MISCELLANEOUS POEMS.

TO THE MOST NOBLE AND ABOVE HIS TITLES ROBERT, EARL OF SOMERSET.

1

They are not those are present with their face, And clothes, and gifts, that only do thee grace At these thy nuptials; but whose heart and thought

Do wait upon thee; and their love not bought. Such wear true wedding robes, and are true

friends,

That bid, God give thee joy and have no ends! Which I do, early, virtuous Somerset,

And pray, thy loves as lasting be, as great;

1 These lines were discovered in 1852, in the handwriting of the poet, signed "Ben Jonson," on a leaf of paper pasted upon the inner cover of a copy of his works, ed. 1640, with the following memorandum by another hand: "These verses were made by the author of this book, and were delivered to the Earl of Somerset on his wedding day." The volume bears on the outside covers the arms of the Earl of Somerset, to whom it evidently belonged. The book afterwards came into the possession of the Hon. Archibald Fraser, of Lovat, and upon the sale of his library, in February, 1852, it was purchased by the British Museum for £14. The occasion to which the verses refer determines the time when they were written, -1613.

B.

Not only this, but every day of thine

With the same look, or with a better shine;

May she, whom thou for spouse to-day dost take,
Out-be that wife, in worth, thy friend did make;
And thou to her, that husband, may exalt
Hymen's amends, to make it worth his fault.
So be there never discontent, or sorrow
To rise with either of you on the morrow;
So be your concord still as deep as mute,
And every joy in marriage turn a fruit;
So may thy marriage pledges comforts prove,
And every birth increase the heat of love;
So in their number may you never see
Mortality, till you a mortal be;2

And when your years rise more than would be told,

Yet neither of you seem to the other old,
That all that view you then and late may say,
Sure this glad pair were married but this day.

LEGES CONVIVALES.3

Quod felix faustumque convivis in Apolline sit.

1. NEMO ASYMBOLUS, NISI UMBRA, HUC VENITO. 2. IDIOTA, INSULUS, TRISTIS, TURPIS, ABESTO. 3. ERUDITI, URBANI, HILARES, HONESTI, ADSCIS

CUNTOR.

2 We should, probably, read " till you immortal be."— B. 3 The following is the old translation of the celebrated canons of conviviality :

RULES FOR THE TAVERN ACADEMY,

or,

LAWS FOR THE BEAUX ESPRITS.

From the Latin of Ben Jonson, engraven in marble over the

4. NEC LECTÆ FEMINÆ REPUDIANTOR.

5. IN APPARATU QUOD CONVIVIS CORRUGET NARES

chimney, in the Apollo of the Old Devil Tavern, at Temple Bar; that being his Club-room.

Non verbum reddere verbo.

I.

1. As the fund of our pleasure, let each pay his shot,
Except some chance friend, whom a member brings in.

2. Far hence be the sad, the lewd fop, and the sot;
For such have the plagues of good company been.

II.

3. Let the learned and witty, the jovial and gay,

The generous and honest, compose our free state; 4. And the more to exalt our delight while we stay, Let none be debarred from his choice female mate.

III.

5. Let no scent offensive the chamber infest.

6. Let fancy, not cost, prepare all our dishes.

7. Let the caterer mind the taste of each guest,

And the cook, in his dressing, comply with their wishes.

IV.

8. Let's have no disturbance about taking places,

To show your nice breeding, or out of vain pride.

9. Let the drawers be ready with wine and fresh glasses,

Let the waiters have eyes, though their tongues must be tied.

V.

10. Let our wines without mixture or stum, be all fine,

Or call up the master, and break his dull noddle.

11. Let no sober bigot here think it a sin

To push on the chirping and moderate bottle.

4 Strong, new wine, from Latin mustum; used to give strength and spirit to what is vapid.

8. DE DISCUBITU NON CONTENDITOR.

9. MINISTRI A DAPIBUS, OCCULATI ET MUTI,

A POCULIS, AURITI ET CELERES SUNTO.

10. VINA PURIS FONTIBUS MINISTRENTOR AUT VAPU

LET HOSPES.

11. MODERATIS POCULIS

ESTO.

PROVOCARE SODALES FAS

12. AT FABULIS MAGIS QUAM VINO VELITATIO FIAT.

VI.

12. Let the contests be rather of books than of wine.

13. Let the company be neither noisy nor mute.

14. Let none of things serious, much less of divine,
When belly and heart's full, profanely dispute.

VIL

15. Let no sancy fiddler presume to intrude,

Unless he is sent for to vary our bliss.

16. With mirth, wit, and dancing, and singing conclude,

To regale every sense, with delight in excess.

VIII.

17. Let raillery be without malice or heat.

18. Dull poems to read let none privilege take,
19. Let no poetaster command or entreat

Another extempore verses to make.

IX.

20. Let argument bear no unmusical sound,

Nor jars interpose, sacred friendship to grieve.

21. For generous lovers let a corner be found,

Where they in soft sighs may their passions relieve.

X.

22. Like the old Lapithites, with the goblets to fight,
Our own 'mongst offences unpardoned will rank,
Or breaking of windows, or glasses, for spite,
And spoiling the goods for a rakehelly prank.

XI.

23. Whoever shall publish what's said, or what's done, Be he banished for ever our assembly divine.

24. Let the freedom we take be perverted by none, To make any guilty by drinking good wine.

The Old Devil Tavern, so called to distinguish it from a

13. CONVIVÆ NEC MUTI NEC LOQUACES SUNTO.

14. DE SERIIS AC SACRIS POTI ET SATURI NE DIS

SERUNTO.

15. FIDICEN, NISI ACCERSITUS, NON VENITO.

16. ADMISSO RISU, TRIPUDIIS, CHOREIS, CANTU, CELEBRANTOR.

17. JOCI SINE FELLE SUNTO.

18. INSIPIDA POEMATA NULLA RECITANTOR,

19. VERSUS SCRIBERE NULLUS COGITOR.

20. ARGUMENTATIONIS TOTIUS STREPITUS ABESTO. 21. AMATORIIS QUERELIS, AC SUSPIRIIS LIBER ANGULUS ESTO.

22. LAPITHARUM MORE SCYPHIS PUGNARE, VITREA

COLLIDERE.

FENESTRAS EXCUTERE, SUPELLECTILEM DILA-
CERARE NEFAS ESTO.

23. QUI FORAS VEL DICTA, VEL FACTA ELIMINET,

ELIMINATOR.

24. NEMINEM REUM POCULA FACIUNTO.

FOCUS PERENNIS ESTO.

neighboring hostelry called the Young Devil Tavern, stood on that spot close to Temple Bar, which is now occupied by Child's Banking House. The Apollo was the great room of the tavern, in which, like that of the Will's and Button's of a later day, the wits assembled to hold their convivial meetings, over which, by undisputed authority, Jonson reigned supreme. The rules of the club, as stated in the introduction to the translation, were engraved in marble over the chimneypiece; and the verses by Jonson over the entrance to the room were printed in gold letters on a black ground, surmounted by a bust of Apollo. The bust and the verses are now in the possession of Messrs. Child. The room was furnished with a gallery for music, and was frequently used for balls. The old sign of the tavern, which stood nearly opposite to St. Dunstan's church, represented St. Dunstan pulling the Devil by the nose.- B.

5 Al. CONVIVE NON MULTI - G.