THE FEMALE CONVICT TO HER INFANT.

213

Alas! my sweet babe, with what pride had I pressed thee To the bosom that now throbs with terror and shame, If the pure tie of virtuous affection had blessed thee,

And hailed thee the heir of thy father's high name ! But now with remorse that avails not-I mourn thee, Forsaken and friendless as soon thou wilt be,

In a world, if it cannot betray, that will scorn thee—
Avenging the guilt of thy mother on thee.

And when the dark thought of my fate shall awaken
The deep blush of shame on thy innocent cheek!
When by all but the God of the orphan forsaken,

A home and a father in vain thou shalt seek;

I know that the base world will seek to deceive thee,
With falsehood like that which thy mother beguiled;
Yet, lost and degraded to whom can I leave thee?
O God of the fatherless! pity my child!

N lowly dale, fast by a river's side,

With woody hill o'er hill encompassed round, A most enchanting wizard did abide,

Than whom a fiend more fell nowhere is found.

THE CASTLE OF INDOLENCE.

215

It was, I ween, a lovely spot of ground;

And there, a season atween June and May, Half-prankt with spring, with summer half-embrowned, A listless climate made, where, sooth to say, No living wight could work, nor carèd e'en for play.

Was nought around but images of rest;

Sleep-soothing groves and quiet lawns between; And flowery beds, that slumb'rous influence kest, From poppies breathed; and beds of pleasant green, Where never yet was creeping creature seen.

Meantime, unnumbered glittering streamlets played, And hurled everywhere their waters sheen,

That as they bickered through the sunny glade, Though restless still themselves, a lulling murmur made.

Joined to the prattle of the purling rills,

Were heard the lowing herds along the vale, And flocks loud bleating from the distant hills, And vacant shepherds piping in the dale; And now and then sweet Philomel would wail, Or stock-doves plain amid the forest deep, That drowsy rustled to the sighing gale,

And still a coil the grasshopper did keep; Yet all these sounds yblent inclinèd all to sleep.

Full in the passage of the vale above,

A sable, silent, solemn forest stood,

Where nought but shadowy forms were seen to move, As Idlesse fancied in her dreaming mood,

216

THE CASTLE OF INDOLENCE.

And

up the hills, on either side, a wood

Of blackening pines, aye waving to and fro,

Sent forth a sleepy horror through the blood;

And where this valley wended out below,

The murmuring main was heard, and scarcely heard to

"Arcadia," a Romance. "Astrophel and Stella." "A Defence of Poesy."

MICHAEL DRAYTON.

born 1563; died 1631.

"Polyolbion." Nymphydia; or, the Fairy Court." "The Shepherd's Garland." "The
Baron's Wars.' "England's Heroical Epistles."

A Dramatic Poet. "Every Man in his Humour." And many other plays and masques.

FRANCIS BEAUMONT.

JOHN FLETCHER.

.

born 1585; died 1615.

born 1576; died 1625.

Dramatic poets, who wrote in conjunction. "The Faithful Shepherdess," a poem, was written
by Fletcher.

THOMAS CAREW.

born

; died 1632.

"Coelum Britannicum," a masque. Sonnets and short poems.

FRANCIS QUARLES

born 1592; died 1644.

"The Book of Emblems." "Divine Fancies." "Enchiridion of Meditations." "The
Shepherd's Oracles."

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