31n Siflttstrafion of Carlp englts!) Utterature, THER BE THAT DO DEFYE, ALL THAT IS NEWE, AND ELER DO CRYE THE OLDE IS BETTER, AWAYE WYTH THE NEWE BECAVSE IT IS FALSE AND THE OLDE IS TRUE. LET THEM THYS BOKE READ AND BEHOLDE, ,FOR IT PREFERRETH THE LEARNYNGE MOST OLD* MDCCCXVI. FRANCIS FREELING, ESQUIRE, THE FOLLOWING PAGES ARE MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED, AS A TESTIMONY OF GRATITUDE FOR ASSISTANCE DERIVED FROM HIS VALUABLE AND ESTIMABLE LIBRARY : AND FOR VARIOUS ACTS OF KINDNESS. PREFACE. " The fashion for black letter reading has given a new cast to our modern compositions ; extended their subjects ; enlarged their phraseology ; varied and enriched their imagery ; and brought back their productions nearer to the vigorous simplicity of better days." " Is there not something worthy of a noble and refined curi- osity, in unfolding the mantle of Time, in opening the grave, and bidding the dead speak." JM.EN of superiour intellect and acqui- sition, by exciting in the public mind a tendency toward bibliographical studies, have encouraged the diffusion of a familiar acquaintance with, and a taste for, antiquarian literature: the editor's at- tachment to the relics of ancient genius and learn- ing, to the memorials of past ages, and to the investigation of customs long since fallen into disuse, led him first to think of collecting these tBcniOttintia ; and they have been carried through VI the press from a desire to exercise the leisure of a laborious occupation in a pursuit congenial to such an attachment : that his readers may accord in an indulgent and favourable reception of the volume is more to be wished for than anticipated ; but the severity of criticism may be softened, when it is known that the greater part was arranged for publication under great bodily suffering, during a long-continued period of indisposition and disease. To what extent the editor's intentions formed at the commencement of the work have been fulfilled ? How far he is likely to be commended for his exer- tions ? or, Whether he will receive commendation at all ? are questions, that, however they are re- solved, create in him no inquietude : and if the consciousness of having assisted in the progres- sion of -bibliographical knowlege is to be his only reward, it will afford a sufficient compensation for his endeavours. But whatsoever the decision upon, perhaps, the trite remarks and opinions that incidentally appear, it must in candour be conceded that numerous pas- Vll sages are given from scarce books of unfrequent occurrence,, whose subject matter cannot seem tri- fling or unimportant, but rather merits the eager attention of the antiquary and general reader, in the curious customs, and peculiarities, and also the circumstances of old history and biography receiving satisfactory explanation therefrom ; And if, after what is elsewhere* so ably and judiciously urged, any one can look on such elucidatory know- lege as undeserving of the toil, and laborious ef- fort expended in its revival, the editor would dis- dain a further attempt to convince him of his folly. Faithfulness of transcription, and scrupulous adherence to the ancient orthography, in passages taken from old writers, may be depended upon ; for, though a dissimilarity of opinion, and of prac- tice, has long distinguished our literary antiquaries on this latter point, the editor could never yet per- ceive the propriety, or moral right of their mutila- ting, and pruning down to a modern standard, the venerable language of our forefathers. * In the prefaces to Centura Litcraria, British Bibliographer, and Restitute. Vlli A few observations the editor would fain be in- dulged in subjoining upon a portion of what is thus presented to the publick censure. In the de- partment of Theological literature are contained, notices of some tracts, worthy of examination, by the early reformers Zwyngle, Knox, and Coverdale ; by Menewe and Rowlands: a skilful analysis of Melchior Adam's life of the great founder of the Reformation, Martin Luther : and a full account of Watson's Quodlibets (a publication now scarcely thought of, but justly entitled to consideration, the controversial question between the Jesuits and the Seminary priests meeting with copious illustra- tion therein) ; with other articles of little inferiour interest. Some pleasing specimens of versification are taken from poems by Lydgate, the Earl of Oxford, Raleigh, Davies of Hereford, Raynold, Heywood, Wither, Brathwayte, Stephens, Browne, and Rich- ards ; and the fifteenth article describing a metrical volume of exceeding rarity, if not the only existing copy, adds to our information of the productions IX of Turbervile ; a writer who has merited insertion in the body of english poetry, edited by Mr. Chalmers. Elder's minute and picturesque description of the ceremonies attending the marriage of our first Queen Mary with Don Philip of Spain, is well cal- culated to gratify those who seek in historical nar- rative for a display of national manners ; the ana- lytic view of Bishop Carleton's praise-worthy volume,, combining, as it does, so much masterly discussion ; the consecutive extracts from Payne Fisher's song of triumph ; and the detailed state- ment of the assassination of that unfortunate, though criminal favourite of the lovely Scottish queen, Rizzio, penned by one of the bloodstained conspirators, will certainly be perused to advan- tage. The World of Wonders of the learned Stephens, and Camerarius' neglected volume, The Living Library, are of too much intrinsic value to in- duce any blame for the great space appropriated ta them. b To those who search after rarities of ancient printing, the specification, in the ensuing pages, of three volumes, by Wynkyn de Worde, not in- cluded in the annals of Herbert, as corrected and amplified by Mr. Dibdin ; and of some minor black letter productions unregistered by the former in- dustrious bibliographer, will not be without its value. An inspection of the Catalogues issued by that eminent bookseller, Thomas Osborne, made known the curious circumstance of his possessing, for sale, (near sixty years ago) the identical and (as it is presumed) unique copy of Russell's Oration, (deli- vered on presenting the order of the Garter to Charles, Duke of Burgundy) believed to be printed by Caxton, and now in the Marquess of Blandford's fine Library: of this rare product of our first printer's press an account is comprised in Typogra- phical Antiquities by the Reverend T. F. Dibdin, who thinks " it was wholly unknown to Lewis, Oldys, Ames and Herbert/' But as the particular catalogue where this typographical curiosity, (in- XI eluding some other articles of a miscellaneous nature, bound up with it) was inserted,, bears the date of 1758., just one year previous to Ames' death, it is a probable conjecture that he, at least, being then actively engaged in the pursuit of additional materials for a new impression of his valuable, though imperfect, because incipient book, may have seen and rejected it as the offspring of some foreign press From this source was obtained the titles of two tracts by Barnaby Rich, (see pages 144-5) neither being enumerated in Mr. Hasle- wood's list of his works. The editor has now to perform the grateful duty of acknowleging those acts of kindness and assist- ance that have so essentially promoted the progress of his labours. Mr. Freeling's valuable collection of old english poetry and early literature was proffered in aid of the present work, with an unreserved liberality, for which, and for the many advantages derived there- from, the editor's thanks are most peculiarly due ; but he feels how inadequate an acknowlegement Xll this is for the multiplied favours conferred on him by this gentleman, who,, notwithstanding the arduous engagements of the high office,, which he fills with so great and constant attention and benefit to the national interests, is ever evincing a zealous and active attachment to Literature. The Reverend Francis Wrangham, of whose enlarged and cultivated mind, and amiable charac- ter, his literary writings are an ample testimony, is the communicator of three valuable papers to which his name is attached and from him was also received the substance of four additional arti- cles (64. 103-4-5) connected with the history of early typography ; these and other friendly favours claim the editor's warmest acknowlegements. To Mr. Gilchrist, of Stamford, he is highly in- debted for three articles (49. 60. 69.) the value of which, those who justly appreciate his masterly con- tributions to Censura Literaria, will know how to estimate. D r . M' Crie, of Edinburgh, the acute biographer x>f the Scottish reformer Knox, obliged him with Xlll the account of Andrew Melvin : from a manuscript volume of whose compositions an extract had been given in the previous number. Two other articles (15. 