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 English 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 that age, 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 bewtìe of queenes.[652] 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 pacience dissembled it, writeth this dittie most sweete and sententious, not hiding from all such aspiring minds the daunger of their ambition and disloyaltie: which afterward fell out most truly by th' exemplary chastisement of sundry persons, who in fauour of the said Sc. Q. declining from her Maiestie, sought to interrupt the quiet of the Realme by many euill and vndutiful practizes." (p. 207.)

This sonnet was probably written in 1584, not long before Hen. Percy 8th E. of Northumberland was imprisoned on suspicion of plotting with F. Throckmorton, Tho. Lord Paget, and the Guises, for invading England, and liberating the Q. of Scots, &c. (See Collins's _Peerage_, 1779, ii. 405.) The original is written in long lines or alexandrines, each of which is here, on account of the narrowness of the page, subdivided into two: but her majesty's orthography, or at least that of her copyist, is exactly followed.

In the first edition of Harrington's _Nugæ Antiquæ_, 1st vol. 1769, 12mo. p. 58, is a copy of this poem, with great variations, the best of which are noted below. It is there accompanied with a very curious letter, in which this sonnet is said to be "of her Highness own enditing ... My Lady Willoughby did covertly get it on her Majesties tablet, and had much hazard in so doing; for the Queen did find out the thief, and chid for spreading evil bruit of her writing such toyes, when other matters did so occupy her employment at this time; and was fearful of being thought too lightly of for so doing." ***

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The doubt of future foes,[653] Exiles my present ioy, And wit me warnes to shun such snares As threaten mine annoy.

For falshood now doth flow, 5 And subiect faith doth ebbe,[654] Which would not be, if reason rul'd[655] Or wisdome weu'd the webbe.[656]

But clowdes of iois vntried,[657] Do cloake aspiring mindes, 10 Which turne to raine of late repent,[658] By course of changed windes.

The toppe of hope supposed, The roote of ruthe wil be, And frutelesse all their graffed guiles, 15 As shortly ye shall see.

Then dazeld eyes with pride, Which great ambition blinds, Shalbe vnseeld by worthy wights, Whose foresight falshood finds. 20

The daughter of debate,[659] That eke discord doth sowe,[660] Shal reap no gaine where former rule[661] Hath taught stil peace to growe.

No forreine bannisht wight 25 Shall ancre in this port, Our realme it brookes no strangers force,[662] Let them elsewhere resort.

Our rusty sworde with rest, Shall first his edge employ, 30 To polle their toppes, that seeke such change And gape for 'such like' ioy.[663]

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[+±+] 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."

"Never thinke you, Fortune can beare the sway, Where Vertue's force can cause her to obay."

The slightest effusion of such a mind deserves attention.

FOOTNOTES:

[652] She was at this time near three-score.

[653] Ver. 1. dread, Harrington's ed.

[654] V. 6. subjects, Har.

[655] V. 7. should, Har.

[656] V. 8. wove, Har.

[657] Ver. 9. joys, Har.

[658] V. 11. raigne, Puttenham.

[659] _Scil._ the Queen of Scots.

[660] V. 22. That discorde aye, Har.

[661] V. 23. formor, Put.

[662] V. 27. realme brookes no seditious Sects, Har.

[663] V. 32. "such like" is supplied from Harrington's ed., in which are other variations, that seem meer mistakes of the transcriber or printer.