tants are loving, courteous and affable; particularly the gentry, of the best qualified houses in Spain, most worthy pillars of so ancient a foundation.

"Here, methought, I was ever at home with friends of mine own age and rank. Our exercises for the most part were riding, running at bulks, at the ring, masks, barriers, and the like, with which, delighting the multitude, we made ourselves cunning practitioners. In the field, hawking and hunting were our sports, for both which that country is plentifully provided.— These and others, that took up our whole time, were my chief delights, to a heart yet untouched with love's flames; which made me as contented, as free; as satisfied in myself, as by others envied. Yet not long could I so boast, not long was I so joy ful; how soon from a freeman, became I a bond-slave; from merry to melancholy; from tractable to the contrary; from happy to unfortunate! Sooner than I could wish, dear Leriano, shall you hear the change. Amongst many other shews and triumphs we usually had, one drew near, appointed by our city in honour and commemoration of the blessed Virgin Mary's happy nuptials. When an infinite number of common people, and a great concourse of gentry resort thither, as well from the court and the city of Ovila, as the imperial Toledo, and other parts of the kingdom. The wished day came on, being the six and twentieth of April, duskish and cloudy, a season natural to that climate; or belike Phoebus knew his beams might be well spared, where so many, and so beauteous lights would appear. were two and thirty gentlemen, that in several colours entered the market-place: myself pe formed the office of stickler between my father and my brother Leoncio.

4

We

The sport began, the bulls were let loose and chased, the whole solemnity, to the general good liking and applause of the spectators, ended in a well ordered skirmish of canes, there having happened no disaster or mischance at all, save mine, which, considering the state it hath now brought me to, was the greatest that could arrive.

"At my first passing over the place on horseback, my careless eyes chanced to glance at a bay-window, where certain gentlewomen strangers were placed, and paused a little as being attracted, no less by the novelty, than the goodly presence. Back I went with some other friends and gentlemen, that I might re-enjoy a fuller sight of those beauties, and fair and softly, as prancingly as our horses could pace, we drew near, passing to and fro, with more turnings and windings than doth a poor prisoner in a loathsome dungeon. Neither had we, think I, 'till this time quitted the place, had not the gentlewomen seeing all ended, raised themselves up to go down to their coaches that attended them beneath. Here my foundation failed, and from this instant began the ruin of my fired Troy.

"One there was amongst those ladies, that 'till the present still masked, discovered so rare a beauty in so young a body, that we were all suddenly astonished. Methought unaccustomed to such brunts, the fair creature even tore and parted my heart, to make it part of her tender own.

*Pp. 12, 13, 14, 15.

The poetry dispersed throughout this work, the translator assures us has occasionally been "altered to make it more suitable to an English reader," and may consequently be considered in some measure as original composition. It has considerable merit, as the following specimens will prove.

SONNET

Used in a Serenade from a Lover to his Mistress.

even

Whether, or fixed or wandering, lights of heaven!
Though lesser tapers to the moon you be,—
Bright scutcheons of the Gods, and planets seven,
Whose cheerful influence doth best agree
With amorous minds :-a breast most pure and
Invokes your fair aspects, look down on me,
And as your powers, me power to love have given,
Light her I love that she my thoughts may see.
And oh! thou cold and more than sober night!
That in dull calmness sleep'st untill clear day,
In absence of thy sun's most glorious light;
Wert thou like me, sad night, to go thy way
By absence grieved to lose so rich a sight;
Tears, sorrow's tribute, and not sleep, thoul'dst pay.

SONNET.

A brazen heart, an adamantine mind,

Doubtless had he, whose restless working brain
First launched our moving houses to the main,
And slippery hinges gave to waves and wind.
Fanatic fury, zeal aspiring blind,

Had he who rashly sought to fly, in vain :-
But rasher he that heaven's bright car, so fain,

Downheadlong drew, against his father's mind :

A daring act, a pretty enterprise,

"Twas to descend and conquer Erebus,

To bind the triple-porter in a chain :But to presume to venture on her eyes, Without more note or merit court them thus, As greater madness, so a greater gain.

SONNET.

If, of a wretched state and all forlorn,

That be the wretched'st, not at all to be:— Since in condemned prisoners we may see, Though they must die, they'ld not, not have been born.Than by oblivion to be slowly torn,

Or vexed with absence in extremity,

Or plagued with rage of restless jealousy,— These nothing are to not being loved,—a scorn : — He that's forgotten, yet a being had,

He that is absent may return again,—

He that is jealous may find constancy :—
But still to follow shadows,-love in vain,-
Still to be hopeless,-worse than to be mad,—
That never was, is, or shall happy be.

SONNET

To a Lady singing, unseen.

Sweet voice! I hear thy pleasing harmony,.
Though air resist it and rebellious wind:

O that the glorious angel I could see,

That thus enchants mine ear, suspends my mind! Love sure is no bare voice, no fancy blind,

Nor faint intention, but reality,

A substance and engendered deity,

"Twixt Mars and Venns in adulterate kinda
Then if not wholly voice, since body too,
Or yet if echo, hark! So may thy fair
Narcissus soft relent and learn to woo!
But why concealed thus dost thou declare
Thyself like him self-loving? if not so,
Why art thou nought but voice wrapt up in air?
SONG.

When young April once a year
Doth with emerald face appear;
Then gives he to each river he can see,
By winter's frost imprisoned, liberty.
White and yellow flowers are seen ;
Trees and fields are clad in green;
The wild beast leaves his den,
And snakes grow young again :
Then the mournful nightingale
Sings, or sweetly seems to rail,

On him that basely in a brother's shape,
Transformed her by his well-revenged rape.
Thus beasts, and birds, and every thing,
Joys upon the approaching spring:

But I, the more relief

I seek, the more's my grief!

SONNET,

On seeing a Lady Bathing in the River Betis.

Betis! whilst pretty philomel doth sing,
And to thy silver noise her treble raise:
Whilst gentle zephyrus his wings displays,