27) were received from a correspondent. For the remainder of the work, the papers signed J. and Y., and those without signature, the g editor is alone responsible. The impression of this volume has been strictly confined to one hundred copies, and of those, one being accidentally destroyed, ninety nine perfect copies only are made up. j N F-Y. BRISTOL, Feb. 22, 1816. Correction of Article 105,, (seepage 394 ) upon to mort tmrtfjut, 1529. The table and first sheet of the text of this edi- tion being folded in eights, it was believed on a first examination that the volume was so signatured throughout but the correct arrangement is thus "The first alphabet from a to v are eights and sixes alternately, except v, which, as the preceding sheet, is also eight leaves. Then ABC 6 D E F G H S-I to V 6-X 4-F 6-A to D 6-E 5- The tenth book (the second of Sir Tristram) ends about midway of I i The number of leaves in the volume, exclusive of those which contain the in- dex, is 311" It may be mentioned that the colo- phon (p. 394) in reading in Blackefryers Marie her maide > Andrew Whites daughter in Holburne Mr. Staker Taylor in Salisburie Court Elizabeth Sommers in Graies Inne lane Mr. Westwood ludeth Bellowes A man of Sir Lues Pemberton Elizabeth Moore widow lohn lames Monis Beucresse Apoihecarie Dauie Vaughan Anne Feild A pewterer in Fancy street Francis Man Richard Fitzgarrat Robert Heifiine One Medalfe Mr. Maufield Mr. Simons Dorothy Simons Thomas Simons a boy Robert Parker Anne Dauison Anthonie Hall Mistris Morton and her maide Francis Downes Edmund Shey losilin Percy seruant to a Knight lohn Tullye Robert Drury, Mr. Drury the Priests brother Thomas Draper lohn Sturges Thomas Elis Michael Butler in Wood Street Edmund Kiuals Edmund Welsh Bartholomew Bauin Dauie an Irishman Richard Price Thomas Wood Christopher Hobbs George Cranston lohn Blitten Clarentia a maide lane Turner Mistresse Milbourne Frithwith Anne Mistris Elton Mr. Walsteed Margaret Berrom Henry Becket Sarah Watsonne lohn Beuans Master Harris Mistris Tompson Richard Fitguift George Ceaustour Master Grimes Mr. Knuckle a Painter dwelling in Cambridgeshire Master Fowell, a WarwickshireGent. Master Gascoine Francis and Robert, both srruants to Master Saule John Lochey, a Scriueners sonne in Holburne One William seruant to Master Eirkum John Brabant a Painter in Little- Brittaine A man seruant of Mr. Buckets a Painter in Aldersgate Street One Barbaret - Walter Ward < Richard Garret,. enquired after, but not found. About the same time was published f( A word of Comfort, or discourse concerning the late lament- able Accident of the fall of a roome, at a Catholike Sermon in the Blackfriars at London, wherwith about fourscore persons were oppressed ; written for the Comfort of Catholiks and Information of Protestants, By J. R. P. Printed Anno 1623." 4? pp. 58. J. to Andrews Abraham, wrote ' ' The Huntyng of the Greene Lyon" in Ashmole's Theat. Chem. Britan- nic. 1652. Clowes William, has an anagram prefixed to Baker on Oils/' b. 1. Aide. 1574. 8vo. also 12 lines in the epistle to the reader prefixed to " Aproved Practice for all young Chirurgians" b. 1. 1588. 4 and in an edition of the same work printed by Orwin for Man 1591, 4* there are 8 lines after the dedication 16 lines in sign. 4 P ; 4, 8 and 4 lines in sign. P 8_, and 6 lines in sign. Q. In his " Briefe and necessarie Treatise touching the cure of the disease called Morbus Gallicus." b. 1. Cadman 1585. 4. are 6 lines at the back of the title 52 lines at folio 42, called f ' Certaine preceptes meete for young Chirurgians, gather- 8 ed chief ely out of Guido de Cauliaco" and 44 lines " To all the trew Professors of Chirurgerie, William Clowes giueth Salutations." Page 1 77, H. D. probably Henry Disle. - 180, Barrel. May not this be the person who was engaged in a controversy with Harshnet ; res- pecting which the two following works were pub- lished, and it may be, many more, as references are made in them, to others which I have not seen. "John Darrel's Apologie, or Defence of the Possession of William Sommers a young man of the Towne of Nottingham/' bl. lett. 4" n. d. and cc A detection of that sinnful, shamfull, lying and ridiculous dis- cours of Samuel Harshnet entituled c A discoverie of the fraudulent practices of John Darrel on the pretended counterfayting of William Sommers, Kath. Wright, and Mary Couper," 4. 1600. Gerard John, Chirurgion " to his friend Maister William Clowes" in six? line stanzas before Clowes' " De Morbo Gallico," bl. lett. 1585. 4* Goodrvs William, Gent. ' Maister in Chirur- gerie' has 4 stanzas in the same book at folio 61. Hall Joseph, Bishop of Exeter, wrote com- mendatory verses before Holland's translation of Xenophon's Cyropcdia, folio, P. T. has nine stanzas of 6 lines each GENL. Nov. *' The old Steward of your Courts, Master Attorney General d@emoranfca. 29 Noy, is lately dead, nor could Tunbridge Waters do him any good ; Though he had good matter in his Brain, he had, it seems, ill materials in his Body, for his heart was shrivelled like a leather pennypurse when he was dissected, nor were his Lungs sound." Westm*- Oct. 1 1635. pa. 241. 15. ACCOUNT OF AX EMBASSY TO DENMARK IN MS. " I delivered my Lord of Linsey the Manuscript he lent your Lordship of his fathers Ambassie to Denmark and herewith I present your Lordship with a compleat Diary, of your own late Legation, which hath cost me some oyl and labour." Westmr- June 19 1 635. pa. 243. 16. HOWARD'S BANISHED VIRGIN* FROM THE ITALIAN. " I received the manuscript you sent roe, and being a little curious to compare it with the original, I find the Version to be Tery exact and faithful." Loud. Oct. 6 p. 248. 17. FRENCH VERSION OF HOWEL'S DODONA'S GROVE. " I send herewith Dodona's Grove couchd in french, and in the newest french : for though the main version be mine, yet I got one of the Academic des beaux Esprits here to run it over, * " Don-ella Deslerrada, or the Banishd f'irgin tcritten originally in Italian, By Cavalier Gio. Francesco liiondi, Gentleman ixtraordinary of his Majesties Privy Chamber divided into three Bookes : and engligfttd by I. H. of Graies Line Gent. Printed at London by T. Cotes for Humphrey Mosley and are to be sold at his shoppe, at the three kings in Pauls Churchyarde." folio 1635. pa. 230 dedicated to the Right Xoble and most excellent Princesse the Lady Katherine, Dutchesse of Buckingham etc. and signed James Hajward, [though in Howell's Letters, written Howard] there are several Commendatory Verses, and amongst them one by Howell, the writing of which occasioned the above letter. The preface is remarkable for some of the strangest compound epithets that man ever invented, such as ' The Art (or rather divinely-inspired-gift-by-art-to-perfection-reduced) of Poesie." ' naturall-by-art-nearest-perfeciion-refin'd ? ' deeep-conceited-subtilly-grave-Italian.' SO to correct and refine the Language, and reduce it to the most modern dialect. It took so here, that the new Academy of Wits hare given a publick and far higher Elogium of it than it de- serves. I was brought to the Cardinall at Ruelle, where I was a good while with him, in his private Garden, and it were a vanity in me to infer here what Propositions he made me." Paris, April 1 1641. pa. 267. 18. LORD HERBERT'S TREATISE * DE VEUITATE.' " Divers of the Scientincall'st, and most famous Wits here have spoken of your Lordship with admiration, and of your great work De Veritate : and were those excellent notions and theoricall precepts, actually applyd to any particular Science, it would bean infinite advantage to the Commonwealth of Learn- ing all the world over," Paris, Ap. 1 1641. p. 268. 19. LORD CHANCELLOR EGERTON. " The City of London sticks constantly to the Parliament, and the Common Council sways much; insomuch, that 1 believe, if the Lord Chancellor Egerton were now living, he would not be so pleasant with them, as he was once to a new Recorder of London, whom he had invited to a Dinner to give him joy of his office ; and having a great Wood cock Pye serv'd in about the end of the Repast, which had been sent him from Cheshire, He said, Now Master Recorder, you are welcome to a Common Council." Fleet, 2 Jany 1643. p. 273. 20. CAREW THE POET. " I was invited yesternight, to a solemn supper, by B[t-n I [onson~\ where you were deeply remembered : there was good Company, excellent chear, choice Wines, and jovial welcome ; one thing intervened, which almost spoiled the relish of the rest, that B[eti\ began to engross all the discourse, to vapour extreamly of himself, and by Tillifying others to magnifie his own Muse. T[homas] C[arere} buz'd me in the ear, that though B[en~\* had barrell'd up a great deal of knowledge ; yet, it seems, he had not read the Ethiques, which among other precepts of mo- rality forbid self commendation, declaring it to be an illfavour'd solecism in good manners." Westnf- 5 Ap. 1636. pa. 309. 21. DR. KING'S POEMS. " You hare much strengthned that knot of Lore which hath been so long tied between us, by those choice Manuscripts you sent me lately, amongst which I find divers rare Pieces, but that which afforded me most entertainment in these Miscellanies, was Doctor Henry Kings Poems,}- wherein I find not only Heat and Strength, but also an exact Concinnity aud evenness of Fancy." Westm. 3 Feb. 1637. p. 311. 22. ANNE KING'S POEMS. " It was my hap to be lately where Mrs. A. K. was, and having a paper of verses in her hand, I got it from her, they were an Epitaph and an Anagram of her own composure and writing, which took me so far, that the next morning before I was up, my rambling Fancy fell upon these Lines : For the admitting of Mistress Ann King to be the Tenth Muse Ladies of Helicon do not repine, I add one more unto your number nine, * The memory of old Ben has been rescued from a very wanton and un- necessary attack, with an acuteness of reasoning, which is most satisfactory and convincing, by Mr. Octavius Gilchrist, whose two pamphlets on the sub- ject leave us to regret that we have not oftener been gratified with the result of his enquiries : this gentleman i? now engaged upou an edition of Old Plays, in fifteen voliunes, which will questionless deserve still further the thanks of the Student in early literature. tit was some time ago confidently stated that the gentleman, who is mentioned in the last note, was occupied in preparing for the press a new edition of Doctor King's Poems they well deserve republication, as the ea>y triflings of a man of learning. 32 To make it even, I among you bring No meaner than the daughter of a King : Fair Basil Ana,* quickly pass your voice, I know Apollo will approve the Choice ; And gladly her install, for I could name Some of less merit Goddesses became." Westmr.SFeb. 1637. p. 311. 23. FLETCHER'S PURPLE ISLAND.+ " I much thank you for your visits, and other fair respects you shew me : Specially that you have enlarged my Quarters 'mong these melancholy Walls, by sending me a whole Isle to walk in, I mean that delicate Purple Island I receivM from you, where I met with Apollo himself and all his daughters with other excellent Society : I stumble also there often upon myself, and grow better acquainted with what I have within me, and without me ; Insomuch, that you could not make choice of a fitter ground for a Prisoner as I am, to pass over, than of that purple Isle, that Isle of Man you sent me, which as the ingenious Author hath made it is a far more dainty soil, than that Scarlet Island which lies near the Baltic Sea." Fleet, 25 Aug. 1645. pa. 377. 