Whereupon it made this threne 11
To the phoenix and the dove,
Co-supremes and stars of love,
As chorus to their tragic scene.

THRENOS.

Beauty, truth, and rarity,
Grace in all simplicity,

Here enclosed in cinders lie.

Death is now the phoenix' nest;

And the turtle's loyal breast
To eternity doth rest,

Leaving no posterity:

"Twas not their infirmity,

It was married chastity.

Truth may seem, but cannot be ;
Beauty brag, but 'tis not she;
Truth and beauty buried be.

To this urn let those repair

That are either true or fair;

For these dead birds sigh a prayer.

11 A threne is a funeral song or dirge; sometimes called threnody.

CRITICAL NOTES.

Page 199. The Passionate Pilgrim as originally published contains five pieces which are also found elsewhere in the Poet's works. Three of these are in Love's Labour's Lost: "If love make me forsworn, how shall I swear to love?" &c.; "Did not the heavenly rhetoric of thine eye," &c.; and "On a day — alack the day," &c. The other two are the 138th and 144th Sonnets. As these have already been given in their several places, there is obviously no need of printing them here: accordingly they are omitted.

P. 200. Venus, with young Adonis sitting by her, &c. - This Sonnet, considerably varied, is the third in a collection of Sonnets entitled Fidessa, and published in 1596, with the name of B. Griffin as the author. Collier, however, has seen it in a manuscript of the time, with the initials "W. S." at the end. The words, young in the first line, and so in the fourth, are taken from Griffin's collection.

P. 201. And with her lips on his did act the seizure:
But, as she fetched breath, away he skips,

And would not take her meaning, &c. — In the second of these lines, the old copies have And instead of But; evidently an accidental repetition from the And above and below. Dyce's correction.

P. 205. To spite me now, each minute seems a moon; &c. - So Steevens. The old copies have an hour instead of a moon.

P. 205. My flocks feed not, &c. - This piece was published anonymously, with the music, in Weelkes's Madrigals, 1597; also, with the signature Ignoto, in England's Helicon, 1600. Boswell asks, as well he may, "Is it possible that Shakespeare could have written this strange farrago; or, what is, if possible, still worse, -'It was a lording's daughter'?"

P. 206. Love's denying,

Faith's defying,

Heart's renying, &c.

- The words denying and renying are

from England's Helicon. The old copies have dying in the first line, and denying in the third.

P. 207. Farewell, sweet lass, &c. - So Weelkes's Madrigals. The other old copies have love for lass.

P. 207. Thy like ne'er was

For a sweet content, though cause of all my moan. · - The word moan is in Weelkes's Madrigals and England's Helicon. The others have woe instead. And all the old copies have the instead of though, which is Dyce's conjecture.

P. 207. As well as partial fancy like. · So a manuscript of this piece in Collier's possession. The old copies read "As well as fancy party all might."

P. 208. And set thy person forth to sell. - So Collier's manuscript, and also one used by Malone. The old copies read "And set her person forth to sale."

P. 208. Her cloudy looks will clear ere night. - So the manuscript used by Malone. The old copies have calm instead of clear.

P. 209. Here is no heaven; they holy then

When time with age shall them attaint. So the manuscript used by Malone. The old copies have There and by instead of Here and they.

P. 209. For, if my mistress hear my song,

She will not stick to warm my ear, &c.

-

The old copies read "Lest that my mistress," and "She will not sticke to round me on th' ear." The first correction is from the manuscript used by Malone; the other from Collier's manuscript.

P. 210. Ruthless beasts they will not cheer thee. - So in England's Helicon. The other old copies have bears for beasts. The fifth line of the piece shows the latter to be right.

P. 210. Even so, poor bird, like thee,

None alive will pity me.

This couplet is found only in England's Helicon, and is there the end of the piece.

P. 212. The Phenix and Turtle is no part of The Passionate Pilgrim. It was printed in Robert Chester's Love's Martyr, or Rosalin's Complaint, 1601, among what are there called "new Compositions of several modern Writers, whose names are subscribed to their several Works." It was printed with Shakespeare's name at the bottom.