an
conceits of the strictly Elizabethan time,--to the passionate reality
of Shakespeare: yet a general uniformity of tone prevails. Few readers
can fail to observe the natural sweetness of the verse, the
single-hearted straightforwardness of the thoughts:--nor less, the
limitation of subject to the many phases of one passion, which then
characterized our lyrical poetry,--unless when, as in especial with
Shakespeare, the 'purple light of Love' is tempered by a spirit of
sterner reflection. For the didactic verse of the century, although
lyrical in form, yet very rarely rises to the pervading emotion, the
golden cadence, proper to the lyric.

It should be observed that this and the following Summaries apply in
the main to the Collection here presented, in which (besides its
restriction to Lyrical Poetry) a strictly representative or historical
Anthology has not been aimed at. Great excellence, in human art as in
human character, has from the beginning of things been even more
uniform than mediocrity, by virtue of the closeness of its approach to
Nature:--and so far as the standard of Excellence kept in view has
been attained in this volume, a comparative absence of extreme or
temporary phases in style, a similarity of tone and manner, will be
found throughout:--something neither modern nor ancient, but true and
speaking to the heart of man alike throughout all ages.

PAGE NO.

2 3 _whist_: hushed, quieted.

-- 4 _Rouse Memnon's mother_: Awaken the Dawn from the dark Earth and
the clouds where she is resting. This is one of that limited class of
early mythes which may be reasonably interpreted as representations of
natural phenomena. Aurora in the old mythology is mother of Memnon
(the East), and wife of Tithonus (the appearances of Earth and Sky
during the last hours of Night). She leaves him every morning in
renewed youth, to prepare the way for Phoebus (the Sun), whilst
Tithonus remains in perpetual old age and grayness.

3 -- l. 23 _by Peneus' stream_: Phoebus loved the Nymph Daphne whom he
met by the river Peneus in the vale of Tempe. L. 27 _Amphion's lyre_:
He was said to have built the walls of Thebes to the sound of his
music. L. 35 _Night like a drunkard reels_: Compare Romeo and Juliet,
Act II, Scene 3: 'The grey-eyed morn smiles,' &c.--It should be added
that three lines, which appeared hopelessly misprinted, have been
omitted in this Poem.

4 6 _Time's chest_: in which he is figuratively supposed to l