24. THE Two DOCTORS. " There is a famous Tale of Thomas Aquinas, the Angeli- cal Doctor, and of Boiiadventura the Seraphical Doctor, of whom Alexander Hales (our Countryman and his Master) reports whether it appeared not in him that Adam had sinn'd : * BV. To the numerous instances which the industrious and accurate Ritson has adduced, from old writers, of the popularity of the ballads, &c. in which the 39 deeds of that celebrated outlaw,, Robin Hood, are memorised, may be added the following. " Gyrd on the the swerd of the spirit which is gods worde, and take to the the shylde of fayth, whiche is not to beleue a talc of Robyne Hode or Gestaus Romanorum,* or of the chro- nicles, but to beleue gods worde that lasteth euer." Tyndale's Obedyence of a Chrysten man, fol. 158, Imp. by Coplande, 1561, " for such, as by a fine distinction they call Laity, they should spend their time in reading Tales of Robin Hood." Fry s Clergy in their Colours., pa. 5, Lond. 1650, 12 mo - Y. * They [the Carmelites] ben but iugulers, and iapers of kynde, Lorels and lechures, and lemans holden, Neyther in order ne out, but vnneth lybbeth, And byiaped the folk, tcith gestes of Rome. Peres the Ploughman's Crede, B 2, Wolfe 1553. I quote from the beautiful reprint of this valuable relic of antiquity, of which a very limited impression has just issued from the press of Mr. Bensley ; Its precursor the Visions have also been lately edited and given to the public, by the Rev. T. D. Whitaker, and would have been a most valuable monument of the care and industry of their revivor, had he adopted one of the first du- ties of an editor, that of faithfulness to the text of his authour, and not have suffered his own squeamish taste to decide upon the omission of portions of a work, which from the restricted number of its impression, and the altogether repulsive nature of the work [i. e. to general reader*], could only be intended for the perusal of antiquaries, a class of men not very likely to have their pas.-ion? inflamed by a recital of what, in justice, they would have attributed to the difference of manners which pervaded a distant age. This castrator of venerable antiquity would have done well to have imitated the example of that elegant and admirable scholar, the lamented Tyrwhitt ; a man, I ween, who felt as much regard for the delicacy of modern manners, and deplored, as fully, the grossness of our earlier writers, " As ever did this learned Puritan" but who, in a similar case, (the publication of Chaucer's Tales) did not consider 40 12 The rekenynge and declaration of the fayth and belefe of huldrike zwyngly, byshoppe of zuryk the chefe town of helmtia, sent to Charles v that nowe is Emproure of Rome : holdyng a parlement or Counsayll at Ausbrough, with the Chefe Lordes and lerned men of Germanye, The yere of our Lorde, M. D. xxx. In the moneth of July. Come ye to me all that labour, and are laden : and I shal refreshe you. JVLathe xi. The veryte wyll haue the victory : presse ye it downe neuer so strongly. Translated and Im- prynted at %>uryk in Marche. Anno do. MD. xliii.* himself justified in mangling and destroying the authenticity of that poet's language. But enough, it was never intended that these pages should become the vehicle of angry controversy, and I would not have said thus much, were it not for the anxious feeling with which I regard the introduction of the merci- less tomahawk into the illustration of black letter literature. * A few years lateerwas printed ' An Anatomi, that is to say a parting in peeces of the Mass, which disconereth the horrible errors and the injinit abuses vn- knoicenio the people as teel of the Mass, as of the Mass Book, very profitable, yea most necessary for al Christian people tcilh a Sermon of the Sacrament ofthankes guyying in the end, which declareth whether Christ be bodyly in the Sacrament or not. By Chrystes humble Servant Anlhoni dt Admno A. D. 1556. sin. 8vo. 250 folios. This rare book is unaccompanied with either printer's name or place, but from the shape and form of the letter, I should incline to the belief of ifs being the production of a Genevese press. It is perhaps the most severe and stinging argumentative \olume of the many which that important era the Refor- mation produced. " And the worshipfull inquisitours, what els be they but antichristes Catchpoules creweller the Neroes, so that it were better to fall into the hands of Turks and Mores without comparison then into thcrs." preface. 41 Col. Imprynted by me Rycharde wyer. b. 1. small oct. E 2. " When I had chauced vpon this Rekening of the fayth of this so excellently lerned & godly flok feder, eue the good heerdman that let his lyfe for his shepe, and had seen it not yet vnto this daye to be confuted, nor dampned of any christen, lerned man, but as it \vas then openly exhybited vnto the Em- prours Maieste, and to his noble lerned Counsell, so stondeth it styll yet vntowched with any iuste contradiccion of holye scrip- tures : I coulde not but thynke this his fayth to be christen & catholyk wordthy for the glory of god, & profyt of his Churche, to be translated into many tongues that many mought read it with frute, Vvherfore sith in England (as they say) be many hyghly lerned- Byshopes and lawers in the speculatiue, but fewe in practik diuinite, sharpe in naturall, but dull in spiritual jugement ; methought it conuenient, the boke to be translated into theyr mother tongue, that yet at the least the lerned in christ myght iuge therof, and saye theyr myndes." " Not longe ago it was heresye, and treason to, the scriptures to be had in englysshe,* and nowe (god be thanked) the hole Byble is prynted oft & turned & redde of many lay men, yea & that with priuilege." " But when the Pope had seen this godly Bisshoppes fayth and religion so to prospeie, and preuaile ; and his euangelyke doctrine so wyde to spreadc, that neither his furious droken champion Eccius., nor yet his fleckisshe slowe " What then sayth nty lord of Canute rbury to a prest yt wolde haue had tlie " new testauiet gone forth in English (what saith he) woldest thou that y e lay " people shuld vclc ic/iat tee duo." Tyndales obedyence of a Ctirysten man. fol. 80. Coplande 1561. 12mo. H 42 beaste Coclous^ durste not once moue penne agaynst the maiestie of Zwynglie his raoste eloquent heroicall style, rare erudicio, and most excellent diuyne lernyng ; then he hyered certayne Lants- knyghtes to kyll hym, which smyten thorow with a morispyke, said, My bodye haue ye slayne, but my soule, sley ye can not ; Then his body quartered & brent on the morowe, his harte was founde rnperished in the asshes, of the whiche many a learn- ed man is rysen, in whose bokes, sermones, and lessons, Z&i/ngly yet lyueth here in a blessed memoriall, and his soule lyueth in heaue in the glorious fruicion of the blessed Trinitie," The Preface of the translatour to the reader. J. 13 The Blacksmith. A Sermon preached at White- Hall before the Kings most excellent JVLajestie, the young Prince, the Councell, fyc. on Loe Sun- day 1606. and by commaundment put to print. By W. S. Doct. in Diuinitie Chaplaine to his Ma- jestie. London. Printed by Ed. Alldefor Martin Clarke, 1606. sm. 8vo. pp. 56. Malone in his Chronological Order of Shaks- peare's Plays says e every stroke at the Puritans, for whom King James had a hearty detestation, must have been very agreeable to him.' This pam- phlet upon a text from 1 Samuel, 13 c. 19v. is a 43 convincing proof that, in his presence, they could be vilified with impunity. And the ' Doctor in Divini- tie/ whose wit is not so very sparkling as might be expected from the quaintness of the title, appears to have extended servility to its utmost, in the choice of subject for the edification of our Royal Solomon, as his debased courtiers, and, imitating them, this debased minister of Christ used to term that pedantic coxcomb. The book is rare, and somewhat curious, and that will excuse the occupying a small space with some extracts. " I knew none I might bee bolder with then the Smith, and if Salomon a King of that greatness vouchsafed to write of the least of his fellow creatures, euen from the Caedar to the shrub : and our heauenly Salomon with his own hands to create the Smith and by his Spirit to treat, as here, so els wher of him : it shall not seem tedious or too base of our gractous Salomon to vouchsafe to heare, where his god hath vouchsafed to speak." p. 2. " In this body of ours, it cannot bee denied but that there haue bin diuers diuisions and the diuisors haue bin specially three : the Papist, the Atheist, and the Puritane. The one impugning our doctrine, the other our manners, the third our discipline. The first moste perilous for the state Publike : the second, no lesse pernitious for priuate corruptions : the last most idlely curious in pointes of least importance, concern. ing neither life nor learning ; doctrine, nor manners ; yet so obstinately urged as though they had sworne neuer to be satisfied, 44 though neuer so often and fully satisfied by the King himselfe, (exemplum sine exemplo) his Nobles, Byshops, Judges, Clergie : by writing, printing, conference, and all meanes possible, or likely to giue satisfaction." p. 42. " And now that they [the Puritans] are thus dealt with by Law, we all expect that the like order, or rather much more sharpe and strict, bee taken, as for the Atheist, so speciallye for the Papist ; Else must we needes confess, Reduuiam curauimus, Capiti cum mederi debuissemus. But I hope they shall, ere it bee long, have just occasion to thinke and speake otherwise ; when they shall see their Swordes, and Speares, and Smithes, their Armour and Armorers ; their Priestes and lesuites, and cunning Seducers, with all their Syren Songes, their Bookes, Pamphlets, and Printers, and all meanes and ministers thereto tending, cleane cut off by the Sworde of Justice, and the lawes of the land. A most iust and necessarie rveapon taken to keepe them fro hurting themselues and others, as children and mad men. " That it will be so, I make no doubt that it should be so, I seeke no other arguments against the, then their owne prac- tise against vs. Howbeit wel we know & they must needs ac- knowledge (if their case and cause were equal) better kill then be killed."