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 |  |
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
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.
Exiles my present joy;
And wit me warnes to shun such snares,
As threaten mine annoy.
And subject faith doth ebbe;
Which would not be if reason rul'd,
Or wisdome wev'd the webbe.
Do cloake aspiring mindes;
Which turn to raine of late repent,
By course of changed windes.
The roote of ruthe wil be;
And frutelesse all their graffed guiles,
As shortly ye shall see.
Which great ambition blindes,
Shal be unseeld by worthy wights,
Whose foresight falshood finds.
That eke discord doth sowe,
Shal reape no gaine where former rule
Hath taught stil peace to growe.
Shall ancre in this port;
Our realme it brookes no strangers force,
Let them elsewhere resort.
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.”
Where Vertue's force can cause her to obay.
The slightest effusion of such a mind deserves attention.
| Reliques of Ancient English Poetry | |