Seria iocis," wherein the author reprobates the hypocrisy of the Church of Rome. Some occasional verses and translations are interspersed. J. H. +6 a The Movs-Trap. [Wood-cut of a spring trap with mouse seizing the bait.. Motto:" Mordentem Morden."] Vni si possim, posse placere sat est. Printed at London for F. B. dwelling at the Flowerde-Luce and Crowne in Paul's-churchyard. 1606. qto. Sig. F. iiij. There is an attempt at little wit by the inscribing of the dedication to this collection of Epigrains, which runs to his no little respected friend little John Bvck, I dedieate this my little booke."-And concludes, "thine in the prodigallity of his loue's sincerity. H. P." which are probably the initials of Henry Petowe, a third rate poet of that period. An address "to the plaine-dealing Reader," whom the author distinguishes as "Honest friend and good fellow;" and says, "I could haue said Right Courteous, woorthy, and respected Reader, but that you knowe were to insinuate; which in a preface of so plaine consequence I hold most friuolous and vnnecessary: howbeit with some it is as vsual as salt and spoons before meat. But you may see I meddle not with you, or any so iudicious audience To thee my therefore kind familiar, and olde acquaintance, I trust I shall not neede vse many complementes (a worde more tale the mackarel in July) which it it but relish in thy mouth neare so little (I meane if it but iumpe with thy worste conceits) I care not: at least do but suspend what thou inimaginest, and it shall suffice. well." Fare Then follows "ad Curiosum," of twelve lines, introductory of one hundred epigrams. "Aske Ficus how his luck at dicing goes, Like to the tide (saith he) it ebbes and flowes; I wonder "I wonder when our poets will forbeare, To write 'gainst citizens their honest wines: "Signior Fantasmus nere such pleasure found "Nay, good Sir, giue vs leaue at least to know you, 66 Magus would needs forsooth this other day, When asking him at dore, that held the box, Said all was ill, both Fox and him that play'd it, 66 If any please to sute themselues and weare it, it." J. H. Choice, Chance, and Change: or, Conceites in their Colours. Imprinted at London for Nathaniell Fosbrooke, and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Churchyard at the signe of the Helmet. 1606. qto. Sig. K 4. "To the Reader. If your choise chaunce to bee good, change it not, if your conceit chance to chuse amisse, allowe it not: If it carry a good colour, and the cloth be naught, esteem it not: but if it be good and you conceite it not, change your humor, but keepe your choise: In briefe, here are conceits of diuerse colours, some in graine, and none but will bide the weather: but if you be in loue, here is a lesson for your learning, where you may find passion put to her patience, wit to his whirligigge, the foole to his part, and the better conceite to his better corner: many wild geese flie in their owne feathers, and a tame duck is a pretie fowle: In som, there is nothing so good but may be mended, nor so ill but may be well taken: kind fellowes and honest wenches I know will not be angry, and if any man be out of his wits, God send him well into them againe: and so hoping that good conceites will chuse the best and leaue the worst, I will change kind thankes for kind acceptance, and so rest, as I find cause." Then follows the work as "a dialogue, after a friendlie greeting, vpon a sodaine meeting betweene Arnofilo and Tidero: as they trauailed vpon the way, betwixt Mount Terkin, and the great city at the foot of the wood, in the long valley." Tidero having visited several unknown countries, describes the manners and diversions of the people. It is an English outline, and a short extract must suffice. * "Oh The following notice has its value-Arfolio inviting his friend to partake of his humble state concludes, therefore I pray thee, let vs be merry, and let vs liue togither." Tidero replies: Wry how now? doe you take me for a woman that you come vpoa nee with a ballad, of Come liue with me and be my loue." He As every allusion to our early ballads is interesting, I shall extend this note with some account of the fragment of a tract in my possession. The running title is "THE WORLD'S FOLLY," and the author appears to describe the purgatory of Folly. wanders from room to room, and to each new character assigns a ballad, that may be presumed was distinguished for popularity. A man, whose credit had decayed by trusting servants, and had commenced botcher, "had standing by him, for meate and drinke, a pot of strong ale, which was often at his nose, that it kept his face in so good a coulour, and