* p. 48. Y. * This is justifying the commission of wrong, by its like; and is a doctrine so very detestable, as coining from the minister of him, whose command to his disciples, it wag, to preach peace and goodwill toward all mankind, that James', listening to it with approbation would, (were not his character already sufficiently despicable and contemptible) ' damn him to everlasting fame.' It appears from the dedication to the King' of this Sermon, that ' it was the 45 14 BOCHAS' [BOCCACIA] FALL OF PRINCES, Translated by Lydgate, MS. ON VELLUM, FOLIO.* Regardless of the imagery and fancy, the unequalled descrip- tion, and the exquisite knowledge of human passions and senti- ment displayed by Chaucer ; the beautiful apologues of Gower^ the rich vein of satire pervading the Visions of Langland ; the accurate and picturesque delineation of Gaxin Douglas; and the tasteful allegory, the morality, and transcendant humour of Dnnbar;i the half-witted censurer affects to despise ancient literature for its age, simplicity and dullness ; Why will he not examine for himself the writers for whom he avows disesteem ? Why wither the laurels of poets whom it is evident he could never have read ? or could he be insensible to their varied excel- lencies ? or indifferent to those who in a lateer age Sung the chivalric strain And pip'd the tender ditty ? commaundement of our moste Reverend Metropolitane that I should put it in print.' The idea was a pleasant one enough, of ' cutting off the Papists by the sword of lustice, to keepe them from hurting themselues.' The Inquisition has been defended with exactly the same argument, If argument that can be called which argument is none ? and with much the same justice. How prone is human nature to fall into the commission of those crimes which, prejudice apart, it would, with fervency, reprobate. * See Dibdin's Ames, vol. 2, 406. f James the first of Scotland should not be omitted when mentioning his contemporaries. It is some reflection upon Scotland, jealous too as she is in general of the fame of her favourite children, that no edition has ever been published of the works of this greatest of royal authors, worthy of his, and of his countries reputation. 46 Admirable and unequalled indeed as are the five names that have just been named, and sufficient as they were to render memorable and illustrious the period in which they wrote, the detractor is always more willing to repose and felicitate himself, for example, in the utter want of poetical inspiration through- out the massive tomes of the Monk of Bury ; and he may ridi- cule the occupation of a few pages with extracts from a writer, whom Percy and Ritson have made such contemptuous mention of, and so decisively condemned ; but it may be urged in the language of the latter, on a dUFerent occasion, these pages are intended for the perusal " of those whom the artificial refine- ments of modern taste have not rendered totally insensible to the simplicity of old times ; a description of readers, it is to be hoped, sufficiently numerous to justify a wish that they may never fall into the hands of any other." I think that Lydgate, although his claim to the title of poet, need never again be mentioned, is very undeserving of the neglect, into which he has fallen, and the character of extreme worthlessness, which, in deference to great names, has been imputed to him ; He is certainly valuable in assisting our enquiries with regard to the origin of our Eng- lish tongue, and the obligations it received, in amplification, from our old versifiers : this merit indeed has been awarded to him by Wurtori) whose genius and taste unfitted him for the labour of a mere antiquary, a rummager of k ' cartloads of poetical rub- bish," and therefore the attention with which he devoted him- self to the appreciation of Lydgatc^s rank, as an authour, is a sufficient excuse, if any were at all wanting, for further attempting to familiarize a knowlege of his works : still lateer Mr. Ellis ) in his Specimens, has been very liberal in extracts from the Troy Book; and the Fall of Princes being much less known, added to the circumstance of coming across an early MS. copy of it,* have been my inducements for copying a few of the Legends. I was not altogether uninfluenced by the con- sideration of its having been the origin of those historical poems which the sublime Induction of Lord Sackvilleha.s immortalized, and which collected under the title of the Mirror for Magis- trates^ are again about to be accessible to a class of readers, which instigated by superior minds, is more and more disposed to anticipate with delight and satisfaction the revival of neglected and almost forgotten merit. Y. May 19, 3814. The Legend of Robert, Duke of Normandy. A worthy prince spoke of in many realme, Noble Robert, duke of Normondye, Chos to the crowne of lerusale, But for cause he did it deny, Fortun ay vnto him hid envye ; The same Robert next in ordre was That came to pleyne his faule vnto Bochas. For crystis feith, this myghty Chapyon, This duke Robert armyd in plate and mayle, With manly Godfrey bullion, Agayn turkys faught a grete battaile, * In the possession of Messrs. Wise and Son, booksellers, Bath; t A new edition of these excellent histories is now going through the press, indebted to the care of Sir Eg. Brydges, and Mr. Haslewood. 48 For crystis feith, that it shuld auaille To susteen his lawe in theire entent, To all the kynges of the occydent. Off turkys, Sarsynes, was so grete a nombre Geyn cristis lawe gadride a puyssance, The feith of criste falsly to encombre ; But there were made hasty ordynance, The kyng of Englonde, normand, and fraunce, Fyrste to socour did his busy peyne* Godfrey Bollyon, that was duke of loveyn. Which on sarsynes made a discomfiture, Maugre turkys for all theire cruell myght, In which bataille, criste made hym to recoue The feelde, that day for to supporte his Right ; Where the seid Robert was founde soo good a knyght, That for his noblesse, by reporte of wrytyng, Of Jerusalem was namyd to be Kynge. Assentid not to the eleccion, Because of newe that he did vndirstond His elder brothere, for shorte conclusyone, Icallid William, was deede in Englond ; Knowyng hymself next heire to that londe, Forsooke lerusalem, and lyke a manly knyght Came info Englond for to claym his right. * Qy The King of England, &c. laboured busily to be the first succour (w Ciodfrey of Boleigne. In Chaucer's Franketeines Tale, v. 2. Ther was a knight, that loved and did \\vapeinc, To serve a Ladie in his bcste w ise. 49 And yit or he came, he hadd knowlechyng His yong brothir callid henry Had take vpon hym to be crowned kynge, Tolde his lordes and princes fynally He was next heire entrid rightfully, As in herytoure to succede in that realme, His brother beyng kyng of Jerusalem. God wote the cause stood all in other wysse, The seid duke Robert of Normondy Purposed hym by merciall emprise, Frome his brother to take the regaly, Tooke his princes and his cheualrye, Thought he wolde, lyke a manly knyght, Aryue in englond, and reioise his right. Both in o felde assemblie on a day, The brethyril tweyn ecche w 4 stronge party, To daveyne and make no deley, Euicche with othire to holde champarty* ; But whan thes lordis the myscheff did asspy, They busyed heme, and werve not rakles Atwen the brethire to refourme peas. The seid Brethire ware fully condiscendid Vpon this poynt for shorte conclusion, As in the accorde was justly comprehendit, Henry to holde and haue pocession Duryng his lyffe, of all this region, * A partnership in power see Tyrwhitt's Glossary. I 50 And Robert ahulde haue for his pty A some of geolde with all Normondy. Thre thousand pounde put in remembraunce Ecche yere to Robert sent fro this region , Off which paymet to make full assueraunce, Was leyd hostages, as made is mencion ; But yit of newe fell discension Atwry* the Brethire of hatred and enry, For certeyn castellis that stood in Normondy. Which castellis longid of heritage Vnto the kyngis juresdiccion, Of which the duke toke his auantage Maugre the kyng, and helde pocession, Crowned astire to his confusion ; And whanne the kynge this thing did asspy, With stronge hond, came into Normandy. Where the duke was leyde, the seege aboute Mad ordinaunce, and recure his right ; Gat the Castell, and tooke his brothir oute, Emprysoned hym of verray force and myght, Lefte him aloon out of manys sight Fourtene yere, the cronycle wryt soo ; Theire he died in myschyffe and in woo. The Legend of Philip 1st, King of France, Whanne Bochas had writt of Pacience, And comendit the vertu of suffrance, * Poisoning. Philep la bele came to his prese nee, Fyrste of that name, crowned kyng of fraunce ; Gane compleyn his vnhappy chaunce, And on fortune of custume that cane wrye. Which was to hym cruell adsusarie. Woundid he was with a greuous sore, Gan his compleynte to Bochas determyne, How he was slayn of a wylde bore In a foreste, which callid is compaigne, Tolde he was disclaundrid all his lyffe Onys in flauudris, with many a worthy knight, Venquysshid of flemyng, and felly put to fleght. Procedyng farther, gan touche of his lynage, How in his tyme he had sonnes three, Lowys, Philep, Charlis yonge of age, The fourth Robert, a dought r also had he, Callid Isabell, Right eccellent of beaute, Seide Robert, the story is well couth* Which that dyed in his tendre youthe. To this story who so lyste, haue good rewarde The circustaunce wysely to discerne ; His doughter Isabelle Mas weddit to Edward Carnarvane, the booke so doth us lere j This yong Philip weddit in Naiine The kyngs doughter, a statly mariage, Callid Jane while she was tendre of age. * Wellknown. 