and, I may add, produced a great revolution in the state of popular knowledge. For before those elaborate and voluminous compilations appeared, the History of England, which had been shut up in the Latin narratives of the monkish annalists, was unfamiliar and almost unknown to the general reader*. *[Among the historical poems which seem to have been written in imitation of those entitled "The Mirrour for Magistrates," perhaps with an intention of being engrafted on the popular stock of Baldwin and Higgins, must be noticed the "Legend of Mary Queen of Scots," first published from an original MS. by Mr. Fry of Kingsdown near Bristol in 1810, and attributed by its editor to the pen of Thomas Wenman in 1601; a writer, of whom nothing material has since been added to the short account of Wood, which describes him as an excellent scholar1, who took his degree of M.A. in 1590, was afterwards Fellow of Baliol College, and public orator of the University of Oxford in 1594. The editor claims for this historic legend a higher rank than what Mr. Warton has assigned to the generality of the rhyming chronicles contained in the Mirror for Magistrates: but I rather doubt whether our poetical historian would have ratified the claim; since it appears to run singularly parallel in its construction, in its rhythmical cadence and versification, to the greater portion of the pieces in that once popular collection. Pr.-Baldwyn awake, thie penn hath slept to longe; Ferris is dead; state cares staie Sackvill's ease; Theise latter witts delighte in pleasaunt songe Or lovinge sayes, which maie theire masters please; My ruthfull state breeds no remorse in theise: For as my liffe was still opreste by fate, So after deathe my name semes out of date. The poem extends to 186 stanzas. The following list is given by Mr. Fry, as imitations of the Mirror for Magistrates. 1. The Testament and Tragedie of King Henrie Stewart, 1567. Edinb. (See Dalzel's Scottish Poems of the 16th cent.) 2. Rd. Robinson's Rewarde of Wickednesse, &c. 1574. (See Cens. Literar.) 3. Ant' Munday's Mirror of Mutability, &c. 1579. (See Cens. Lit.) 4. Ulpian Fulvell's Flower of Fame, &c. 1575. (See Cens. Lit.) 5. Wm. Wyrley's Life and Death of sir Jno. Chandos. 1592. 1 Fasti Oxon. i. 139. 6. Wm. Wyrley's Life and Death of sir Jno. de Grathy. 1572. (See Cens. Lit. i. 148.) 7. Rd. Johnson's Nine Worthies of London, &c. 1592. (See Harl. Misc.) 8. Tho. Churchyard's Tragedie of the Earl of Morton and sir Simon Burley, (in his Challenge,) 1593. Storer's Life and Death of Cardinal Wolsey. 1599. 9. Ch. Middleton's Legend of Duke Humphrey, 1600. (See Cens. Lit. iii. 256.) 10. Tho. Sampson's Fortune's Fashion, pourtrayed in the troubles of the Ladie Elizabeth Gray. 1613. 11. Mich. Drayton's Legend of Rob. D. of Normandy. 1596. 12. Mich. Drayton's Legend of Matilda. 13. Mich. Drayton's Legend of Percie Gaveston. 14. Mich. Drayton's Legend of Great Cromwell. In the Poetical Works of William Browne, 1772, there is a reprint of Verses by him prefixed to "Richard the Third, his character, legend and tragedy," a poem in quarto with the date of 1614. This poem I do not recollect to have seen, but its title makes it presumable to have been of Baldwin's class. Daniel's Complaint of Rosamond first printed in 1592, may be numbered in the same class; and so may Niccols's Vision of Sir Thomas Overbury, &c. published in 1616. Another of these imitative histories in verse, which from its extreme rarity was not likely to fall under the observation of Mr. Fry, is entitled "Beawtie dishonoured, written under the title of Shore's Wife," printed at London by John Wolfe in 1593, 4to. It contains 197 six-line stanzas, and is inscribed to sir Edward Winckfield knight, by his "worship's most bounden, A. C." that is, A. Chute or Chewt, who speaks of it as an infant labour, and the "first invention of his beginning Muse." As the poem is upon the whole inferior to that of Churchyard on the same subject, which had been published a few years before, it seems rather strange that Chute should have tried his juvenile strength against that of the veteran bard, who published his "Tragedie" in the same year, with 21 additional stanzas," in as fine a forme as the first impres 2 vol. iii. p. 162. sion thereof," and with a soldier-like protestation, that the production was entirely his own, though some malignant it seems had denied him the credit of producing it. Chute did not in his rival effort adopt the seven-line stanza of Churchyard, but many passages bear such partial resemblance, as a choice of the same personal history was likely to induce. A late reprint of the Mirror for Magistrates will give to many an opportunity of perusing Churchyard's work; but as that of Chute remains