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and for doing so have encountered the anger rather than the
argument of those who cannot admire a pretty lyric but they must
hold reason itself to be in error rather than allow that a line of
it has chanced to get turned in the rhyming。
IN EARTH
〃I ever saw anything；〃 says Charles Lamb； 〃like this funeral dirge；
except the ditty which reminds Ferdinand of his drowned father in
the Tempest。 As that is of the water； watery； so this is of the
earth； earthy。 Both have that intentness of feeling which seems to
resolve itself into the element which it contemplates。〃
SONG （Phoebus； arise！）
All Drummond's poems seem to be minor poems； even at their finest；
except only this。 He must have known； for the creation of that
poem； some more impassioned and less restless hour。 It is； from
the outset to the close； the sigh of a profound expectation。 There
is no division into stanzas； because its metre is the breath of
life。 One might wish that the English ode （roughly called
〃Pindaric〃） had never been written but with passion； for so written
it is the most immediate of all metres； the shock of the heart and
the breath of elation or grief are the law of the lines。 It has
passed out of the gates of the garden of stanzas； and walks （not
astray） in the further freedom where all is interior law。 Cowley；
long afterwards； wrote this Pindaric ode； and wrote it coldly。 But
Drummond's （he calls it a song） can never again be forgotten。 With
admirable judgment it was set up at the very gate of that Golden
Treasury we all know so well； and； therefore； generation after
generation of readers； who have never opened Drummond's poems； know
this fine ode as well as they know any single poem in the whole of
English literature。 There was a generation that had not been
taught by the Golden Treasury； and Cardinal Newman was of it。
Writing to Coventry Patmore of his great odes； he called them
beautiful but fragmentary； was inclined to wish that they might
some day be made complete。 There is nothing in all poetry more
complete。 Seldom is a poem in stanzas so complete but that another
stanza might have made a final close； but a master's ode has the
unity of life； and when it ends it ends for ever。
A poem of Drummond's has this auroral image of a blush： Anthea has
blushed to hear her eyes likened to stars （habit might have caused
her； one would think； to bear the flattery with a front as cool as
the very daybreak）； and the lover tells her that the sudden
increase of her beauty is futile； for he cannot admire more： 〃For
naught thy cheeks that morn do raise。〃 What sweet； nay； what
solemn roses！
Again：
〃Me here she first perceived； and here a morn
Of bright carnations overspread her face。〃
The seventeenth century has possession of that 〃morn〃 caught once
upon its uplands； nor can any custom of aftertime touch its
freshness to wither it。
TO MY INCONSTANT MISTRESS
The solemn vengeance of this poem has a strange tonenot unique；
for it had sounded somewhere in mediaeval poetry in Italybut in a
dreadful sense divine。 At the first reading； this sentence against
inconstancy； spoken by one more than inconstant； moves something
like indignation； nevertheless； it is menacingly and obscurely
justified； on a ground as it were beyond the common region of
tolerance and pardon。
THE PULLEY
An editor is greatly tempted to mend a word in these exquisite
verses。 George Herbert was maladroit in using the word 〃rest〃 in
two senses。 〃Peace〃 is not quite so characteristic a word； but it
ought to take the place of 〃rest〃 in the last line of the second
stanza； so then the first line of the last stanza would not have
this rather distressing ambiguity。 The poem is otherwise perfect
beyond description。
MISERY
George Herbert's work is so perfectly a box where thoughts
〃compacted lie；〃 that no one is moved； in reading his rich poetry；
to detach a line； so fine and so significant are its neighbours；
nevertheless； it may be well to stop the reader at such a lovely
passage as this …
〃He was a garden in a Paradise。〃
THE ROSE
There is nothing else of Waller's fine enough to be admitted here；
and even this； though unquestionably a beautiful poem； elastic in
words and fresh in feeling； despite its wearied argument； is of the
third…class。 Greatness seems generally； in the arts； to be of two
kinds； and the third rank is less than great。 The wearied argument
of The Rose is the almost squalid plea of all the poets； from
Ronsard to Herrick： 〃Time is short； they make the better bargain
