With open arms let me embrace

The Heathen, Christian, Turk, or Jew,

The lovely and deformed face,
The sober and the jovial crew.

In single simple love alone

All forms and features are but one.

Reason.

[In "Miscellany Poems and Translations by Oxford hands." Printed for Anthony Stephens, 1685, 8vo.]

[From 8 stanzas.]

REASON, thou vain impertinence,

Deluding hypocrite, begone!

And go and plague your men of sense,
But let my love and me alone!

In vain some dreaming thinking fool
Would make thee o'er our senses reign,

And all our noble passions rule,

And constitute this creature man.

In vain some dotard may pretend
Thou art our torch to happiness-
To happiness-which poor mankind
As little know as Paradise.

At best, thou'rt but a glimmering light, Which serves not to direct our way; But, like the moon, confounds our sight, And only shows it is not day.

Coyness.

[In the same Collection.]

[From 6 stanzas.]

NAY, I confess I should despise
A too, too easy-gotten prize!

Be coy, be cruel yet a while,
Nor grant one gracious look or smile!
Then every little grace from thee
Will seem a heaven on earth to me.

If thou would'st have me still love on With all the flames I first begun, Then you must still as scornful be: For, if you once but burn like me, My flames will languish and be gone, Like fire shin'd on by the sun.

*

Nor lay these arts too soon aside,
In hopes your lover fast is tied;

For I have oft an angler seen,
With over-haste, lose all again;
When, if the fool had longer stay'd,
The harmless fish had been betray'd.

Ancient Song.

[From Dryden's Collection. Vol. vi. 341, ed. 1716.]

A SILLY shepherd woo'd, but wist not
How he might his mistress' favour gain.
On a time they met, but kiss'd not :-
Ever after that he sued in vain.
Blame her not, alas, though she said nay
To him that might, but fled away.

Time perpetually is changing;
Every moment alteration brings;
Love and beauty still estranging;
Women, are, alas, but wanton things!
He that will his mistress' favour gain,
Must take her in a merry vein.

A woman's fancy's like a fever,

Or an ague, that doth come by fits;
Hot and cold, but constant never,
Even as the pleasant humour hits.
Sick, and well again, and well, and sick,
In love it is a woman's trick.

Now she will, and then she will not;
Put her to the trial, if once she smile :
Silly youth, thy fortunes spill not;
Lingering labours oft themselves beguile.
He that knocks, and can't get in,
His pick-lock is not worth a pin.

A woman's nay is no denial ;
Silly youths of love are served so;
Put her to a further trial;

Haply she'll take it, and say no.
For 'tis a trick which women use,
What they love they will refuse.

Silly youth, why dost thou dally?

Having got time and season fit;

Then never stand "Sweet, shall I? shall I?" Nor too much commend an after-wit;

For, he that will not when he may,

When he will he shall have nay.

CONCLUSION.

As it was a principal object of this Miscellany, to collect such a series of early poetry as should exhibit specimens of our language through all its gradations, it may, perhaps, be convenient to the reader to bring into one point of view the various conclusions or conjectures which these specimens have suggested. These are dispersed through the first volume of the work, so as to form a succinct and intelligible, if not a satisfactory history of the formation and early progress of the English language.

The Saxon conquerors of this country, having been converted to Christianity towards the close of the sixth century, appear to have engaged in the pursuit of learning with the usual eagerness of proselytes. Great numbers of them, travelling to Rome in quest of religious truth, distinguished themselves by their zeal and industry, and, returning to their own country, brought with them considerable stores of such learning as that age could furnish. At a time when single books were estimated so highly, as to form no trifling part of a valuable patrimony, large libraries were founded at Weremouth, in Northumberland, at Hexham, at York, and other places : and the writings of Venerable Bede, of Alcuinus, and many other scholars who issued from these seminaries, excited universal and merited admiration.

But the scholars of the eighth century, communicating only with each other, and taking little interest in the

VOL. III.

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