The immediate jurifdiction of the Khan is confined within the limits of his own tribe; and the exercife of his royal prerogative has been moderated by the ancient inftitution of a national council. The Coroultai, or Diet, of the Tartars, was regularly held in the fpring and autumn, in the midst of a plain; where the princes of the reigning family, and the murfas of the refpective tribes, may conveniently affemble on horfeback, with their martial and numerous trains; and the ambitious monarch, who reviewed the ftrength, muft.confult the inclination, of an armed people. The rudiments of a feudal government may be difcovered in the constitution of the Scythian or Tartar nations; but the perpetual conflict of thofe hoftile nations has fometimes terminated in the establishment of a powerful and defpotic empire. The victor, enriched by the tribute, and fortified by the arms, of dependent kings, has fpread his conquefts over Europe or Afia: the fuccefsful fhepherds of the North have fubmitted to the confinement of arts, of laws, and of cities; and the introduction of luxury, after destroying the freedom of the people, has undermined the foundations of the throne.

only introduced the ftudies of claffical literature into England, but gave a new turn to our vernacular poetry. At this period, Petrarch ftill continued the most favourite poet of the Italians; and had eftablifhed a manner, which was univerfally adopted and imitated by his ingenious countrymen. In the mean time, the courts both of France and England were distinguifhed for their elegance. Francis the first had changed the state of letters in France, by mixing gallantry with learning, and by admitting the ladies to his court

in

company with the ecclefiaftics. His caroufals were celebrated with a brilliancy and a feftivity unknown to the ceremonious fhews of former princes. Henry the eighth vied with Francis in these gaieties. His ambition, which could not bear a rival even in diverfions, was feconded by liberality of difpofition and a love of oftentation. For Henry, with many boisterous qualities, was magnificent and affable. Had he never murdered his wives, his politeness to the fair fex would remain unimpeached. His martial fports were unincumbered by the barbaric pomp of the antient chivalry, and foftened by the growing habits of more rational manners. He was attached to thofe fpectacles and public amufements, in which beauty affumed a principal fhare; and his frequent mafques and tourof romantic courtefy. Poetry was naments encouraged a high spirit the naturalaccompanimentofthese refinements. Henry himfelf was a leader and a chief character in these pageantries, and at the fame time a reader and a writer of verses. The language and the manners of

Italy were esteemed and studied. The fonnets of Petrarch were the great models of compofition. They entered into the genius of the fafhionable manners: and in a court of fuch a complexion, Petrarch of courfe became the popular poet. Henry Howard earl Surrey, with a mistress perhaps as beautiful as Laura, and at least with Petrarch's paffion if not his tafte, led the way to great improvements in English poetry, by a happy imitation of Petrarch, and other Italian poets, who had been moft fuccefsful in painting the anxieties of love with pathos and propriety.

Lord Surrey's life throws fo much light on the character and fubjects of his poetry, that it is almoft impoffible to confider the one, without exhibiting a few anecdotes of the other. He was the fon and grandfon of two lords treasurers dukes of Norfolk; and in his early childhood difcovered the most promifing marks of lively parts and an active mind.

While a boy, he was habituated to the modes of a court at Windfor-caftle: where he refided, yet under the care of proper inftructors, in the quality of a companion to Henry Fitzroy, duke of Richmond, a natural fon of king Henry the eighth, and of the highest expectations.

This young nobleman, whoalfo bore other titles and honours, was the child of Henry's affection: not fo much on account of his hopeful abilities, as for a reafon infinuated by lord Herbert, and at which thofe who know Henry's hiftory and character will not be furprized, because he equally and strongly refembled both his father and mother.

A friendship of the closest kind commencing between these two illuftrious youths, about the year 1530, they were both removed to cardinal Wolfey's college at Oxford, then univerfally frequented, as well for the excellence as the novelty of its inftitution; for it was one of the first feminaries of an English univerfity, that profeffed to explode the pedantries of the old barbarous philofophy, and to cultivate the graces of polite literature. Two years afterwards, for the purpose of acquiring every accomplishment of an elegant education, the earl accompanied his noble friend and fellow-pupil into France, where they received king Henry, on his arrival at Calais to vifit Francis the first, with a moft magnificent retinue. The friendfhip of thefe two young noblemen was foon ftrengthened by a new tie; for Richmond married the lady Mary Howard, Surrey's fifter. Rich mond, however, appears to have died in the year 1536, about the age of feventeen, having never cohabited with his wife. It was long before Surrey forgot the untimely lofs of this amiable youth, the friend and affociate of his childhood, and who nearly refem. bled himself in genius, refinement of manners, and liberal acquifitions.

