Reliques of Ancient English Poetry consisting of Old Heroic Ballads, Songs, and other Pieces of our earlier Poets, (Chiefly of the Lyric kind.) Together with some few of later Date |
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Reliques of Ancient English Poetry | ||
V. VERSES BY KING JAMES I.
In the former edition of this book were inserted, by way
of specimen of his majesty's poetic talents, some Punning
Verses made on the disputations at Sterling: but it having
been suggested to the editor, that the king only gave the
A Sonnet addressed by King James to his son Prince Henry
For on his throne his scepter do they swey:
And as their subjects ought them to obey,
So kings should feare and serve their God againe.
Observe the statutes of our heavenly king;
And from his law make all your laws to spring;
Since his lieutenant here ye should remaine.
Represse the proud, maintayning aye the right;
Walke always so, as ever in his sight,
Who guardes the godly, plaguing the prophane.
Resembling right your mightie king divine.
From K. James's works in folio: Where is also printed another called his Majesty's own Sonnet; it would perhaps be too cruel to infer from thence that this was not his Majesty's own Sonnet.
A Sonnet occasioned by the bad Weather which hindred the Sports at Newmarket in January 1616.
What loathsome love breeds such a baleful band
Betwixt the cankred king of Creta land ,
That melancholy old and angry fire,
Among the Romans, when his ports were clos'd ?
But now his double face is still dispos'd,
With Saturn's help, to freeze us at the fire.
Refuses food to fowl, to bird and beast:
The chilling cold lets every thing to grow,
And surfeits cattle with a starving feast.
Curs'd be that love and mought continue short,
Which kills all creatures, and doth spoil our sport.
This is printed from Drummond of Hawthornden's works, folio: where also may be seen some verses of Lord Stirling's upon this Sonnet, which concludes with the finest Anticlimax I remember to have seen.
Reliques of Ancient English Poetry | ||