It should be observed that this and the following Summaries apply in the main to the Collection here presented, in which (besides its restriction to Lyrical Poetry) a strictly representative or historical Anthology has not been aimed at. Great excellence, in human art as in human character, has from the beginning of things been even more uniform than mediocrity, by virtue of the closeness of its approach to Nature:--and so far as the standard of Excellence kept in view has been attained in this volume, a comparative absence of extreme or temporary phases in style, a similarity of tone and manner, will be found throughout:--something neither modern nor ancient, but true and speaking to the heart of man alike throughout all ages. PAGE NO. 2 3 _whist_: hushed, quieted. -- 4 _Rouse Memnon's mother_: Awaken the Dawn from the dark Earth and the clouds where she is resting. This is one of that limited class of early mythes which may be reasonably interpreted as representations of natural phenomena. Aurora in the old mythology is mother of Memnon (the East), and wife of Tithonus (the appearances of Earth and Sky during the last hours of Night). She leaves him every morning in renewed youth, to prepare the way for Phoebus (the Sun), whilst Tithonus remains in perpetual old age and grayness. 3 -- l. 23 _by Peneus' stream_: Phoebus loved the Nymph Daphne whom he met by the river Peneus in the vale of Tempe. L. 27 _Amphion's lyre_: He was said to have built the walls of Thebes to the sound of his music. L. 35 _Night like a drunkard reels_: Compare Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene 3: 'The grey-eyed morn smiles,' &c.--It should be added that three lines, which appeared hopelessly misprinted, have been omitted in this Poem. 4 6 _Time's chest_: in which he is figuratively supposed to lay up past treasures. So in Troilus, Act III, Scene 3, 'Time hath a wallet at his back' &c. In the _Arcadia_, _chest_ is used to signify _tomb_. 5 7 A fine example of the high wrought and conventional Elizabethan Pastoralism, which it would be unreasonable to criticize on the ground of the unshepherdlike or unreal character of some images suggested. Stanza 6 was perhaps inserted by Izaak Walton. 6 8 This beautiful lyric is one of several recovered from the very rare Elizabethan Song-books, for the publication of which our thanks are due to Mr. A. H. Bullen (1887, 1888). 8 12 One stanza has been here omitted, in accordance with the principle noticed in the Preface. Similar omissions occur in a few other poems. The more serious abbreviation by which it has been attempted to bring Crashaw's 'Wishes' and Shelley's 'Euganean Hills,' with one or two more, within the scheme of this selection, is commended with much diffidence to the judgment of readers acquainted with the original pieces.