66 the streets. Having interefted himself in the fashionable poetry of the times, he was placed high in the ideal Arcadia now just established: and among other inftances which might be brought, on his return from Portugal in 1589, he was complimented with a poem, called "An Egloge gratulatorie entituled to the right honorable and renowned fhepherd of Albions Arcadie "Robert earl of Effex and for his returne lately into England." This is a light in which lord Effex is feldom viewed. I know not if the queen's fatal partiality, or his own inherent attractions, his love of literature, his heroifm, integrity, and generosity, qualities which abundantly overbalance his prefumption, his vanity, and impetuofity, had the greater share in dictating these praises. If adulation were any where juftifiable, it must be when paid to the man who endeavoured to fave Spenfer from starving in the streets of Dublin, and who buried him in Westminster-abbey with becoming folemnity. Spenfer was perfecuted by Burleigh, because he was patronised by Effex. Thomas Churchyard, who will occur again, rendered the three firft of the TRISTIA, which he dedicated to fir Chriftopher Hatton, and printed at London in 1580 *. Among Coxeter's papers is mentioned the ballet of Helen's epistle to Paris, from Ovid, in 1570, by B. G. I suspect this B. G. to be the author of a poem called "A booke intituled a new tragicall historye of too lovers," as it is entered in the register of the Stationers, where it is licenced to Alexander Lacy, under the year 1563. Ames recites this piece as written by Ber. Gar. Licenced to R. Jones, Aug. 1, 1589. REGISTR. STATION. B. fol. 246. b. In quarto. An entry appears in 1577, and 1591. REGISTR. STATION. • REGISTR. A. fol. 102. It was reprinted, in 1568, for Griffiths, ibid. fol. 174. b. Again, the fame year, for R. Jones, "The ballet intituled the ftory of ij fayth"full lovers.” Ibid. fol. 177. b. Again, for R. Tottell, in 1564, "A tragicall hiftorye that happened betweene ij Eng-. lithe lovers." Ibid. fol. 118. a. I know perhaps Bernard Gardiner. Uniefs Gar, which I do not think, be the full name. The title of BALLET was often applied to poems of confiderable length. Thus in the register of the Stationers, Sackville's LEGEND OF BUCKINGHAM, a part of the MIRROUR OF MAGISTRATES, is recited, under the year 1557, among a great number of ballads, fome of which feem to be properly so styled, and entitled, "The murninge of Edward "duke of Buckynham." Unless we fuppofe this to be a popular epitome of Sackville's poem, then just published ". A romance, or History, verfified, fo as to form a book or pamphlet, was fometimes called a ballad. As "A ballett entituled an history of Alexander Campaspe and Apelles, and of the fayth"full frynde hippe betweene theym, printed for Colwell, in 1565". This was from the grand romance of Alexander*. Sometimes a Ballad is a work in profe. I cannot fay whether, "A "ballet intitled the incorraggen all kynde of men to the reedy"fyinge and buyldynge Poules fteeple againe," printed in 1564", was a pathetic ditty, or a pious homily, or both. A play or interlude was fometimes called a ballet, as, "A Ballet intituled. AN ENTERLUDE, The cruel detter by Wayer," printed for Colwell, in 15652. Religious fubjects were frequently called. by this vague and indifcriminating name. In 1561, was published “ A new ballet of iiij commandements '." That is, four of the Ten Commandments in metre. Again, among many others of the fame kind, as puritanifm gained ground, "A 1 HIST. PRINT. 532. 