lt> CRITICAL NOTICES OF 



worship. Her name and her fame were borne through Europe on 

 the point of his lance, and recorded in verses so full of grace and 

 delicacy, that she will live as long as our language. Surrey fell a 

 victim to the jealous despotism of a master, to whose reign he had 

 lent one of its chief glories, only a few days before the tyrant 

 breathed his last. 



There is a very close resemblance between the writings of Surrey 

 and his friend Sir Thomas Wyat ; witness " The Complaint of the 

 Faithful Lovers." 



EARL OF SURREY. 



" If care do cause men cry, why do not I complain, 



If eche man do bewaile his wo, why shew I not my payne, 



Since that amongst them all, I dare well say is none 



So farre from weal, so full of woe, or hath more cause to mone? 



For all thinges having life, sometimes hath quiet rest, 



The bearing asse, the drawing oxe, and every other beast 



The peasant and the post, that serves at all assayes, 



The ship-boy and the galley-slave, have time to take their ease. 



Save I, alas ! whom care of force doth constantly constrayn 



To wale the day and wake the night, continually in payne ; 



From pensiveness to plaint, from plaint to bitter tears, 



From tears to payneful plaint again, and thus my life it wears. 



Nothyng under the sun that I can hear and see 



But moveth me, for to bewayle, my cruel destyny ; 



For where men do rejoyce (since that I cannot so) 



I take no pleasure, in that place, it doubleth but my woe. 



And when I hear the sound of song or instrument 



Methinks eche tune there dolefull is, and helps me to lament. 



And if I see that some, have theyre desired syghte, 



Alas ! thynke I, eche man hath weale, save I most woful 



wyghte. 



Then as the stricken deere withdrawes himself alone, 

 So do I seeke some secret place, where I may make my mone." 



This is a portion only of the Earl's Complaint, which is distinguished, 

 not less by its pathos, than by the purity of its language, and the 

 smoothness of its versification. It abounds in apt similes and 

 beautiful illustrations, which have thus the precedence of similar 

 images, which are to be found in almost all subsequent poets. 

 Wyat wanted the simplicity of Surrey; he suffered himself to be led 

 away not unfrequently, by the ingenious conceits of the meta- 

 physical writers ; yet his Complaint is finely pathetic, and full of 

 beauty. 



SIR THOMAS WYAT'S COMPLAINT. 



" I see there is no sort 

 Of thinges that live in griefe, 

 Which at sometimes may not resort 

 Whereto they have reliefe. 



