The Gods passe man in blisse, because They toile pot for more height, Eternall rest delight. Then, princes, do not toile nor care, Enjoy what you possesse, ir The gods in happinesse. From the Tragedie of Cleopatra, by Thomas May. 1654. SONG. BY ACHITOPHEL, A CHARACTER SOMEWHAT RE SEMBLING AUTOLICUS IN SILAKSPEARES WINTERS TALE. Come will you buy? for I have heere that ever were; But I, Is there a lady in this place, Then why Come which Come buy, you lusty gallants, These simples which I sell ; For beauty, strength, and smell. The rose that loves the shower. And the daffadilly, Heres golden amaranthus, That true love can provoke, With the polipode of the oake; Health preserving sage, With a world of others, Making fruitful mothers; From the True Tragedy of Herod and Antipater, by Gervase Markham and William Samp 1622. son. To the above I might easily have added other specimens of equal merit, but my object was to produce a performance of miscellaneous entertainment. It may be objected, that what I have inserted are not sufficiently select, and that far better examples of the poetry of the times in which these songs were composed, have already appeared in the compilations of Cooper, Headley, Aikin, Ellis, Ritson, and others. This may be conceded; but I do not think that any of the specimens I have here printed, are to be found, but in the particular old dramas which I have had before me. They will at least, therefore, have the merit of novelty to those, who may not have the opportunity of seeing the rare and curious volumes from which they have been taken. PARKHURST. Johannis Parkhursti Ludicra sive Epigrammata Juvenilia. 4to. Apud Johannem Dayum Typographum. 1573. OF this remarkably rare book we have no copy in the British Museum. I am indebted to my friend Mr. Douce for the use of one. There is no account of John Parkhurst in any of our biographical dictionaries. I subjoin, therefore, the following brief description of him and his writings. He He was born at Guildford in Surrey, and was sent, at a very early age, to Oxford. In 1529 he was a probationary Fellow of Merton College. He was in due time Rector of Cleve in Gloucestershire, which, on account of its great value, was usually denominated Bishops Cleve. After the death of Edward the Sixth, actuated by conscientious motives, he left his preferment, and retired to Zurich, where he continued till the decease of Queen Mary. At the accession of Elizabeth he returned to his native country, and was made Bishop of Norwich. He wrote and published the following works: 1. Epigrammata in mortem duorum fratrum Suffolciensium Caroli et Henrici Brandon. 4to. 1552. These brothers were the sons of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, who died of the Sweating Sickness. 2. Ludicra-sive Epigrammata Juvenilia. 3. John Sheproves “ Distichs on the New Testament." 4. Epigrammata Seria. 8vo. 1560. Parkhurst also, at the command of Queen Elizabeth, translated the Apocrypha, from The Book of Wisdom to the end. He died in 1574, and was buried in the Cathedral Church of Norwich. There is this inscription on his monument: " Johannes Parkhurstus, Theologiæ Professor, Gylfordiæ natus, Oxoniæ educatus, temporibus Mariæ Reginæ pro nitida conscientia Tigurena vixit exul voluntarius. Postea Præsul factus sanctissime hanc rexit ecclesiam 16 annos et mortuus est secundo die Februarii an. 1574 ætatis suæ 63." There is another inscription to him on one of the pillars of the cathedral, in these terms: “ Viro bono, docto, et pio Johanni Parkhursto Episcopo vigilantissimo, Georgius Gardiner posuit học. This George Gardiner was Dean of Norwich. I subjoin two or three specimens of Parkhurst's work. AD CANDIDUM LECTOREM. ruga tuo. Cum legis hunc nostrum, Lector, studiose libellum, Decedat vultu tetrica Non Heraclitis, non gravibus Curiis : Adjicere huc oculos et legere ista velint, Multa hic invenient, quæ possint pellere curas, Plurima quæ mestos exhilarari queant. AD AMICUM QUENDAM. Quidam placentas optimas, Plus 5 |