It is not precifely known at what period the earl of Surrey be gan his travels. They have the air of a romance. He made the tour of Europe in the true fpirit of chivalry, and with the ideas of an Amadis; proclaiming the unpa ralleled charms of his mistress, and prepared to defend the caufe of her beauty with the weapons of knighterrantry. Nor was this adventu

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rous journey performed without the intervention of an enchanter. The firft city in Italy which he proposed to vifit was Florence, the capital of Tufcany, and the ori ginal feat of the ancestors of his Geraldine. In his way thither, he paffed a few days at the empe for's court; where he became ac quainted with Cornelius Agrippa, a celebrated adept in natural magic. This vifionary philofopher hewed our hero, in a mirror of glafs, a living image of Geraldine, reclining on a couch, fick, and reading one of his most tender fonnets by a waxen taper. His imagination, which wanted not the flattering reprefentations and artificial incentives of illufion, was heated anew by this interefting and affecting fpectacle. Inflamed with every enthusiasm of the most romantic paffion, he haftened to Florence; and, on his arrival, immediately published a defiance against any person who could han dle a lance and was in love, whether Chriftian, Jew, Turk, Saracen, or Cannibal, who fhould prefume to difpute the fuperiority of Geraldine's beauty. As the lady was pretended to be of Tufcan extraction, the pride of the Florentines was flattered on this occation: and the grand duke of Tuscany permitted a general and unmolefted ingrefs into his dominions of the combatants of all countries, till this important trial fhould be decided. The challenge was accepted, and the earl victorious. The fhield which he prefented to the duke before the tournament began, is exhibited in Vertue's

valuable plate of the Arundel fa mily, and was actually in the pof feffion of the late duke of Nor folk.

These heroic vanities did not, however, fo totally engross the time which Surrey spent in Italy, as to alienate his mind from letters: he ftudied with the greatest fuccefs a critical knowledge of the Italian tongue, and, that he might give new luftre to the name of Geraldine, attained a just tafte for the peculiar graces of the Italian poetry.

He was recalled to England for fome idle reafon by the king, much fooner than he expected: and he returned home, the most elegant traveller, the most polite lover, the moft learned nobleman, and the most accomplished gentleman of his age Dexterity in tilting, and gracefulness in managing a horse underarms, were excellencies now viewed with a critical eye, and practifed with a high degree of emulation. In 1540, at a tourna ment held in the prefence of the court at Westminster, and in which the principal of the nobility were engaged, Surrey was diftinguifhed above the rest for his addrefs in the ufe and exercife of arms. But his martial skill was not folely difplayed in the parade and oftenta tion of thefe domeftic combats. In 1542 he marched into Scotland, as a chief commander in his father's army; and was confpicu ous for his conduct and bravery at the memorable battle of Flodden field, where James the fourth of Scotland was killed. The next year, we find the career of his vic

tories impeded by an obftacle which no valour could refift. The cenfures of the church have humiliated the greatest heroes: and he was imprifoned in Windfor-caftle for eating flesh in Lent. The prohibition had been renewed or itrengthened by a recent proclamation of the king. I mention this circumftance, not only as it marks his character, impatient of any controul, and carelefs of very ferious confequences which often arife from a contempt of petty formalities, but as it gave occafion to one of his most sentimental and pathe tic fonnets. In 1544 he was field-marshal of the English army in the expedition to Bologne, which he took. In that age, love and arms conftantly went together: and it was amid the fatigues of this protracted campaign, that he compofed his laft fonnet called the Fanfie of a wearied Lover.

But as Surrey's popularity increased, his intereft declined with the king; whofe caprices and jealoufies grew more violent with his years and infirmities. The brilliancy of Surrey's character, his celebrity in the military fcience, his general abilities, his wit, learning, and affability, were viewed by Henry with difguft and fufpicion. It was in vain that he poffeffed every advantageous qualification, which could adorn the fcholar, the courtier, and the foldier. In proportion as he was amiable in the eyes of the people, he became formidable to the king. His rifing reputation was mifconftrued into a dangerous ambition, and gave birth to accufations equally groundless and frivolous. He was fufpected of a defign to marry the princefs Mary; and,

by that alliance, of approaching to a poffibility of wearing the crown. It was infinuated, that he converfed with foreigners, and held a correfpondence with car dinal Pole.