551. I will exhibit the mode of entry more at large. "To John Kynge THESE BOOKES FOLOWYNGE, Called A Nofegaye, The fcole bowfe of women, and alfo a Sacke full of Nerves" Then another paragraph begins, "To Mr. John Wallis, and Mrs. "Toye, these BALLETS FOLOWYNGE, "that ys to faye,." Then follow about forty pieces, among which is this of the Duke of Buckingham. REGISTR. A. fol. 22. a. But in thefe records, Book and BALLET are often promifcuoufly used. REGISTR. STATION. A. fol. 137. b. "ballet intituled the xvij b " chapter of the iiijth [fecond] boke of " Kynges And I remember to have feen, of the fame period, a Ballet of the first chapter of Genefis. And John Hall, abovementioned, wrote or compiled in 1564, "The COURTE OF "VERTUE, Contaynynge many holy or fpretuall songes, fonettes, "pfalmes, balletts, and fhorte fentences, as well of holy fcrip"tures, as others "." It is extraordinary, that Horace's ODES fhould not have been translated within the period of which we are speaking. In the year 1566, Thomas Drant published, what he called, “ A "MEDICINABLE MORALL, that is, the two bookes of Horace "his fatyres Englished, according to the prescription of faint "Hierome, &c. London, for Thomas Marshe, 1566." It is dedicated to "my Lady Bacon and my Lady Cecill fauourers of "learning and vertue." The following year appeared, "Horace "his Arte of Poetrie, Piftles, and Satyrs Englished, and to the "earle of Ormounte by Thomas Drant addreffed. Imprinted "at London in Fleteftrete nere to S. Dunftones churche, by "Thomas Marshe, 1567"." This verfion is very paraphrastic, Ibid. fol. 166. a. For T. Marfhe. Ibid. fol. 118. b. [See fupr. p. 181.] I believe they were firft translated by fir Thomas Hawkins, knight, in 1625 That is, Quod malum eft muta, quod bonum eft prode, from his Epiftle to Rufinus. f At the end of this tranflation, are, "The waylings of the prophet Hiere"miah done into Englifhe verse. Also "Epigrammes. T. Drant, Antidoti faluta"ris amator, Perufed and allowed accordсс yng to the queenes maiefties iniunctions." Of the Epigrams, four are in English, and, feven in Latin. This book is faid to be authorised by the bishop of London. REGISTR. STATION. A. fol. 140. b. I know pot whether or no the EPIGRAMS were not printed feparate: for in 1567, is licenced to T. Marfhe, "A boke intituled Epygrams and Sentences fpirituall by "Draunte." Ibid. fol. 165. a. The argument of the JEREMIAH, which he com pared with the Hebrew and the Septuagint, begins, Jerufalem is iuftlie plagude, And left difconfolate, The queene of townes the prince of realmes' - Deuefted from her state. In 1586, Mar. 11, are entered to J. Wolfe, "LAMENTATION OF JEREMYE in profe "and meeter in English, with Tremel"lius's Annotations to the profe." REGISTR. STATION. B. fol. 216. a. See Donne's POEMS, p. 306. feq. edit. 1633. 4to. With a Greek motto. In quarto. Bl. Lett. In the front of the Dedication he ftyles himself "Maister "of Arte, and Student in Diuinitye." There is a licence in 1566-7, to Henry Weekes for "Orace epeftles in Englishe." REGISTR. STATION. A. fol. 155. a. And there is an entry of the EPISTLES in 1591. REGISTR, B. I find also entered to Colwell, and fometimes parodical. In the address to the reader prefixed, our tranflator fays of his Horace, "I haue tranflated him fumtymes at randun. And nowe at this last time welnye worde "for worde, and lyne for lyne. And it is maruaile that I, be❝ing in all myne other fpeaches fo playne and perceauable, "should here defyer or not shun to be harde, so farre forth as I "can kepe the lerninge and fayinges of the author." What follows is too curious not to be transcribed, as it is a picture of the popular learning, and a ridicule of the idle narratives, of the reign of queen Elifabeth. "But I feare me a number do fo "thincke of thys booke, as I was aunfwered by a prynter not long agone: Though fayth he, fir, your boke be wyfe and "ful of learnyng, yet peradventure it wyl not be faleable: Signifying indeede, that flim flames, and gue