He accounts such "baregarden stuffe," cannot prove slander, although the lad who writes puts his name to it. A short postscript against the diurnals, finishes with "I have but broke the ice, some coadiuters J. H. Historie of Titana and Thesevs. Very pleasant for age to avoide drowsie thoughts: profitable for youth to avoide wanton pastimes: so that to both it brings the minds content. Written by W. Bettie. London, printed for Robert Bird, and are to be sold at his shop in St. Laurence Lane, at the signe of the Bible. 1636. qto. sig. G 2. b. l. This has all the guise and manner in title, composition, and printing, to have appeared near half a century earlier. The dedication is addressed "to the vvorshipfull Hvmphrie Conisbye," whose kindness is presumed upon to present the frowns of fortune, rudely and roughly polished; beseeching him to shroud the imperfect pamphlet under his patronage, as his learned education and of the times, when idle conceits and dull facts were ushered forth "The Commons voyce itselfe will thus expresse, As thunder shot from a divided cloud. Our King's the sun within our horoscope, A terrour to the devill and the Pope; Our nobles are those fixt stars which do shine In their due place each man in his own line. Those who have striv'd t' usurpe our great Jove's throne, Brave Pembroke hath so fill'd our hearts with ioy, virtuous virtuous disposition would be sufficient defence against the envious tongues of the scorning sycophants. Theseus appears to be the son of Ageus, King of Athens, and Titana, the daughter of Meleager, King of Calidon. Their early loves, with all the wooing thereof I must pass over. The negligent gatherer has omitted three sheets out of this thin tract. For some reason they take ship to pass from Greece to Spain, are attacked and conquered by pirates, who, rather unusual in the pages of romance, ungallantly set the lady on shore in France, and bear the enamoured prince away, who thereby becomes chained to the oar. During a pilgrimage of four years by the lady, the lover obtains his release, and is entertained by and esteemed the confidential servant of the Landsgrave of Hessen, who resides at Fuesen. The proffered illicit passion of Impio being refused, she revengefully determines to ruin the favourite by a false accusation of his attempting violence; a crime so heinous in the eye of the law, that he is condemned and bound to the stake to suffer death. Here, as usual, commences the disclosure to reward innocence and bring the vicious character to ignominy. A Knight of Athens, on his travels, discovers the Prince at the stake, and proclaims his birth; the accuser is re-examined, and Impio strangles herself with a towel. Titana, at this period, was governess to the children of the high constable of Fuesen, and the finding the Prince of Greece being bruited about; "In the end it came to Titana's eare, who was halfe perswaded it was her Theseus: well she could not be quiet in mind till she saw him: the next day she made an excuse to go forth & goe to the Emperors court, & as she was entring ye court gates she met her Theseus, yet not knowing him directly, but stood stil & look'd on him, & he did the like on her, til at last Theseus said, Titana; when she heard him say so she stept to him, and with ioy she wept, and the like did he, like two turtle doues, they sweetly bild each other, when they had thus don, they made it knowne to the Emperor-” The wanderers return to Athens; reign over three kingdoms, and "Titana and Theseus ended their daies in quiet rest. Finis." ¶ De Fastis Anglicis, sive Calendarium Sacrum: the Holy Calendar, being a treble series of Epigrams upon all the Feasts observed by the Church of England; to which is added the like number of Epigrams upon some other more especiall daies, which have either their footsteps in Scripture, or are more remarkeable in this kingdome. Composed by Nathaniel Eaton, Doctor of Philosophy, and medicine, and Vicar of Bishops Castle in the County of Salop. London, printed by H. L. and are to be sold at Kings Colledge in Puddledock. 1661. 12mo. pp. 80. To his dread Sovereign Charles II. the author, "upon the knees of his soul, most humbly dedicates himself, and these poor fruits of his vacant hours:" which might have served to garnish out the columns of Partridge's or More's Almanack, with orthodox piety, as will be seen by one of the epigrams on Whitsunday. "You that despise all humane helps whereby And boast you have the spirit enabling you, ** Philotimus. The Warre betwixt Nature and Fortune. Compiled by Brian Melbancke Student in Graies Inne. Palladi Fortuna virtutis famula. Imprinted at London by Roger Warde, dwelling neere vnto Holborne Conduit at the signe of the Talbot. 1583. Col. At London Imprinted by Roger Warde, dwelling nere Holburne Conduit at the signe of the Talbot, and are there to be solde. 