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inn; on which, he takes occafion to resume the topic of his juvenile frolics exhibited in London fifty years ago. "She's "old, and had Robin Night work, before I came to Cle"ment's inn.-Ha, coufin Silence, that thou hadft That that "this knight and I have seen! Hah, Sir John, &c." Falftaffe's recruits are next brought forward to be inrolled. One of them is ordered to handle his arms: when Shallow fays, ftill dwelling on the old favorite theme of Clement'sinn,' "He is not his craft-mafter, he doth not do it right. I "remember at Mile-End Green, when I lay at Clement's-inn,

I was then Sir Dagonet in ARTHUR'S SHOW, there was a "little quiver fellow, and he would manage you his piece thus, &c." Does he mean, that he acted fir Dagonet at Mile-end Green, or at Clement's-inn? By the application of a parenthesis only, the paffage will be cleared from ambiguity, and the fenfe I would affign will appear to be juft. "I re"member at Mile-end Green, (when I lay at Clement's-inn,

I was then Sir Dagonet in ARTHUR'S SHOW,) there was a "little quiver fellow, &c." That is, "I remember, when "I was a very young man at Clement's-inn, and not fit to

act any higher part than Sir Dagonet in' the interludes -16 which we used to play in the fociety, that among the foldiers “ ແ who were exercised in Mile-end Green, there was one remarkable fellow, &c." The performance of this part of Sir Dagonet was another of Shallow's feats at Clement's-inn, on which he delights to expatiate: a circumstance, in the mean time, quite foreign to the purpose of what he is saying, but introduced, on that account, to heighten the ridicule of his character. Juft as he had told Silence, a little before, that he faw Schoggan's head broke by Falstaffe at the court-gate,

In the text, "When I laid at Clement's inn," is lodged, or lived. Sa Leland. “ An "old manor-place, where in tymes paste "fum of the Moulbrays LAY for a starte." That is LIVED for a time, or fometimes.

ITIN. vol. i. fol. 119. Again, "Maister "Page hath tranflated the House, and now "much LYITH there." Ibid. fol. 121. And in many other places.

"and

" and the very fame day, I did fight with one Sampfon Stock"fith, a fruiterer, behind Gray's-inn." Not to mention the fatire implied in making Shallow act Sir Dagonet, who was King Arthur's Fool. ARTHUR'S SHOW, here supposed to have been presented at Clement's-inn, was probably an interlude, or mafque, which actually exifted, and was very popular, in Shakespeare's age: and feems to have been compiled from Mallory's MORTE ARTHUR, or the history of king Arthur, then recently published, and the favorite and moft fashionable romance'.

When the focieties of the law performed these shews within their own respective refectories, at Christmas, or any other festival, a Christmas-prince, or revel-master, was constantly appointed. At a Christmas celebrated in the hall of the Middle-temple, in the year 1635, the jurisdiction, privileges, and parade, of this mock-monarch, are thus circumftantially described. He was attended by his lord keeper, lord treasurer, with eight white staves, a captain of his band of penfioners and of his guard; and with two chaplains, who were fo feriously impreffed with an idea of his regal dignity, that when they preached before him on the preceding Sunday in the Temple church, on ascending the pulpit, they faluted him with three low bows. He dined, both in the hall, and in his privy-chamber, under a cloth of eftate. The pole-axes for his gentlemen penfioners were borrowed of lord Salisbury. Lord Holland, his temporary Justice in Eyre, fupplied him with venifon, on demand: and the lord mayor and sheriffs of London, with wine. On twelfth-day, at going to church, he received many petitions,

That Mile-end green was the place for public fports and exercifes, we learn from Froiffart. In the affair of Tyler and Straw he fays, "Then the kynge fende to them ." that they fhulde all drawe to a fayre "playne place, called Myle-end, where the "people of the cytie did fport themselves

"in the fomer feafon." &c. Berner's TRANSL. tom. i. c. 383. f. 262. a.

8 See alfo Dugd. ORIG. Jurid. p. 151. where many of the circumstances of this of ficer are described at large: who also mentions, at Lincoln's-inn, a KING OF THE COCKNEYS on childermas-day, cap. 64. P. 247.

which he gave to his master of requests: And, like other kings, he had a favorite, whom, with others, gentlemen of high quality, he knighted at returning from church. His expences, all from his own purfe, amounted to two thoufand pounds. We are alfo told, that in the year 1635, "On Shrovetide at night, the lady Hatton feasted the king, queen, and princes, at her house in Holborn. The Wednefday before, the PRINCE OF THE TEMPLE invited the prince Elector and his brother to a Masque at the Temple', "which was very compleatly fitted for the variety of the fcenes, and excellently well performed. Thither came the queen with three of her ladies disguised, all clad in the "attire of citizens.-This done, the PRINCE was depofed, "but fince the king knighted him at Whitehall *.”