The addition of the efchutcheon of Edward the Confeffor to his own, although used by the family of Norfolk for many years, and juftified by the authority of the heralds, was a fufficient foundation for an impeachment of high trea fon. Thefe motives were privately aggravated by those prejudices, with which Henry remembered the misbehaviour of Catharine Howard, and which were extended to all that lady's relations. At length, the earl of Surrey fell a facrifice to the peevish injuftice of a mercilefs and ungrateful mafter. Notwitftanding his eloquent and mafculine defence, which even in the cause of guilt itself would have proved a powerful perfuafive, he was condemned by the prepared fuffrage of a fervile and obfequious jury, and beheaded on Tower-hill in the year 1547. In the mean time we fhould remember, that Surrey's public conduct was not on all occafions quite unexceptionable. In the affair of Bologne he had made a false step. This had offended the king. But Henry, when once offended,could never forgive. And when Hertford was fent into France to take the command, he could not refrain from dropping fome reproachful expreffions against a meafure which feemed to impeach his perfonal courage. Confcious of his high birth and capacity, he was above the little attentions of caution and referve; and he too frequently neglected to confult his

own

own fituation, and the king's temper. It was his misfortune to ferve a monarch, whofe refentments, which were eafily provoked, could only be fatisfied by the most severe revenge. Henry brought thofe men to the block, which other monarchs would have only difgraced.

Among thofe anecdotes of Surrey's life, I had almost forgot to mention what became of his amour with the fair Geraldine. We lament to find, that Surrey's devo. tion to this lady did not end in a wedding, and that all his gallantries and verfes availed fo little! No memoirs of that incurious age have informed us, whether her beauty was equalled by her cruelty; or whether her ambition prevailed fo far over her gratitude, as to tempt her to prefer the folid glories of a more fplendid title and ample fortune, to the challenges and the compliments, of fomagnanimous, fo faithful, and fo eloquent a lover. She appears, how ever, to have been afterwards the third wife of Edward Clinton, earl of Lincoln. Such alfo is the power of time and accident over amorous vows, that even Surrey himself outlived the violence of his paffion. He married Frances, daughter of John earl of Oxford, by whom he left feveral children. One of his daughters, Jane countefs of Westmoreland, was among the learned ladies of that age, and became famous for her knowledge of the Greek and Latin languages. Surrey's poems were in high reputation with his cotemporaries, and for many years afterwards. He is thus characterised by the author of the old Arte of English Poefie, whofe opinion remained

long as a rule of criticifm. "In the latter end of the fame kinges [Henry] raigne, fpronge up a new company of courtly makers, of whom fir Thomas Wyat the elder and Henry earle of Surrey were the two chieftaines, who having travelled, into Italie, and there tafted the fweete and fiately meafures and ftyle of the Italian pocfie,, as novices newly crept out of the fchooles of Dante, Ariofto, and Petrarch, they greatly polished our rude and homely manner of vulgar poefie from that it had bene before, and for that cause may juftly be fayd the first reformers of our English meeter and fiile." And again, towards the clofe of the fame chapter. "Henry earle of Surrey, and fir Thomas Wyat, between whom I find very little difference, I repute them (as before) for the two chief lanternes of light to all others that have fince employed their pennes upon English poefie: their conceits were loftie, their ftiles ftately,their conveyance cleanly, their termes proper, their meetre sweete and well-proportioned, in all imitating very naturally and ftudioufly their maifter Francis Petrarcha." I forbear to recite the teftimonies of Leland, Sydney, Tuberville, Churchyard, and Drayton. Nor have thefe pieces, although fcarcely known at prefent, been without the panegyric of more recent times. Surrey is praised by Waller and Fenton; and he feems to have been a favourite with Pope. Pope, in Windfor-foreft, having compared his patron lord Granville with Surrey, he was immediately reprinted, but without attracting many readers. It was vainly imagined, that all the world would

eagerly