in the political warfare of those unhappy times, the more they will be found to deserve praise for merits of many various kinds.

Perhaps it may not be totally out of place here to preserve a few more scattered materials (in addition to those brought forward in other places) for a future regular Life of the Poet. Some account of his descendants is about to appear in the Preface to the forthcoming reprint of The Shepherd's Hunting.Here follows a copy of the earlier pedigree from the Visitation Book of Hampshire, in 1634.

Pedigree of George Wither the Poet.

Thomas Wither of the county of Lancaster, Esq. left three sons.

Robert Wither, third son, came to Manydowne in Hampshire, and there lived, leaving issue.

Thomas Wither of Manydowne, who married Joane, daughter and heir of Richard Mason of Sydmonton in Hampshire, and had three sons, John, Thomas, and Richard.

John, eldest son, of Manydowne, who married Anne, daughter of - Ayliffe of Skeynes in Hampshire, had three sons, John, Richard, and George, (which last married Avelyn, daughter of John Shank, and had Gilbert, Thomas, John, and Reignold; and the said Gilbert was father of George, William, Reignold, and Henry.)

Richard Wither, second son of John Wither and Anne Ayliffe, was of Manydowne, and married a daughter of William Poynter of Whitchurch in Hampshire, by whom he had four sons, John, George (father of the Poet,) Otho, and Ferdinando.

John Wither of Manydowne, eldest son, married Jane, daughter of John Love of Basing in Hampshire, and had five sons, William, Anthony, John, James, and Richard. William, eldest son, was of Manydowne, and married Susan, daughter of Paul Risley of Chetwood in Buckinghamshire, and had issue, John, Paul, and Susan.

George Wither (second son of Richard Wither, by the daughter of Poynter) had issue three sons, viz. George Wither,* the Poet, James Wither, and Anthony Wither.+

In almost all Wither's poems we can collect something of his private history. This is the case with his interesting and beautiful folio volume of Emblems, 1634, illustrated by the curious cuts of Crispin Pass, a volume, which with its embellishments the Editor is making extensive preparations to reprint. For instance, in the 27th Emblem of the first book, under a print of two men engaged in a combat of swords in the street, with a woman looking from a window, and this motto

"Ubi Helena, ibi Troia.”

"Where Helen is, there will be war,
For death and lust companions are."

"Their foolish guise I never could affect,

Who dare for any cause the stews frequent;
And thither, where I justly might suspect
A strumpet liv'd, as yet I never went.
For where, as fools pretend, they go to seek
Experience, where more ill than good they see,

• Vis. Co. Hants, 1634, Harl. MSS. 1544, p. 218.
The name of the Poet's mother was Anne Serle.

They venture for their knowledge, Adam-like,
And such as his will their achievements be."

So again in the 36th Emblem of the second book, in which sceptres, crowns, and mitres are represented perishing in smoke or flames.

"Some better arguments, than yet I see,
I must perceive, and better causes, why
To those gay things I should addicted be,
To which the vulgar their affections tie.
I have consider'd sceptres, mitres, crowns,
With each appurtenance to them belonging,
My heart hath search'd their glories and renowns,
And all the pleasant things about them thronging;
My soul hath truly weigh'd, and took the measure
Of riches, which the most have so desired;
I have distill'd the quintessence of pleasure,
And seen those objects that are most admired.
I likewise feel all passions and affections,
That help to cheat the reason, and persuade
That those poor vanities have some perfections,
Whereby their owners happy might be made.

Yet when that I have rous'd my understanding,
And cleans'd my heart from some of that corruption,
Which hinders in me Reason's free commanding,
And shews things without veils or interruption,
Then they, methinks, as fruitless do appear,
As bubbles, wherewithal young children play,
Or, as the smoke, which in our Emblem here,
Now makes a shew, and strait consumes away.
Be pleased, O God, my value may be such
Of every outward blessing here below,
That I may neither love them overmuch,
Nor underprize the gifts thou shalt bestow:

But know the use of all these fading smokes,
And be refresh'd by that, which others choaks.

"A pleasant History of Roswall and Lillian.*

DECLARING

"The occasion of Roswall his removing from his native Kingdom to the Kingdom of Bealm, and what befell him on his journey from his Steward: The entertainment he met with from an aged Wife: His education at school, with his fortunate admission to be servant to Lillian, the King's only Daughter, with whom she fell deeply in love. The Reward of the three Lords by whom he attained the honour of the three dayes justing before the Marriage of the Steward, who was knowen to be a Traitor, and therefore justly executed; with the renewed wished-for Marriage betwixt Roswall and Lillian: His thankfull remembrance of his friends; the number of his children, and their good fortune;-all worthy reading.

EDINBURGH,

Printed by I. H. Anno, 1663.'

THIS romance was very popular in Scotland even till within the last thirty years. But the edition from which the following extract is taken is extremely rare, (perhaps unique) and differs considerably from the modern impressions, which are now also quite forgotten and unattainable. The story, abridged by Mr. Ellis, may be found in vol. iii. of his "Specimens ;"

Taken from a copy printed in black letter, in the Advocate's Library, Edinburgh, June 1314.

which it would be needless to quote, as they are in the hands of every Bibliographer.

In Naples lived there a King,

Had all the lands in governing,
Who had a Lady fair and young,
Whose name was called Lillian :
This Lady pleasant was and fair,
Bare him a son, which was his Heir,
Whose name was called Roswall:

Of fairer heard I never tell;

Princes to him could not compare,

Ulisses nor Gandifere,

Achillus nor Troyallus,

Nor yet his Father Priamus:

The Knight that kept the Parent-well,

Was not so fair as Roswall.

There lived into that countrie,
Worthy noble Lord's three,
That to the King had done treason,
Therefore he put them in prison;
And there he held them many a day,
Till they were aged quite away,