in verse, many of them of great beauty and touching sweetness, and
nearly all above the usual _calibre_ of such contributions to
_Annual_ literature. The prose tales are by Miss Mitford, Mr. J.B.
Fraser, Derwent Conway, and by Leitch Ritchie: that by the latter is
perhaps the best in the volume; it has a serio-ludicrous interest which
is very amusing.

The pieces number upwards of sixty; and as the prose are too lengthy for
our columns, we take a slight sprinkling of the poetical flowers:--]


THE ARMADA,

A FRAGMENT,--BY T.B. MACAULAY.


Attend, all ye who list to hear our noble England's praise,
I tell of the thrice famous deeds she wrought in ancient days,
When that great fleet invincible against her bore in vain
The richest spoils of Mexico, the stoutest hearts of Spain.
It was about the lovely close of a warm summer's day,
There came a gallant merchant ship full sail to Plymouth bay;
Her crew hath seen Castille's black fleet, beyond Aurigny's isle,
At earliest twilight, on the waves lie heaving many a mile.
At sunrise she escaped their van, by God's especial grace;
And the tall Pinta, till the noon, had held her close in chase.
Forthwith a guard at every gun was placed along the wall;
The beacon blazed upon the roof of Edgcumbe's lofty hall;
Many a light fishing bark put out to pry along the coast;
And with loose rein and bloody spur rode inland many a post.