My love, as long as life shall last, A lover, and a friend to thee. SIR EDWARD DYER. A poet whose lot has been rather singular. His name is generally coupled with that of Sir Philip Sidney, and of the most fashionable writers of the age; and yet Bolton, who was almost a contemporary critic, professes "not to "have seen much of his poetry." Though a knight, in a reign when knighthood was nobility, the time of his birth is unknown. Wood intimates that he received some of his academical education at Baliol College, Oxford. Having the character of a well-bred man, he was taken into the service of the court. Queen Elizabeth employed him in several embassies, and conferred on him the Chancellorship of the Garter. He died in the reign of King James. The letters M. D. in the Paradise of Dainty Devices are presumed (says Mr. Ritson in his Bibliographia), to denote this Master Dyer. Of six pieces, preserved in England's Helicon, only half of one appeared worth transcribing, as a specimen of his style. To Phillis the fair Shepherdess. My Phillis hath the morning sun My Phillis hath prime-feather'd flowers, That leaps since she doth own them. But Phillis hath too hard a heart; It yields no mercy to desert, Signed S. E. D. JOHN STILL Was born at Grantham in Lincolnshire, about 1542, and educated at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he proceeded M. A. and D. D. After passing through several gradations in the church, and having been successively master of St. John's and Trinity Colleges, and vice-chancellor of Cambridge, he attained the mitre of Bath and Wells, after the demise of bishop Godwin, and died in 1607. Sir John Harington speaks of him with glowing commendation, in his brief" State of the Church." He is believed to have written the earliest English drama that exhibited any approaches to regular comedy. This drama, entitled "Gammer Gurton's Needle," was acted in 1566, though not printed till 1575. It contains the following chanson à boire, which has had the honour to occupy a page in Warton's poetic history, from its vein of ease and humour. A SONG. I CANNOT eat but little meat, My stomach is not good; With him that wears a hood. Tho' I go bare, take ye no care, Of jolly good ale and old. Back and side go bare, go bare, But, belly, God send thee good ale enough, I love no roast but a nut-brown toast, A little bread shall do me stead, No frost, no snow, no wind, I trow I am so wrapt, and thoroughly lapt And Tib, my wife, that as her life And saith, "Sweetheart, I took my part "Of this jolly good ale and old." Back and side go bare, &c. Now let them drink till they nod and wink, Even as good fellows should do; |