28 JULY 1883, Page 16

RONSARD AND TENNYSON.

[To THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTLTOR.1

SIK,—If a very curious parallel in one of Ronsard's poems, to part of the song in Mr. Tennyson's "The Miller's Daughter"

has not been noticed before, I think you may consider it worth while to print the lines. In this case, it is fortunately impossi- ble to consider the English counterpart a plagiarism.

I quote from the edition of Ronsard printed at Lyons, by Thomas Soubron, in 1592, Vol. II, p. 202 (Ode xxvi. of the Fourth Book of the " Odes ") :— "

le voudrois estre le riban Qai serre ta belle poitrine : Jo voudrois estre le carquan Qui orne ta gorge yuoirine. Jo voudrois estre tout autour Le coral qui tes leures touche, Afin de baiser nuict et boar Tea belles 14ures et ta bouche.P