ir

in fhort, one of the most beautiful pastorals I ever met with." [Mujes library 8vo. 1738.] To this elogium nothing can be objected, unless perhaps an affected quaintnefs in fome of his expreffions, and an indelicacy in fome of his paftoral images.

WARNER is faid to have been a Warwickshire man, and to have been educated in Oxford at Magdalene Hall* ? în the latter part of his life he was retained in the fervice of Heary Cary lord Hunfdon, to whom he dedicates his poem. More of his biftery is not known. Tho' now his name is fo feldom mentioned, his contemporaries ranked him on a level with Spenfer, and called them the Homer and Virgil of their aget. But Warner rather refembled QVID, swhofe Metamorphofis be feems to have taken for his model, having deduced a perpetual poem from the deluge down to the era of Elizabeth, full of lively digreffions and entertaining episodes. And 1ho' be is fometimes barb, affected, and obfcure, he often difplays a moft charming and pathetic fimplicity: as where be defcribes Eleanor's harsh treatment of Rofamond:

With that she dafht her on the lippes

So dyed double red :

Hard was the heart that gave the blow,
Soft were thofe lippes that bled.

The edition of ALBION'S ENGLAND here followed was printed in 410, 1602; faid in the title-page to have been "first penned and published by William Warner, and now "revifed and newly enlarged by the fame author." The ftory of ARGENTILE AND CURAN is I believe the poet's own invention; it is not mentioned in any of our chronicles. It was however fo much admired, that not many years after he pubifbed it, came out a larger poem on the fame fubject in ftanzas of fix lines, intitled, "The most pleasant and delightful historie of Curan a prince of Danfke. and the fayre princesse Argentile,

*Athen. Oxon.

Ibid.

"Argentile, daughter and heyre to Adelbright, fometime king of Northumberland, &c. by WILLIAM WEBSTER, Lon"don 1617." in 8 fheets 4to. An indifferent paraphrafe of the following poom.

Tho' here jubdivided into ftanzas, Warner's metre is the old-fashioned alexandrine of 14 fyllables. The reader therefore must not expect to find the close of the ftanzas confulted in the paufes.

HE Brutons being' departed hence

TH

Seaven kingdoms here begonne,

Where diverfly in divers broyles.

The Saxons loft and wonne.

King Edel and king Adelbright
In Diria jointly raigne ;

In loyal concorde during life
These kingly friends remaine.

When Adelbright should leave his life,

To Edel thus he fayes;

By thofe fame bondes of happie love,

That held us friends alwaies;

By our by-parted crowne, of which

The moyetie is mine;

By God, to whom my foule muft paffe,
And fo in time may thine;

3

I pray

A prince in Danske, did fee

The maid, with whom he fell in love,

As much as man might bee.

40

Unhappie

Unhappie youth, what fhould he doe?

His faint was kept in mewe;

Nor he, nor any noble-man
Admitted to her vewe.

Meane while the king did beate his braines,

His booty to atchieve,

Nor. caring what became of her,

So

So he by her might thrive;

At laft his refolution was

Some peffant should her wive.

And (which was working to his wifh)

He did observe with joye

How Curan, whom he thought a drudge,

Scapt many an amorous toye.

The king, perceiving fach his veine,

Promotes his vassal still,

Left that the bafeneffe of the man

Should lett, perhaps, his will.

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