SOME ACCOUNT OF ROBERT GREENE AND ROBERT GREENE was a native of Norwich.* The date of his birth has not been ascertained: in all probability it may be fixed about the year 1550. * Greene, dedicating his Maiden's Dream, 1591, to Lady Elizabeth Hatton, declares that he is her "ladyship's poor countryman," and signs himself "R. GREENE, Nordovicensis." In 1592 was printed a piece by Lodge, entitled Euphues Shadow, the Battaile of the Sences, &c.: it was edited by Greene, who prefixed to it the following Address; "To the Right Honourable Robert Ratcliffe, Viscount Fitzwaters, Robert Greene wisheth increase of honour and vertue. "Ever desirous (right honorable) to shew my affectionate duty to your lordship, as well for the generall report of your vertue vniuersally conceipted in the opinion of all men, as for the natiue place of my birth, whereby I am bounde to affect your honourable father, and you for him aboue others, in suspence of this dutifull desire, it fortuned that one M. Thomas Lodge, who nowe is gone to sea with Mayster Candish, had bestowed some serious labour in penning of a booke called Euphues Shadowe; and by his last letters gane straight charge, that I should not onely haue the care for his sake of the impression thereof, but also in his absence to bestowe it on some man of honor, whose worthye vertues might bee a patronage to his worke: wherevpon taking aduice with my selfe, I thought none more fit then your honour, seeing your lordships disposition was wholy giuen to the studie of good letters, to be a Mecenas to the well-imployed laboures of the absent gentleman: may therefore your lordship fauourably censure of my good meaning, in presenting your honour with this pamphlet, and courteouslye graunt acceptance of his workes and my good will, his labour hath his end, and my desire in dutie rests satisfied; and so humbly praying for your lordships health and welfare, I take my leaue. "Your honors humbly to commaund, Euphucs Shadow is not mentioned in any list of Lodge's works. [At least, it had not been mentioned among them in 1831, when the present memoir originally appeared.] Why Mr. Collier ¦ (Hist. of Engl. Dram. Poet. iii. 149, note) should suspect that it might have been written "by Greene himself," I am at a loss to understand. "I neede not make long discourse of my parentes, who for their grauitie and honest life is well knowne and esteemed amongst their neighbors; namely, in the cittie of Norwitch, where I was bred and borne."-The Repentance of Robert Greene, &c., 1592. sig. C. He was educated at Cambridge, taking the degree of A. B. at St. John's College in 1578, and that of A. M. at Clarehall* in 1583: in July 1588 he was incorporated at Oxford; and on the title-pages of some of his works he ostentatiously terms himself "Utriusque Academiæ in Artibus Magister.” During the time that elapsed between his taking the degree of A. B. and that of A. M. Greene visited Italy, Spain, and other parts of the continent; ‡ and from the The full title of the very rare piece last quoted will be found in the List of Greene's prose-works appended to this essay. It opens with the following Address; "The Printer to the Gentlemen Readers. "Gentlemen, I know you ar not vnacquainted with the death of Robert Greene, whose pen in his life-time pleased you as well on the stage as in the stationers shops: and, to speake truth, although his loose life was odious to God and offensiue to men, yet forasmuch as at his last end he found it most grieuous to himselfe (as appeareth by this his repentant discourse), I doubt not but he shall for the same deserue fauour both of God and men. And considering, gentlemen, that Venus hath her charmes to inchaunt, that fancie is a sorceresse bewitching the senses, and follie the onely enemie to all vertuous actions; and forasmuch as the purest glasse is the most brickle, the finest lawne the soonest staind, the highest oake most subiect to the wind, and the quickest wit the more easily woone to folly; I doubt not but you will with regarde forget his follies, and, like to the bee, gather hony out of the good counsels of him who was wise, learned, and polliticke, had not his lasciuious life withdrawen him from those studies which had been far more profitable to him. "For herein appeareth that he was a man giuen ouer to the lust of his owne heart, forsaking all godlines, and one that daily delighted in all manner of wickednes. Since other therefore haue forerun him in the like faults, and haue been forgiuen both of God and men, I trust hee shall bee the better accepted, that, by the working of Gods holy spirit, returnes with such a resolued repentance, being a thing acceptable both to God and men. "To conclude, forasmuch as I found this discourse very passionate, and of woonderfull effect to withdraw the wicked from their vngodly waies, I thought good to publish the same; and the rather, for that by his repentance they may as in a glasse see their owne follie, and thereby in time resolue, that it is better to die repentant than to liue dishonest. "Yours, C. B.