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BIEN RIMER." His chapters on IMITATION and TRANSLATION have much more philofophy and reflection than are to be expected for his age, and contain observations which might edify modern critics. Nor muft I forget, that Pelletier also published a French tranflation of Horace's ART OF POETRY at Paris in 1545. I prefume, that Joachim du Bellay's Deffense et Illuftration de la LANGUE FRANÇOISE was published at no great distance from the year 1550. He has the fame just notion of the drama. "As to tragedies and comedies, if kings and states "would restore them in their antient glory, which has been ufurped by farces and MORALITIES, I am of opinion that you would lend your affiftance; and if you wish to adorn our language, you know where to find models h."

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The Italian vernacular criticism began chiefly in commentaries and difcourfes on the language and phrafeology of Dante, Petrarch, and Boccace. I believe one of the firft of that kind is, "Le tre Fontane di Nicolò Liburnio fopra la grammatica, e l'eloquenza di Dante, del Petrarcha, e del Boccacio. In Ve"nezia, per Gregorio Gregori, 15261." Numerous expositions, lectures, annotations, and discourses of the fame fort, especially on Dante's Inferno, and the Florentine dialect, appeared foon afterwards. Immediately after the publication of their respective poems, Ariofto, whofe ORLANDO FURIOSO was ftyled the nuova poefia, and Taffo, were illuftrated or expounded by commentators more intricate than their text. One of the earliest of these is, 66 Spofizione de Simon Fornari da Reggio fopra "l'Orlando Furiofo di Lodovico Ariofto. In Firenze per Lorenzo Torrentino 1549 *." Perhaps the first criticism on what the Italians call the Volgar Lingua is by Pietro Bembo, "Profe "di Pietro Bembo della volgar Lingua divife in tre libri. In

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• Liv. ii. ch. i. De la RIME.

f See Liv. i. ch. v. and vi.

Par Michel Vafcofan. 8vo.
Liv. ii. ch. iv.

In quarto. Again, per Marchio Sessa, 1534. 8vo.

In 8vo. The Seconde Partie appeared ibid. 1550. 8vo.

"Firenze

"Firenze per Lorenzo Torrentino, 1549'." But the first edition seems to have been in 1525. This subject was discussed in an endless fucceffion of Regole grammaticali, Offervazioni, Avvertimenti, and Ragionamenti. Here might also be mentioned, the annotations, although they are altogether explanatory, which often accompanied the early tranflations of the Greek and Latin claffics into Italian. But I refign this labyrinth of research to the fuperior opportunities and abilities of the French and Italian. antiquaries in their native literature. To have faid nothing on the subject might have been thought an omiffion, and to have faid more, impertinent. I therefore return to our own poetical annals.

Our three great poets, Chaucer, Gower, and Lydgate, feem to have maintained their rank, and to have been in high reputation, during the period of which we are now treating. Splendid impreffions of large works were at this time great undertakings. A fumptuous edition of Gower's CONFESSIO AMANTIS was published by Berthelette in 1554. On the fame ample plan, in 1555, Robert Braham printed with great accuracy, and a diligent investigation of the antient copies, the firft correct edition of Lydgate's TROYBOKE". I have before incidentally remarked", that Nicholas Briggam, a polite scholar, a ftudent at Oxford and at the Inns of Court, and a writer of poetry, in the year 1555, depofited the bones of Chaucer under a new tomb, erected at his own coft, and infcribed with a new epitaph, in the chapel of bishop Blafe in Westminster abbey, which still remains °. Wilson, as we have just seen in a citation from his RHETORIC, records an anecdote, that the more accomplished and elegant courtiers were perpetually quoting Chaucer. Yet

1 In quarto.

Nothing can be more incorrect than the first edition in 1513.

n See fupr. vol. ii. p. 44.

• Undoubtedly Chaucer was originally buried in this place. Leland cites a Latin elegy, or NENIA, of thirty-four lines, which he fays was compofed by Stephanus Surigonius of Milan, at the request of VOL. III.

William Caxton the printer and which, Leland adds, was written on a white tablet by Surigonius, on a pillar near Chaucer's grave in the fouth ile at Weftminster. SCRIPT. BRIT. GALFRID. CHAUCERUS. See Caxton's EPILOGUE to Chaucer's BOOKE OF FAME, in Caxton's CHAUCER. Wood fays, that Briggamexercised his "mufe much in poetry, and took great Y Y "delight

this must be reftricted to the courtiers of Edward the fixth. And indeed there is a peculiar reafon why Chaucer, exclufive of his real excellence, fhould have been the favorite of a court which laid the foundations of the reformation of religion. It was, that his poems abounded with fatyrical ftrokes against the corruptions of the church, and the diffolute manners of the monks. And undoubtedly Chaucer long before, a lively and popular writer, greatly affifted the doctrines of his cotemporary Wickliffe, in opening the eyes of the people to the abfurdities of popery, and expofing its impoftures in a vein of humour and pleasantry. Fox the martyrologist, a weak and a credulous compiler, perhaps goes too far in affirming, that Chaucer has undeniably proved the pope to be the antichrift of the apocalypfe P.

