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pear from his title, which from its archness alone deserves to be inferted. "The GOLDEN BOOKE OF THE LEADEN GODDES, "wherein is defcribed the vayne imaginations of the heathen

pagans, and counterfeit chriftians. With a description of their "feverall tables, what each of their pictures fignified'." The writer, however, doctor Stephen Batman, had been domeftic chaplain to archbishop Parker, and is better known by his general chronicle of prodigies called Batman's Dooм'. He was also the last tranflator of the Gothic Pliny, BARTHOLOMEUS DE PROPRIETATIBUS RERUM, and collected more than a thousand manufcripts for archbishop Parker's library.

This enquiry might be much farther enlarged and extended. But let it be fufficient to obferve here in general, that the best ftories of the early and original Italian novelists, either by immediate translation, or through the mediation of Spanish, French, or Latin verfions, by paraphrafe, abridgement, imitation, and often under the disguise of licentious innovations of names, incidents, and characters, appeared in an English dress, before the clofe of the reign of Elifabeth, and for the most part, even before the publication of the firft volume of Belleforreft's grand repofitory of tragical narratives, a compilation from the Italian writers, in 1583. But the CENT HISTOIRES TRAGIQUES of Belleforrest himself, appear to have been tranflated soon afterwards ". In the meantime, it must be remembered, that many tranflations of Tales from the modern languages were licenced to be printed, but afterwards fuppreffed by the interest of the puritans. It appears from the register of the Stationers, that among others, in the year 1619, "The DECAMERON of "Mr. John Boccace Florentine," was revoked by a fudden inhibition of Abbot, archbishop of Canterbury". But not only the clamours of the Calvinists, but caprice and ignorance, perhaps partiality, seem to have had fome fhare in this business of

s In quarto, for Thomas Marshe, 1577. It contains only 72 pages. Licenced Aug. 26, 1577. REGISTR. STATION. B. fol. 142. b.

C.

t Lond. 1581. 4to.
"See, under 1596, REGISTR. STATION.

W REGISTR, C. fol. 311. a.

"

licencing

licencing books. The rigid arbiters of the prefs who condemned Boccace in the grofs, could not with propriety fpare all the licentious cantos of Ariofto. That writer's libertine friar, metamorphofis of Richardetto, Alcina and Rogero, Anfelmo, and hoft's tale of Aftolfo, are shocking to common decency. When the four or five first books of AMADIS DE GAUL in French were delivered to Wolfe to be tranflated into English and to be printed, in the year 1592, the fignature of bishop Aylmer was affixed to every book of the original *. The romance of PALMERIN OF ENGLAND was licenced to be printed in 1580, on condition, that if any thing reprehenfible was found in the book after publication, all the copies fhould be committed to the flames". Notwithstanding, it is remarkable, that in 1587, a new edition of Boccace's DECAMERON in Italian by Wolfe, should have been permitted by archbishop Whitgift*: and the English AMOROUS FIAMETTA of Boccace, abovementioned, in the fame year by the bishop of London'.

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But in the year 1599, the Hall of the Stationers underwent as great a purgation as was carried on in Don Quixote's library. Marston's Pygmalion, Marlowe's Ovid, the Satires of Hall and Marston, the Epigrams of Davies and others, and the CALTHA POETARUM, were ordered for immediate conflagration, by the prelates Whitgift and Bancroft. By the fame authority, all the books of Nash and Gabriel Harvey were anathematised; and, like thieves and outlaws, were ordered to be taken wherefoever they maye be found. It was decreed, that no Satires or Epigrams should be printed for the future. No plays were to be printed without the inspection and permiffion of the archbishop of Canterbury

REGISTR. STATION. B. fol. 286. a. Hence Dekker's familiarity of allufion, in The VNTRUSSING OF THE HUMOROUS POET, "Farewell my fweete Amadis de "Gaule!" Lond. 1602. 4to. Signat. D 2.

