In ragges as she was to-tore He set her on his horse to-fore, and riding through all the lanes and by-ways, that no one might see him, he arrives, by design, at the castle by night. He then calls one or two of his trusty friends, and tells them that he was obliged This beste wedde to his wife, For elles he had lost his life. The maids of honor were then sent in; Her ragges they anon off draw, And was arrayed to the best, all except her matted and unsightly hair, which she would not allow them to touch. But when she was fully array'd Then was she fouler unto see. But poor Florent must take her for better for worse, though the worse seemed then rather to predominate. The company are all assembled, and the bride and bridegroom stand up to be united in the holy bonds of matrimony. The ceremony being over, the ill-fated knight covered up his head in grief. His body mighté well be there; But as of thought and of memoire She endeavored to ingratiate herself in his affections, and approached and took him softly by the hand. He turned suddenly, and saw one of the most beautiful beings that ever his eyes beheld. He was about to draw her unto himself when she stopped him, And sayth, that for to win or lose For he shall not have bothé two. Here Florent was utterly at a loss what to say. At last he exclaims, I n'ot what answer I shall give, This is the point-he yields up his will entirely to hers. This is what "allé 1 Whether. women most desire," to be sovereign of man's love-in short-to have their own way. The bride then thus answers the happy groom: "My lord," she saide, "grand-merci' That ne'er hereafter shall be lass'd2 JAMES I. OF SCOTLAND. 1395-1437. To an incident which happened in the reign of Henry IV. of England, we are indebted for the most elegant poem that was produced during the early part of the fifteenth century-"The King's Quair," by James L. of Scotland. This prince was the second son of Robert III., and was born in 1395. Hi elder brother died, and the king determined to send his surviving son, James, to be educated at the court of his ally, Charles VI., of France; and he em barked for that country with a numerous train of attendants in 1405. But the ship was stopped by an English squadron, and the passengers were, by order of Henry IV, sent to London. It was, of course, an outrageous violation of all right, for Henry to make James a prisoner; but the accident that placed him in his power was ultimately advantageous to the prince as well as to the nation he was born to govern. He was at that time only ten years of age, but Henry, though he kept him closely confined, took great pains to have him educated in the most thorough manner, and so rapid was the progress that he made in his studies that he soon became a prodigy of erudition, and excelled in every branch of polite accomplishments. During fifteen years of his captivity, he seemed forgotten or at least neglected by his subjects. The admiration of strangers and the consciousness of his own talents only rendered his situation more irksome, and he had begun to abandon himself to despair, when he was fortunately consoled for his seclusion at Windsor Castle by a passion of which sovereigns in quie! possession of a throne have seldom the good fortune to feel the influence The object of his admiration was the lady Jane Beaufort, (daughter of John Beaufort, duke of Somerset,) whom he afterwards married, and in whose commendation he composed his principal poetical work, "The King's Quair." In 1423 he was released, and, taking possession of the throne of his ancestors, he did very much to improve the civilization of his country, by repressing many csorders, and enacting many salutary laws. But his stringent measures 1 Many thanks. 2 Lessened. 3 "Quair," quire, pamphlet, or nook; hence the "King's Quair" means the King's Book. Bee Ellis's "Specimens," i. 299, Warton's "History of English Poetry," ii. 437, and Park's edition of Walpole's "Royal and Noble Authors.' of reform were very offensive to a lawless nobility; a conspiracy was formed against him, and he was murdered at Perth, in 1437. The chief poem of James I., as mentioned above, consists of one hundred and ninety-seven stanzas. It contains various particulars of his own life; is full of simplicity and feeling, and, as has been correctly said, is superior to any poetry besides that of Chaucer produced in England before the reign of Elizabeth, as will be testified by the following stanzas. 1 Against. ON HIS BELOVED. The longe dayes and the nightis eke I would bewail my fortune in this wise; Bewailing in my chamber thus alone, Now was there made, fast by the Touris wall, Was all the place, and hawthorn hedges knet And on the smalle grene twístis sat The little sweete nightingale, and sung Of lovis use, now soft, now loud among, "Worshippe ye that lovers bene this May, For of your bliss the calends are begun; 2 Haste. The gardens of this period seem to have been very small. In Chaucer's "Troilus and Cresselde we find the same place indifferently called a garden and a yard; and this, at Windsor, fast by the Tour wall, was probably either in the yard or on the terrace. 4 Probably an arbour, though the word is also very frequently used for an nerbary, or garaen of simples. 6 Living person. • Mr Tytler imagines that this relates to the pairing of the birds; but the word couple seems here to be used as a musical term. Come, summer, come! the sweet seasón and sun! Thank Love, that list you to his mercy call!'" When they this song had sung a little throw,2 As I beheld, and cast mine eyen a-lowe, From bough to bough they hipped and they play'd, And therewith cast I down mine eye again, The fairest, or the freshest younge flower The blood of all my body to my heart. And though I stood abased tho a lyte,9 No wonder was; for why? my wittis all And in my head I drew right hastily; "Or are ye god Cupidis own princess, And comen are to loose me out of band? Or are ye very Nature the goddess, That have depainted with your heavenly hand What shall I think, alas! what reverence "Giff12 ye a goddess be, and that ye like 1 Mr. Tytler explains this as follows: "Ye that have attained your highest bliss, by winning your mates."-See the last line of the next stanza. 4 Hopped. 2 A little time. 5 Pecked. 3 Stopped 6 Mates. 11 Administer? 12 If. 18 Make me sigh. This seems to mean complain; but should it not rather be playen, to play or sport! 8 Started back. 9 Then a little. 10 More. 1 Pleased: that is, "If thou art a goddess, I cannot resist thy power; but if only a mortal crealure, God surely cannot lest or incline you to grieve or give pain to a poor creature that loves you."-Tyller. 8 A sort of precious stone. 4 Shining. 5 Spangles. 2 Inlaid like fret-work. 7 A kind of lily. It is conjectured that the royal poet may here allude covertly to the name of his 12 Before. 14 Hall. |