Scriptures, by Antony Munday; and dedicated to the Earle of Oxenford. Imprinted by J. Alde.

1579. 4to.

THIS work is divided into two books, and contains the Complaints of King Nabuchodonozer, Herod, Pharaoh, David, Dives, Judas, Jonas, Absalon, Triphon, Achab, Jephthah, Sampson, Solomon, Ammon, Adonia, Ptolomye, Jesabel, and Zedekiah; whose vices are characterised under the heads of

Pride, Envy, Wrath, Lechery, Gluttony, Avarice, Sloth, Beautie, Crueltie, Wickedness, Rashness, Magnanimitie, Sapience, Incontinency, Voluptuousness, Vainglory, Vanitie, and Wilfulness. Each poem has a prose induction by the author.

ART. LXV. The Castell of Courtesie, whereunto is adjoyned The Holde of Humilitie; with the Chariot of Chastitie thereunto annexed. Also a Dialogue betweene Age and Youth; and other matters herein conteined. By James Yates, Servingman. 1582.

Reade, but not deride,

Accuse not without cause:

Such hastie doome accordeth not

With reason, nor her lawes.

London. Imprinted by John Wolfe, dwelling in Distaffe Lane, neere unto the signe of the Castle.

4to.

A second title after fol. 8, runs thus:

The Hould of Humilitie: adjoined to the Castle of

Courtesie. Compiled by James Yates, Serving

man.

Captious conceipts

good reader doe dismiss :
And, friendly weigh

the willing minde of his,

Which more doth write

for pleasure then for praise

Whose worthlesse workes

are simplie pend alwaies.

London. Imprinted (as above.)

A third title near the middle of the book runs thus:

The Chariot of Chastitie, drawne to publication by dutiful Desire, Good Will, and Commendation. Also a Dialogue betwene Diana and Venus. With Ditties devised at sundrie idle times, for recreation sake: set downe in such wise as insueth by James Yates. London. Imprinted (as above) 1582.

Herbert discovered from the stationers' register that such a book as this was licensed to John Wolfe, in 1581;* but he had not seen it. The solitary copy now before me is imperfect; and appears to have been preserved from utter demolition by Mr. T. Martint of Palgrave, the Suffolk antiquary, and to have descended from the curious collection of Major Pearson to the select library of Mr. Steevens, in whose sale-catalogue it will be found briefly designated at No. 1134. As the author was an uneducated

Typogr. Antiq. p. 1186.

+ Hearne calls him "honest Tom Martin," in Peter de Langtoft.

menial, little probably was ever known, and still less can now be discovered concerning him. That he was a Suffolk man is presumable from his addressing verses to a person who visited Ipswich, and from writing an epitaph on a Mrs. Pooly of Badley. The different divisions of his book are inscribed to his approved good master and mistress Henry Reynowls, Esq. and his wife Elizabeth Reynowls, to whom he adds acrostical verses, which afford no better proofs of his poetical taste than the alliterative titles to his labours. The following lines however are creditable to his moral sentiment, and have been divested of their ancient orthography, that they may be read with greater pleasure.

"Verses on Friendship.

Under the cope and glittering hue of heaven
Are all the joys allotted by decree;
Yet is their none that may compared be
Unto a friend that never is uneven :

But doth remain all one in constancy.

But for such friends as are but friends in sight,
They do deceive; incertain is their trust;
They prove untrue, they moulder as the dust:
But ah! a friend that stands in friendly right,
He is a friend, as needs confess I must.

Now if one find a faithful friend indeed,

Then keep him still, as jewel that is rare ;
Be sure of this, to have on him a care;
For why? he will remain a friend at need,

As trial tells, and truth doth well declare."

Mr. Steevens had placed a particular mark, for a very obvious reason, before a copy of " Verses writ

ten at the departure of the writer's friende Will S. when hee went to dwell at London:" but he, doubtless, found from the context that this passage could not be metamorphosed into "Warwickshire Will."

T. P.

ART. LXVI. The true and perfecte Newes of the woorthy and valiaunt exploytes, performed and doone by that valiant knight Syr Frauncis Drake : not only at Sancto Domingo and Carthagena, but also nowe at Cales and uppon the coast of Spayne. 1587. Printed at London by J. Charlewood for T. Hackett. Colophon : Finis quoth Thomas Greepe.

GREEPE, in his epistle dedicatory to George Clifford, Earl of Cumberland, speaks of himself as a rude countryman, brought up many years in husbandry; and therefore possessing more knowledge in culturing of land than in describing the conquest of countries. A plain narration adapted to the vulgar sort of people, was what he designed, and this he evidently accomplished. The following is his matterof-fact report of the English squadron.

"The Bonaventure, a shyp royall,
Cheefe admirall then of the fleete
Sir Frauncis Drake chiefe-generall,
As by deserte, he was most meete.
Most worthy captaynes of hand and hart,
In thys boon voyage then tooke hys part.

The Primrose next, vice-admirall
Appointed by theyr best devise,

Captayne Frobisher vise-generall,

A valiant captayne, ware and wise.
Captayne Carelell they did ordayne
Liefetenant-generall on the mayne,

The Ayde, a royall shyppe and hotte,
The Gallien wyll convict her foes,
The Sea-Dragon she spares no shott,
The Talbot barkes where-ere she goes;
The Whyte Lyon her foes will smart,
And all the rest wyll take her part.

At Plimmouth they remayned a space,
Till all their ships were furnished;
Then government, good fame, and grace,
Throughout the realme is published:
Their sayles displaide, the seas t'atchive,
September, anno eighty-five."

A short letter is subjoined from Sir F. Drake, to his very good friend, Mr. John Fox, preacher of the Word of God: Dated "from aboord her Majesties good ship the Elizabeth Bonaventure."

ART. LXVII. A Farewell. Entituled to the famous and fortunate Generalls of our English forces, Sir John Norris and Syr Frauncis Drake, Knights; and all theyr brave and resolute followers. Whereunto is annexed a Tale of Troy. Doone by George Peele, Maister of Artes in Oxforde. At London. Printed by J. C. and are to be solde by Willm. Wright, at his shop adjoyning to S. Mildred's church in the Poultrie. Anno 1589. 4to. pp. 21.