To John Charlewood, Feb. 13. Ibid. fol. 177. b.

z Two or three other Italian books, a proof of the popularity of the language,

were allowed to be printed in 1588. Ibid. 233. b. fol. 234. b.

fol.

Sept. 13. Together with the Historie of China, both in Italian and English. b Ibid. Sept. 18.

There are alfo recited, "The Sha"dowe of Truthe in Epigrams and Satires. "Snarling Satyres. The booke againfte "women. The xv ioyes of marriage."

and

and the bishop of London, nor any Englishe Hiftoryes, I suppose novels and romances, without the fanction of the Privy-council. Any pieces of this nature, unlicenced, or now at large and wandering abroad, were to be diligently fought, recalled, and delivered over to the ecclefiaftical arm at London-house ".

If any apology should be thought neceffary for fo prolix and intricate an examination of these compofitions, I shelter this section under the authority of a polite and judicious Roman writer, "Sit apud te honos ANTIQUITATI, fit ingentibus factis, "fit FABULIS quoque "."

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SECT. XLIII.

EN

NOUGH has been opened of the reign of queen Elifabeth, to afford us an opportunity of forming fome general reflections, tending to establish a full eftimate of the genius of the poetry of that reign; and which, by drawing conclufions from what has been faid, and directing the reader to what he is to expect, will at once be recapitulatory and preparatory. Such a furvey perhaps might have stood with more propriety as an introduction to this reign. But it was firft neceffary to clear the way, by many circumftantial details, and the regular narration of thofe particulars, which lay the foundation of principles, and fuggeft matter for difcurfive obfervation. My fentiments on this subject shall therefore compofe the concluding section of the present volume.

The age of queen Elifabeth is commonly called the golden

age of English poetry. It certainly may not improperly be ftyled the moft POETICAL age of these annals.

Among the great features which strike us in the poetry of this period, are the predominancy of fable, of fiction, and fancy, and a predilection for interesting adventures and pathetic events. I will endeavour to affign and explain the cause of this characteristic distinction, which may chiefly be referred to the following principles, fometimes blended, and fometimes operating fingly: The revival and vernacular verfions of the claffics, the importation and tranflation of Italian novels, the vifionary reveries or refinements of falfe philofophy, a degree of superftition fufficient for the purposes of poetry, the adoption of

the

the machineries of romance, and the frequency and improvements of allegoric exhibition in the popular spectacles.

When the corruptions and impoftures of popery were abolished, the fashion of cultivating the Greek and Roman learning became universal and the literary character was no longer appropriated to scholars by profeffion, but affumed by the nobility and gentry. The ecclefiaftics had found it their intereft to keep the languages of antiquity to themselves, and men were eager to know what had been fo long injuriously concealed. Truth propagates truth, and the mantle of mystery was removed not only from religion but from literature. The laity, who had now been taught to affert their natural privileges, became impatient of the old monopoly of knowledge, and demanded admittance to the ufurpations of the clergy. The general curiofity for new discoveries, heightened either by just or imaginary ideas of the treasures contained in the Greek and Roman writers, excited all persons of leisure and fortune to study the claffics. The pedantry of the present age was the politeness of the last. An accurate comprehenfion of the phrafeology and peculiarities of the antient poets, hiftorians, and orators, which yet feldom went farther than a kind of technical erudition, was an indifpenfable and almost the principal object in the circle of a gentleman's education. Every young lady of fashion was carefully instituted in claffical letters: and the daughter of a duchefs was taught, not only to distil strong waters, but to conftrue Greek. Among the learned females of high distinction, queen Elifabeth herself was the most confpicuous. Roger Afcham, her preceptor, speaks with rapture of her aftonishing progrefs in the Greek nouns ; and declares with no fmall degree of triumph, that during a long refidence at Windfor-castle, she was accustomed to read more Greek in a day, than "some prebendary of that church "did Latin, in one week‘. And although perhaps a princess looking out words in a lexicon, and writing down hard phrases

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2 SCHOOLEMASTER, p. 19. b. edit. 1589. 4to.

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