in an unique copy, I proceed to extract a few of the best stanzas. The ghost of Shore's Wife is made to narrate her own story, on the plan of Baldwin's heroes and heroines. The following lines express her compunction for having yielded to the criminal passion of Edward IV. Who sees the chast liv'd turtle on a tree In unfrequented groves sit and complaine her; Whether alone all desolate, poore shee, And for her lost love seemeth to restraine her; And there, sad thoughted, howleth to the ayre The excellencie of her lost-mate's fayre1: So I, when sinne had drown'd my soule in badnesse, To solitarie muse my selfe retired, Where wrought by greefe to discontented sadnesse, Repentant thoughts my new won shame admired; And I, the monster of myne owne misfor tune, My hart with grones and sorrow did importune. She proceeds to lament that posterity will consign her memory to defamation. Thus in thy life, thus in thy death, and boath Dishonor'd by thy fact, what mayst thou doe? Though now thy soule the touch of sinne doth loath, And thou abhorst thy life, and thy selfe too: Yet cannot this redeeme thy spotted name, Nor interdict thy body of her shame. But he that could command thee, made thee sin: Yet that is no priviledge, no sheeld to thee. Now thou thyselfe hast drownd thyselfe therein, Thou art defam'd thyselfe, and so is hee: And though that kings commands have wonders wrought, Yet kings commands could never hinder thought. Say that a monarke may dispence with sin; The vulgar toung proveth impartiall still, And when mislike all froward shall begin, The worst of bad, and best of worst to ill, A secret shame in every thought will smother, For sinne is sinne in kinges, as well as other. O could my wordes expresse in mourning sound The ready passion that my mynde doth trye, Then greefe all cares, all sences would confound, And some would weepe with me, as well as I; Where now, because my wordes cannot reveale it, I weepe alone, inforced to conceale it. Had I bin fayre, and not allur'd so soone, To that at which all thoughtes levell their sadnesse, My sunbright day had not bin set ere noone, The moral reflections of Chute will be found more meritorious than his poetic garniture, and this is a distinction of personal honour to the author; since, as Cowper cogently asks, "What is the poet, if the man be naught?"-PARK.] 1 comeliness. SECTION LII. Richard Edwards. Principal poet, player, musician, and buffoon, to the courts of Mary and Elizabeth. Anecdotes of his life. Cotemporary testimonies of his merit. A contributor to the Paradise of Daintie Devises. His book of comic histories, supposed to have suggested Shakspeare's Induction of the Tinker. Occasional anecdotes of Antony Munday and Henry Chettle. Edwards's songs. IN tracing the gradual accessions of the MIRROUR FOR MAGISTRATES, an incidental departure from the general line of our chronologic series has been incurred. But such an anticipation was unavoidable, in order to exhibit a full and uninterrupted view of that poem, which originated in the reign of Mary, and was not finally completed till the beginning of the seventeenth century. I now therefore return to the reign of queen Mary. To this reign I assign Richard Edwards, a native of Somersetshire, about the year 1523. He is said by Wood to have been a scholar of Corpus Christi college in Oxford; but in his early years he was enployed in some department about the court. This circumstance appears from one of his poems in the PARADISE OF DAINTIE DEVISES, a miscellany which contains many of his pieces. In youthfull yeares when first my young desires began To pricke me forth to serve in court, a slender tall young man, Who blessing me with trembling hand, these wordes gan say to me, My sonne, God guide thy way, and shield thee from mischaunce, And make thy just desartes in court, thy poore estate to advance, &c.a In the year 1547, he was appointed a senior student of Christ-church in Oxford, then newly founded. In the British Museum there is a small set of manuscript sonnets signed with his initials, addressed to some of the beauties of the courts of queen Mary, and of queen Elizabeth". Hence we may conjecture that he did not long remain at the university. About this time he was probably a member of Lincoln's-inn. In the year 1561, he was constituted a gentleman of the royal chapel by queen Elizabeth, and master of the singing boys there. He had received his musical education, while at Oxford, under George Etheridge. “To a Edit. 1585. 4to. Carm. 7. b MSS. Cotton. Tit. A. xxiv. some court Ladies."