And as they fhall reply,

Give each of them the lye.

Tell wit, how much it wrangles

In tickle points of niceneffe; Tell wifedome, fhe entangles Herfelfe in over-wifeneffe; And if they do reply,

Straight give them both the lye.

Tell phyficke of her boldneffe;

Tell skill, it is pretenfion; Tell charity of coldness; Tell law, it is contention; And as they yield reply,

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50

But vary by efteeming ;

Tell fchooles, they want profoundaeffe,

And stand too much on seeming :

If

In the former edition of this book were inferted, by way of fpecimen of his majesty's poetic talents, fome Punning Verfes made on the difputations at Sterling: but it having been fuggefted to the editor, that the king only gave the

quibbling

quibbling commendations in profe, and that fome obfequious
court-rhymer put them into metre *
; it was, thought proper
to exchange them for two SONNETS of K. James's own
compofition. James was a great verfifier, and therefore out
of the multitude of his poems, we have here felected two,
which (to fhew our impartiality) are written in his best
and his worst manner. The first would not dishonour any
writer of that time; the fecond is a most complete example
of the Bathos.

A SONNET ADDRESSED BY KING JAMES TO HIS
SON PRINCE HENRY:

From K. James's works in folio: Where is alfo printed another called his Majesty's own Sonnet; it would perhaps be too cruel to infer from thence that this was NOT bis Majefty's own Sonnet.

OD gives not kings the ftile of Gods in vaine,

GOD

For on his throne his fcepter do they fwey:

And as their fubjects ought them to obey,

So kings fhould feare and serve their God againe.

If then ye would enjoy a happie reigne,
Obferve the statutes of our heavenly king;
And from his law make all your laws to spring;
Since his lieutenant here ye should remaine.

Rewarde the juft, be ftedfast, true and plaine;
Repreffe the proud, maintayning aye the right;
Walke always fo, as ever in His fight,
Who guardes the godly, plaguing the prophane.

* See a folio intitled "The Mufes welcome to King James.”

And

And fo ye fhall in princely vertues shine,

Refembling right your mightie king divine.

A SONNET OCCASIONED BY THE BAD WEATHER WHICH HINDRED THE SPORTS AT NEWMARKET IN JANUARY 1616.

This is printed from Drummond of Hawthornden's works, folio: where also may be feen fome verfes of Lord Stirling's upon this Sonnet, which concludes with the finest Anticlimax I remember to have seen.

OW cruelly these catives do confpire ?

How

What loathfome love breeds fuch a baleful band Betwixt the cankred king of Creta land *,

That melancholy old and angry fire,

And him, who wont to quench debate and ire

Among the Romans, when his ports were clos'd †? But now his double face is ftill difpos'd,

With Saturn's help, to freeze us at the fire.

The earth ore-covered with a sheet of snow, Refufes food to fowl, to bird and beast

The chilling cold lets every thing to grow, And furfeits cattle with a starving feaft.

Curs'd be that love and mought continue short, Which kills all creatures, and doth spoil our sport.

VOL. II.

* Saturn.

X

+ Janus.

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10

VI. K.