Of the reign of queen Mary, we are accustomed to conceive every thing that is calamitous and difgufting. But when we turn our eyes from its political evils to the objects which its literary history prefents, a fair and flourishing scene appears. In this profpect, the mind feels a repofe from contemplating the fates of thofe venerable prelates, who fuffered the most excruciating death for the purity and inflexibility of their faith; and whofe unburied bodies, diffipated in afhes, and undistinguished in the common mass, have acquired a more glorious monument, than if they had been interred in magnificent shrines, which might have been visited by pilgrims, loaded with fuperftitious gifts, and venerated with the pomp of mistaken devotion.

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SE C T. XXXVIII.

HE firft

TH

poem which presents itself at the commencement

of the reign of queen Elifabeth, is the play of GORDOBUC, written by Thomas Sackville lord Buckhurst, the original contriver of the MIRROUR OF MAGISTRATES. Thomas Norton, already mentioned as an associate with Sternhold and Hopkins in the metrical verfion of David's Pfalms, is faid to have been his coadjutor ".

It is no part of my plan, accurately to mark the progress of our drama, much lefs to examine the merit of particular plays. But as this piece is perhaps the firft fpecimen in our language of an heroic tale, written in blank verfe, divided into acts and scenes, and cloathed in all the formalities of a regular tragedy,

It is fcarcely worth obferving, that one Thomas Brice, at the acceffion of Elifabeth, printed in English metre a Regifter of the Martyrs and Confeffors under queen Mary, Lond. for R. Adams, 1559. 8vo. I know not how far Fox might profit by this work. I think he has not mentioned it. In the Stationers regifters, in 1567, were entered to Henry Binneman, SONGES and SONNETTS by Thomas Brice. REGISTR. A. fol. 164. a. I have never feen the book. In 1570, an elegy, called "An epitaph on Mr. Bryce preacher" occurs, licenced to John Alde. Ibid. fol. 205. b. Again, we have the COURT OF VENUS, I fuppofe a ballad, MORALISED, in 1566, by Thomas Bryce, for Hugh Singleton. Ibid. fol. 156. a.

See fupr. p. 169. See Preface to GORDOBUC, edit. 1571. Strype says, that

Thomas Norton was a clergyman, a puri
tan, a man of parts and learning, well
known to fecretary Cecil and archbishop
Parker, and that he was fufpected, but
without foundation, of writing an answer
to Whitgift's book against the puritans,
published in 1572. LIFE OF PARKER, P.
364. LIFE OF WHITGEFT, p. 28. I for-
got to mention before, that Norton has a
copy of recommendatory verfes prefixed to
Turner's PRESERVATIVE, a tract against
the Pelagians, dedicated to Hugh Latimer,
printed Lond. 1551. 12mo. In the Con
ferences in the Tower with Campion the
Jefuit, in 1581, one Norton, but not our
author, feems to have been employed as a
notary. See "A TRUE REPORTE OF
THE DISPUTATION, &c." Lond. 1583.
Bl. Lett. 4to. SIGNAT. A a. iij.

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it seems juftly to deserve a more minute and a distinct discussion in this general view of our poetry.

It was first exhibited in the great Hall of the Inner Temple, by the students of that Society, as part of the entertainment of a grand Christmas, and afterwards before queen Elisabeth at Whitehall, on the eighteenth day of January in 1561. It was never intended for the prefs. But being furreptitiously and very carelefily printed in 1565, an exact edition, with the confent and under the inspection of the authors, appeared in 1571, in black letter, thus entitled. "The TRAGIDIE OF FERREX AND

PORREX, fet forth without addition or alteration, but alto"gether as the fame was fhowed on ftage before the queenes "Majestie about nine yeare paft, viz. The xviij day of Januarie,

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1561. By the gentlemen of the Inner-Temple. Seen and "allowed, &c. Imprinted at London by John Daye dwelling "ouer Alderfgate." It has no date, nor notation of pages, and contains only thirty-one leaves in small octavo.

In the edition of 1565, it is called the TRAGEDIE OF GORDOBUC. The whole title of that edition runs thus. "The Tragedie of Gor"dobuc, whereof three actes were wrytten by Thomas Nor"tone and the two lafte by Thomas Sackvyle. Sett forthe as "the fame was fhewed before the queenes moft excellent ma"ieftie in her highnes court of Whitehall, the 18 Jan. 1561. By the gentlemen of thynner Temple in London. Sept. 22. 1565." Printed by William Griffith at the fign of the falcon in Fleet-ftreet, in quarto. I have a most incorrect black lettered

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For the benefit of those who wish to gain a full and exact information about this edition, fo as to diftinguish it from all the reft, I will here exhibit the arrangement of the lines of the title page. "The Tragidie of Ferrex | and Porrex,

fet forth without addition or alte- | "ration but altogether as the fame was "fhewed on ftage before the queenes "maieftie, about nine yeares paft, vz. "the xviij daie of Januarie. 1561. by "the Gentlemen of the Inner Temple.

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