XV. A Sonnet by Q. Elizabeth...................................................................................
The following lines, if they display no rich vein of poetry, are yet so strongly
characteristic of their great and spirited authoress, that the insertion of them will be
pardoned. They are preserved in Puttenham'sArte of English Poesie: a book in which
are many sly addresses to the queen's foible of shining as a poetess. The extraordinary
manner in which these verses are introduced shews what kind of homage was exacted
from the courtly writers of that age, viz:--
"I find," says this antiquated critic, "none example in English metre so well
maintaining this figure [Exargasia, or the gorgeous, Lat.Expolitio] as that dittie of her
majesties owne making, passing sweete and harmonicall; which figure beyng, as his
very originall name purporteth, the most bewtifull and gorgious of all others, it asketh
in reason to be reserved for a last complement, and desciphred by a ladies penne,
herselfe beyng the most bewtifull, or rather bewtie of queenes.[1] And this was the
occasion: our soveraigne lady perceiving how the Scottish queenes residence within
this realme at so great libertie and ease (as were skarce meete for so great and
dangerous a prysoner) bred secret factions among her people, and made many of the
nobilitie incline to favour her partie: some of them desirous of innovation in the state:
others aspiring to greater fortunes by her libertie and life: the queene our soveraigne
ladìe, to declare that she was nothing ignorant of those secret practizes, though she
had long with great wisdome and pacience dissembled it, writeth this dittie most
sweete and sententious, not hiding from all such aspiring minds the danger of their
ambition and disloyaltie: which afterwards fell out most truly by th' exemplary
chastisement of sundry persons, who in favour of the said Scot. Qu. declining from
her majestie, sought to interrupt the quiet of the realme by many evill and undutifull
practizes."
This sonnet seems to have been composed in 1569, not long before the Duke
of Norfolk, the Earls of Pembroke and Arundel, the Lord Lumley, Sir Nich.
Throcmorton, and others, were taken into custody. (See Hume, Rapin, &c.) It was
originally written in long lines or Alexandrines, each of which is here divided into
two.
The present edition is improved by some readings adopted from a copy printed
in a collection from the papers of Sir John Harrington, intitled,Nugæ Antiquaæ, Lond.
1769, 12mo. where the verses are accompanied with a very curious letter, in which
this sonnet is said to be "of her Highness own inditing... My Lady Willoughby did
covertly get it on her majesties tablet, and had much hazzard in so doing; for the
queen did find out the thief, and chid for her spreading evil bruit of her writing such
toyes, when others matters did so occupy her employment at this time; and was
fearful of being thought too lightly of for so doing."***
THE doubt of future foes
Exiles my present joy;
And wit me warnes to shun such snares,
As threaten mine annoy.
For falshood now doth flow,
And subjects faith doth ebbe:
Which would not be, if reason rul'd,
Or wisdome wove the webbe.