Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1852-02-04
MISC LA n E 0 u S.
A COURT-POET OF THE SIXTEENTH
CENTURY.

A COURT-POET OF THE SIXTEENTH
CENTURY.
The reign of Elizabeth may be consider
ed pre-eminen,ly the age OF chivalry. The
dark days Of feudalism were'pasl; the burdens
which had long lain heavy upon the liber-
ties of the people, although not formally re-
pealed, had been gradually relaxed I; the in
,ellectusl ignorance which had formerly
been the characteristic, if not the boast Of
ell, excep. the clergy, had passed away be-
fore the humanizing influence Of letters
The spirit of chivalry, however, still exist
ed, no. less potential because separated from
the stern realities with which ii had former
ly been associated, not less fascinating be-
cause no longer connected with the remem-
brance Of outrage and oppression. But the
chivalry Of the age Of the Tudors was no,
merely distinguished by external splendour.
or by the absence Of the intolerable evils
inseparabe from feudalism. Henry VIII,
de,esiable as his memory must ever be, was
no enemy TO civil liberty, and he was genu-
inc patron Of letters. In both these respects
he was followed and exceled by Elizabeth.
Literary merit was seldom overlooked in
her Court; and among the accomplishments
necessary for the cour,Ier who aspired to
the favour Of his royal mistress, the talents
OF the tr0uvere were not the leas, lndIspen-
sable. Her Court was consequently throng-
ed with gentlemen, who, while they rival
led the lroubadours-whomt they proposed
TO themselves as their models-in every
other knigh'ly accomplishment, far exceed
ed them in poetic feeling and refnement-1
In truth, Elizabeth seems to have looked for
the union of the cour.ly graces with intel
lec,ual superiority in all whom she received
into her favour or honoured with her Con-
fidence. 1t is Difficult, otherwise 10 account
for the neglec. which Spenser experienced,
and for which the disfavour of Burleigh is
not sufficient reason, unless we charge his
disappointment 10 the want Of those court
ly graces which were al all times a sure
passport TO royal favour, although more
solid requirements might be needed for its
preservation.
The natural result Of the favour shown to
men Of letters ensued: almost every coulter
aspired TO be poet, and every poet s.rove
to be a cour.er. Perhaps the former class
succeeded better than their more gifted bre-
'hren. Among oceans Of rhyme, distinguish
ed for nothing but its servile imitation Of the
poems Of the ,roubadours, disfgured by the
same extravaganza of metaphor, puerlity Of
conceii, and ingenuity of versi6cation, we
occasionally discover traces Of real poetic
feeling, for which we should in vain search
in their prototypes. Sir Waller Raleigh
was undenably The first of these courtier-
poets, and excelled all his brother minsnels
sh r. l.
ped his age in more solid requirements and
romantic enterprise. Especially he differs
from them all by abandoning the eternal
theme Of the Provencal poelaslers and their
imita,ors !: his poetic magazine contains 9TH
er weapons besides darts and flames; Cupid
is not his sole auxiliary, nor his mistress
his only divinity. When he occasionally
deviales from the more lofty and natural
style which he usually employs, and conde-
scends to This well-worn theme, he seems
only 10 disguise his real meaning under an
allegorical garb his loves are poeticaI, and
the mistress whose bright eyes he worships,
or whose frown he depreca,es, is one whose
displeasure was real calamity, and whose
smile brough, with j, those gifts Of honour
and fortune to which Raleigh, although
philosopher and scholar, was by no means
Indifferent. The following sanzas indicate
quick perception Of the beauties Of nature.
The invec,ives against The Court may pos
sibly have been dictated by some tempora-
ry disappointment. of which Raleigh expe-
renced his full share; but The exquisite de-
scriptive touches WHICH it contains evidence
the existence Of true poetic feeling which
mus. be considered as pledge of his sim
ceri,y -
ssHeart- tearing cares and quivering fears,
Anxious sghs, untimely tears,
Fly, fly to Courts
Fly to fond worldlings' sports,
Where strained sardonic smiles are gloring still,
And grief is forced to laugh against her will,
Where mirth 8 but mummery,
And sorrows only real be!
Fly from our country pastimes, fly,
Sad troop of human misery!
Come, serene looks,
Clear as the crystal brooks,
Or the pure azured heaven, that smiles to see
The rich attendance of our poverty.
Peace and secure mind,
Which all men seek, we only find