His "Night-piece," his Corinna going a Maying, his Gather ye rose buds while ye may, and his Mad Maid's Song, are not greater proofs of his taste and feeling than of his genius. Such real poetry as is to be found in his When he would have his Verfes read, No bashfulness in Begging, Upon his departure hence, His wish to Privacy, His Alms, His Winding Sheet, and the Epitaph on a Child,

But born and like a short delight,

His Thanksgiving to God for his Houfe, and His Litany, are "Noble Numbers" indeed.

Herrick poffeffed a vigour of fancy, a warmth of feeling, a soundness of sense, and an ease of verfification, sufficient to rank him very high in the scale of English minor poets; and we are quite convinced that when the list of these is made out in future his name will not be forgotten."

"Herrick," fays Mr. Campbell, "were we to fix our eyes on a small portion of his works, might be pronounced a writer of delightful Anacreontic fpirit. He has paffages where the thought seems to dance into numbers from his very heart, and where he frolics like a being made up of melody and pleasure, as where he fings,

Gather ye rose buds while ye may, &c.

In the fame spirit are his verfes To Anthea,' concluding,

Thou art my life, my love, my heart,
The very eyes of me;

And haft command of every part,
To live and die for thee.

But his beauties are deeply involved in furrounding coarseness and extravagance. What is divine has much of poetry, that which is human has the frailty of flesh."

But his most enthufiaftic admirer and warmest panegyrist, is a writer in the Retrospective Review, published in August 1823,* and who gave, in that miscellany, selections from the Hefperides which abundantly juftify the following eulogium:

"While the phlegmatic grace and pedantry of Waller, and the grace without pedantry of Carew, have been the subjects of general observation, the varied modulation and exquifite harmony of Herrick's muse have been totally neglected. He who excels both, not only in structure of his verse, but in the more effential requifites of poetry, is less known than either. But forgetting the impurities of our author, and estimating the chaster effusions of his felicitous genius, we do not hesitate to pronounce him THE VERY BEST OF ENGLISH LYRIC POETS. He is the most joyous and gladsome of bards, finging like the grasshopper, as if he would never grow old. He is as fresh as the spring, as

* Vol. v. p. 156.

blithe as the fummer, and as ripe as the autumn. We know of no English poet who is so abandonné, as the French term it, who so wholly gives himself up to his present feelings, who is so much heart and foul in what he writes, and this not on one fubject only, but on all fubjects alike. The spirit of song dances in his veins, and flutters around his lips-now bursting into the joyful and hearty voice of the epicurean; fometimes breathing forth strains foft as the figh of 'buried love,' and sometimes uttering feelings of the most delicate pensiveness. It is that delicate pathos, which is at the fame time natural and almost playful, which most charms us in the writings of Herrick. As for his verfification, it prefents one of the most varied fpecimens of rhythmical harmony in the language, flowing with an almost wonderful grace and flexibility."

The fame writer obferves, that "Herrick had fo very high a notion of the value of his compofitions, that he conceived it neceffary only to mention his friends in this volume, in order to confer immortality upon them. He constituted himself high priest of the temple of fame, and affumed the power of apotheofizing fuch writers as he conceived deserving of that honour, never once dreaming of the poffibility of both himself and his works being neglected or forgotten. Many addresses to his friends and relations, avowing his potency in this high vocation, are scattered through his works.

Some of them, however, have juster titles to immortality than the lay of the poet can conferfuch as Selden and Ben Jonson, &c."

Having indicated to the reader, and in fome cafes adduced the teftimony to the claim our poet has to his attention, he can well dispense with any further observations on our part, and we cannot do better than to take our leave of him and the poet in the words of his moft ardent admirer.

"And now farewell, young Herrick! for young is the spirit of thy poetry, as thy wisdom is old : mayest thou flourish in immortal youth, thou boon companion and most jocund songster! May thy pureft poems be piped from hill to hill, throughout England; and thy fpirit, tinged with fuperftitious lore, be gladdened by the mufic! May the flowers breathe incense to thy fame, for thou haft not left one of them unfung! May the filvery springs and circumambient air murmur thy praises, as thou haft warbled theirs! And may those, who live well, fing, and those, who love well, figh sweet panegyrics to thy memory! Ours fhall not be wanting, for we have read thee much, and like thee much."

Thou shalt not all die; for, while Love's fire fhines Upon his altar, men fhall read thy lines.

S. W. S.

MICKLEHAM, FEB. 1846.

*The following LETTERS of the Poet to Sir William Herrick, were felected by Mr. Nichols, and published in his Hiftory of Leicestershire, from a great number, most of them requesting a remittance of cash.

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I. Sir, my dutie remembred to yourself and Lady; the caufe effentiall is this: That I would entreat you to paye to this bringer to Mr. Adrian Marius, bookseller, in the Black Friers, the fome of XI. the which my tutor hath receaved, to be payde at London. I have business that drawes me from prolixitie; and I crave pardon for this rudeness, still expecting the fun-shine of youre favoure and the daye of happiness. I end with my prayers for your preservation and health, the best terreftriall good. Long lyf and the afpections of Heaven fall upon you. Your ever obfequious, R. Hearick. Cambridge, 11th of October."

2.

Sir, I prefume againe to present another embaffador, who, in the best eloquence that was taught him, aboundly thanks you for the larg extent of your favor and kindness; which, though present time denies to mak any oftentation of defert, yet future crownes the expectation of the hopefull; and because the urgent extreamite and unexpected occafion of chamber-roome inftigate me to fuch importunate demands, I am bold to entreat you that the mony might this week be fent me, for neceffitie fervently requires it; and I am forrie to be the fubject of so great a moleftation to your Worship; but, trusting on your patience, I am bold to faye that generous minds still have the best contentment, and willingly healp where there is an evidencie of want. Thus hoping to triumph in the victorie of my wishes, by being not fruftrated in my expectation, I take my leave, and eternally thank you; living to be commanded by you and yours to the end of mortalitie, ever most obfequious, R. Hearick.