GASCOIGNE.

FROM A VOYAGE INTO HOLLANDE.

AT last the keele which might endure no more,
Gan rende in twayne and suckt the water in :
Then might you see pale lookes and wofull cheare,
Then might you heare loude cries and deadly dinne:
Well noble minds in perils best appeare,
And boldest harts in bale will never blinne.

Some other cried to cleare the shipboate free,
To save the chiefe and leave the rest in dust.
Which word once spoke (a wondrous thing to see)
All hast post hast, was made to have it done:
And up it comes in hast much more than speede.

H

cast an elegance of dialogue," condemns his "smaller poems" as certainly too diffuse and full of conceit; while Mr. Warton is of opinion that he "has much exceeded all the poets of his age in smoothness and harmony of versification."

His longest production is "the Fruites of Warre"—"written by peecemeal at sundrye tymes, as the Aucthour had vacaunt leysures from seruice." "The verse is roughe," he continues in his dedication to the Lord Greye of Wylton, "and a good reason, sithence it treateth of roughe matters." In this, and in his other extended poem, "the Steele Glas," the reader will find many noble thoughts, conveyed in an easy and graceful style; but they are, we think, by no means so rich in fancy as some of his minor compositions. The leading characteristic of his writing is sound good sense; he had studied human nature, had seen the evils of a sinful course in youth, had learned how much of wisdom there is in virtue, and gave to the world his observations and the results of his experience in the form of verse.

His poems were first collected and published in 1587, as "The Pleasauntest Workes of George Gascoigne, Esquyre, newlye compyled into one volume, that is to saye: His Flowers, Hearbes, Weedes, the Fruites of Warre, the Comedie called Supposes, the Trajedie of Jocasta, the Steele-Glasse, the Complaint of Phylomene, the Story of Ferdinando Jeronimi, and the Pleasure of Kenelworth Castle." The volume bears the imprint of" Abel Jeffes, dwelling in the Fore Street, without Creepplegate, neere unto Grub-streete." During his life, however, in 1572, he had sent forth a work in Quarto,"A Hundreth Sundrie Flowres, bound up in one small Posie; gathered partly in fyne outlandish gardens; and partly out of our owne fruitefull orchardes in Englande."

AT last the keele which might endure no more,
Gan rende in twayne and suckt the water in :
Then might you see pale lookes and wofull cheare,
Then might you heare loude cries and deadly dinne :
Well noble minds in perils best appeare,
And boldest harts in bale will never blinne.

Some other cried to cleare the shipboate free,
To save the chiefe and leave the rest in dust.
Which word once spoke (a wondrous thing to see)
All hast post hast, was made to have it done:
And up it comes in hast much more than speede.

H

There did I see a wofull worke begonne,

Which now (even now) doth make my hart to bleede.
Some made such hast that in the boate they wonne,
Before it was above the hatches brought.

Straunge tale to tell, what hast some men shall make
To find their death before the same be sought.

Some twixt the boate and shippe their bane do take,
Both drownd and slayne with braynes for hast crusht out.

And eare the boate farre from our sight was gon,
The wave so wrought, that they (which thought to flee
And so to scape) with waves were overronne.

Lo how he strives in vain that strives with God!

For there we lost the flowre of the band,
And of our crew full twentie soules and odde,
The Sea sucks up, whils we on hatches stand
In smarting feare to feele that selfe same rodde.

THE ARRAIGNMENT OF A LOVER.

AT Beautyes barre as I dyd stande,
When false suspect accused mee,

George (quod the Judge) holde up thy hande,
Thou art arraignde of Flatterye:

Tell therefore howe thou wylte bee tryde:
Whose judgement here wylt thou abyde?

My Lorde (quod I) this Lady here,
Whome I esteeme above the rest,
Doth knowe my guilte if any were:
Wherefore hir doome shall please me best
Let hir bee Judge and Jurour boathe,
To trye mee guiltlesse by myne oathe.

Quod Beautie, no, it fitteth not
A Prince hir selfe to judge the cause:
Wyll is our Justice well you wot,
Appointed to discusse our Lawes :
If you wyll guiltlesse seeme to goe,
God and your countrey quitte you so.

Then Crafte the cryer cal'd a quest,
Of whome was Falshoode formost feere,
A pack of pickethankes were the rest,
Which came false witnesse for to beare,
The Jurye suche, the Judge unjust,
Sentence was sayde I should be trust.

Jelous the Jayler bound mee fast,
To heare the verdite of the byll,
George (quod the Judge) nowe thou art cast,
Thou must goe hence to heavie hill,
And there be hangde all bye the head,
God rest thy soule when thou art dead.

Downe fell I then upon my knee,
All flatte before Dame Beauties face,
And cryed, good Ladye pardon mee,
Which here appeale unto your grace,
You knowe if I have beene untrue,
It was in too much praysing you.

And though this Judge doe make suche haste, To shead with shame my guiltlesse blood:

Yet let your pittie first bee plaste,

To save the man that meant you good,

So shall you shewe your

selfe a Queene, And I maye bee your servaunt seene.

(Quod Beautie) well: bicause I guesse,
What thou dost meane hencefoorth to bee,
Although thy faultes deserve no lesse,
Than Justice here hath judged thee,
Wylt thou be bounde to stynte all strife,
And be true prisoner all thy lyfe?

Yea Madame (quod I) that I shall,
Loe Fayth and Trueth my suerties:
Why then (quod shee) come when I call,
I aske no better warrantise.

Thus am I Beauties bounden thrall,

At hir commaunde when shee doth call.