his braine in so kinde a heate, as forgetting part of his forepassed pride, in the good humour of grieuing patience, made him with a hemming sigh, ilfauurdly singe the ballad of W bilom I was: to the tune of Tom Tinker." An old man, shaking with palsy, who," hauing beene a man of some possessions and with too fat feeding of horses, too high keeping of haukes, and too much delighting in banquetinges, through lacke of husbandrie, was forced to leaue himself without lande. ... after many a deepe sighe, with a hollow voice, in a solemne tune, "Oh how the fisherman would discourse of his angle, his line, his cork, his lead, his bait, his net, his ginne, his leape, his weere, and I know what; his obseruing of time, day and night, his patience to attend, his crafte in drawing his baite along the streame, his dressing of his baite to drawe the fish to it, his playing with the fish when he hadde him, his hoising him out of the water, and then what a messe of meate he could wake of him, although perhappes it proued all but a gudgin: but if it were a codshead, his lippes would bee worth the licking, and in this was his element, heere was his study, and in these matters of little moment, wolde hee spend the whole spirit of his vnderstanding. With whome although it were no greate hurte, for to loose a little time, yet it was some pleasure for to heare him, and besides to noate his kinde of pride in his poore trade." J. H. with a heauie hearte fell to sing the song of Oken leaues began to wither to the tune of Heauilie, beauilie. A dapper fellow that in his youth had spent more than he got on his person "fell to sing the ballad of the bluide beggar, to the tune of Heigh ho." The general lover having no further credit with beauty howled out the dittie of When I was faire and young: to the tune of Fortune." The next is whimsically described as "one that was once a vir. gin, had beene a little while a mayde, knew the name of a wife, fell to be a widdow," and finally a procuresss; "she would sing the Lamentation of a sinner, to the tune of welladaye." A decayed prostitute, who had become laundress to the house, " stood singing the ballet of All a greene willowe: to the famous tune of Ding dong." A man with good personage, with a froward wife, "hummed out the ballad of the breeches: to the tune of Neuer, neuer." His termagant spouse drewe from her pocket "a ballad of the tinker's wife ibat beate her husbande." To the last character in the fragment is also given Raleigh's ballad. He was "one that had bene in loue, sat looking on his mistresse picture, making such a legge to it, writing such verses in honour to it, and committing such idolatorie with it, that poore man, I pittied him: and in his behalfe sorrowed to see how the Foole did handie him: but there sat he, hanging his head, lifting vp the eyes, and with a deepe sigh, singing the Ballad of Come liue with me and be my loue: to the tune of adew my deere "-From the type, which is black letter, I suppose The World's Folly printed before 1600. The fragment described is one sheet, and bears Signature C. The favours of several Correspondents are reserved for the next Number, which will conclude the Second Volume. T. Bensley, Printer, Bolt Court, Fleet-street, London. British Bibliographer. N° XI. The ancient famous and honourable History of Amadis de Gaule Discoursing the Adventures, loues and fortunes of many Princes, Knights and Ladies, as well of Great Brittaine, as of many other kingdomes beside, &c. Written in French by the Lord of Essars, Nicholas de Herberay, Ordinarie Commissarie of the Kings Artillerie, and his Lieutenant thereof, in the countrie and gouernment of Picardie, &c. Printed at London by Nicholas Ökes, 1619. Folio. A WOOD-CUT of a ship with its men drawing a chest or ark up its sides from the sea. This Translation is dedicated by A. M. (the initials of Anthony Munday) to Philip Herbert, Earl of Montgomery; and contains four books, of which the third and fourth were published first-and have therefore separate title pages. London, Printed for Nicholas Okes dwelling in Foster Lane, 1618. In the dedication of these last to the same nobleman, after expatiating on the advantage of histories, the translator says, "Warranted by so worthy presidents, but more especially by an honourable Ladies earnest importunitie, for these two labours by mee undertaken and now (after longer delay then was intended) fully concluded: I am bolde to present your honour with these two bookes or parts of AMADIS DE GAULE, the third and the fourth, never extant before in our English, and which long since had been with yow Honor, but that I had VOL. II. 0 0 |