"O CUCKOO, SHALL I CALL THEE BIRD,

THE MIND'S PROGRESS.

17

Hark, hark! with what a pretty note,
Poor robin redbreast tunes his throat;
Hark how the jolly cuckoos sing,
"Cuckoo !" to welcome in the spring!

"Cuckoo !" to welcome in the spring!

[JOHN LYLYE, born in Kent in 1563—some writers say 1554-died in 1601. He was the author of nine plays, and some prose novels, one of which, termed "Euphues," introduced an affected style known as Euphuism, ridiculed by Shakspeare, and, let us add, by Sir Walter Scott in his romance of "The Abbot." The foregoing lyric occurs in his drama of “Alexander and Campaspe."]

"HAIL, BEAUTEOUS STRANGER OF THE GROVE, THOU MESSENGER OF SPRING!"-JOHN LOGAN.

THE MIND'S PROGRESS.

|ATURE, that formed us of four elements,*

Warring within our breasts for regiment,†
Doth teach us all to have aspiring minds:
Our souls, whose faculties can comprehend .
The wondrous architecture of the world,
And measure every wandering planet's course,
Still climbing after knowledge infinite,
And always moving as the restless spheres,
Will us to wear ourselves, and never rest
Until we reach the ripest fruit of all.

[CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE, one of the greatest of our early dramatists,
author of "Tamburlaine the Great"-from which the above extract is
taken-"The Jew of Malta," "Life and Death of Dr. Faustus," &c.,
was born at Canterbury in February 1563–4, and died 1593.]

* Alluding to a fancy of the old philosophers that in man the four elements -earth, air, fire, and water-mingled.

+ Supremacy.

OR BUT A WANDERING VOICE."-WORDSWORTH.

"OH, THOU ART FAIRER THAN THE EVENING AIR, CLAD IN THE BEAUTY OF A THOUSAND STARS!"-MARLOWE.

"THROUGH FIELD, AND HILL, AND OCEAN, A QUICKENING LIFE FROM THE EARTH'S HEART HAS BURST."-SHELLEY.

18

COME, GENTLE SPRING, ETHEREAL MILDNESS, COME!"-THOMSON.

SPRING.

SPRING.

PRING, the sweet Spring, is the year's pleasant king;
Then blooms each thing, then maids dance in a ring,

Cold doth not sting, the pretty birds do sing,
Cuckoo, jug-jug, pu-we, to-witta-woo!

The palm and may make country houses gay,
Lambs frisk and play, the shepherds pipe all day,
And we hear aye birds tune this merry lay,
Cuckoo, jug-jug, pu-we, to-witta-woo!

The fields breathe sweet, the daisies kiss our feet,
Young lovers meet, old wives a-sunning sit,
In every street these tunes our ears do greet,
Cuckoo, jug-jug, pu-we, to-witta-woo!
Spring! the sweet spring!

[T. NASH, an old Elizabethan poet and dramatist, born 1564, died 1601.]

"EARTH STRETCHED HER CONSCIOUS ARMS TO MEET THE SPRING."-DOBELL.

"NOW DO A CHOIR OF CHIRPING MINSTRELS BRING IN TRIUMPH TO THE WORLD THE YOUTHFUL SPRING."-CAREW.

"THE WORLD'S A WILDERNESS OF WOE, AND LIFE'S A PILGRIMAGE OF PAIN."-MONTGOMERY,

66 'CONSCIENCE DOES MAKE COWARDS OF US ALL."-SHAKSPEARE.

Then, by that happy blissful day,
More peaceful pilgrims I shall see
That have cast off their rags of clay,

And walk apparelled fresh like me.

[Sir WALTER Raleigh, equally famous as poet, historian, courtier, adventurer, and statesman, was born in 1552, beheaded October 29, 1618. It is said that he wrote the poem from which the preceding verses are extracted during his imprisonment in the Tower in 1603, and immediately after he had been sentenced to death by corrupt judges.-See his Life, by P. F. Tytler, Macvey Napier, J. A. St. John, and E. Edwards.]

* The pilgrims who travelled to the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem were sometimes called "palmers," from their carrying a palm-branch in their hats.

"I LONG FOR A REPOSE WHICH EVER IS THE SAME."- -WORDSWORTH.

"IN WISDOM AND IN MERCY HEAVEN INFLICTS, ITS PAINFUL REMEDIES."-SOUTHEY.

"IN WAYS OF GREATNESS THINK ON THIS, THAT SLIPPERY ALL AMBITION IS."-HERRICK.

20

"VIRTUE IS CHOKED WITH FOUL AMBITION."-SHAKSPEARE.

THE SOUL'S ERRAND.

THE SOUL'S ERRAND.

O, soul, the body's guest,

Upon a thankless errand!
Fear not to touch the best;
The truth shall be thy warrant.
Go, since I needs must die,
And give the world the lie.

Say to the Court-it glows

And shines like rotten wood;
Say to the Church-it shows
What's good, and doth no good:
If Court and Church reply,
Then give them both the lie.

Tell Potentates-they live
Acting by others' action,
Not loved unless they give,
Not strong but by affection.
If Potentates reply,
Give Potentates the lie.

Tell men of high condition,
That manage the Estate,
Their purpose is ambition,
Their practice-only hate.
And if they once reply,
Then give them all the lie.

Tell them that brave it most,

They beg for more by spending

"YOU HAVE TOO MUCH RESPECT UPON THE WORLD."-SHAKSPEARE.

"EMPTY SHOWS, AND SENSELESS NOISE, AND ALL THAT RANK AMBITION BREEDS."-COWLEY.

"UPWARD STEALS THE LIFE OF MAN, AS THE SUNSHINE FROM THE WALL."-LONGFELLOW.

21

"HONOUR'S A SACRED TIE, THE LAW OF KINGS."-ADDISON.

THE SOUL'S ERRAND.

Who, in their greatest cost,
Like nothing but commending:
And if they make reply,
Then give them all the lie.

Tell Zeal-it wants devotion;
Tell Love-it is but lust;
Tell Time-it is but motion;
Tell Flesh-it is but dust.
And wish them not reply,
For thou must give the lie.

Tell Age-it daily wasteth;
Tell Honour-how it alters;
Tell Beauty-how she blasteth ;

Tell Favour-how it falters.
And as they shall reply,
Give every one the lie.

Tell Wit-how much it wrangles
In tickle points of niceness;
Tell Wisdom--she entangles
Herself in over-wiseness.
And when they do reply,
Straight give them both the lie.

Tell Physic-of her boldness;
Tell Skill-it is pretention;

Tell Charity-of coldness;

Tell Law-it is contention.

And as they do reply,
So give them all the lie.

"TO-MORROW'S FALSER THAN THE FORMER DAY."-DRYDEN.

"HOW LITTLE DO WE KNOW THAT WHICH WE ARE! POW LESS WHAT WE MAY BE!"-BYRON.