PAN'S PIPE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 869, 16 July 1910, Page 9

PAN'S PIPE.

Mr. Bright and Mr. Wilfrid Mustard "and the University of Chicago Press (says the "Spectator") have done a real service to English literature by their reprint of Francis Sabie's "Pan's Pipe." Francis Sabio was the sou of a Lichfield schoolmaster, and, when he came to write poetry, he wrote it in English hexameters. We cannot hero go into tho vexed question whether the English hexameter is or is not a form of metre to. be oncouraged and • do-' vcloped, but unquestionably, both from the literary and from the metrical points of view, the Elizabethan hexameters offer a fascinating field of study. To the car and mind of the present writer, the following account of English field-sports is full of quaint delight. Melibeus describes how his neighbour Alexis is altogether given up to the joys of a country life, joys chiefly of a sporting character: — "Wholly in ioy he liu'd, what sportes, the- cuntrey did affoord, What playes, what pastimes, those he vs.de, al labor abhorring, Time brought clioise of snorts, each quar-' tor sundry pleasures. 'In spring time when fields are grecne, . when cuery bramble Looketh 'fresh, when euery bush with . melbdie ■ soundeth, - Of little birds rising, before bright Tytan appeared, Into the fieldes did ho goe, which then faire Flora bedecked, 'Witlx redolent blossoms, 0 how grateful to tho sences Were th' odorifferous smels which when Aurora, to Phebus , Gan to opo her gates, the fragrant flowers affoorded, 0 how to heare did he ioy the musical •harmony, which.then Bach little bird did make. He 'would go then with a spud stalfe 'Vnto. the leauie woods, the dens where Connies had hidden Their yong ones to seeke, to find yong birds he delighted: Greatly now did he ioy, the lightfooted ' hare to run' after: With many, yelping hounds,; the swift-foot Deere by the forrest, To pursue with dogs, with an hauke to ' encounter'a partridge: At this time the top, the tennis ball was a pastime: " . . At this time no smal delight he' toke in a foteball: When Ladie Vc-r had run her race, and Phebus ascending Vnto the highest, began to scortch with . fiery glances .\ Floras friiites, and.Vers gay giftes, when ' Rie ■ with a sickle Down to be cut began, and emptie burnes to. be filled. , ■ . ; Then to the Chrystall lake and siluer riuer' of Alph'us Vsde he to goo (Good Lord) how greatly to bath him he ioyml In his running stream, what pleasure companio meeting, Took he to sport on's reedy banks: some--"/times with an angle. And talse shew of a bait glittering fish craftilie taken: Wold he twitch fro his wanes, with nets oft times he deceii'd .them; Now by the mouhtaines high, and forrests leauy to gather Strawberies and Damasens no smal delight did he count it. But"why recite I.to thee'.these sports, ' thou these mery pastimes . , Knowst wel ynough. Thou knowst what ioies tho cuntery yieldeth. , Winter and autum brought not a few ripe apples in autum Peares and ; nuts to gather he.vs'de, all which lie reserued. Winters want to Telceue. : When gloomie 'Winter appeared,! When lioarie frosts, did each, thing nip, when Isaeles hanged On ech houso, 'with milk-white snows when th' earth was al hidden Forth with a fouler he was, to the vvelsprings &.tb the fountains And to the running lakes, whose -cner mooueable-waters-.' Frost neuer alter could, there, for the long-billed., hernshue,' And little Snypo.did'he set snares, with twigs craftily'limed,. Pitfals now for birds did ho make, the musical Owsle, The little Robin and the Thrush now greatlicbewayling,, ■ Winters want with doleful times did ho strike with' a stone-bow, ■ Cardes and dice brought, now great sport, sitting-by. the.fire, Bowles-full.of ale to quaffe. off, ripe peares and 1 mellowed apples To deuour. to cracke small nuts, now he counted a pleasure. ' But. what need many words, lest oner tedious I should Vnto thee bee, many playes, and pastimes here I will omit: 1 will omit his gun, I will not speak of his hand-bow: Which with a twanging string, he somany 'times hath bended But to be briefo, his life, his greatest toyle was a pleasure." If our readers find tho verso "crusty" and difficult at first, we suggest that they should'read it aloud. If this process is persisted in for five or six .lines, they will soon bo found to have a very pretty lilt of their own. No doubt metrical exports will shako their heads over the high percentage of dactyls, and will summarily reject a good many of tho spondees. Nevertheless undoubtedly a great deal of unrefined gold in the poem. -For ourselves, we specially like the idea of encountering a partridge with a hawk..