[urbie.]" The rest of the tract professes to proceed from the pen of Greene, with the exception of a few pages headed "The manner of the death and last end of Robert Greene, Maister of Artes." When I first read The Repentance I suspected it to be the forgery of some writer who had taken advantage of the public curiosity concerning so notorious a person as Greene. But now I am strongly inclined to believe that it is genuine. The translator of The French Academy, T. B., noticing Englishmen of atheistical opinions, mentions "the testimonie which one of that crew gaue lately of himselfe, when the heauy hand of God by sicknesse summoned him to giue an accompt of his dessolute life," and then relates an anecdote of his impiety (not speaking of him, however, by name),-which anecdote is nothing more than a quotation from The Repentance of Robert Greene. And Chettle, in the Address "To the Gentlemen Readers," prefixed to Kind-Harts Dreame, says; "About three moneths since died M. Robert Greene, leauing many papers in sundry bookesellers hands, among others his Groatsworth of Wit," &c. * "I find Rob. Greene, A. M., Clare Hall, 1583."-MS. note by Dr. Farmer. The Dedication of the Second Part of Mamillia (which was not printed till after Greene's death) is dated "From my Studie in Clarehall the vij. of Iulie" (the year not being added). In Cole's MS. Collections relative to Cambridge (in the British Museum) I could find no mention or Greene. 1588, July- Robert Green, M. A., of Cambridge, was also then incorporated."-Wood's Fasti Oxon. Part First, p. 245, ed. Bliss. "To be briefe, gentlemen, I haue seen the world and rounded it, though not with trauell, yet with experience; and I crie out with Salomon, Omnia sub sole vanitas. I haue smyled with the Italian, and laxity of manners prevalent in some of those countries he seems to have acquired a taste for the dissolute habits in which he afterwards indulged. It is stated that he entered the Church. In the Lansdowne Manuscripts, 982, art. 102, fol. 187, under the head of "Additions to Mr. Wood's Report of Mr. Robert Green, an eminent poet, who died about 1592," is a reference to a document in Rymer's Fœdera, from which it appears that a "Robert Grene" was, in 1576, one of the Queen's chaplains, and that he was presented by her Majesty to the rectory of Walkington in the diocese of York. According to Octavius Gilchrist,+ * worn the vipers head in my hand, and yet stopt his venome; I haue eaten Spanishe mirabolanes, and yet am nothing the more metamorphosed; Fraunce, Germanie, Poland, Denmarke, I know them all, yet not affected to any in the fourme of my life; onelie I am English borne, and I haue English thoughts, not a deuill incarnate because I am Italianate, but hating the pride of Italie, because I knowe their peeuishnes: yet in all these countreyes where I haue trauelled, I haue not seene more excesse of vanitie then wee Englishe men practise through vain glory."-A Notable Discouery of Coosnage, 1591, Sig. A 2. "For being at the Vniuersitie of Cambridge, I light amongst wags as lewd as my selfe, with whome I consumed the flower of my youth; who drew mee to trauell into Italy and Spaine, in which places I sawe and practizde such villainie as is abhominable to declare. Thus by their counsaile I sought to furnishe myselfe with coine, which I procured by cunning sleights from my father and my friends; and my mother pampered me so long, and secretly helped mee to the oyle of angels, that I grew thereby prone to all mischiefe: so that beeing then conuersant with notable braggarts, boon companions, and ordinary spend-thrifts, that practized sundry superficiall studies, I became as a sien grafted into the same stocke, whereby I did absolutely participate of their nature and qualities. At my return into England, I ruffeled out in my silks, in the habit of malcontent, and seemed so discontent, that no place would please me to abide in, nor no vocation cause mee to stay myselfe in but after I had by degrees proceeded Maister of Arts," &c.