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IX.

AND

ULYSSES AND THE SYREN,

-affords a pretty poetical contest between Pleasure and Honour. It is found at the end of "Hymen's "Triumph a pastoral tragicomedie," written by Daniel, and printed among his works, 4to. 1623. Daniel, who was a contemporary of Drayton's, and is said to have been poet laureat to Queen Elizabeth, was born in 1562, and died in 1619. Anne Countess of Dorset, Pembroke, and Montgomery (to whom Daniel had been Tutor,) has inserted a small Portrait of him in a full length Picture of herself, preserved at Appleby Castle, in Cumberland.

This little poem is the rather selected for a specimen of Daniel's poetic powers, as it is omitted in the later edition of his works, 2 vols. 12mo. 1718.

SYREN.

COME, worthy Greeke, Ulysses come,
Possesse these shores with me,
The windes and seas are troublesome,
And here we may be free.

Here may we sit and view their toyle,

That travaile in the deepe,

Enjoy the day in mirth the while,

And spend the night in sleepe.

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In this edition it is collated with a copy printed at the end of his “Tragedie of Cleopatra. London, 16.7,” 12mo.

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ULYSSES.

Faire nymph, if fame or honour were

To be attain'd with ease,

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Our peace, and to beguile

(The best thing of our life) our rest, And give us up to toyle!

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SYREN.

Then pleasure likewise seemes the shore,

Whereto tendes all your toyle;

Which you forego to make it more,

And perish oft the while.

Who may disport them diversly,

Find never tedious day; And ease may have variety, As well as action may.

ULYSSES.

But natures of the noblest frame
These toyles and dangers please;
And they take comfort in the same,

As much as you in ease:

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Our sports are without blood; The world we see by warlike wights Receives more hurt than good.

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ULYSSES.

But yet the state of things require

These motions of unrest,

And these great spirits of high desire

Seem borne to turne them best:

To purge the mischiefes, that increase

And all good order mar:
For oft we see a wicked peace
To be well chang'd for war.

SYREN.

Well, well, Ulysses, then I see

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I shall not have thee here;
And therefore I will come to thee,

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This beautiful poem, which possesses a classical elegance hardly to be expected in the age of James I, is printed from the 4th edition of Davison's Poems, &c. 1621. It is also found in a later miscellany,

See the full title in vol. ii. book iii. no. iv.

entitled, "Le Prince d'Amour," 1660, 8vo.-Francis Davison, editor of the poems above referred to, was son of that unfortunate secretary of state, who suffered so much from the affair of Mary Q. of Scots. These poems, he tells us in his preface, were written by himself, by his brother [Walter,] who was a soldier in the wars of the Low Countries, and by some dear friends "anonymoi." Among them are found some pieces by Sir J. Davis, the Countess of Pembroke, Sir Philip Sidney, Spenser, and other wits of those times.

In the fourth vol. of Dryden's Miscellanies, this poem is attributed to Sydney Godolphin, Esq.; but erroneously, being probably written before he was born. One edit. of Davison's book was published in 1608. Godolphin was born in 1610, and died in 1642-3. Ath. Ox. II. 23.

Ir chanc'd of late a shepherd swain,
That went to seek his straying sheep,
Within a thicket on a plain

Espied a dainty nymph asleep.

Her golden hair o'erspred her face;

Her careless arms abroad were cast;

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Her quiver had her pillows place;

Her breast lay bare to every blast.

The shepherd stood and gaz'd his fill;
Nought durst he do; nought durst he say; 10
Whilst chance, or else perhaps his will,

Did guide the god of love that way.

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