1583. qto, pp. 226, and introduction four leaves. This uncommonly rare work is a close imitation of Lilly's Euphues, and it seems probable the two authors were fellow collegians. Such compositions having be come come fashionable, we find the author in his dedicatory address to "Phillip Earle of Arundell," telling him, "Had Philotimvs bene serued in at the first course, when your stomacke was not quatted with other daintier fare, his relishe perhaps had beene some-thing loothsome: but since you are cloied with more delicate cates thus farre not withstanding, I dare presume to bring him in for a show among other banqueting dishes.... The morning is meete for grauer studies, the post meridian for pleasaunt solace, so that, Philotimvs which commeth in limping at the latter end of the day though he be no author for knowledge of importance, yet may some refection by reading histories, lend recreation to your wearied muses..... I am not ignorant that there be some, who will be as free of a good word to Philotimus, as a poore man is of his haruest: who, for that they hate me vnaduisedly will indiscreetly beat my dog: & because they enuy Melbancke with a peasantly despite, will dispraise all his doings, though they be for their profit..... Wishing your Lordship as many prosperous yeares as vertuous properties, and no fewer vertues then the sea hath sandes, and commending both me and mine to your honourable protection, I humbly take my leaue this 28 of Nouember. Your Lordships most duetifull to commaund. Brian Mel bancke." Lilly has an address to the gentlemen schollars of Oxford, which, probably, occasioned the following, being partly inscribed to the other university. "To the VVorshipfvl and my very frends, the gentlemen Students, in the Innes of Court and Chauncerie, and the vniuersitie of Cambridge.-The worthines, Gentlemen, of your demerits, and the dayly benefite of your friendly curtesies, incite me to proffer you my simple seruice, and humbly to entreat you to vouchsafe it acceptance. I heartily wish (Gentlemen) that Phylotimus had the propertie of the tree Coccus wich beareth ten sundry commodities all at once: or that it resembled the hearb Pauemu, whose emeralds glosse refresheth the sight, whose violets sauour delighteth the smell, whose soueraigne iuyce doth comfort the hart in most dumpish fits of direful malancholie: or that ech of you here in my little garden, might gather a poesie of the three Phænick flowers, myrth, money, and melody, the worst whereof may serue to decke a princes garland. But alasse poore toy (if pitty might preuaile) it rather representeth gratefull Thelies thankfulnesse, then presumes to present you with glozing Tullies eloquence. and more submissiuelie craues pardon for this too audacious enterprise, FF 4 enterprise, then loftily lookes for praise for an vndeseruing trauaile. Yet brasse is good goulde in a brasiers shop, pottage daintty fare at a poore man's feast, and murrye sweete beauty in a blackamoore's face: and therefore I hope hautily, that if I inuite you to my homely banquet (where you shall haue single fare for double cost) you will not thanke me so ironeously as Socrates on a time did a poore honest man, who bad him for good will to his best though bare supper. I pray thee, quoth he, who made vs so familiar that thou shouldest thus saucily incroch vpon my curtesie, to inuite me so vnmannerly to a needy beeuer? "I haue beene pregnant, as once was Valentia, almost double the time of a womans account, and now at my child byrth, with the same Valentia, I am brought to bed of an halfeshaped monster. I graunt that for want of plenarrity this time of vacation, I am worthelye falne into your lappes, so that you may lawfully refuse to admit me to your fauour, and giue the benefite of your friendship to some more meritorious. Credite me, Gentlemen, I knowe not by what haps (mishaps I shoulde say) Phylotimus hath beene longer in publishing then in compiling, and lesse time in penning then in printing: wherin he is not vnlike all manner of fruits, which attein not maturity so soone as they bud, neither are alwayes reaped when they are ripe or rather akin to the beares confused brood, which she is longer a framing to a perfect shape, then she is in conceiuing and producing. "Well (Gentlemen) now you haue it, giue it a welcome, read it with iudgement, (as I know you can) peruse it with pacience (as I hope you will) & mind as you find I require no more. I know that ventrous Will doth neuer saile surely, where practised skill doth not holde the helme, and that brainsick youth doth neuer raigne wel, where setled age doth not bear the bridle, and that it is more meete for my vnmellowed yeeres to be imploied in the studie of phylosophical axiomes, then take vpon them to instruct others in literature. Yet haue I tried that the yongest pullet is both toothsome and wholsom, and that the timeliest haruest makes the best bread: now a dayes that parrat is very yong that will not prattle, and that cock very bad that crowes not till his age: the yong cat cries mew as well as the old one, and youthfull Aristippus will be regardant to phylosophy as well as old Plato is a professor of wisdom; if June yeelde flowers, Maie wil yeeld cherries, if there be blossoms in the spring there will be fruite in autumne, and amorous Plato in his adolescencie is a graue phylosopher in elder yeeres. For the excuse of my obscuritie, wherewith I haue |