P. 228. In the line, ADDENDA AND CORRIGENDA. "Naples, I mean, that city of renowm," alter "renoum" to "renown." Ibid. Dele note t. P. 338. "Longshank is afterwards repeatedly mentioned in the same Diary." I ought to have added, that the Appendix to the same Diary, p. 276, contaius an inventory of the apparel of P. 464. Qy. if in the line, That, for their homage to her sovereign joys," the word "joys" should be "eyes"? SOME ACCOUNT OF ROBERT GREENE AND HIS WRITINGS. 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 gaue 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, "ROB. GREENE, Norfolciensis." Euphues 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 |