52 The same Phylip aftre crowned kyng Of nauerne, his fadir of assente, Fyue sonnes he had leuynge, Of which flue, as in sentement, Thre in nombre by Ryght ptynent ; To the mater who so liste to looke, I end the processe of this same booke. The eldest sone callid was lowys, To whome his fadre gaffe pocession Of Nauerne, because that he was wysse For to gouern that noble region ; Phylip his brodire, for his high renoun, Was aftirwarde, by juste enheritaunce, And rightfull title, crowned kyng of fraunce. The third Brother was, by title of Right, Mad erle of marche, and namid was charlis, Euyche of heme in the peplis sight Were famous holde, and passing of grete pris, And for they wern Right manly and Right wyse, Phelyp and Charlis tooke in tendyr age The Erlys doughter of Burgon in manage. But as the story remembrith in certeyn, To theire noblesse fortune had envye, And by araanere of malice and disdeyn, Brought in by processe vpon the party Of theire two wyvys frowarde auoutrie, Causyng the deth of all thes wyffes thre, Whanne they moste floured in theire felicite. 53 The Legend of Charles, Duke of Tarentum. Aftir thes thre princes glorious To for Bochas to shewyn there entent, Amyghty duke, notable and right famous, Came to compleyn, Charlis of Tharent, Whiche in his tyme to florence wente, To make peace in his roiall estat, Twene guerffe and Gemelins stondyug at debat. The seid Charlys, borne of the bloode of fraunce, A manly knyghte the story cane deuyse, By whos vnhappa, frowarde, fatall chauce In the werris twene florauce and pyse, On horsbake sitting in knyghtly wysse, Hurte with an arowe, fele low don to gronde, Where by he caughte his laste fatall wounde. A man ofarmys, beyng a soudyoure With the pysaunes, were it wronge ore right, Off false dysdeyn that day did his labour To trede on Charlis, in the peeplis sight, Whanne he lay gruffe,* wherfor he was mad knyght By theire Capteyn, for a manere pride, Which gouernyd the sibe lynes syde.t * When he lay groveling, or flat on the ground. See Tyrwhitt's Glossary. Chaucer's Prioresses Tale. And groff he fell all platte upon the ground Emare, in Ritson's Romances. And layde her gruf upon a tre. + I do not understand the sense of this line, the enly word at all like sibe is in Chaucer, but there the meaning must be widely different, 54 15 A plaine Path to perfect Vertue : Deuised and found out by Mancinus a Latine poet, and trans- lated into English by G. Turberuile Gentleman. Ardua ad Virtutem via. Imprinted at London in Knightrider strete, by Henry Bynneman for Leonard Maylard. Anno 1568. Col. Imprinted at London in Knight Rider streate, by Henry Bynneman 3 for L. Maylard. Extends to H in eights, with one sheet of prefatory matter.* All Turbervile's worksf are very rare : This vo- lume seems to be unknown to our typographical antiquaries. It is not noticed by the Editor of the Censura Literaria in his new edition of the Thea- trum Poetarum Anglicanorum, nor by Mr. Ellis in his Specimens of Early English Poetry ; it was Largesse that worthic was and wise Helde by the honde a knight of prise "Was sibbe to Arthour of Breteigne. Chaucer's Romaunt of the Rose, ed. 1598, rev. of fo. 121. i. e. was related to Arthur. * The Editor has been favoured with this article (by the possessor of the rare volume which it describes) since the slight notice in page 10; and he has added a few notes, which are marked with the initial E. t The poetical works of Turbervile are described by Mr. Park in the Cen- sura Lit. and the titles of his other productions will be found in Herbert. Richard Jones had a licence to print ' Apla\,ne pathway toperfict ResteJ in 1570. It could scarcely have been the same as Turbervile's work, but perhaps in imitation of his title. E. e unknown to Ritson, and has likewise escaped the extensive researches of Mr. Park; Mr. Chalmers also does not mention it in the life of Turbervile in his recent edition of the poets. Most probably it is the c better banquet" to which, in an epistle before his translation of Ovid., he promised to invite the reader, having been printed in the succeeding year. This volume., as well as his Epitaphs,, Epigrams, &c. is dedicated ' To the right Honorable and hys singular good Lady, Lady Anne, Coutesse War- wicke/ c Hauying desire to publishe it under the protection of your name, for that I hope there will the moe peruse the Booke/ An address to the reader follows commencing with a notice of some other literary rarities. * I Neither write the newes of poules* of late set out to sale, Nor Meting of the London Maicles :+ for now that Fish is stale. * Henry Denham had a licence in 1567, for printing Nemes out of Poules churcheyarde, a trappefor syr monye [Herbert 2. 963] ; In 1579, Richard Jones, in conjunction with Chat lewood, purchased of Denham, the copy of this book ; which has now perished ; at least, I know not where to refer for the mention of its existence. E. f Together with the work alluded to, in the last note, Denham had a licence for A mery mctynge ofmaydes in London, purchased also of him, by Jones and Charlewood ; [Herbert 2. 1053] Jones had a licence for printing it in 1593; [Herbert 2. 1054] and in May 1594, it was allowed to Roberts, by the Com- pany of Stat. [Herb. 2. 1032] : this book has also suffered, in the silent operation 56 The date therof is fully out, no wonder lasteth long. I speake not this upon desire to doe that writer wrong.' To which succeed verses by ' James Sandforde* in praise of the Translater ;' as they possess some merit, and the productions of their author are few and little known, shall be here inserted. 4 If warlike wightes for noble deedes earst don Haue in rewarde and guerdon duely won Immortall fame, renowne and glorie aye not to decaye : What then shall such deserue that set in sight Things long time hid, in bringing darke to light ? Shall they not reape of their good sowen seede, aad have their meede ? of time, or accident, extinction; for all the knowlege of it, which we possess, is derived from the brief notices here extracted from Herbert. Abibliophi- list, in turning over the numerous pages of this accurate registrar of typogra- phical curiosities, must feel considerable regret, in the reflection, of how num- berless are the volumes, which in the stream of time, have flitted their ' hour upon their stage', and then are seen no more. We have already observed how near the present volume of Turbervile's was to destruction : and the fire of London has beyond all question deprived us of much of the valuable literature of past centuries. E. * This authour though he wrote several books, is now obscurely known, from the great rarity of his writings ; the lines, copied from Turbervile's book, are smooth and creditable to his talent; and would induce the wish to know more of his works ; I have never seen any of them, and can say nothing of their 57 In warre and peace Minerua beares the stroke, To Science all the dore she doth Tnloke : Great is hir force in all the worlde wide on euery side. Great force hath mightie Mars in fight and fielde, Much more Minerua hath, whose learned shields, Doth fence in warre and peace the publick wealth. sauing hir health. Who so learned Mineruas schoole frequent, And haue their youthfull yeares in studie spent Deserues immortall praise and fame to gaine for taken paine. Then worthie of rewarde is Turberuyle Whose painfull penne hath thus to Englishe style Conuerted learned Mancinus Latine Muse for men to use. Herein is briefly tolde what yertue is, What life we ought to leade, what leades amisse merit: 1. Amorous Tales and Sentences of the Greeke philosophers. Bynneman for Maylard 1567. 8vo. 40 leaves. 2. The Garden of Pleasure : conteyning most pleasante Tales, worthy deeds and icitly sayings of noble Princes and learned Philosophers* Moralized, done out of Italian. Bynneman 1573. 8vo. and re- printed in 1576 under the title of Hours of recreation, or Afierdinners, 8vo. [Roxbro' Sale, 3. 3s.] with addition of ' Certaine Poems.' 3. Henry Cor- nelius A gripp a, of the Vanitie fy uncertaintie of Arts and Sciences Englished by James San. Gent Wykes 1569. 4to. Bynneman 1575. 4to. 4. Mirrour of Madness. [Cens. Lit. 8. 17] 1576. 8vo. E. K 58 A worke of price hath Turberuile transposde and here disclosde. Therfore of God and man he well deserues : For God hath Vertue made, and man it serues To frame his life : commende the writers pen thou Reader then. An induction, commencing like our old chroni- cles, with the Creation, and deducing the origin of the cardinal virtues from the conduct necessarily observed by men at the early formation of Society, precedes the work, which is divided into four parts under the heads of Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, and Temperance ; and is concluded by the following lines of ' The Translater to the Booke/ Farewell thou little booke an other mans aud mine, The Gods allowe thee blessed hap, report without repine. Well mayst thou liked be, and so thou shalt I trust, Of such as Vertue do imbrace : as for the rest thou must Appoint upon as foes. I meane the sinfull sect, That neither thee for Vertues sake, nor Vertue will respect. 