To suppress the fire of zeal Both in church and common-weal? No, there's nought on earth I fear Thus to love, and thus to live, Thus to take, and thus to give, Thus to laugh, and thus to sing, Thus to mount on pleasure's wing, Thus to sport, and thus to speed, Thus to flourish, nourish, feed, Thus to spend, and thus to spare, Is to bid a fig for care. WILLIAM BROWNE SEEMS to have been born about 1590 at Tavistock, in Devonshire, where he was instructed in grammatical learning. Having passed some time at Exeter College, Oxford, he quitted the University without a degree, entered into the Society of the Middle Temple, and published in 1613 the first part of his "Britannia's Pastorals," fol. In 1614 was published his "Shepherd's Pipe," 8vo, (contained also in the pirated edition of Wither, 1620,) and in 1616 the second part of the Pastorals, folio. Both parts were reprinted in 1625, 8vo. In 1624 he returned to Exeter College, and became tutor to Robert Dormer, afterwards Earl of Carnarvon. During his stay he was created A.M., being styled in the public register "Vir omni humanâ literaturâ et bonarum artium cognitione instructus." then went into the family of the Earl of Pembroke, obtained wealth, and purchased an estate, and is supposed to have died in 1645. See Wood (Ath. Ox. i. 491), who says, "that as he had a little body, so a great mind." A neat edition of his works, which were become scarce, was published in 1772, in three small volumes, by Mr. Thomas Davies, the laudable reviver of several forgotten poets. He We are indebted to Browne for having preserved in his "Shepherd's Pipe " a curious poem by Occleve. Mr. Warton conceives his works to 66 have been well known to Milton," and refers to "Britannia's Pastorals" for the same assemblage of circumstances in a morning landscape as were brought together more than thirty years afterwards by Milton, in a passage of L'Allegro, which has been supposed to serve as a repository of imagery on that subject for all succeeding poets. Warton's Milton, second ed. p. 51. LAY. [In "Britannia's Pastorals," book ii. Song 2.] SHALL I tell you whom I love? Hearken then a while to me: And if such a woman move Nature did her so much right, As e'er yet embrac'd a heart; Wit she hath, without desire To make known how much she hath; And her anger flames no higher Than may fitly sweeten wrath; Full of pity as may be, Though, perhaps, not so to me. Reason masters every sense, And her virtues grace her birth; Lovely as all excellence, Modest in her most of mirth; Likelihood enough to prove Only worth could kindle love. Such she is; and if you know That she be but somewhile young; Thyrsis' Praise of his Mistress. [From "England's Helicon."] On a hill that grac'd the plain Comelier swain ne'er grac'd a hill ; Whilst his flock, that wander'd nigh, Cropt the green grass busily, Thus he tun'd his oaten quill: "Ver hath made the pleasant field Many several odours yield, Odours aromatical: From fair Astra's cherry lip They in pleasing passen all. "Leavy groves now mainly ring "Fairly spreads the damask rose, Whose rare mixture doth disclose Beauties, pencils cannot feign: Yet, if Astra pass the bush, She doth all their beauties stain. "Fields are blest with flowery wreath, Air is blest when she doth breathe; Birds make happy every grove, She each bird when she doth sing; Phoebus heat to earth doth bring, She makes marble fall in love." |