think that the poet does justice to his subject: you will find by the extracts I am going to read, that ample room was afforded him. The fleet was under the conduct of Lord T. Howard, Sir R. Grenville being vice-admiral in the Revenge. Camden charges him with fool-hardy bravery; and certain it is, that while Lord T. Howard was enabled to escape from the very superior force of the enemy, consisting of nearly sixty ships of various sizes, Sir R. Grenville, according to the pamphlet, was obliged to sustain the brunt of the battle, and fell foul of the San Philip, an enormous vessel of 1500 tons, with "three tire of ordinance on a side, and eleven pieces in euerie tire," and shooting "eight forth-right out of her chase, besides those of her sterne ports."

MORTON. What was the size and force of the Revenge?

BOURNE. That does not appear, but it seems that the odds were fearful, as the English crews were sick, and many on shore: this is a part of the relation. "After the Revenge was entangled with this Philip, foure other boorded her; two on her larboord and two on her starboord. The fight thus beginning at three of the clocke in the after noone, continued verie terrible all that evening. But the great San Philip hauing receyued the lower tire of the Revenge discharged with crossbarshot, shifted her selfe with all diligence from her sides, vtterly misliking her first entertainment. . . . . . After many interchanged

VOL. II.,

H

volleies of great ordinance and small shot, the Spaniards deliberated to enter the Revenge, and made divers attempts, hoping to force her by the multitudes of their armed Souldiers and Musketiers, but were still repulsed againe and againe, and at all times beaten backe into their own shippes, or into the seas.... After the fight had thus without intermission cōtinued while the day lasted, and some houres of the night, many of our men were slaine and hurt, and one of the great Gallions of the Armada, and the Admirall of the Hulkes both sunke, and in many other of the Spanish ships great slaughter was made. Some write that sir Richard was verie dangerouslie hurt almost in the beginning of the fight, and laie speechlesse for a time ere he recouered. But two of the Reuenges owne companie, brought home in a ship of Lime from the Ilandes, examined by some of the Lords and others, affirmed that he was neuer so wounded as that hee forsooke the vpper decke, til an houre before midnight; and then being shot into the bodie with a Musket as he was a dressing, was againe shot into the head, and withall his Chirurgion wounded to death."

MORTON. I see, by reference, that that statement agrees with what Camden relates, but he adds something about sinking the Revenge.

BOURNE. He seems to have confounded the two accounts of the death of Sir R. Grenville: this pamphlet asserts that there was a second statement of

SEVENTH CONVERSATION.

ERAL LIBRARY

Jniversity o

MICHIGAN

99

that catastrophe, viz. that Sir Richard, in despair of escaping or defeating the enemy, prevailed upon the master gunner to split and sink the ship with all the crew, they having consented; but terms being sent from the Spaniards, the men were induced to change their resolution, and they and their commander were conveyed on board the enemy. On the second or third day Sir Richard died of his wounds; and the pamphlet adds, "the comfort that remaineth to his friendes is, that he hath ended his life honourably in respect of the reputation wonne to his nation and country, and of the same to his posteritie, and that being dead, he hath not outliued his owne honour."

ELLIOT. The prose tract ends more poetically than Markham's poem, and the whole narrative of the unequal contest seems distinct and striking.

BOURNE. It is there are parts of the " Tragedy of Sir R. Grenville" that are really very poor, but as a whole, I think, it is better than the same author's "Devoreux or Virtues Tears for the loss of the most Christian King Henry," &c. 1597, from which I had intended to show you some specimens, had I not found that the poem has already been analyzed and criticised elsewhere.

MORTON. Did not Markham write a poem of the same elegiac kind on one Sir John Burgh? I think I have seen the title in some catalogue.

BOURNE. I know what you allude to that was by Robert Markham, and it was not printed until

1628. I do not know that this author was any relation to Jervis Markham; there is an apparent relationship in their styles, with this difference, that Robert exaggerates to the utmost extravagance of absurdity all the worst faults of Jervis. I am sure that the subsequent lines from the opening of the "Description of that euer to be famed Knight Sir John Burgh," will be all the specimen of his talents you will ever wish to see.

"If teares could tell the story of my woe,
How I with sorrow pine away for thee,
My spungie eyes their bankes should ouerflow
And make a very Moore or Mire of me;
I would out weepe a thousand Nyobyes,

For I would weepe till I wept out my eyes.

66

My heart should drop such teares as did thy wound, And my wound should keepe consort with my heart; In a red Sea my body should be drown'd, My gall should breake and beare a bitter part, Such crimson Rue as I would weepe should make Democrates himselfe, a wormewood Lake."

ELLIOT. That is incomparably absurd, to be sure. The excess of his grief makes one's sides ache with laughing at it. This is a special instance of the

faulty sublime," of which Upton speaks, and which he says is so much better than " a faultless mediocrity."

BOURNE. It would not improve your opinion of

the taste of bibliomaniacs, if I were to tell you what this trash sold for, not a year ago, among the curiosities of an eminent collector.

MORTON. It is worth something to have such an unfailing source of merriment always at hand: the owner may set the blue devils at defiance.

BOURNE. As we are not at present in want of its assistance, and as we have other and better things to attend to, we may close Robt. Markham's " Lamentable Tragedy full of pleasant mirth," (as Preston entitles his " Cambises,") until we have more need of it.

ELLIOT. To come back for a minute or two to Churchyard.

BOURNE. We will do so directly; but before we dismiss Sir R. Grenville from our minds, I wish to show you a curiosity I discovered not long since among the MSS. of the British Museum, (Bibl. Sloan, Plut. XVIII. F.) which shows that Sir R. Grenville is probably entitled to a place among the poets, as well as among the heroes of his country.

MORTON. Your position will at least have novelty to recommend it.

BOURNE. It will: the poem is entitled "In praise of Seafaringe Men in hope of good fortune:" it has no date, but it is in a hand writing of Queen Elizabeth's reign, and the following are the two last

stanzas: