WILLIAM DRUMMOND: 1585-1649. Drummond resided at Hawthornden near Edinburgh. He was intimate with Ben Jonson and Drayton, the former of whom made a pedestrian pilgrimage to Scotland in order to see him. His works consist of sonnets and madrigals; some sacred poems; a few complimentary odes to Kings James I. and Charles I.; and a variety of epigrammatic and humorous pieces. His sonnets are considered among the finest in the language. SPRING. Sweet spring, thou com'st with all thy goodly train, The clouds for joy in pearls weep down their showers. The sad memorials only of my pain Do with thee come, which turn my sweet to sours. But she whose breath embalmed thy wholesome air TO A NIGHTINGALE. Sweet bird, that sing'st away the early hours, THOMAS CAREW: 1589-1639. Carew was gentleman of the privy-chamber and sewer in ordinary to King Charles I. He is one of the best representatives of a numerous class of poets-courtiers of a gay and gallant school, whose visions of fame were bounded by the circle of the court and the nobility. Carew's poems are short and occasional, with the exception of the masque, Calum Britannicum, written by command of the king. SONG. Ask me no more where Jove bestows, Ask me no more, whither do stray Ask me no more, whither doth haste Ask me no more, where those stars light, Ask me no more, if east or west, FRANCIS QUARLES: 1592-1644. Quarles was successively cup-bearer to Elizabeth, the queen of Bohemia, secretary to Archbishop Usher, and chronologer to the city of London. He is the quaintest of all the metaphysical poets. The Divine Emblems is his principal work. DELIGHT IN GOD ONLY. I love and have some cause to love-the earth : But what's a creature, Lord, compared with thee? I love the air: her dainty sweets refresh I love the sea: she is my fellow-creature, But, Lord of oceans, when compared with thee, To heaven's high city I direct my journey, Without thy presence earth gives no refection; GEORGE HERBERT: 1593-1632. Herbert was of noble birth, being brother of the celebrated Lord Herbert of Cherbury; but he is chiefly known as a pious country clergyman, who earned the name of 'Holy George Herbert.' His principal production is The Temple, or Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations. Its beauties are marred by the ridiculous conceits and coarse similes of the metaphysical school. VIRTUE. Sweet day! so cool, so calm, so bright The dews shall weep thy fall to-night; Sweet rose! whose hue, angry and brave, And thou must die. Sweet spring! full of sweet days and roses; Only a sweet and virtuous soul, Like seasoned timber never gives; But, though the whole world turn to coal, RELIGION. All may of thee partake; No thing can be so mean, Which, with this tincture, for thy sake, Will not grow bright and clean. This is the famous stone That turneth all to gold, For that which God doth touch and own, Cannot for less be told. D SIR JOHN SUCKLING: 1609-1641. Suckling, a zealous partisan of Charles I. during the Civil War, is a delightful writer of 'occasional poems.' He wrote four plays, but is now known only by a few short poems. FROM A BALLAD UPON A WEDDING. Her finger was so small, the ring Would not stay on which they did bring ; And, to say truth-for out it must- Her feet beneath her petticoat, Her cheeks so rare a white was on, Who sees them is undone ; The side that 's next the sun. Her lips were red; and one was thin, Than on the sun in July. Her mouth so small, when she does speak, That they might passage get: But she so handled still the matter, They came as good as ours, or better, |