gawes, be they "neuer so fleight and flender, are fooner rapte vp thenne are "those which be lettered and clarkly makings. And no doubt "the cause that bookes of learnynge feme fo hard is, because "fuch and fo greate a fcull of amaroufe [amorous] pamphlets "haue fo preoccupyed the eyes and eares of men, that a multy"tude beleue ther is none other style or phrase ells worthe gramercy. No bookes fo ryfe or fo frindly red, as be these 66 well," The fyrste twoo fatars and peyfels "of Orace Englesfhed by Lewis Evans "schoolemaifter," in 1564. REGISTR. A. fol. 121. a. This piece is not catalogued among Evans's works in Wood, ATH. OXON. i. 178. Nor in Tanner, BIBL. p. 270. We have this paffage in a poem called PASQUILL'S MADNESSE, Lond. 1600. 4to. fol. 36. And tell profe writers, ftories are so stale, any time 'tis an English Cronicle, fir "Huon of Bourdeaux, or Amadis de "Gaule, a playe booke, or fome pamphlett "of newes." Hollinfhed's and Stowe's VOL. III. CRONICLES became at length the only CADIA, let them reade the Grundes of "good Hufwifery. I like not a female poe"teffe at any hand.-There is a pretty way "of breeding young maides in an Ex change-fhop, or Saint Martines le Grand, "But many of them gett fuch a foolish "trick with carrying their band-box to "gentlemens 3 H 66 "bokes. But if the fettyng out of the wanton tricks of a payre of louers, as for example let theym be cauled fir "Chaunticleare and dame Partilote, to tell howe their firste "combination of loue began, howe their eyes floted, and howe they anchered, their beames mingled one with the others bewtye. Then, of their perplexed thowghts, their throwes, "their fancies, their dryrie driftes, now interrupted now vnperfyted, their loue days, their fugred words, and their fugred ioyes. Afterward, howe enuyous fortune, through this chop that chaunce, turned their blefs to bale, feuerynge two "fuch bewtiful faces and dewtiful hearts. Laft, at partynge, "to ad-to an oration or twane, interchangeably had betwixt "the two wobegone perfons, the one thicke powderd with manly paffionat pangs, the other watered with womanish teares. are not fo narrowly to be looked vpon "in a large poeme, nor specially in the pretie poefies and deuises of Ladies and "Gentlewomen-makers,[poeteffes,] whom "we would not haue too precife poets, "leaft with their fhrewd wits, when they 66 were married, they might become a lit"tle too fantasticall wiues." Lib. iii. ch. xxi. p. 209. Decker, in the GULS HORNBOOK, written in 1609, in the chapter How a gallant should behave himself in a play-boufe, mentions the neceffity of hoarding up a quantity of play-fcraps, to be ready for the attacks of the "Arcadian and "Euphuifed gentlewomen." Ch. vi. p. 27. feq. Edward Hake, in A Touchstone for this time prefent, fpeaking of the education of young ladies, fays, that the girl is " "ther altogither kept from exercises of "good learning, and knowledge of good letters, or elie fhe is fo noufeled in AMOROUS bookes, vaine STORIES, and fonde ey 66 "trifeling fancies, &c." Lond. by Thomas Hacket, 1574, 12mo. SIGNAT. C 4. He adds, after many fevere cenfures on the impiety of dancing, that "the fub"ftaunce which is confumed in twoo yeares fpace vppon the apparaill of one meane "gentlemans daughter, or vppon the daughter or wife of one citizen, woulde "bee fufficient to finde a poore student in "the vniuerfitye by the space of foure or "five yeares at the leaft." Ibid. SIGNAT. D 2. But if girls are bred to learning, hé fays, "It is for no other ende, but to "make them companions of carpet knights, "and giglots for amorous louers." Ibid. SIGNAT. C 4. Gabriel Harvey, in his elegy DE AULICA, or character of the Maid of Honour, fays, among many other requifite accomplishments, Saltet item, pingatque cadem, DOCTUM. |