SYLVESTER.

1563-1618.

AUTHOR of a number of fugitive pieces of unequal merit. The Soul's Errand, originally ascribed to Raleigh, is characterised by much force and originality of idea.

THE MESSAGE TO EARTH.

Go, soul, the body's guest,

Upon a thankless errand!

Fear not to touch the best,
The truth shall be thy warrant :
Go, since I needs must die,
And give the world the lie.

Go, tell the court it glows,

And shines like rotten wood;
Go, tell the church it shows
What's good, and doth no good:
If church and court reply,
Then give them both the lie.

Tell potentates they live,

Acting by others' actions,

Not loved unless they give,

Not strong but by their factions:

If potentates reply,

Give potentates the lie.

Tell men of high condition
That rule affairs of state,
Their purpose is ambition,
Their practice only hate:
And if they once reply,

Then give them all the lie.

Tell them that brave it most,
They beg for more by spending,
Who in their greatest cost,

Seek nothing but commending:
And if they make reply,
Then give them all the lie.

Tell zeal it lacks 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 lie.

Tell age it daily wasteth;

Tell honour how it alters; Tell beauty how she blasteth; Tell favour how she falters: And as they shall reply, Give every one the lie.

Tell wit how much it wrangles
In tickle points of niceness;
Tell wisdom she entangles

Herself in over-wiseness:
And when they do reply,
Straight give them both the lie.

Tell physic of her boldness;
Tell skill it is pretension;
Tell charity of coldness;

Tell law it is contention :
And as they do reply,

So give them still the lie.

Tell fortune of her blindness;
Tell nature of decay;
Tell friendship of unkindness;

Tell justice of delay :

And if they will reply,

Then give them all the lie.

Tell arts they have no soundness,
But vary by esteeming ;

Tell schools they want profoundness,
And stand too much on seeming:
If arts and schools reply,

Give arts and schools the lie.

The Soul's Errand.

DRUMMOND.

1585-1649.

PRINCIPAL WORKS: Tears on the Death of Maliades (Prince Henry, son of James I.), 1612.-The Wandering Muses, or the River Forth Feasting (a congratulatory poem addressed to King James), 1617. His sonnets, however, are his best title to fame; they exhibit a considerable amount of thought as well as fancy clothed in elegant verse. He is by far the best of the Scottish poets of the age.

THE JUST AND THE UNJUST.

DOTH then the world go thus, doth all thus move?
Is this the justice which on earth we find?

Is this that firm decree which all doth bind?
Are these your influences, powers above?

Those souls with vices moody, mists most blind, Blind fortune, blindly, most their friend doth prove : And they who thee, poor idol Virtue! love,

Ply like a feather tossed by storm and wind.

Ah! if a Providence doth sway this All,

Why should best minds groan under most distress?
Or why should pride humility make thrall,
And injuries the innocent oppress ?

Heavens! hinder, stop this fate; or grant a time

When good may have, as well as bad, their prime!

SUCKLING.
1608-1641.

ONE of the best of the Anacreontic school. His occasional poems exhibit a natural liveliness of fancy, and an easy style of versification. The Ballad upon a Wedding, a few stanzas of which are subjoined, has been much admired for its witty levity, and choice beauty of expression.'

THE BRIDE.

HER feet beneath her petticoat,
Like little mice, stole in and out,
As if they feared the light:
But O, she dances such a way!
No sun upon an Easter-day
Is half so fine a sight.

Her cheeks so rare a white was on,
No daisy makes comparison:

Who sees them is undone;

For streaks of red were mingled there,
Such as are on a Catherine pear,

The side that's next the sun.

Her lips were red, and one was thin
Compared to that was next her chin;
Some bee had stung it newly:

But, Dick, her eyes so guard her face,
I durst no more upon them gaze

Than on the sun in July.