renown

his old-fashioned phrase and obsolete words, 131. “ Patience doth conquer by out-sufone of the first refiners of the English lan

fering all.” guage.”—Ibid.

150. “ Mild is the mind where honour

builds his bower: “DRYDEN (Preface to his Fables) says, And yet is earthly honour but a flower." • I have often heard the late Earl of Leicester say that Mr. Cowley himself was of opi

169. “Barons, now may you reap the rich nion that Chaucer was a dry old-fashioned wit, not worth reviving; and that having That under warlike colours springs in field,

And read him over at my lord's request, he de

grows where ensigns wave upon the clared he had no taste of him.'

plains.” “ This fact, says Sir J. Hawkins, is as The Old Wives' Tale is truly an Old difficult to account for as another of the Wife's Tale dramatized, an original and same kind. Mr. Handel made no secret of happy thought. declaring himself totally insensible to the I think Huanebango is as likely to have excellences of Purcell's compositions." given Spenser a hint for Braggadochio, as Hist. Mus. vol. ii. p. 105.

the brothers are to have been the origin of Comus.

Vol. 2.
Lord Buckhurst.

P. 72. _“not by the course of heaven, At the close of Ferrex and Porrex is By frail conjectures of inferior signs, some plain advice to Elizabeth that she By monstrous floods, by flights and flocks of

birds,
should settle the succession. The author's
intention cannot be mistaken, but I believe By bowels of a sacrificed beast,
it has not been before observed.

Or by the figures of some hidden art;
But by a true and natural presage,
Laying the ground and perfect architect
Of all our actions now before thine eyes,

From Adam to the end of Adam's seed."
GEORGE PEELE.

73. “O Heaven, protect my weakness with P. 78. “ Fame-that

thy strength." Proclaiming conquests, spoils, and victories,

“ ravish my earthly sprits, Rings glorious echoes through the farthest That for the time a more than human skill world."

May feed the organons of all my sense; 82. “Dub on your drums,

That when I think, thy thoughts may be my My lusty western lads!”

guide, 103. “But if kind Cambria deign me good And when I speak, I may be made by choice aspect,

The perfect echo of thy heavenly voice.” To make me chiefest Brute of western This is in a speech of David's to Solomon. Wales."

74. The eagle. Llwellen says this.

“With eyes

intentive to bedare ? the sun." 1 “Since Chaucer liv’d, who yet lives, and

101. “ The twenty-coloured rainbow.” yet shall.

? See Nares' Gloss, in v. dure. I may add Unto the sacred relics of whose rhyme

to the quotations there, “fall down as dared We yet are bound in zeal to otter praise.". larks,” from the Third Part of the Homily against

DANIEL's Musophilus.-J W. W. Peril of Idolatry, p. 235.-J. W. W.

124. “And thrive it so with thee, as thou 225. " I laid me down, laden with many dost mean :

cares, And mean thou so as thou dost wish to (My bedfellows almost these twenty years.)" thrive."

226. “Fast by the stream where Thames 142. “From thence to Rome rides Stukely

and Isis meet, all aflaunt."

And day by day roll to salute the sea,

For more than common service it perform'd 158.“ Our fair Eliza, or Zabata fair."

To Albion's Queen, when foemen, shipt for He gives as a reason for annexing the

fight, Tale of Troy to his farewell to Norris and To forage England plough'd the ocean up, Drake on their Portugal voyage, “that good | And slonk into the channel that divides minds, inflamed with honourable reports of The Frenchman's strond from Britain's fishy their ancestry, may imitate their glory in towns." highest adventures; and my countrymen, famed through the world for resolution and

226. “ Sleeping or waking as alone I lay,

Mine eyes and ears and senses all were fortitude, may march in equipage of honour

served and arms with their glorious and renowned predecessors the Troyans."

With every object perfect in his kind." 172. “ You follow Drake by sea, the

266. A character of the watermen.' scourge of Spain, The dreadful dragon, terror to your foes, Victorious in his return from Inde,

Daniel. In all his high attempts unvanquish d."

Ben Jonson disliked him, merely, Gifford 193-210-11. Elizabeth's champion, Sir

thinks, from a difference in taste. Ben Henry Lea, resigning the championship to

Jonson, vol. i. p. 155, N. the Earl of Cumberland. 1590.

Ben Jonson, vol. viii. p. 278, N. Vol. v. 204. Sir Fulk Grevile.

p. 250-1, N. and proof in the text. 205.“ And haste they make to meet, and

In his volume of “ Certain Small Works" meet they do,

heretofore divulged, and now again corAnd do the thing for which they meet in

rected and augmented, is a prefatory poem haste."

to the reader, which is not in the edition of 210. Elizabeth's birth-day.

his poetical works,-nor in Anderson. It

falls a little into Wither's pedestrian strain, “ The day, the birth-day of our happiness, but has value for its feeling, as well as for The blooming time, the spring of England's contributing to the poet's own history. peace.”

