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The first edition has an epistle dedicatory to the King, and a genealogical table, neatly engraved, of the Royal Family of England, down to Henry the First. There is a copy of this edition in the library of the Marquis of Stafford, from which my friend, Mr. G. Isted, transcribed into his own the following lines, written in' manuscript by the author.

TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE GREATEST COUNSELLOR,
SIR THO. EGERTON, KNIGHT,

BARON OF ELLESMERE, LORD CHANCELLOUR OF
ENGLAND, MY VERY GOOD LORD.

GREAT and grave Lord, my mind hath longed long
In any thankful maner to declare

By act or word, or were it in a song,
How great to you my obligations are,
Who did so nobly and so timely pluck
From griffins talons your distressed Buck.

The Eclogue itself is a dialogue betwixt Damætas, a woodman, and Silenus, the prophet of the shepherds, and is by no means deficient in poetical vigour. This will appear by the following brief specimen :

SILENUS SPEAKS.

Now of these flames I will impart to thee,
And happily perhaps thou hast refer'd
The resolution of this doubt to me,

For why this case was argued long agone

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In Helicon, and I myself it heard,

Where Phoeb. amid the muses on his throne,
Established by these sacred maides advise

What ghirlands should be ech acchivements price.

The question grew because Apollos suite
Præfered a plaint against such as præsumed
To weare a garland of his holy fruite,
Without desert a speciall grace divine:

Apollow was much moved, and chafed, and fumed,
And went anone to counsaile with the kine,
And when he had a leafe of laurell eat,

Thus spake as I his speeche can repeat.

The laurel crowne was given, and shall be still,
To peerelesse men, to clarks, and emperours,
And such as in a mood of metrick skill

Could of my favours make their vants at large,

And then that long enduring palme of yours

Was due (my sisters and my sacred charge)
To such as worthily to gaine the price
Had suffered watching, famine, fire, and ice.

And he which had with valiant hand preserved
A citizen, received a crowne of oke,

But he a wreath of olive leaves deserved
Who had with arts and pleas of peace beguiled
The bitter times which discord had forspoke,
Or els some dangerous foe had reconciled,
And he who long had flamed in true loves fire
Received a crowne of mirtle for his hire.

&c. &c. &c.

VOL. VI.

I

The

The two editions vary exceedingly. The first has at the end of the poem various miscellaneous verses, none of which are found in the second. This book, however, has a copy of verses "Vpon King Henrie the Second, the first Plantagenet of England," which are not in the former edition. Both are of great rarity.

SPRINGES

SPRINGES FOR WOODCOCKS.

LAQUEI RIDICULOSI, or Springes for Woodcockes. Written by Henry Perrot. Caveat emptor.

London, for J. Busbie. 1613. 12mo.

Warton, in the beginning of his fourth volume of the History of English Poetry, a posthumous fragment, p. 73, observes in a note:

66

Taylor, the water-poet, has mentioned Perrot's Epigrams. See the folio edition of his works, p. 265, Epig. VII.

My muse hath vowed revenge shall have her swinge, To catch a Perrot in the woodcockes springe.

See also p. 265, Epig. xxx1."

This is one of the rarest books of the kind, but of no particular value for its point, wit, or humour.

The following are a few specimens of the best among the Epigrams:

VIDEANTUR QUE NON SUNT.

SALTUS goes booted to the dauncing schoole,
As if from thence his meaning were to ride,
But Saltus says they keepe his legs more coole,
And which for ease he better may abide :

Tut, thats a cold excuse. It rather seemed
Saltus silke stockings were not yet redeemed.

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SALTEM VIDERETUR.

A Welshman and an Englishman disputed
Which of their lands maintained the greatest state,
The Englishman the Welshman quite confuted,
Yet would the Welshman nought his brags abate,
Ten cooks, quoth he, in Wales, one wedding fees,
True, quoth the other, each man tosts his cheese.

OPUS ET USUS.

Opus for need consumed his wealth apace,
And neer would cease until he was undone,
His brother Usus livd in better case

Then Opus did, although the eldest sonne;
Twas strange it should be so, but here was it,
Opus had all the land, Usus the wit.

AB EQUIS AD ASINOS.

Brutus, that brave and compleat cavalier,
Who but of late in Fleet-street flourished,

And thought no pleasure or expence too deere,
See now how soone the case is altered;
As that constrained to forsake the street,

He hath betane himselfe unto the Fleet.

There are 216 Epigrams. A copy belonging to Mr. Steevens sold at his sale for one pound fifteen shillings,

ROBERT

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