59 Was never man that wrote of Vertue yet a whit But Envie would with malice seeke his travaile to requite. But force thou not at all, be bolde and never blushe : For Glorie ever gaines the byrde where Envie beates the bushe. Sith thou of Vertue dost and nothing else iutreate, I know thy foes are friends to Vice, with wrath and yre repleate. With them thou hast to deale : thou knowest the wonted sawe, The Jade will kicke at him that rubbs his backe if it be rawe. Then sith thou prickst with pen ' the galled backe, be sure Thou shalt despite, insteade of loue of wicked wights procure. For trouth doth purchase hate, and rcapes that fruite for gaine A bad reward for good desert. But wotst thou what againe ? The better sort of men will like thy purpose well, And ring thy praise by good report as loude as Larum bell. If he that pende thee first, and brought thee forth to light 60 Could finde in heart to hazarde thee to hands of fowle despite : Why should I more accompt to keepe thee under wing That onely phrase for phrase translate And verse to Metre bring ? Thou art no new deuise, the weede wherin thou were Is somewhat altred, but I trust MANGINUS neede not feare Or stande in doubt of thee, he shall not loose his right : I would not go about to wrong a Romane* if I might. But for desire to make MANCINUS better knowne, I toylde anewe the soyle that he with painefull plough had sowne. I trust he shall not loath our mother tong at all : MANCINUS is MANCINUS still I trust and ever shall. And thus to ende my tale I wish (thee little Booke) * From the expression ' Romane' here applied to Mancimis, the original authour of the work, I conclude that he was the same with Paulin Mauritius, who was born at Rome ; a great lover of learning, and the founder of the Academy of the Humourists. He married Vittoria Capoti, and after her death became a priest. He was alive in 1600, and therefore the Plainepaih to perfect Virtue if by him must have been written at an early age : the youngest of his Sons married a sister of Cardinal Mazarine. This information is collected from Bvmaldi Bibl. Script, through the medium of Collier's Historic. Diet. E. S^cmoranba. 61 To doe no worse than him that doth upon thy Vertues looke.* Clifton. T. * Anthony Wood says, that Turbervile being secretary to Randolph the English minister to Russia' he did at spare hours exercise his Muse, and wrote poems describing the places and manners of the country and people of Russia, an. 1569; written to Edw. Dancie, Edm. Spencer, &c. at London', [preserved in HackluyCs invaluable collection of Voyages, &c.] Tanner and Berkenhout, following this authority, have attributed to Spenser the poet, the being so intimately acquainted with Turbervile ; Mr. Park will not allow that the lines themselves bear any evidence, that they were addressed to the anthour of the Faery Queen ; and there is no question but that he is right; although Mr. Chalmers, in his Life of Turbervile, at the same time that he admits Mr. Park's reasoning, assists in perpetuating the errour, by saying that the poem was sent to Edmund Spenser ; The black letter edition of Ilacklu^t is now lying before me, and the poem under discussion is simply headed " To Spencer." Here is not only no Christian name, but the spelling of that little which is given differs from that of our great poet, who used * instead of c. To whomsoever it was addressed, the commencement is very characteristic. If I should now forget, or not remember thee, Thou Spencer might'st a foule rebuke, and shame impute to mee. For I to open shew did lone thee pacing well, And thou wert be at parture, w home I loathde to bid farewell. And as I went thy friend, so I continue still, No better proofe thou canst then this desire of true good will. I doe remember well when needes I should away, And that the Poste w ould licence vs, no longer time to stay ; Thou wrongst me by the fist, and holding fast my hand, Didst craue of me to send thee newes, and how I liked the land, Mr. Chalmers says ' we have no account of his death' but ' our author was living in 1594,' I know not on what authority the latter part of this assertion is stated, but if true, it destroys a conjecture which Ihad formed, of his being the subject of the following, ' A Dittie of Mr. Turberuyle murthered> and John Morgan that mtirthered hym ; tcitA a letter of the said Morgan to his mother, and another to his sister Turberuyle.'' the copy of this was bought of Denham in 15/9 by Jones and Charlewood [Herbert 2. 1053]. If we could ascertain that our poet had ever been married to a person of the name of Morgan, it would instantly identify him w Ufa the hero of this murderous tale. E. 62 16 , anti A small volume of a very diminutive size, con- taining four tracts, in a black letter, and apparently foreign, type, has lately fallen in my way ; and as they appear to be the productions of the same press, although neither of them has the name of place, printer, or date, I shall combine an account of the whole in one article. Y. 1. The copie \ of a letter sent to \ the ladye Mary doicagire, \ Regent of Scotland^ by \ John Knox, in the \ yeare. 1556. | Here is also a notable Ser- mon, | made by the sayde John Knox, \ icherin is enydentlyc pro \ ued that the masse is \ and alwayes hath \ ben abhomina \ ble before \ God, and Ido \ latrye \ Scrutamini scripturas. H. folded in eights. t( I doubt not but the rumors whiche came to youre g. eares of me haue ben suche : y* if all reportes were trew, I were rnwor- thy to lyue on the earth I am traduced as an heretyke, ac- cused as a fals teacher, and seducer of the people ; besides other opprobies which, affirmed by men of worldly honor and esty- mation, may easely kyndle the wrath of magistrates, when in- nocecy is not knowen." Letter. The ' Notable Sermon/ it seems was preached on the fourth of April, 1550, " in presence of the counsell and congregation amogest whome wa* the bisshop of Durcham and hys doctors." Amongst the multitudinous publications, which, at the dawn of the reformation, were issued forth, in opposition to the Mass, as one of the chief and most objectionable tenets of the Catholic faith ; the works of this illustrious father of the Scottish church, are the most eminent, though now the most rare of all those fleeting and perishable tractates ; One of them under the title of ' Hier foloweth the Coppie of the Ressonning which was betuix the Abbote of Ooss- raguel and John Knox in JVLayboill, concerning the Jlfasse. 4to. Lekpreuik, 1563, has been lately res- cued from almost extinction, by a limited facsimile reprint from the only copy known to exist in the Auchinlech Library. The Letter to the Queen Dowager of Scotland, was in the Roxburghe collection, and, bound with some other tracts, sold for 2. 1 5s. ; That library also contained his Faythfull Admonition, Kalylow 1554, 2.4:8.; The Appellation of John Knox, Geneva 1558, 2. 6s. and The first blast of the Trumpet against the monstrous Regiment of Women, 1558, 4. 5s. 64 2. A plaine \ subuersyon of tur- j nyng vp syde down of all the argu \ mentes, that the Popeca- tholykes \ can make for the maintenaunce of \ au- ricular confession, with a moste I wholsome doc- try ne touchy ng the \ due obedience, that we owe vn | to ciuill magistrates, made \ dialogue wyse betwene the \ Prentyse and the Priest 1 by Gra- cyous | Menewe \ P saline 31 | / sayd, I will con- fesse my sines \ vnlo the Lorde : and so thou for- 1 gauesle the wickednesse of \ my people \ F folded in eights. The following passage marks this little compo- sition as having been written during the reign of Mary, and the freedom of the reasoning sufficiently accounts for the work appearing without the autho- rity of a printer's name. " Priest. I am glad that I haue met you nowe in so good a tyme yonge man : for I haue some what to saye to you. Prentyse. What haue ye to saye to me, master perso : here I am ready to heare what soeuer ye wyl say. Priest. How chaunce that ye are so disobedient at thys time to ye Queue's proceadynges : Dooe ye not knowe, that the scripture biddeth vs to obey ye higher powers : And hath not the Queues maiestye, wyth her moste honorable counsayl, sent a commission and a most streight injunction that al generally that are in the yeares of discretion, shoulde come to shrifte, or 65 auricular confession : Howe doeth it chaunce then that ye are so vnwyllyng to come and to fulfyl her graces commaundment."^ The c prentyse' proceeds in combating ' master person' with a boldness and vigour of argument which were indeed unusual at this period ; and the dialogue is curious from shewing us the early dawn- ings of an emancipation of the mind from kingly and papal subjection ; but the time had not then arrived when the doctrines of divine right and non-resist- ance could be canvassed with freedom of sentiment ; and consequently we find that ' Gracyous Menewe' was rather inconsistent in practice, for after deny- ing the power of ' her Quenes Maiestie' to sway the religious feelings of her subjects, it is acknowleged " in matters of tiuill costitutios, lawes, and ordeynaunces, that temporall rulers, gouernours, & magistrates make for the pre- seruacyon of the commen weale, wherevnto doubtlesse we ought to be obedyente, as long as they commaunde nothyng that is vngodlye, or forbydde nothyng, that God hath comaunded YS to doe.'' and still more strongly in answer to the " Priest. I say stil that subiectes ought not to busy them- selues about Princes matters, for as ye heard already if their lawes be naughte and wycked, then they their selues shall aunswere for it. Prentise. In dede in thynges, that appertayne to ciuill lawes, constitutions, and ordeyuaunces whyche magistrates be wonte 66 too make for the preseruatyon of the commenweale, we oughte to laye asyde all busye and curyous questenyng ; for if their lawes be not accordyng to iustice and equite, or if by their wicked statuts their subiects be oppressed, they shall receaue acodygne punishmet at the righteous hand of God, yea, the blood of the y* shall perysh through their Tnrighteousse lawes, shal be required at theyr handes." On the reverse of f i. we have the curious appel- lation of ' sir John lacke latin', as designating a priest. The work ends thus Priest. Sith it wil be noe otherwise, tel me, wil ye receaue ye sacramet ? Prcntysc. Master person, I haue now other busynes to doe. Priest. Well ! wel ! I shall handell you well enoughe. f Answere ye Pope catholykes. 3. A confu j tacion of that Po- \ pishe and Anti- christian doctryne, \ whiche mainteinethye minis- tracy- \ on and receiuing of the sacrament \ vnder one kind, made Dialoge- \ wise betwene the Prieste \ and the Prentyse by \ Gracyous Me- \ newe. \ Math. 26. 