-The Repentance of Robert Greene. Sig. C. : **Anno 1576. Regina, delectis Nobis in Christo, Decano et Capitulo Ecclesiæ nostræ Cathedralis et Metropolitica Eboracensis, aut Vicario suo in Spiritualibus Generali et Officiali Principali, aut alii cuicumque in hac parte Potestatem habenti, Salutem. "Ad Rectoriam sive Ecclesiam Parochialem de Walkington Eboracen. Dioeces. per mortem Johannis Newcome ultimi Incumbentis ibidem, jam vacantem et ad nostram Donationem et Præsentationem pleno jure spectantem, Dilectum nobis in Christo, Robertum Grene, unum Capellanorum nostrorum Capella nostræ Regiæ, vobis Tenore Præsentium præsentamus, Mandantes et Requirentes quatenus eundem Robertum Grene ad Rectoriam sive Ecclesiam Parochialem de Walkington prædictam admittere, ipsumque Kectorem ejusdem ac in et de eadem cum suis Juribus et Pertinentiis universis instituere et investire, cæteraque omnia et singula peragere facere et perimplere, que vestro in hac parte incumbunt Officio Pastorali, velitis cum favore. In cujus rei, &c. "Teste Regina apud Gorhambury tricesimo primo die Augusti. Rymer's Fœdera, tom. xv. p. 765. See a sketch of Greene's life by Sir N. H. Nicolas, in his reprint of Davison's Poetical Rhapsody. + Examination of Ben Jonson's Enmity towards Shakespeare, p. 22, where no authority is cited for the statement. The following passage of Never too Late, even if it be allowed that Greene meant Francesco for a picture of himself, must not be adduced to show that he had ever been in orders: his "hauing tasted of the sweet fruits of theology" is to be referred merely to the divinity which (as well as philosophy) Francesco, **who had been nursed up at the Universities,” had acquired during his academical career :- "Hast thou read Aristotle, and findest thou not in his philosophie this sentence set downe? Omne animal irrationale ad sui similem diligendum natura dirigitur. And wilt thou that art a creature indued with reason as thou art, excelling them in wisedome, exceede them in vanities? Hast thou turnd ouer the liberall sciences as a scholler, and amongst them all hast not found this general principle, that Tnitie is the essence of amitie, and yet wilt thou make a diuision in the greatest simpathie of all loues? Kay, Francesco, art thou a Christian, and hast tasted of the sweet fruites of theologie, and hast not read our author was presented, 19th June, 1584, to the vicarage of Tollesbury in Essex, which he resigned the next year. And a copy of The Pinner of Wakefield exists, on the title-page of which are the following notes, in hand-writing of about the time when the play was printed; "Written by Teste W. Shakespeare. a minister who acted the piner's pt in it himselfe. Ed. Juby saith it was made by Ro. Greene." Of The Pinner of Wakefield, of these MS. Notes, and of Greene's acting, more will be said hereafter. From the title-page of his Planetomachia, 1585, where he is styled "Student in Phisicke," we may gather that, at one period of his life, he had intended to pursue the medical profession. That Greene has described some of his own adventures under those of Francesco in his Never too Late, must be, I think, sufficiently evident to every one who has perused it with attention: and that he intended Roberto, in his Groats-worth of Wit, for a picture of himself, he has not left us to doubt; "Heere, gentlemen, breake I off Roberto's speech, whose life in most part agreeing with mine, found one selfe punishment as I have done. Hereafter suppose me the said Roberto, and I will go on with that he promised: Greene will send you now his Groats-worth of Witte," &c. But, since in both narratives he has undoubtedly exaggerated the incidents and heightened the colouring much beyond the truth, it is very difficult to determine what portions of them are to be received as facts. These two pieces may be regarded as among the best of Greene's pamphlets; and the ample extracts which I am about to make from them, will serve not only as illustrations of his life, but as specimens of his style in prose. The Palmer's story in Never too Late,* opens thus: "In those dayes when Palmerin reigned King of Great Britaine, famoused