The Press.
London, England, 1854-11-11 00:00:00

NOVEMIER 11, 1854.

after of her grandchildren ! And then, may she arrive at
that great curse, so much declined by fair ladies, old age !
May she live to be very old, and yet seem young ; be told
so by her glass, and have no aches to inform her of the
truth! And when she shall appear to be mortal, may her
lord not mourn for her, but go hand in hand with her to
that place where we are told there is neither marrying, nor
giving iu marriage ; that, being there divorced, we may
all have an interest in her again ! My revenge being im-
mortal, 1 wish all this may also befit' their posterity to the
•oiid's end, and afterwards !

--
He was so completely a master of eornpli
went that with him to sing was usually to
flatter. He addresses some lines to Sacoha
rissa as the lady who can sleep when she
pleases, and the editor in a note says :
Saccharissa's portrait at Penshurst is curiously sugges-
tive of this power of sleeping at pleasure. The languish.
ing softness of her large dreamy eyes, notwithstanding the
latent tire they conceal, betrays the luxurious sense of deep
repose indicated in the poem.
There is much beauty in the conception of
the " soft god " being always eager to enfold
so lovely a form:—

No wonder sleep from careful lovers flies,
To bathe himself in Sacchariasa's eyes.
As fair Manna once from earth to heaven,
By strife and loud impiety was driven ;
So with our plaints offended, and our tears,
Wise Somnus to that paradise repairs ;
Waite on her will, and wretches does forsake,
To court the nymph for whom those wretches wake.
More proud than Pliwbus of his throne of gold
Is the soft god those softer limbs to hold ;
Nur would exchange with Jove, to hide the skies
In darkening clouds, the power to close her eyes;
Eyes which so far all other lights control,
They warm our mortal parts, but these our soul !
The image is equally pretty of the strings of
a lute trembling with joy as a lady touches

OF MY LADY isanELLs PLAYING THE LUTE.
Such moving sounds from such a careless touch !
So unconcerned herself, and we so much !
What art is this, that with so little pains
Transports us thus, and o'er our spirits reigns?
The trembling strings about her lingers crowd,
And tell their joy for every kiss aloud.
Small force there needs to make them tremble so ;
Touched by that hand, who would not tremble too ?
The lines to Lady Rich are very elegant, and
those to a lady's girdle have something of
Greek delicacy and refinement:—
No monarch but would give his crown,
His arms might do what this has done.
• •

A narrow compass ! and yet there
Dwelt all that's good and all that's fair.
Give me but what this ribbon hound,
Take all the rest the sun goes round.
But, perhaps, the most elegant of all his coin.
Aliments is that
TO A LADY SINGING A SONO OF IDS COMPOSING.
Chlorin ! yourself yon so excel,
When you vouchsafe to breathe my thought,
That, like a spirit, with this spell
Of my own teaching, I am caught.
That eagle's fate and mine are one,
Which, on the shaft that made him die,
Espied a feather of his own,
Wherewith he wont to soar so high.
Had Echo with so sweet a grace,
Narcissus' loud complains returned,
Not for reflection of his face,
But of his voice, the boy had burned.

Waller wrote but few songs, but among them
is one of the most charming in our language,
marked by all his usual grace of compliment,
and by a higher sentiment than gene-
rally actuated him. Though well known,
we cannot deny ourselves the pleasure of
extracting so unique and sparkling a gem :
Go, lovely Rose !
Tell her that wastes her time and me,
That now she knows,
When I resemble her to thee,
How sweet and fair she seems to be.
Tell her that's young,
And shims to have her graces spied,
That htelst thou sprung
In deserts, where no men abide,
Thou must have uncommended died.
Small is the worth
Of beauty from the light retired;
Bid her come forth,
Suffer herself to be desired,
And not blush so to be admired.
Then die ! that she
The common fate of all things rare
May read in thee;
How small a part of time they share
That are so wondrous sweet and fair!
Waller must have written for effect, as lie
took snt'h extreme care to polish his verse, and
it is probable that the lines at the conclusion of
his sacred pieces had been lorl meditated by
him as an appropriate termination to his