among the poets, and here is an effusion of his muse: it is styled Wooing Stuffe:

Faint amorist,-what, dost thou think
To taste love's honey, and not drink
One drachm of gall;-or to devour

A world of swete, and taste no sour?
Dost thou e'er think to enter

Th' Elysian fields, that durst not venture
In Charon's barge? A lover's mind
Must use to sail with every wind.

He that loves, and fears to try,
Learns his mistress to deny.

Doth she chide thee? 'Tis to show it,

That thy coldness makes her doe it :
Is she silent-is she mute?

Silence fully grants thy suit:

Doth she pout, and leave the room?
Then she goes to bid thee come :
Is she sicke? Why, then, be sure
She invites thee to the cure:
Doth she cross thy sute with no?

Tush-she loves to hear thee woo:

Doth she call the faith of man

Into question? Nay, forsooth, she loves thee than:
He that after ten denials,

Dares attempt no further tryals,

Hath no warrant to acquire

The dainties of his chast desire.

Sidney's Defence of Poesie has long been a favorite with scholars. Professor Marsh characterizes it as "the best secular specimen of prose yet written in England:" and adds, that "it is destined to maintain its high place in æstetical literature." The Arcadia

is the other prose production by which he is most known, although it is now but seldom read. Recently was exhibited before the Archæological Society at Salisbury, a copy of this production, between the leaves of which was found wrapped up a lock of Queen Elizabeth's hair, and some complimentary lines addressed by Sidney, when very young, to the maiden queen. The hair was soft and bright, of a light-brown color, inclining to red, and on the paper enclosing it was written :-" This lock of Queen Elizabeth's own hair was presented to Sir Philip Sidney by her majesty's owne faire hands, on which he made these verses, and gave them to the queen on his bended knee, A. D. 1573." And pinned to this was another paper on which was written, in a different hand-said to be Sidney's own-these lines :—

Her inward worth all outward show transcends,

Envy her merits with regret commends;

Like sparkling gems her virtues draw the sight,

And in her conduct she is alwaies bright.

When she imparts her thoughts, her words have force,
And sense and wisdom flow in sweet discourse.

The gentle Sidney was one of the especial favorites of the queen, whom she styled "her Jewel of the times," for the noble virtues he illustrated by his heroic life. Every one remembers his brave words, when, fallen on the battle-field, and suffering from thirst caused by loss of blood, as he ordered the cup presented to him to be given to the wounded soldier, saying, "Thy necessity is yet greater than mine." All England mourned his loss, for every one revered and loved him. Hear Shakspeare's tribute to his

memory :

His honour stuck upon him as the sun

In the gray vault of heaven,—and by his light

Did all the chivalry of England move

To do brave acts!

A scarcely less interesting character is that of the gallant SIR WALTER RALEIGH, who, after having brought a new world to light, wrote the history of the old in a prison. In his wonderful versatility of genius, and in all departments of his remarkable life, it may truly be said, he was equally illustrious. "He was honored by England's greatest queen, and was sacrificed to the caprice of the meanest of her kings." Probably the last words ever traced by his pen were the following, written in his Bible on the evening preceding his execution :—

That "bold and spirited poem," as Campbell styles the "Soul's Errand," is now generally admitted to be from the pen of Raleigh, since it has been traced in manuscript to the year 1593; and two answers to it, written in his lifetime, ascribe its authorship to Sir Walter. It was originally designated thus :-" Sir Walter Raleigh, his Lie." Campbell tells us that its perusal always deeply affected him; and he adds,—“ It places the last and inexpressibly awful hour of existence before my view, and sounds like a sentence of vanity on the things of this world, pronounced by a dying man, whose eye glares on eternity, and whose voice is raised by strength from another world."

Listen to a few of the strong stanzas:—

Goe, soule, the bodies guest, upon a thanklesse arrant;

Feare not to touch the best ;-the truth shall be thy warrant :

Goe, since I needs must dye,

And give the world the lye.

Say to the Court, it glowes, and shines like rotten wood;
Say to the Church, it shewes what's good, and doth no good;
If Church and Court reply,

Tell Zeale it wants devotion; tell Love it is but lust;
Tell Time it is but motion; tell Flesh it is but dust;
And wish them not reply,

For thou must give the lye.

Tell Age it daily wasteth; tell Honour how it alters;
Tell Beauty how she blasteth; tell Fauour how it falters:
And as they shall reply,

Tell Fortune of her blindnesse; tell Nature of decay ;
Tell Friendship of unkindnesse; tell Justice of delay;
And if they will reply,

Then give them all the lie.

*

So when thou hast, as I commanded thee, done blabbing ;
Although to give the lie deserves no less than stabbing;

Yet stabb at thee who will,

No stabb the soul can kill.

The author of one of the most romantic poems in the English language, EDMUND SPENSER, was born near the Tower of London, in 1553. To affirm that his Faerie Queene is replete with brilliant

and luxurious imagery, enriched with wondrous sweetness of versification, is but to echo the universal verdict of critics. Campbell styles Spenser the "Rubens of English poetry," while Charles Lamb refers to him as "the Poets' poet ;" and such, indeed, he is: for not only was he the special favourite of Milton, Dryden, Pope, and Gray, but there has scarcely been any eminent poet since his day who has not delighted to peruse, if not to pilfer from, his prolific productions. Leigh Hunt considers him, in the imaginative faculty, superior even to Milton; his grand characteristic is poetic luxury. Another of our noted bards speaks of him as "steeped in romance ;" and as "the prince of magicians." Glance at his group of the Seasons; how daintily his allegorical impersonations are decked with flowers, and redolent with perfume :

So forth issew'd the seasons of the yeare:
First, lusty Spring all dight in leaves of flowres
That freshly budded and new bloosmes did beare,
In which a thousand birds had built their bowres
That sweetly sung to call forth paramours;
And in his hand a iavelin he did beare,

And on his head (as fit for warlike stoures)

A guilt engraven morion he did weare;

That as some did him love, so others did him feare.