XV. A SONNET BY Q. ELIZABETH.
[_]
The following lines, if they display no rich vein of poetry
are yet so strongly characteristic of their great and spirited
authoress, that the insertion of them will be pardoned. They
are preserved in Puttenham's Arte of Eng. Poesie; a book in
which are many sly addresses to the queen's foible of shining as
a poetess. The extraordinary manner in which these verses
are introduced, shews what kind of homage was exacted from the courtly writers of those times, viz.
“I find, says this antiquated critic, none example in English
metre, so well maintaining this figure [Exargasia, or
the Gorgeous, Lat. Expolitio] as that dittie of her majesties
owne making, passing sweete and harmonicall; which
figure beyng as his very originall name purporteth the most
bewtifull and gorgious of all others, it asketh in reason to
be reserved for a last complement, and desciphred by a ladies
penne, herselfe beyng the most bewtifull, or rather bewtie
of queenes
. And this was the occasion: our soveraigne
lady perceiving how the Scottish queenes residence within
this realme at so great libertie and ease (as were skarce
meete for so great and dangerous a prysoner) bred secret
factions among her people, and made many of the nobilitie
incline to favour her partie: some of them desirous of innovation
in the state: others aspiring to greater fortunes
by her libertie and life. The queene our soveraigne ladie
to declare that she was nothing ignorant of those secret
practizes, though she had long with great wisdome and
pacience dissembled it, writeth this dittie most sweete and
sententious, not hiding from all such aspiring minds the
danger of their ambition and disloyaltie: which afterwards
fell out most truly by th'exemplary chastisement of
sundry persons, who in favour of the said Scot. Qu. declining
from her majestie, sought to interrupt the quiet of the
realme by many evill and undutifull practizes.”
This sonnet seems to have been composed in 1569, not long
before the D. of Norfolk, the earls of Pembroke and Arundel,
the lord Lumley, Sir Nich. Throcmorton, and others, were
taken into custody. See Hume, Rapin, &c.—It was originally
written in long lines or alexandrines, each of which is here divided into two.
The doubt of future foes
Exiles my present joy;
And wit me warnes to shun such snares,
As threaten mine annoy.
For falshood now doth flow,
And subject faith doth ebbe;
Which would not be if reason rul'd,
Or wisdome wev'd the webbe.
But clowdes of toyes untried
Do cloake aspiring mindes;
Which turn to raine of late repent,
By course of changed windes.
The toppe of hope supposed
The roote of ruthe wil be;
And frutelesse all their graffed guiles,
As shortly ye shall see.
Then dazeld eyes with pride,
Which great ambition blindes,
Shal be unseeld by worthy wights,
Whose foresight falshood finds.
The daughter of debate
,
That eke discord doth sowe,
Shal reape no gaine where former rule
Hath taught stil peace to growe.
No forreine bannisht wight
Shall ancre in this port;
Our realme it brookes no strangers force,
Let them elsewhere resort.
Our rusty sworde with rest
Shall first his edge employ,
Shall ‘quickly’ poll their toppes, that seeke
Such change, and gape for joy.
[_]
I cannot help subjoining to the above sonnet another
distich of Elizabeth's preserved by Puttenham (p. 197.)
“which (says he) our soveraigne lady wrote in defiance of fortune.”
Never thinke you, Fortune can beare the sway,
Where Vertue's force can cause her to obay.
The slightest effusion of such a mind deserves attention.
