182 THE CASTLE OF INDOLENCE. All round our sinking souls, like those fair birds To some calm island! on whose silvery strand In love and beauty walk around our feet!" PROFESSOR WILSON. The Castle of Indolence. N lowly dale, fast by a river's side, With woody hill o'er hill encompassed round, Than whom a fiend more fell nowhere is found. And there, a season atween June and May, Was nought around but images of rest; Sleep-soothing groves and quiet lawns between ; Meantime, unnumbered glittering streamlets played, That as they bickered through the sunny glade, Joined to the prattle of the purling rills, Were heard the lowing herds along the vale, And flocks loud bleating from the distant hills, And vacant shepherds piping in the dale; And now and then sweet Philomel would wail, Or stock-doves plain amid the forest deep, That drowsy rustled to the sighing gale, And still a coil the grasshopper did keep; Yet all these sounds yblent inclinéd all to sleep. 184 THE FEMALE CONVICT TO HER INFANT. Full in the passage of the vale above, A sable, silent, solemn forest stood, Where nought but shadowy forms were seen to move, Of blackening pines, aye waving to and fro, And where this valley wended out below, The murmuring main was heard, and scarcely heard to flow. THOMSON. The Female Convict to her Infant. H! sleep not, my babe, for the morn of to-morrow sorrow, Though the deeds and the doom of the guilty are mine. Not long shall the arm of affection enfold thee; Not long shalt thou hang on thy mother's fond breast; And watch thee, and guard thee, when I am at rest? And yet it doth grieve me to wake thee, my dearest, Thou wilt weep when the clank of my cold chain thou hearest, And yet I must wake thee-for while thou art weeping, But thou smil'st in thy dreams, while thus placidly sleeping, THE FEMALE CONVICT TO HER INFANT. Alas! my sweet babe, with what pride had I pressed thee And hailed thee the heir of thy father's high name! In a world, if it cannot betray, that will scorn thee- And when the dark thought of my fate shall awaken A home and a father in vain thou shalt seek; REV. T. DALE. 185 "Arcadia," a Romance. "Astrophel and Stella." "A Defence of Poesy." born 1563; died 1631. MICHAEL DRAYTON "Polyolbion." "Nymphydia, or the Fairy Court." "The Shepherd's Garland." "The WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE born 1564; died 1616. Historical Dramas, Tragedies, Comedies, Poems, Sonnets, &c. BEN JONSON born 1574; died 1637. A Dramatic Poet. "Every Man in his Humour." And many other plays and masques. FRANCIS BEAUMONT born 1585; died 1615. JOHN FLETCHER born 1576; died 1625. Dramatic poets, who wrote in conjunction. "The Faithful Shepherdess," a poem, was written "The Book of Emblems." "Divine Fancies." "Enchiridion of Meditations." "The |