1 Drinke ye all of this, for thys is | my blonde whych is of the new \ testamente, that is shed for \ you, for the remission \ of synnes. \ F folded in eights. This is connected with the last tract by its closing 67 passage ; and the date is ascertained from the fol- lowing excerpt. Prentise. Truely all the plagues that doe dayly chaunce vnto vs as tumulte, sedicion, rebellions, inserrections, farnyne and ex- treme hunger, derth and scarcenesse of al maner of thynges, with innumerable kyndes of newe diseases that dayly spryng vp among TS, oughte to bee imputed to none other tbynge but to thys pro- phane mutilatyon, or manglyng of the sacramente. Priest. And did not al these plags happen vnto vs when ye had the sacrament ministred vnder both kyndes : What tumultes and insurrectyons haue we had in that short tyme, that all thynges were as ye woulde haue them : what dearth and scarce- nesse of victualles haue we had euer since : Whereunto shal we impute these thynges : Did not, besydes all thys, all the chiefs autors of your religion come to an ill ende : recken Anne Boleyne, Croewel, the duke of somerset, y e duke of Northumberland, and the duke of Suffolke, that I shoulde in the meane reason passe them ouer that haue been burnt as most shamefull heretykes. Therefore, yong man, looke better to yourselfe, weigh & consyder these thinges better in your mind, and returne by tymes, least ye repente yourselfe at length of thys your stic- iieckednesse." It ends, Priest. Truly, yonge man, I am sorye for you, I am af- frayde that I shall bee faync to put you vp to my Lorde : then are ye Yndone. Prentyse. Dooe as ye shall thynke beste, fare ye well, mas- ter person : God open your hearte. 4. Of the I lawful and vnlaw \ful vsurie amogest \ 68 Christians, added by Wolf \ gang Muscul vnto the | ende of his booke I vppon the I Psalmes \ E folded in eights. Usury is here discussed as a theological question., and it will not admit of an extract. . The five last pages are " An aduertismente of the translatoure T. L." 17 1 . Lyric Poems, made in imitation of the Italians, of which many are, Translations from other Lan- guages. Mart. Epigram, Die mihi quid nielius desidiosus agam ? By Philip Ayres Esq. Licen- sed, R. L. S. London, Printed by J. M. for Jos. Knight, and F. Saunders, at the Blue Anchor in the Lower Walk of the New Exchange, 1687. [with an engraved frontispiece] 12 mo - pp. 190. 2. Emblems of Love,* in four Languages, dedica- * The Marquess of Blandford's Collection of Emblems, is celebrated for its extensive variety ; Beloe in his Anecdotes of Literature and Scarce Books, speaks of it " as a most curious and valuable Collection. There is a scarce little volume of Emblems by that industrious compiler 7?. Burton, if indeed that name be not .assumed, as there is some reason to conjecture ; Delights for the Ingenious in above Fifty Select and Choice Emblems, Divine and Moral, curiously engraven upon Copper Plates, with Fifty delightful Poems and Lots for th?, more lively illustration of each Emblem, collected by It. D. London, 1684. The Poem by Charles 1st, ' Majesty in Misery,' which Percy has printed in his Rcliqups, with a portrait of that monarch, are prefixed ; and at the end we find Shirley's acj mirable litlle piece, ' The Glories of our Birth and State.' SH$emoranim 69 ted to the Ladys by Ph. Ayres, Esq. Printed for J. Osborn at the Golden Ball in Paternoster Row, London. 12 mo - n. d. The first of these is inscribed { to the Hon. Sir John Fen wick, Bart. Brig. Gen 1 and L' Col. of the 2d Troop of his Maj. Guards of Horse' ; the authour professes to have taken the greater part of his poems from Petrarch, Marino, Preti, Guarini, and Tassoni, amongst the Italians ; Garcilaso de la Vega, Quevedo, and Gongora, Spanish ; and Camoens. A commendatory poem is prefixed, of 17 lines, c to Philip Ayres, Esq. on his Poems' C. Dartiquenavc.''* At page 105, we have one of the choicest specimens of courtly sycophancy, and abandoned profligacy of panegyric, that can be imagined, as ' an Essay towards a character of his Sac. Maj. King James 2nd.' I Paint the Prince, the AVorld would surely crave, Could they the summ of all their wishes have, Pattern of Goodness, him on earth we see, Who know he bears the stamp of Deity. His mind by Nature fit for Sword, or Gown, And with undoubted right enjoys hit Crown; * * * His mind, as head, with princely vertue crownd, * This must be the famous Epicure, whose name is generally spelt Darlneuf, and of whom there are so many facetious anecdotes extant ; Pope has memo- rised his fondness for ham pie ; but see Beloe's Anecdotes, Vol 1, pa. 60. I was favoured a few years ago with the perusal of the valuable MS. diary of Sir Hoveden Walker, an Admiral of Queen Anne's reign, now in the possession of one of his descendants, in which, there was somejnention of this Dartneuf. 70 To him no Equal can on Earth be found ; * % Leave to future Age a name : Add ten times more, the royal image must Fall short, of JAMES the GREAT, the GOOD, the JUST.* At page 145, " To John Dryden, Esq.-f Poet Laureat and Historiographer Royal his honoured friend." One short poem only will bear transcription. The nightingale that was drowned. Upon a bough, hung trembling ore a spring, Sate Philomel, to respite grief, and sing, Tuning such various notes, there seem'd to nest A Choir of little Songsters in her breast; Whilst Echo, at the close of ev'ry strain, Return'd her musick, note for note again. The Jealous Bird, who ne'er had rival known, Not thinking these sweet points were all her own. So fill'd with emulation was, that she Expressd her utmost Art and Harmony ; Till, as she eagerly for conquest tryd Her shadow, in the stream below she spyd. * The Marq. of Montrose, in his Epitaph on Charles 1st. commences ' Great, Good, and Just.' and the epithets are applied with the same truth and pro- priety. * Booksellers shelves, especially their counters, being filled with nothing else but Intelligences, Addresses, Absalom and Achitophels, Medals, Prologues, Epilogues, with innumerable more of the like tendency." Epistle dedic. to Will. Lord Russell, prefixed to the Perplex" d Prince, London, pr. for R. Allen, no date 12mo. 71 Then heard the waters bubbling, but mistook, And thought the Nymphs were laughing in the Brook, She then enrag'd into the spring did fall, And in sad accents thus upbraids them all Not Tereus' self offer' d so great a wrong, Nymphs take my life, since you despise my song. The Emblems, including the title page, are engraved on forty- fire copper-plates, and the text is also engraved on one side only of forty-five leaves ; the languages used are Latin, English, Italian and French, and four lines are devoted in each tongue to the different devices. I extract what is called a Sonnet at the beginning, Cupid to Chloe weeping. See, while thou weep'st, fair Chloe, see The World in sympathy with thee ; The cheerful Birds no longer sing; Each droops his head, and hangs his wing : The clouds have bent their bosom lower ; And shed their sorrows in a shower : The Brooks beyond their limits flow : And louder murmurs speak their woe : The Nymphs and Swains adopt thy cares : They heave thy sighs, and weep thy tears : Fantastick Nymph ! that grief should move Thy heart obdurate against love Strange tears ! whose power can soften all But that dear Breast on which they fall. June 6, 1814. Y. 72 18 Hong !3^eg of There hath lately been put forth, a re-print of that curious and interesting delineation of ancient manners, The Life of Long Meg of Westminster ',* containing the Mad Merry Prankes she played in her Life Time, London, 4to. 1635 : in the prefixed advertisement, the Editor ingeniously " inclines to the opinion that Long Meg, Gillian of Brainford, Dobson, and others of the same stamp, whose tricks have given rise to similar narrations, were REAL characters of notoriety" this deduction is strongly supported by a passage to be found in a little work, which is full of the most amusing common-place, Vaughan's Golden Groue y 1608, 12mo. It seems not to have been known to the writer whom I have just alluded to; " It is said, that log Meg of West- minster kept alwaies 20 Courtizans in her house, who by their pictures^ she sold to all commers." sign. Q 3. Y. * Forming No. 3, of the Miscellanea Antiqua Anglicana, or a Select Col- lection of Rare and Curious Tracts, illustrative of the History, Literature, Man- ners and Biography of the British Nation : a work which may be recommended with great confidence. i There is a verse in an old ballad evidently alluding to this practice, Some pictures unto him were brought, For him to chuse his Miss, The one was his own Mistress, Said he ! I will have this. 73 19 poetical July 5, 1814. 21 Fascicvlvs Florvm : or, A Nosegay of Flowers, translated out of the Gardens of severall Poets, and other Authors, some, word for word ; some, line for line : and some, in a fuller and larger manner, to the uttermost extent both of the sense and Meaning. London Printed by A. M. 1636. small 12 1 * 10 - pp. 10. 229. This little epigrammatic volume consists of eight hundred and fifty three selected specimens from fl^emormtba. 95 the greek and latin poets, including some from writers in medii cevi : accompanied with translati- ons of each extract: it should however be noticed, and the circumstance is somewhat singular, that all the excerpts from the greek writers are not given in the original, or in a latin translation, but in a french version. It commences with an address " To the great Patroness of the World, Good Acceptance," the singularity of which is explained by the ensuing extract. " And for that a dedicatory Epistle is esteemed of many, no better than an Artificiall kind of begging, and a many of Friends encomiums, in laudem Authoris, seem but as so many several! constables hands, of so many sundry Parishes set to the Passport of some poor Pilgrim, for his better conveighing home, with the Relief and charitable Alms of many well disposed people into his far country whither hee is bound. For the avoyding of all this needlesse deale of ado and loath to strike any Patron into a Palenesse or sudden cold Sweat, I hare adventured to thrust myself into the World under the shadow of thy wing most noble Lady." I cannot gather from the following passage whe- ther it alludes to printing the volume for private distribution amongst his friends, or simply to his avoiding the disgraceful custom which was once prevalent of selling the honour, or rather under such circumstances the dishonour, of a dedication. 