God. Crashaw'sang' sweetly and generously of Herbert (vol. i. pp. 139-140); but the two Poets are profoundly distinct and independent. Clement Barksdale, probably, must bear the blame of foolishly subordinating Crashaw to Herbert, in his Lines in 'Nympha Libethris' (1651) :

HERBERT AND CRASHAW.

When unto Herbert's Temple I ascend
By Crashaw's Steps, I do resolve to mend
My lighter verse, and my low notes to raise,
And in high accent sing my Maker's praise.
Meanwhile these sacred poems in my sight
I place, that I may learn to write.'

(c) Epigrams. The title-page of the Epigr. Sacra of 1670 marks out for us their main dates; that is to say, as it designates him Collegii Petrensis Socius,' which he was not until 1637, the only portion that belongs to that period must be the additions made in the 1670 edition (see vol. ii. pp. 3-4). Dr. Macdonald (in' Antiphon') observes: His Divine Epigrams are not the most beautiful, but they are to me the most valuable, of his verses, inasmuch as they make us feel afresh the truth which he sets forth anew. In them some of the facts of our Lord's life and teaching look out upon us as from clear windows of the Past. As epigrams, too, they are excellent-pointed as a lance' (p. 240). He limits himself to the 'English' Epigrams, and quotes after above, Nos. LIV. (2) aud XI.; and continues with No. XIV., and next LIV. (1); on which he says: I value the following as a lovely parable. Mary is not contented; to see the place is little comfort. The church itself, with all its memories of the Lord, the Gospel story, and all theory about Him, is but His tomb until we find Himself; and he closes with one which he thinks is perhaps his best, viz. No. 1. We too may give it :

1 He also quotes, as complete in themselves and best alone." these two lines from No. LL :

at her Parisation" hy the of an gaan bu

VOL 1L

are almost as beautiful in sentiment as this exquisite piece (Book ii. 86):

Why, favourite of Heaven, most fair,
Dost thou bring fowls for sacrifice?
Will not the armful thou dost bear,
That lovely Lamb of thine, suffice?"

Of the exceptionally celebrated, not exceptionally superior Epigram on The Water turned Wine,' which somehow has been given by a perverse continued blunder to Dryden, Aaron Hill's masterly translation may be read along with those given by us in the place (vol. ii. pp. 96-7) :

When Christ at Cana's feast by pow'r divine
Inspir'd cold water with the warmth of wine;
See! cried they, while in red'ning tide it gush'd.

The bashful stream hath seen its God, and blush'd," Dryden's The conscious water saw its God, and blush'd,' is a mere remembrance of Crashaw.

(d) Translations and (briefly) Latin and Greek Poetry. It may seem semi-paradoxical to affirm it, but in our opinion the genius of Crashaw shines with its fullest splendour in his Translations, longer and shorter. Even were there not his wonderful Suspicion of Herod' and 'Musick's Duell,' this might be said; for in his · Dies Irae,' and 'Hymne 1 The conceit is found in Vida's Christiad, lib, ii. 431, iii. 984 : also in a Hymn of St. Ambrose. Cf. too Psalm 1xvii. 16. Victor Hugo has adapted it as follows: Here is a whimsical explanation of the miracle of the wedding at Cana in Galilee:

Lampe de ces eaux apercut Jesus-Christ,

Ft son pa lique tront de rongour se couvrit,'

The nymph of these waters perceived Jesus Christ,

An 1 her modest brow was dyed with shame.

(Victor Hugo: a Life, 1863, i. 269), Whence the brilliant Frenchman fetched his whimsical explanation' is not doubtful. In the last line of Crashaw's epigram the reading in Poemata Anglorum Latma is

Vidit et era) art (ympha pulica D. un..'

Lympha' is interior, and a (mis)reading for nympha."