thryftinesse," in 1586, with a new title-A list given by the
printer of 10 works published by Whetstone before 1586, and of
three others then in hand-Another extract from Wither's fourth
Satire The follies and vices of Kings from Sat. 1. Book II.-
Quotation from Sat. II., "Inconstancy"-Observations-A.
Stafford's "Niobe," and "Niobe dissolu'd into a Nilus," 1611
-Character of him, and quotation from his book on the degeneracy
of nobility-His vision of Sir P. Sidney-Wither on Sir P. Sidney,
Drayton, Ben Jonson, &c. in Sat. 3. Book II.-Wither's dif-
fidence of his own poetical powers, and the boldness of his political
tracts John Phillips's excessively rare poem on the death and
funeral of Sir P. Sidney, 1587-Specimen and remarks-Sir
P. Sidney's panegyric on himself from the same -Absurdity of
the whole construction of the poem-Richard Brathwayte, a
satirist, and an imitator of Wither-His "Times Curtaine drawne
or the Anatomie of Vanitie," &c. 1621-His admiration of Wither
-His coarseness of attack, with quotations from his satires-On
the poverty of poets, with an extract-Brathwayte on his own
drunken habits from his " Health from Helicon "-On translated
satires-George Chapman's translation of the fifth Satire of Juve-
nal, 1629 The author's age at that day-Quotation from the
dedication-His projected translation of the whole of Juvenal and
Persius His contempt of vulgar applause from his "Memorable
Masque," 1613-His "funeral Oration" on burying one of
Poppaa's hairs-Specimen of his translation from Juv. Sat. 5.-
Remarks upon it, and conclusion of the subject.

THE

POETICAL DECAMERON.

THE SIXTH CONVERSATION.

BOURNE. The last work which occupied us yesterday was a tract by Nicholas Breton. The pamphlet I now present contains a poem by him not found elsewhere, and not noticed by bibliographers.

ELLIOT. I shall be glad to see it, because I have since taken the opportunity of reading some pastoral pieces by him in the reprint of " England's Helicon," and they give me a favourable opinion of his poetical talents. What title has the work in which the poem you refer to is inserted?

BOURNE. It is a novel, or rather one of those early romances which are seldom met with, and are never to be purchased but at a very high price: this is of peculiar rarity: it is called " Eliosto Libidinoso: Described in two Bookes," &c. "Written by Iohn Hynd. At London, Printed by Valentine Simmes," &c. 1606. If I tell you what a copy sold for at the Roxburgh sale, it will give you a notion of its value.

ELLIOT. Of its price it may, but not of its value. MORTON. Your distinctions are very hair-breadth, but among the collectors of old books the words are synonymous. What did it sell for?

BOURNE. Only nine guineas, and if it were put up to auction now I dare say it would produce not far short of double that amount. I doubt whether the poem it contains by Breton will increase your respect for his talents.

ELLIOT. Then perhaps it would be as well to omit it.

MORTON. I beg that we may hear it. Whatever you may wish, I would rather form a correct than too favourable an opinion of an author.

ELLIOT. But would it enable us to form a correct opinion? We might, perhaps, if we could see all he wrote.

BOURNE. How often have I heard you quote that line of Boileau, Notre siecle est fertile en sots admirateurs, yet now you wish to enlist yourself in the number.

ELLIOT. To reply in another line of the same satirist, I do not wish to be Plus enclin à blamer que savant à bien faire. At least, as I have before remarked, there is no more reason for reviving the bad productions of dead authors than for raking up the bad actions of dead men.

MORTON. Your motto is Si malus est nequeo laudare et poscere; but if we cannot arrive at a per

fectly just conclusion as to à writer's merits and defects, let us do the best we can to form a correct notion.

BOURNE. Mere impartiality requires that we should not pass the poem over without notice. This is indeed turning the tables upon us.

ELLIOT. Well, I am content; let us hear it: the reading will be the least evil of the two: malum quod minimum est, id minimum est malum. A short bad poem is better than a long bad argument.

BOURNE. After all it may not be the work of Breton: Hind introduces it as "a fancie which that learned author N. B. hath dignified with respect." Now in the first place, the initials may be those of some other writer than Nicholas Breton, and in the next, it is not said that he was the author of it, but that he "dignified it with respect."

MORTON. But can the letters N. B. apply to any other author than Breton?

BOURNE. No, not that I know of; but still there remains the second doubt.

ELLIOT. It is not of much consequence whether it be or be not Breton's, for the best poets have written badly: indeed it would be difficult to find any poet, however good, who has at all times written well.

BOURNE. A great deal more has been already said about the poem than it is worth, as you will find when it is finished.

The bushes, brambles, and the briers,

The shrubbes, the stubbes, the thornes & prickes, The ditches, plashes lakes and miers:

Where fish nor fowle, nor bird nor beast
Nor liuing thing may take delight;

Nor reasons rage may looke for rest

Till heart be dead of hateful spight:

Within the caue of cares vnknowne,
Where hope of comfort all decayes,
Let me with sorrow sit alone,
In dolefull thoughts to end my dayes.

And when I heare the stormes arise,
That troubled Ghosts doe leaue the graue,

With hellish sounds of horrors cries,

Let me goe looke out of

my caue.

And when I see what paines they bide
That doe the greatest torments proue,
Then let not me the sorrow hide,
That I haue sufferd by my loue.

Where losses, crosses, care and griefe,
With ruthfull, spitefull, hatefull hate,
Without all hope of haps reliefe

Doe tugge and teare the heart to naught :
But sigh and say and sing and sweare
It is too much for one to beare."