who make haste to love。〃 This thrifty business and essentially
cold impatience wastime out of mindunknown to the truer love；
it is larger； illiberal； untender； and without all dignity。 The
poets were wrong to give their verses the message of so sorry a
warning。 There is only one thing that persuades you to forgive the
paltry plea of the poet that time is briefand that is the
charming reflex glimpse it gives of her to whom the rose and the
verse were sent； and who had not thought that time was brief。
L'ALLEGRO
The sock represents the stage； in L'Allegro； for comedy； and the
buskin； in Il Penseroso； for tragedy。 Milton seems to think the
comic drama in England needs no apology； but he hesitates at the
tragic。 The poet of King Lear is named for his sweetness and his
wood…notes wild。
IL PENSEROSO
It is too late to protest against Milton's display of weak Italian。
Pensieroso is； of course； what he should have written。
LYCIDAS
Most of the allusions in Lycidas need no explaining to readers of
poetry。 The geography is that of the western coasts from furthest
north to Cornwall。 Deva is the Dee； 〃the great vision〃 means the
apparition of the Archangel； St。 Michael； at St。 Michael's Mount；
Namancos and Bayona face the mount from the continental coast；
Bellerus stands for Belerium； the Land's End。
Arethusa and MinciusSicilian and Italian streamsrepresent the
pastoral poetry of Theocritus and Virgil。
ON A PRAYER…BOOK
〃Fair and flagrant things〃Crashaw's own phrasemight serve for a
brilliant and fantastic praise and protest in description of his
own verses。 In the last century； despite the opinion of a few； and
despite the fact that Pope took possession of Crashaw's line …
〃Obedient slumbers that can wake and weep；〃
and for some time of the present century； the critics had a wintry
word to blame him with。 They said of George Herbert； of Lovelace；
of Crashaw； and of other light hearts of the seventeenth century
not so much that their inspiration was in bad taste； as that no
reader of taste could suffer them。 A better opinion on that
company of poets is that they had a taste extraordinarily liberal；
generous； and elastic； but not essentially lax： taste that gave
now and then too much room to play； but anon closed with the purest
and exactest laws of temperance and measure。 The extravagance of
Crashaw is a far more lawful thing than the extravagance of
Addison； whom some believe to have committed none； moreover； Pope
and all the politer poets nursed something they were pleased to
call a 〃rage；〃 and this expatiated （to use another word of their
own） beyond all bounds。 Of sheer voluntary extremes it is not in
the seventeenth century conceit that we should seek examples； but
in an eighteenth century 〃rage。〃 A 〃noble rage；〃 properly
provoked； could be backed to write more trash than fancy ever
tempted the half…incredulous sweet poet of the older time to run
upon。 He was fancy's child； and the bard of the eighteenth century
was the child of common sense with straws in his hairvainly
arranged there。 The eighteenth century was never content with a
moderate mind； it invented 〃rage〃； it matched rage with a flagrant
diction mingled of Latin words and simple English words made vacant
and ridiculous； and these were the worst； it was resolved to be
behind no century in passionnay； to show the way； to fire the
nations。 Addison taught himself； as his hero taught the battle；
〃where to rage〃； and in the later years of the same literary age；
Johnson summoned the lapsed and absent fury； with no kind of
misgiving as to the resulting verse。 Take such a phrase as 〃the
madded land〃； there； indeed； is a word coined by the noble rage as
the last century evoked it。 〃The madded land〃 is a phrase intended
to prove that the law…giver of taste； Johnson himself； could lodge
the fury in his breast when opportunity occurred。 〃And dubious
title shakes the madded land。〃 It would be hard to find anything；
even in Addison； more flagrant and less fair。
Take The Weeper of Crashawhis most flagrant poem。 Its follies
are all sweet…humoured； they smile。 Its beauties are a quick and
abundant shower。 The delicate phrases are so mingled with the
flagrant that it is difficult to quote them without rousing that
general sense of humour of which any one may make a boast； and I am
therefore shy even of citing the 〃brisk cherub〃 who has early
sipped the Saint's tear： 〃Then to his music；〃 in Crashaw's
divinely simple phrase； and his singing 〃tastes of this breakfast
all day long。〃 Sorrow is a queen； he cries to the W