It shows that he bestowed much after

correction 221. “ Harington, well letter'd and dis

upon

his

poems, so that the edi

tions ought to be carefully compared. creet, That bath so purely naturalized

I The third volume of PEELE's works was Strange words, and made them all free denizens."

published by Mr. Dyce in 1839. It contains

Sir Clyomon and Sir Clamydes, An Eclogue 221. “the fairest Phaeri

Gratulatory, Speeches to Queen Elizabeth at That ever ventured on great Virgil's works." Theobalds, and the Anglorum Ferie.

2 See Souther’s remarks on "well-languaged

Daniel,” in his British Poets, p. 572.-J. W. W. 1 See Wood's Athena Oson. in v. Thomas Phayer. He translated “ Nine Books of Vir. gil's Æneidos."-J. W. W.

Sir William Temple.

Vol. 4. JOHNSON once said that he had formed

GIFFORD could not have looked at Lady

Wroth's book. his style upon that of Sir W. Temple, and

Alchemist. Ep. to the Reader. upon Chambers's Proposal for his Dictionary. “ And Sir W. Temple supposed he had

Dances and antic marring the drama at

that time. formed his upon Sandys's View of the State of Religion.”—CROKER's Boswell, vol. i. p.

S. EVREMOND, vol. 3, p. 207-8, praises 196.

Sejanus and Catiline, and condemns all

other English tragedies. See the passage. Ben Jonson.

“It appears that he read Greek invari. Vol. 2.

ably, not by quantity, but accent." Vol. 5, P. 453. GIFFORD supposed Crispinus to

p. 339, N. In the text that occasions this have been intended for Marston, whom

note, the line is, (vol. i. p. 517) he very much disparages.

“ Old Master Gross surnam'd Ayélaotos," 456. The alternate verses in which king —which yet would read by quantity, if the Darius is ridiculed here, are not unlike some true reading of the preceding word should of Dryden's tragic snip-snap dialogues in be surnamëd. But Gifford says it was his tragedy.

invariable rule. 490. A faun or fawne, I suppose, is sy. His contempt of romances, with which nonimous with a fawner.

he oddly classes Pantagruel. Vol. 5, p. 346; Vol. 3.

8, p. 416-7.

The metre in his Ode to himself (vol. 5, P. 54. “That for her own, great Cæsar's, p. 442), a ten-lined stanza, is sufficiently and the pub

varied by the different length of the lines, Lic safety."

though the rhymes are in couplets. 162. Ded. to the Fox. His notion of the P. 417. Gifford assents to O. Feltham's good poet.

criticism, 164. Abuses of the stage.

" When was there ever laid 206-7.

“ Came
you forth

Before a chambermaid
Empty of rules for travel ?

Discourse so weighed, as might have served Per.

Faith, I had of old Some common ones, from out that vulgar For schools when they of love and valour grammar

told ?" Which he that cried Italian to me, taught Now though the discourse is

very

ill laid me."

considering some of the company, the obThe commentators have not looked for jection certainly does not hold good with that grammar and its rules.

regard to the Chambermaid, who is what 391. Bride-ale, a note showing that Gif

Ben Jonson remembered female domestics ford did not know what the word means. to be, upon the same footing as pages in the

454. Going away in snuff (in anger) Gif- family. The one in this play is the friend ford thinks alludes to the offensive manner and companion of her mistress, and thought in which a candle goes out. I rather think

a fit wife for a nobleman at the end of the it refers to a sudden emotion of anger, seiz- drama. ing a man as snuff takes him by the nose.'

Vol. 6. " See the extract from SOMERS' Tructs, in

P. 2. The actors, when the Magnetic Second Series, p. 654.-J. W. W.

Lady was first represented, introduced so many oaths, that they were called before 164. Allusions to Morte d'Arthur.

165. And to Meliadus, which Gifford, by censured. As the author was sick in bed, his note, seems not to understand. they boldly laid the fault on him. Jonson 265. In the Golden Age Restored he calls however completely justified himself from up Gower and Lidgate with Chaucer' and this atrocious charge, as did the Master of Spenser. the Revels, on whom they had next the 269. The first folio which Ben Jonson audacity to lay it: and the players then superintended himself has “ come down to humbly confessed that they had themselves us one of the correctest works that ever interpolated the offensive passages.

issued from the English press.” 11. “ I have heard the poet say that to be 274. Excellent personifications in the the most unlucky scene in a play which Masque of Christmas. needs an interpreter."— Induction to the 298. Dr. Aikin has called Ben Jonson Magnetic Lady.

