SONG XXXII.

BY SHAKSPEARE.*

BLOW, blow thou winter-wind,
Thou art not so unkind

As man's ingratitude :
Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art not seen,

Although thy breath be rude.

Heigh ho! sing, heigh ho! unto the green holly;
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:

Then, heigh ho, the holly !
This life is most jolly.

Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,
Thou dost not bite so nigh

As benefits forgot :
Though thou the waters warp,
Thy sting is not so sharp

As friend remember'd not.

Heigh ho! &c.

SONG XXXIII.

THE LIE.

BY FRANCIS DAVISON.t

Go soul, the body's guest,

Upon a thankless errant ;

In the comedy of

† See vol. i. p. 157.

supposed to have been

As You like It.'
''The Lie' is generally, though erroneously,
written by sir Walter Raleigh, the night be-

Fear not to touch the best,

The truth shall be thy warrant :

Go, since I needs must die,
And give the world the lie.

Say to the court, it glows,

And shines like rotten-wood;

Say to the church, it shows

What's good, and doth no good.

If church and court reply,
Then give them both the lie.

Tell potentates they live

Acting by others action,
Not lov'd unless they give,
Not strong, but by affection.

If potentates reply,
Give potentates the lie.

Tell men of high condition
That manage the estate,
Their purpose is ambition,
Their practice only hate :
And if they once reply,
Then give them all the lie,

Tell them that brave it most,

They beg for more by spending,

Who in their greatest cost,

Like nothing but commending :

And if they make reply,

Then give them all the lie.

Tell zeal, it wants devotion ;
Tell love, it is but lust;
Tell time, it 'is' but motion :
Tell flesh, it is but dust :
And wish them not reply,
For thou must give the lie.

Tell age, it daily wasteth;

Tell honour, how it alters;
Tell beauty, how she blasteth;
Tell favour, how it falters;

And, as they shall reply,
Give every one the lie.

Tell wit, how much it wrangles
In tickle points of niceness;
Tell wisdom, she entangles
Herself in over-wiseness :
And, when they do reply,
Straight give them both the lie.

Tell physic of her boldness;

Tell skill, it is 'pretension;'

Tell charity of coldness;

Tell law, it is contention :

And, as they do reply,
So give them still the lie.

Tell fortune of her blindness;

Tell nature of decay;

Tell friendship of unkindness;

Tell justice of delay :

And, if they will reply,

Then give them all the lie.

Tell arts, they have no soundness,

But vary by esteeming;

Tell schools, they want profoundness,
And stand on too much seeming;

If arts and schools reply,
Give arts and schools the lie.

Tell faith, it's fled the city;

Tell how the country erreth;
Tell, manhood shakes 'off' pity;
Tell, virtue least 'preferreth;'

And, if they do reply,
Spare not to give the lie

So, when thou hast, as I

Commanded thee, done blabbing,
Because to give the lie

Deserves no less than stabbing,
Stab at thee he that will,
No stab 'the' soul can kill.*

* [No signature was affixed to this poem, in those editions of Davison's poetical miscellany which were consulted by the present Editor; who, in a correspondence with Dr. Percy, requested to know the origin of the report which assigned it to Raleigh, but did not receive a satisfactory solution.]

SONG XXXIV.

TIME'S ALTERATION.

WHEN this old cap was new,
'Tis since two hundred year,
No malice then we knew,
But all things plenty were :
All friendship now decays,
(Believe me, this is true)
Which was not in those days,
When this old cap was new.

The nobles of our land

Were much delighted then, To have at their command A crew of lusty men, Which by their coats were known Of tawny, red, or blue, With crests on their sleeves shown, When this old cap was new.

Now pride hath banish'd all,
Unto our land's reproach,
When he whose means is small,
Maintains both horse and coach :
Instead of an hundred men,
The coach allows but two;
This was not thought on then,
When this old cap was new.

Good hospitality

Was cherish'd then of many;