus, Quid dico hic fitus eft? hic potius fitis eft. Dead drunk bere Elderton doth lie; Here he, but not his thirft, is laid. See Stow's Lond. [Guild-hall.]-Biogr. Brit. [DRAYTON, by Oldys, Note B.] Ath. Ox.-Camden's Remains.-The Exale-tation of Ale, among Beaumont's Poems, 8vo. 1653. UT alas! what a griefe is this OUT That princes fubjects cannot be true, It is to offend the anointed king? Alas for woe, why should it be fo, 5 |