“ this once celebrated author!” and speaks 250. Gifford says he was a careful reader of the prevalent coarseness of tedious effuof the Polyolbion, and in the Sad Shepherd sions ! an occasional imitator.

305. “The tail of a Kentish man." Thus 222. Inigo Jones satirized.

this was still a current jest.

311. G. Chalmers' glorious confounding Vol. 7.

of Titan with Tithonus.

315. His Comus. P. 19. GIFFORD thinks Milton's Arcades

320. Gifford thinks Swift took a hint “ a very humble imitation of Ben Jonson's hence, and not from Philostratus. But masques."

Swift is likely to have read Philostratus. 36-7. Dances described in the Masques.

322. The first Masque in which Charles 39. 65. 108. 157. 324.5.

bore a part. 16. A double echo finely managed in a

334. Ben Jonson wishes to obtain some song.

knowledge of Welsh. 79. Masque scenery. 302. Splendour. 328.

335. Velby, “an interjection of surprise, " Sit now, propitious aids,

Hey day! So!" &c. Thus in Gifford's note. To rites so duly prized,

Valho me Dios is the Portuguese exclamaAnd view two noble maids

tion. Of different sex, to Union sacrificed." 348. Praise of the Welsh.

Masque of Hymen, 53. 366. Heber has an autograph MS. of the 77. Gifford calls - the attention of the Masque of the Metamorphosed Gipsie. reader to the richness, elegance, and matchless vigour of Jonson's prose," upon occasion

Vol. 8. of a very beautiful passage, which he does P. 31. ANTIMASQUES. not perceive to be an imitation of Sydney's

“ Neither do I think them manner.

A worthy part of presentation, 94. It only cost the masquers about £300 Being things so heterogene to all device, a man for that on Lord Haddington's mar

Mere by-works, and at best outlandish noriage.

things." 114. Dedication of a Masque to P. Henry.

43. “Bright day's eyes," and " the lips of 151. Bel-Anna, James's Queen, a name in which he plainly remembered Belphæbe.

sweet verses.

cows." This odd inversion is in some very

Of worded balladry

And think it poesy?". 144. The description of the two loves, 418-19. What the fire destroyed. Eros and Anteros, is that they were both 442. To the Painter. His own person armed and winged; with bows and quivers, described. cassocks, breeches, buskins, gloves, and pe- 446. Wager upon his weight. rukes alike.—Love's Welcome at Bolsover.

448. Gifford does not see that this piece 151. In the dedication to his Epigrams relates to the former. he calls them the ripest of his studies.

452. To the Lord Keeper Williams. 154. To my bookseller. He requests that 459. Charles sent him £100 in his sick

his book may

ness, 1629.

“ thus much favour have To lie upon thy stall till it be sought : Vol. 9. Not offered, as it made suit to be bought, P. 4. Ben Jonson and the Earl of NewNor have my title-leaf on posts or walls, castle. Or in cleft sticks advanced to make calls,

6. Lord Falkland. For termers, or some clerklike serving man

78. Gifford's praise of his Pindaries. But Who scarce can spell the hard names; whose N. B. that word was not prefixed to it by knight less can."

Jonson. 9. 169. On Sir John Roe. His own anti

17. It appears by this note that the edition cipation of death. A fine manly strain. 170. is not so complete as Gifford might and

186. Repentance for some ill deserved ought to have made it. eulogy.

27. An Epistle Mendicant. 189. To Playwright:

35. In this Epithalamion he seems to have Playwright, convict of public wrongs to had Spenser in mind. men,

37. Porting for carrying .'
Takes private beatings, and begins again. 43. Laureate's petition to King Charles.
Two kinds of valour he doth shew at once, 47. Sir Ken. Digby-a sad conceit.
Active in's brain, and passive in his bones." 95. A divided rhyme :

212. His invitation to supper.
240. He did not understand French: this

Diana's grove, or altar, with the borappears by his verses to Silvester.

-Dring circles of swift waters," &c. 259. His opinion of the military and legal

161. Envious criticism in his age, and sucprofessions.

cess of worthless works. 162. 282. Complained of as a dangerous per

169-70. His own memory.

172. vicious tinsel style in vogue. 173. 288. His prayer.

174. “ Dabbling in verse had helped to 298. “ The gladdest light dark man can

advance men both in the law and gospel; but think upon."

poetry in this latter age hath proved but a 355. To Brome :

mean mistress to such as have wholly ad" those comic laws

dicted themselves to her, or given their Which I, your master, first did teach the

names up to her family." stage."

176. His opinion of precocious talents. 365. Admission that he has overpraised some persons.

I MILTON uses

ported spears," Paradise 382. Ode to himself :

Lost, book iv. p. 980; and FULLER in his Wor

thies, speaks of Shropshire coals as easily • What though the greedy fry ported by boat into other shires.” Shropshire, Be taken with false baits

4 when or

son.

66