THOMAS SACKVILLE: 1536-1608. Thomas Sackville, while a student of law in the Inner Temple, composed the play of Gorboduc, the earliest known specimen of tragedy in the language. He is said to have planned The Mirrour for Magistrates, a series of legends, in which all the great in English history were to pass in review before the reader, each telling his own story as a warning or mirror to rulers. Sackville's contributions to it, however, were confined to The Induction and The Complaint of the Duke of Buckingham, the former of which is characterised by a strength of description and a power of drawing allegorical characters scarcely inferior to Spenser. Sackville ultimately became Lord Buckhurst, Earl of Dorset, and Lord High Treasurer of England. By him lay heavy Sleep, the cousin of Death, Flat on the ground, and still as any stone, The body's rest, the quiet of the heart, 1 A king of Lydia, noted for his riches. 2 A beggar in the house of Ulysses at Ithaca. A care companion bereaver betide OLD AGE. From the same. And next in order sad, Old Age we found: There heard we him with broke and hollow plaint But, an the cruel fates so fixed be That, in such withered plight, and wretched pain, And not so soon descend into the pit; Where death, when he the mortal corpse hath slain, The gladsome light, but, in the ground ylain, Crook-backed he was, tooth-shaken, and blear-eyed; the Fates wasted away if old age laid deprived of hair EDMUND SPENSER: 1553-1598. Spenser, a native of London, was educated at Cambridge, and entered life under the patronage of Sir Philip Sidney and the Earl of Leicester. Το the former he dedicated his Shepherd's Calendar, a pastoral poem, in twelve eclogues, one for each month. Spenser accompanied Lord Grey, the Lord-deputy of Ireland, in the capacity of secretary, and soon afterwards received from Queen Elizabeth a grant of the estate of Kilcolman, near Cork. Here he wrote The Faerie Queene, an elaborate allegorical poem, designed to celebrate the principal virtues. These are personified by knights, whose characters and adventures are also made to represent historical personages and events. Besides The Faerie Queene, which is regarded as one of the greatest compositions in English poetry, Spenser wrote several other poems, and a political treatise on The State of Ireland. In consequence of Tyrone's rebellion, Spenser was forced to fly from his estate, and seek refuge in London, where he died a few months after, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. Among English poets, Spenser is excelled only by Shakspeare, Chaucer, and Milton. THE OPENING STANZAS OF THE FIRST BOOK OF Contayning the Legend of the Knight of the Red Crosse or of Holinesse. A gentle Knight was pricking on the plaine, Yet armes till that time did he never wield: riding His angry steede did chide his foming bitt, As one for knightly giusts and fierce encounters fitt. jousts And on his brest a bloodie crosse he bore, For whose sweete sake that glorious badge he wore, Upon his shield the like was also scored, feared Upon a great adventure he was bond, (That greatest glorious queene of Faery lond), A lovely Ladie rode him faire beside, So pure and innocent, as that same lambe, than drawn down Of ancient kinges and queenes, that had of yore Whom to avenge, she had this Knight from far compeld. Behind her farre away a Dwarfe did lag, Or wearied with bearing of her bag Of needments at his backe. Thus as they past, The day with cloudes was suddeine overcast, Did poure into his lemans 1 lap so fast, That everie wight to shrowd it did constrain; sweetheart's And this faire couple eke to shroud themselves were fain. also 1 The earth's. Enforst to seeke some covert nigh at hand, And all within were pathes and alleies wide, With footing worne, and leading inward farr : Faire harbour that them seems; so in they entred ar And foorth they passe, with pleasure forward led, The laurell, meed of mighty conquerours high yew The birch for shaftes; the sallow for the mill ; plane-tree The carver holme; the maple seeldom inward sound. Led with delight, they thus beguile the way, That, which of them to take, in diverse doubt they been. |