SECOND EVENING.

In which are tendered "A Handful of Pleasant Delights," and sundry "Dainty Devices," by the Old English Poets, from Spenser to Waller, all to the Glory of Woman.

THE BRIDE.

FROM "EPITHALAMION," BY EDMUND SPENSER.

AKE now, my love, awake; for it is time;

WAK

The rosy morn long since left Tithon's bed,

All ready to her silver coach to climb;

And Phoebus 'gins to shew his glorious head.
Hark! now the cheerful birds do chant their lays,
And carol of Love's praise.

The merry lark her matins sings aloft;

The thrush replies; the mavis descant plays;

The ouzel shrills; the ruddock warbles soft;
So goodly all agree, with sweet consent,
To this day's merriment.

Ah! my dear love, why do you sleep thus long,
When meeter were that you should now awake,
T' await the coming of your joyous make,
And hearken to the birds' love-learned song,

The dewy leaves among !

For they of joy and pleasance to you sing,

That all the woods them answer, and their echo ring.

My love is now awake out of her dreams,

And her fair eyes, like stars that dimmed were
With darksome cloud, now shew their goodly beams
More bright than Hesperus his head doth rear.
Come now, ye damsels, daughters of delight,
Help quickly her to dight:

But first come, ye fair Hours, which were begot,
In Jove's sweet paradise, of Day and Night;
Which do the seasons of the year allot,

And all, that ever in this world is fair,
Do make and still repair;

And ye three handmaids of the Cyprian Queen,
The which do still adorn her beauties' pride,

Help to adorn my beautifullest bride :

And, as ye her array, still throw between

Some graces to be seen;

And, as ye use to Venus, to her sing,

The whiles the woods shall answer, and your echo ring.

Now is my love all ready forth to come:

Let all the virgins therefore well await;

And ye, fresh boys, that tend upon her groom,

Prepare yourselves, for he is coming straight.

Set all your things in seemly good array,

Fit for so joyful day:

The joyfull'st day that ever sun did see.
Fair Sun! shew forth thy favorable ray,
And let thy lifeful heat not fervent be,
For fear of burning her sunshiny face,
Her beauty to disgrace.

O fairest Phoebus! father of the Muse!
If ever I did honor thee aright,

Or sing the thing that might thy mind delight,
Do not thy servant's simple boon refuse,

But let this day, let this one day be mine;

Let all the rest be thine.

Then I thy sovereign praises loud will sing,

That all the woods shall answer, and their echo ring.

Lo! where she comes along with portly pace,
Like Phoebe, from her chamber of the east,
Arising forth to run her mighty race,

Clad all in white, that seems a virgin best.
So well it her beseems, that ye would ween
Some angel she had been.

Her long loose yellow locks, like golden wire,
Sprinkled with pearl, and pearling flowers atween,

Do like a golden mantle her attire ;

And being crowned with a garland green,

Seem like some maiden queen.

Her modest eyes, abashèd to behold
So many gazers as on her do stare,

Upon the lowly ground affixèd are;
Ne dare lift up her countenance too bold,
But blush to hear her praises sung so loud,
So far from being proud.

Nathless do ye still loud her praises sing,
That all the woods may answer, and your echo ring.

Tell me, ye merchants' daughters, did ye see

So fair a creature in your town before?
So sweet, so lovely, and so mild as she,

Adorned with beauty's grace, and virtue's store;

Her goodly eyes like sapphires shining bright,

Her forehead ivory white,

Her cheeks like apples which the sun hath rudded,

Her lips like cherries charming men to bite,

Her breast like to a bowl of cream uncrudded.
Why stand ye still, ye virgins in amaze,

Upon her so to gaze,

Whiles ye forget your former lay to sing,

To which the woods did answer, and your echo ring?

But if ye saw that which no eyes can see,
The inward beauty of her lively sprite,
Garnished with heavenly gifts of high degree,
Much more then would ye wonder at that sight,
And stand astonished like to those which read
Medusa's mazeful head.

There dwells sweet Love, and constant Chastity,
Unspotted Faith, and comely Womanhood,

Regard of Honor, and mild Modesty ;

There Virtue reigns as queen in royal throne,

And giveth laws alone,

The which the base affections do obey,

And yield their services unto her will;
Ne thought of things uncomely ever may
Thereto approach to tempt her mind to ill.
Had ye once seen these her celestial treasures,
And unrevealed pleasures,

Then would ye wonder and her praises sing,

That all the woods would answer, and your echo ring.