96 I rather incline to the former, as the title page does not mention any bookseller's name, or indicate in the slightest way where the volume was to be pro- cured. " To thee therefore I am bold to present this my Nosegay of Flowers ; chusing much rather to hazard it to a generall Ap- probation Gratis^ than to any Private respect comming toward it with a Grumbling Gratuitie in its hand." This epistle is followed by three poetical pieces " to the reader/' one of which I extract. Author ad librum suum A Pipere fy Scombris. Go little Book abroad, thy self alone, Like Sinon with thy hands behind thee bound, To bear the broken lests of every one ; Whilst, (as the stag, embost before the Hound,) Some with their Nayls, some with their tongues thee wound ; But from meere Ignorants, from formall Fools, Captious Opinionists in selfsoothing drownd, From loathsome Lotions of Face-wringing-stools, Fortune defend thee, and from Chandlers shops, Pepper, and Sope, and slopping Mustard pots. 245 Si mihi quern cupio, cures, Mildreda remitti, Tu bona, tu melior ; tu mihi sola soror : Sin, male cessando, detines, vel trans mare mittas Tu mala, tu pejor ; tu mihi nulla soror. 97 Mildred, if whom I wish, you send mee home again My good, my better ; my sole Sister be : But if o're Sea, you send or trifling, him detain, My bad, my worse ; no Sister you to mee. These four Verses were made in Latin by Mistris Killigrey to her Sister Mildred (wife to the old Treasurer Cecil) to intreat her to cause her Husband to be kept from being sent Embassador into France. These two were old Sir Anthony Cooks Daughters, and were excellent Schollers in Latin and Greek, in Prose and Poetry. 794 Pulcherrima dissert olio Monialis et Juvenis. Mon. Me tibi teque mihi, genus JEt&s et decor aequant Cur non ergo pares, ambo in Amore sumus ? Juve. Non hac Teste places : alijs nigra restis ametur Qua; nigra sunt fugio ; Candida sed peramo. Mon. Veste sed hac nigra, niveam tamen aspice Carne Quae nigra sunt fugias ; Candida membra petas. Juve. Nupsisti Christo, quern non offendere fas est Hoc relum sponsam te facit este dei. Mon. Deponam velum, deponam cetera quaeq; Intraloq; torum, nuda Puella tuum. Jure. Slearcas velo, tamen altera non potes esse Vestibus ablaris. non mea culpa minor. p 98 Mon. Culpa quidem, sed non gravis, et sic esse fatebor Est quoq ; Peccatum, sed veniale totum taraen Juve. Vxorem violare viri, grave crimen habetur Sed gravius sponsam te violare dei. Mon. Vicisti nostrum saacta ratione furorem Gaudeo quod verbis sim superata tuis. A most excellent discourse, between a young Nun and a young Man. Mon. In Beauty, Birth, and Age, sith we agree Why should our Loves, not likewise equall be ? Juve. Not I your habit, though some black approve, Black things I loath, the white I dearly love. Mon. Vnder this Scole yet view my beauteous face, The black let lie, my snow white limbs embrace. Juve. Your Christ, whom lawfull sin's t'oflend, have wed This veyle makes yoq the spouse of Gods owne Bed, Mon. For thy dear Love, Vaile, Smock, and all He strip And then starke naked to thy Bed will skip. Juve. All be unvayl'd you will remain the same Ne your uncloathing can abate my blame. 99 Man. Tis no such fault, though faulty I confess It is a sin but veniall nath'less. Juve. A man's wife to defile's a foule offence But you (God's spouse) is double Impudence. Mon. Your sage discourse my lust hath stricken dumb And with your words I joy to be orecome. MICROBIBLION or the Bibles Epitome: in verse, digested ac- cording to the Alphabet^ that the scriptures we reade may more happily be remembred, and things forgotten more easily recalled. By Simon Wastell sometimes of Queenes Colledge in Oxford. Bonus Textualis, Bonus Thcologus, A good Diuine hee's counted still, In scripture text that hath good skill. Psal. 1. 2. Blessed is he that delighteth and meditateth in the law of God day and night. London^ Printed for Robert Mylbourne^ and are to be sold at his shop at the signs of the Greyhound in Paules Churchyard. 1629. The above may be called the second edition of a work which was first published as " The true Christians daily delight ; being a sum of every chapter of the Old and New Testament^ set down 100 alphabetical^/ in English verse/ 1 * Lond. 1623 Igmo. It is inscribed " To the Right honorable his singular good Lord, Sir William Spencer Knight, Baron Spencer of Wormeleighton, and to his honorable Lady." " May it therefore please your Honor (as formerly it pleased your worthy Father my good Lord, now deceased) to patronise this little worke." This dedication which occupietli 4 pages, is fol- lowed by an address " To the Christian Reader/' 4 pages ; then come these lines In commendation of this Worke. To keepe us blamelesse what excuse haue we If ignorant in Gods commands we be ? Since, to informe vs, what his pleasure is, So many helpes we haue that others misse : And are not now compelled to goe seeke The hard phraz'd Hebrew nor the copious Greeke, For, God speakes English to vs, and assayes To worke true knowledge in vs diuers wayes. Some men interpret, some againe expound : And this our Author here, a meanes hath found To helpe the memorie : And not in vaine If others adde endeauor to his paine. Peruse it, Reader ! And so mindfull be Of that, whereof this Booke remembers thee ; * Between pages 384 and 7 of the 1629 edition is a second title page to the New Testament, which, with some trifling exceptions, agrees with the above. That others in thy life, may copyed finde, What thou art hereby taught to beare in minde. George Wither.* At the back of this occur " The names of all the Bookes of the Bible, as they follow in order." A single specimen will suffice. An vpright man whose name was Job in laud of Vr did dwell, Who for his pious patience all other did excell ; Behold the holy care he had of all his children deare, * The productions of this admirable poet have lately excited considerable interest ; several portions of his Juvenilia are about to be reprinted, and Mr. Gutch, of Bristol, for near four years has been engaged in carrying through his press, in three volumes, a selection from the whole of his works. I cannot deny myself the gratification of extracting from a MS. letter, the opipion of Wither's talent, as expressed by a friend, whose fine taste for poetry, unal- loyed by any antiquarian prejudices, was forcibly attracted by the very supe- rior merit of an old poet, whose memory has had the hard fate of being reviled by men who were his inferiors in genius, and whose works have been most shamefully neglected, and suffered to remain in undeserved obscurity. ' By mere accident I met with a considerable collection of George Wither's Works, 1632: Amongst them " The Mistresse of Philarete," which Anthony Wood says he never saw, and also " The Shepherds Huntinge," which the same Anthony acknowledges to display some " Geny ;" this is a great deal for the Oxford antiquary, considering Wither was one of Cromwell's coloneU and a Puritan I think that all his works display a great deal there is much poetry great eloquence and tho' his subject be extended it is varied The way is long to be sure, but it is not dreary. At one period it might have been thought he would never have been unnoticed by those who noticed any thing. How could Wither be omitted, and such a writer as Savage or Brome be jnentioned in " The Lives of the Poets ?" MS. letter. 27 March 1811. 102 His holinesse and wondrous wealth are plainly set downe here ; Cyrst Sathan came before the Lord, when other Angells came, And there for grosse hypocrisie doth Job accuse and blame ; Distrest he is, (by Gods good leaue) and rob'd of all his wealth, Which Sabeans and Chaldeans did driue away by stealth ; Exceeding losses in his goods this good man did sustaine, Yet was it greater griefe to him, when children all were slaine ; Fvll patiently he beareth all, and mourning thus doth say, Blest be the Lord that hath both giuen and taken things away : God giueth Sathan leaue againe good Job to tempt and try, From top to toe with sores and boyles, he plagues him greuously ; His wife that should haue comforted and cheered him in griefe, Of all his vexers (next the Deuill) she seemes to be the chiefe. The work is continued in this hobbling metre to the 506th' page, where it concludes. 103 After which there should be, though they are found wanting in many copies, four leaves unpaged, consisting of 1. A briefe Chronology. 1 page. 2. The old mans A. B. C. Ye Saints on earth be of good cheere, The darts of Death ye need not feare. 2 pages. 3. Vpon the image of Death in 9 stanzas. Before my face the Picture hangs That dayly should put me in mind, Of those cold qualmes and bitter pangs, That shortly I am like to find. But yet alas, full little I, Doe thinke hereon that I must dye. 2 pages. 4. Of Mans Mortalitie. Like as the Damaske Rose you see. 2 pages. This beautiful poem has been generally considered as the production of Quarles, and I think him more likely to have been the writer, than Wastell ; it has been extracted from this valuable volume by Ellis in his Specimens. 5. Errata to be corrected. 1 page. According to Anthony Wood, our authour was born in Westmoreland, of a family settled at Was- tellhead, in that County ; and entered a student of Queens College, about the year 1580 : after taking a degree in Arts in about five years, he was, from his classical and poetical attainments, appointed 104 Master of the Free-school at Northampton, where he was living 1623 : of the period of his death we have no account. A very finely-conditioned and complete copy of this rare book, is in the possession of Francis Free- ling, Esq. July 11, 1814. 23 f of $o#cg ftp