1. A dark lantern, <151> made of four metals, gold, silver, brass, and iron.

            2. The top of it was a crown of pure gold, which also did serve to cover a perfume pan.

            3. There was within it a shield of silver embossed, to give a reflection to the light, on one side of which

            4. Was the sun, the moon, and vii stars.

            5. On the other side, the story of the birth and passion of Christ, as it is found graved by a King of Scots that was prisoner in Nottingham, in a vault called to this day the King of Scots' prison.<152>

            6. The word was that of the good thief

"Lord, remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom."
Domine, memento mei cum veneris in regnum.

            And a little beneath,

Post crucem, lucem.<153>

            7. The wax candle, to be removed at pleasure to the top, and so to make a candlestick, stood in a foot of brass.

            8. The snuffers, and all the outside of the lantern, of iron and steel plate.

            9. The perfume in a little silver globe, filled with musk and amber, of all which and their applications, these ensuing verses were written.

VERSES OF THE LANTERN.

WHEN that wise counterfeit to Phoebus went,
And would a gift of price to him present;
Hiding a jewel rich in hollow cane,
No gift was seen, a great gift yet was ta'en:
And thus, divinely taught, he got his wishes,
Giving to mother earth well hastened kisses.
Excellent prince! and our Apollo rising,
Accept a present sent in like disguising:<154>
And though it come in feigned name unknown,
Yet love unfeigned may therein be shown.
Silver is closed in steel, in darkness light,
Only the crown apparent stands in sight.
In argent shield are sacred stories shown,
Stories to your great ancestor well known,
Who shut in Nottingham and kept apart,
Grav'd there this godly monument of art.
This story at his fingers' ends he knew,
For with his fingers' ends the same he drew.
Eke<155> other fancies lurk in this our present,
The use and sense whereof is not unpleasant.
Four metals ages four resemble do,
Of which the golden age God send to you!
Of steel, I wish small use and little lasting,
Of brass, gold, silver, plenty never wasting.
The sun, moon, stars, and those celestial fires
Foretell the heavens shall prosper your desires:
And as the snuffers quench the light and snuff,
So may you quench those take your acts in snuff.
The candle, the emblem of a virtuous king,
Doth waste his life to others light to bring.
To your fair queen, and sweet babes I presume
To liken the sweet savor and perfume.
She, send sweet breathed love into your breast,
She, blest with fruitful issue, make you blest.
Lastly, let heavenly crowns these crowns succeed,
Sent sure to both, to neither sent with speed.

OF THE PICTURE.

The blessed virgin's picture first hath place,
To whom thus Gabriel saith, hail full of grace!
Next, she her cousin visits, at whose voice
The babe unborn did sensibly rejoice.
Thirdly, is Christ born of a maid unstained,
And mother true a virgin true remained.
Fourthly, he's circumcised by Jews' decree,
Those laws that no man ere fulfilled but he.
Moses, Elias, met him, after that
Which sight made Peter speak he knew not what.
Then followth th' agony and bloody sweat;
Feeling the burden of our sins so great.
Seventhly, for spite of clothes he was bestripped,
And, loving us, for us he then was whipped.
Then put they on his head a crown of thorns,
Themselves much fitter subjects for such scorns.
They forced him, in sight of lewd beholders,
To carry his own cross on his own shoulders:
They hanged him on each side a malefactor,
But he to th' one did prove a benefactor:
At three days' end he brought to full subjection.
Both hell and death, and taught us resurrection.
Then plain in sight he did to heaven ascend,
And will return a judge this age to end.
Then was the comforter to come discerned,
And men spake with the tongues they never learned.
And after all these things, it is presumed
The blessed virgin was to heaven assumed.
God grant me, when my life hath run the race,
To say to her, with saints, Hail full of grace!

THE FAREWELL TO HIS MUSE.

SWEET wanton Muse, that, in my greatest grief,
Wast wont to bring me solace and relief.
Wonted by sea and land to make me sport,
Whether to camp or court I did resort:
That at the plough hast been my welcome guest,
Yea to my wedlock bed hast boldly pressed;
At Eton now (where first we met) I leave thee,
Here shall my son and heir of me receive thee.
Now to more serious thoughts my soul aspires,
This age, this mind, a Muse austere requires.
Now for those feigned joys true joys do spring,
When I salute my sovereign lord and king.
Now we may tell plain truth to all that ask,
Our love may walk bare-faced without a mask.
My future age to realm and king I vow,
I may no time for wanton toys allow.
Ever I wish, and only, him to serve,
Only his love ever I would deserve.
If he be pleased war to proclaim with Spain,
With such a prince I'll follow wars again.
If his great wisdom th' ancient peace renews,
How fain of peace,would I report the news.
List he give laws to th' Irish, now well tamed,
I could give sound advices, and unblamed.
To build some stately house is his intention,
Ah, in this kind I had too much invention!
Will he suppress those that the land oppress,
A foe to them, myself I still profess.
List he to write or study sacred writ;
To hear, read, learn, my breeding made me fit.
What he commands, I'll act without excuse,
That's full resolved: farewell, sweet wanton Muse!

THE WELCOME TO THE KING.

COME triumph, enter church, court, city, town,
Here James the sixth, now James the first, proclaimed,
See how all hearts are healed, that erst were maimed,
The peer is pleased, the knight, the clerk, the clown.<156>
The mark at which the malcontent had aimed,
Is missed; succession 'stablished in the crown,
Joy protestant, papist be now reclaimed.
Leave, puritan, your supercilious frown,
Join voice, heart, hand, all discord be disclaimed.
Be all one flock, by one great shepherd guided:
No foreign wolf can force a fold so fenced,
God for his house a Steward hath provided
Right to dispose what erst was wrong dispensed,
But with a loyal love and long prepensed,
With all, yet more than all, rejoice do I,
To construe I am—es primus et non vi.<157>

            (Authentic Copy<158> from the original in the University Library, Edinburgh, March 26, 1802, J. LEYDEN.)

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