Aye me! poore man, with many a trickling teare, What, shall I die for loue? O no, not so; Carmela. Euen with this kisse, as once my father did, Doron. 1 Euen with this garland made of holly-hocks. I crosse thy browes, from euery shepherd's kisse: Heigh ho, how glad am I to touch thy locks, My frolicke heart euen now a free man is, Carmela. I thanke you Doron, and will think on you; I seale your chapter patent with my thums; Come kisse and part, for feare my mother comes.' J. H.t 1 ART. CXXXVII. Greenes neuer too late. Both partes. Sent to all youthfull Gentlemen, deciphering in a true English Historie, those particular oanities, that with their Frostie vapours nip the blos. somes of euery braine, from attaining to his intend • This piece of Greene has been since reprinted entire in Archaica. The Editor only is answerable for the imperfect notes annexed to this article. ed perfection. As pleasant as profitable, being a right Pumice stone, apt to race out idlenesse with delight, and folly with admonition. By Robert Greene, In artibus Magister. Omne tulit punctum. London: [title imperfect; printed by Smethwicke) 4to. b. l. Sig. Q. By the Dedication "To the Right Worshipfull, Tho. Barnaby, Esquire: Robert Greene wisheth increase of all honourable vertues," concluding a short prose address, "Your Worship's humbly to command, Robert Greene.” "To the Gentlemen Readers. Such (Gentlemen) as had their eares fild with the harmony of Orpheus harpe, could not abide the harsh musicke of Hiparchion's pipe, yet the Thessalians would allow the poore fidler licence to frolicke it among shepheards. Though no pictures would go for current with Alexander, but such as past through Apelles pensil, yet poore men had their houses shadowed with Phidias coarse colours. Ennius was called a poet as well as Virgil, and Vulcan with his poltfoot friskt with Venus as well as Mars. "Gentlemen, if I presume to present you, as hitherto I haue done, with friuolous toies: yet for that I stretch my strings as I can, if you praise me not with Orpheus, hisse me not out with Hiparchion: if I paint not with Apelles, yet scrape not out my shadowes with disgrace: if I stirre my stumps with Vulcan, though it be lamely done, yet it is a dance: So, if my Nunquam sera please not, yet I pray you passe it once with patience, and say, tis a booke. So hoping I shal find you as euer 1 haue done, I end, Rob. Greene." "A Madrigall to Wanton Louers," four six-line stanzas, signed "Ralph Sidney," and three stanzas, same measure, with signature "Rich. Hake, Gent." The story is given as related by one resident" in Bergamo, not farre distant from Venice," who overhearing the soliloquies of a weary pilgrim enters into conversation with him, and after obtaining his description of France, Lyons, and Germany, invites him home, and also obtains a relation of Francesco (the pilgrim's) history. His narrative commences with the time he "had cut from Douer to Calice." He says "the women in France generally, as concerning the exterior lineaments of their outward perfection, are beutifull, as being westernly seated near great Brittanie, where Nature sits and hatcheth beauteous paramours: yet although natura naturans hath shewed her cunning in their portraitures, as women that thinke nothing perfect that arte hath not polished, that [they] haue drugges of Alexandria, minerals of Egypt, waters from Tharsus, paintings from Spaine, and what to doe forsooth? To make them more beautifull then vertuous, and more pleasing in the eyes of men, then delightfull in the sight of God." In Germany he found "Venus of no great account, yet shee had there a temple, and though they did not beautify it with jewels, they plainely powred forth such orisons, as did bewray, though they could not court it as the French did with art, yet their lust was not lesse, nor their liues more honest." Of the other sex "the French gentlemen are amorous, as soone perswaded by the beau ty of their mistris, to make a brawle, as for the maintenance of religion, to enter armes; their eyes are like Salamander-stones, that fire at the sight of euery flame; their hearts as queasie as the minerals of Etna, that burne at the heate of the sun, and are quencht with the puffe of euery winde. They count it courtlike, to spend their youth in courting of ladies, and their age in repenting of sinnes yet more forward in the one than deuout in the other." While "in their armes they be hardy souldiers, and resolute." Germany was a colder clime, "the people high-minded, and fuller of words then of courtesie, giuen more to drinke, then to deuotion, and yet sundry places stuffed with schismes and heresies, as people that delight to be factious. There might you see their interior vanities more then their outward apparell did import, and oft times their vaunts more then their manhood." The Palmer's tale is fixed at a very early period of the English history, and commences with the following description of himself" In those daies when Palmerin raigned king of great Britaine, famoused for his deeds of chiualrie, there dwelled in the citie of Caerbrancke, a gentleman, of an ancient house, called Francesco, a man, whose parentage, though it were worshipfull, yet it was not endued with much wealth: insomuch that his learning was better then his reuenewes, and his wit more beneficial then his substance. This Segnior Francesco, desirous to bend the course of his compasse to some peaceable porte, spred no more cloth in the wind then might make easie saile, lest hoysting vp too suddenly aboue the maine-yard some sudden gust might make him founder in the deepe. Though he were yong, yet he was not rash with Icarus, to soare into the skie, but to cry out with old Dedalus, Medium tene tutissimum, treading his shoe without any slippe. He was so generally loued of the cittizens, that the richest marchant, or grauest burghmaster would not refuse to grant him his daughter in marriage, hoping more of his insuing fortunes, then of his present substance. At last casting his eie on a gentleman's 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 father's consent might bee at the knitting vp of the match." As usual the father refuses his consent, for "her dowrie required a greater feofment then Francesco's land were able to afford;" the daughter confined to the house, and at bed time her clothes locked up "that no nightly feare of her escape might hinder his broken slumbers." Stratagem succeeds; Isabel half naked obtains her liberty and joins her waiting lover," as fast as horse would pace away, they post towards a towne in the said country of Brittaine called Duncastrum." On returning from church they are met by the enraged father, who succeeds in sending the bridegroom to prison, for a while, on a charge of felony. The following interesting scene of domestic prudence and felicity must wake pity and regret, that he, who could succeed so well in the pourtraying it, did not sufficiently covet the happiness, if realized, to continue the enjoyment. |