But these spectacles and entertainments in our law-societies, not so much because they were romantic and ridiculous in their mode of exhibition, as that they were institutions celebrated for the purposes of merriment and festivity, were fuppreffed or fufpended under the falfe and illiberal ideas of reformation and religion, which prevailed in the fanatical court of Cromwell. The countenance afforded by a polite court to fuch entertainments, became the leading topic of animadverfion and abuse in the miferable declamations of the puritan theologists; who attempted the business of national reformation without any knowledge of the nature of society, and whofe cenfures proceeded not fo much from principles of a purer morality, as from a narrowness of mind, and from that ignorance of human affairs which neceffarily accompanies the operations of enthusiasm.

STRAFFOLDE'S LETTERS, ut fupr. vol. i. p. 507. The writer adds, “ All

this is done, to make them fit to give the "prince elector a royal entertainment, with masks, dancings, and fome other "exercifes of wit in orations or arraingments, that day they invite him.”

i This, I think, was Davenant's TRI

UMPHS OF PRINCE D'AMOUR, written at their request for the purpose, in three days. The mufic by H. and W. Lawes. The names of the performers are at the end.

Ibid. p. 525. The writer adds, " Mrs. "Baffet, the great lace-woman of Cheap"fide, went foremost, and led the queen "by the hand, &c." See ibid. p. 506.

SECT.

SE C T. XVII.

E are now arrived at the commencement of the fix

W. teenth century. But before I proceed to a formal

and particular examination of the poetry of that century, and of those that follow, fome preliminary confiderations of a more general nature, and which will have a reference to all the remaining part of our history, for the purpose of preparing the reader, and facilitating our future inquiries, appear to be neceffary.

On a retrospect of the fifteenth century, we find much poetry written during the latter part of that period. It is certain, that the recent introduction into England of the art of typography, to which our countrymen afforded the moft liberal encouragement, and which for many years was almoft folely confined to the impreffion of English books, the fashion of translating the claffics from French versions, the growing improvements of the English language, and the diffusion of learning among the laity, greatly contributed to multiply English compofition, both in profe and verse. These causes, however, were yet immature; nor had they gathered a fufficient degree of power and stability, to operate on our literature with any vigorous effects.

But there is a circumftance, which, among fome others already fuggested, impeded that progreffion in our poetry, which might yet have been expected under all these advantages. A revolution, the most fortunate and important in most other refpects, and the most interesting that occurs in the history of the migration of letters, now began to take place; which, by diverting the attention of ingenious men to new modes of thinking, and the culture of new languages, introduced a new courfe of study, and gave a tem

porary

porary check to vernacular compofition.

vival of claffical learning.

This was the re

In the course of these annals we must have frequently remarked, from time to time, ftriking symptoms of a restless difpofition in the human mind to roufe from its lethargic state, and to break the bonds of barbarifm. After many imperfect and interrupted efforts, this mighty deliverance, in which the mouldering Gothic fabrics of falfe religion and falfe philofophy fell together, was not effectually completed. till the close of the fifteenth century. An event, almost fortuitous and unexpected, gave a direction to that spirit of curiofity and discovery, which had not yet appeared in its full force and extent, for want of an object. About the year 1453, the difperfion of the Greeks, after Constantinople had been occupied by the Turks, became the means of gratifying that natural love of novelty, which has fo frequently led the way to the nobleft improvements, by the introduction of a new language and new books; and totally changed the state of letters in Europe'.

This great change commenced in Italy; a country, from many circumstances, above all others peculiarly qualified and prepared to adopt fuch a deviation. Italy, during the darkest periods of monaftic ignorance, had always maintained a greater degree of refinement and knowledge than any other European country. In the thirteenth century, when the manners of Europe appear to have been overwhelmed with every species of abfurdity, its luxuries were less favage, and its public fpectacles more rational, than thofe of France,

1 But it fhould be remembered, that fome learned Grecians, foreseeing the perfecutions impending over their country, frequented Italy, and taught their language there, before the taking of Conftantinople. Some Greeks, who attended the Florentine council, and never returned for fear of the Turks, founded the prefent royal library in the city of Turenne. In the year 1401, the Greek emperor, unable to refift the frequent infults

of these barbarians, came into England to feek redrefs or protection from Henry the fourth. He landed at Dover, attended by many learned Greeks; and the next day was honourably received at Chrift-church priory at Canterbury, by the prior, Thomas Chyllenden. In a manufcript called SPECULUM PARVULORUM, lib. 5. c. 30. MSS. Bibl. Lambeth.

England,