for his deedes of chiualrie, there dwelled in the citie of Caerbranck a gentleman of an ancient house, called Francesco; a man whose parentage though it were worshipfull, yet it was not indued with much wealth; insomuch that his learning was better than his reuenewes, and his wit more beneficiall than his substance. This Signor Francesco desirous to bend the course of his compasse to some peaceable port, spread no more cloath in the winde than might make easie saile, least hoysting vp too hastely aboue this in Holy Writt, pend downe by that miracle of wisedome Salomon, that he which is wise should reiect the strange woman, and not regard the sweetnesse of hir flattrie. If then, Francesco, theologie tells thee such axiomes, wilt thou striue against the streame?" Part First, p. 48. ed. 1590. * I print from the edition of 1590: see the full title in the List of Greene's prose-works appended to this essay. I have not quoted here any of the verses with which Never too Late abounds, as they are all given in the present volume among our author's Miscellaneous Poems. the maine yeard, some sodaine gust might make him founder in the deep. Though he were yong, yet he was not rash with Icarus to soare into the skie, but to crie out with olde Dedalus, Medium tenere tutissimum; treading his shooe without anie slip. He was so generally loued of the citizens, that the richest marchant or grauest burghmaster would not refuse to graunt him his daughter in marriage, hoping more of his insuing fortunes than of his present substance. At last, casting his eye on a gentlemans daughter that dwelt not far from Caerbranck, he fell in loue, and prosecuted his sute with such affable courtesie as the maide, considering the vertue and wit of the man, was content to set vp her rest with him, so that her fathers consent might be at the knitting vp of the match. Francesco thinking himselfe cocksure, as a man that hoped his credite in the citie might carrie away more than a country gentlemans daughter, finding her father on a day at fit opportunitie, he made the motion about the grant of his daughters marriage. The olde churle, that listened with both eares to such a question, did not in this in vtramuis aurem dormire; but leaning on his elbow, made present aunswere, that hir dowrie required a greater feoffment than his lands were able to affoord." The old gentleman, who was called Signor Fregoso, now goes home, and rates his daughter, whose name was Isabel, for having thought of marrying a man who was unable to maintain her. "And with that, he carried her in, and shut her vp in his owne chamber, not giuing her leaue to depart but when his key gaue her license: yet at last she so cunningly dissembled, that she gat thus farre libertie, not to bee close prisoner, but to walke about the house; yet euerie night hee shut vp her cloathes, that no nightly feare of her escape might hinder his broken slumbers." Francesco is for some time unable to gain access to his mistress, or to communicate with her in writing. At last a poor woman, for a bribe, conveys a letter from him to Isabel, who, in her answer to it, desires him to "be vpon Thursday next at night hard by the orchard vnder the greatest oake, where expect my comming, and prouide for our safe passage; for, stood all the worlde on the one side, and thou on the other, Francesco should be my guide to direct me whither hee pleased. Faile not, then, vnlesse thou bee false to her that would haue life faile ere she falsifie faith to thee." On the appointed Thursday, at midnight, Isabel "rose vp, and finding her apparell shut vp, she was faine to goe without hose, onely in her smocke and her petticoate, with her fathers hat and an olde cloake. Thus attired like Diana in her night-geere, she marcheth downe softly, where she found Francesco readie with a priuate and familiar frend of his to watch her comming forth; who casting his eye aside, and seeing one in a hat and a cloake, suspecting some treacherie, drew his sword." He, of course, soon recognizes his mistress, and professes his devotion to her. "Sir,' quoth she, 'these protestations are now bootlesse: and therefore to be briefe, thus' (and with that the teares trickled downe the vermilion of her cheeks, and she blubbred out this passion) O Francesco, thou maist see by my attire the depth of my fancie, and in these homely roabes maist thou noate the rechlesnesse of my fortunes, that for |