[_On Mr. Shirley's Poems._] _1647_ initials (I. S.), as usual. The same remark applies here as to the last piece. Shirley's _Poems_ (which include a reciprocal compliment to our author's) appear at the end of the sixth volume of Dyce's standard edition of his plays, and therefore are not included in this collection. They are, however, interesting, though there is nothing in them so good as the famous 'Glories of our blood and state'. 'Odelia' (a curious and rather suspicious name) appears pretty frequently in them. Shirley was a friend not merely of Stanley, but of Hammond and Prestwich (_v. inf._) and others of the set. Some of the poems usually attributed to Carew appear to be really his. His _Poems_ were published in 1646, a year before Stanley's.--There are some quite unimportant variants between _1647_ and _1651_: 'that' and 'who' in l. 7; 'a' and 'some' in l. 8; 'words' and 'speech' in l. 19; and l. 30 has the absurd reading 'A patron, yet a _friend_ to poesy'. _1647_ omits lines 31 and 32, and reads Thou hast so far all future times surpassed in l. 33. Miss Guiney suggests 'voice' for 'veil' in l. 21. But 'veil' is far more poetical as = The _body_ of her disguise and humiliation after her aerial enfranchisement.] _On Mr. Sherburn's Translation of Seneca's Medea, and Vindication of the Author._ That wise philosopher, who had design'd To life the various passions of the mind, Did wrong'd Medea's jealousy prefer To entertain the Roman theatre; Both to instruct the soul, and please the sight, At once begetting horror and delight. This cruelty thou dost once more express, Though in a strange, no less becoming dress; And her revenge hast robb'd of half its pride, To see itself thus by itself outvied, 10 That boldest ages past may say, our times Can speak, as well as act their highest crimes. Nor was 't enough to do his scene this right, But what thou gav'st to us, with equal light Thou wouldst bestow on him, nor wert more just Unto the author's work, than to his dust; Thou dost make good his title, aid his claim, Both vindicate his poem and his name, So shar'st a double wreath; for all that we Unto the poet owe, he owes to thee. 20 Though change of tongues stol'n praise to some afford, Thy version hath not borrow'd, but restor'd. [_On Mr. Sherburn's Translation, &c._] Title in _1647_ rather longer, but with initials, 'To Mr. E. S. on his Translation of Medea, with the other Tragedies of Seneca the Philosopher and vindicating of their Author'. Sherburn (afterwards Sir Edward) had the rather capriciously adjudged honour of appearing in Chalmers's _Poets_, which accounts for his absence here.]