-Pr. "Howarde is not hawghte," &c. [This MS. appears to be the fragment of a collection of original poetry, by different writers. In Ayscough's Catalogue, it is described as "Sonnets by R. E." but no sonnet occurs among the several pieces, and only four out of fourteen are signed R. E. The rest bear the signatures of Norton (the dramatic associate probably of Lord Buckhurst), Surre (i.e. Surrey), Va. When queen Elizabeth visited Oxford in 1566, she was attended by Edwards, who was on this occasion employed to compose a play called PALAMON AND ARCITE, which was acted before her majesty in Christchurch hall. I believe it was never printed. Another of his plays is DAMON AND PYTHIAS, which was acted at court. It is a mistake, that the first edition of this play is the same that is among Mr. Garrick's collection printed by Richard Johnes, and dated 1571. The first edition was printed by William Howe in Fleet-street, in 1570, with this title, "The tragical comedie of DAMON AND PITHIAS, newly imprinted as the same was playde before the queenes maiestie by the children of her graces chapple. Made by Mayster Edward then being master of the children." There is some degree of low humour in the dialogues between Grimme the collier and the two lacquies, which I presume was highly pleasing to the queen. He probably wrote many other dramatic pieces now lost. Puttenham having mentioned lord Buckhurst and Master Edward Ferrys, or Ferrers, as most eminent in tragedy, gives the prize to Edwards for Comedy and Interlude. The word Interlude is here of wide extent. For Edwards, besides that he was a writer of regular dramas, appears to have been a contriver of masques, and a composer of poetry for pageants. In a word, he united all those arts and accomplishments which minister to popular pleasantry: he was the first fiddle, the most fashionable sonnetteer, the readiest rhymer, and the most facetious mimic, of the court. In consequence of his love and his knowledge of the histrionic art, he taught the choristers over which he presided to act plays; and they were formed into a company of players, like those of St. Paul's cathedral, by the queen's licence, under the superintendency of Edwards". of Trinity college in Oxford, to be admitted a fellowof his college at its first foundation; but Etheridge choosing to pursue the medical line, that scheme did not take effect. He was persecuted for popery by queen Elizabeth at her accession; but afterwards practised physic at Oxford with much reputation, and established a private seminary there for the instruction of catholic youths in the classics, music, and logic. Notwithstanding his active perseverance in the papistic persuasion, he presented to the queen, when she visited Oxford in 1566, an Encomium in Greek verse on her father Henry, now in the British Museum, MSS. Bibl. Reg. 16 C. x. He prefixed a not inelegant preface in Latin verse to his tutor Shepreve's Hyppolytus, an Answer to Ovid's Phædra, which he published in 1584. Pits his cotemporary says, "He was an able mathematician, and one of the most excellent vocal and instrumental musicians in England, but he chiefly delighted in the lute and lyre. A most elegant poet, and a most exact composer of English, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew verses, which he used to set to his harp with the greatest skill." Angl. Script. p. 784. Paris. 1619. Pits adds, that he translated seve- [Vid. infra, p. 241. note *.] f Quarto, bl. lett. The third edition is among Mr. Garrick's Plays, 4to. bl. lett. dated 1582. Arte of English Poetry, fol. 51. The most poetical of Edwards's ditties in the PARAdise of Daintie DEVISES is a description of May: the rest are moral sentences in stanzas. His SOUL-KNELL, supposed to have been written on his deathbed, was once celebrated. His popularity seems to have altogether arisen from those pleasing talents of which no specimens could be transmitted to posterity, and which prejudiced his partial cotemporaries in favour of his poetry. He died in the year 15661. In the Epitaphs, Songs, and Sonets of George Turbervile, printed in [1567 and] 1570, there are two elegies on his death; which record the places of his education, ascertain his poetical and musical character, and bear ample testimony to the high distinction in which his performances, more particularly of the dramatic kind, were held. The second is by Turbervile himself, entitled, "An Epitaph on Maister Edwards, sometime Maister of the Children of the Chappell and gentleman of Lyncolnes inne of court." Ye learned Muses nine, And sacred sisters all; Now lay your cheerful cithrons downe, And to lamenting fall..... For he that led the daunce, The chiefest of your traine, I mean the man that Edwards height, Ye courtiers, chaunge your cheere, For now your Orpheus has resignde, O ruth! he is bereft, That, whilst he lived here, For poets penne and passinge wit So stately eke his stile, i Carm. 6. edit. 1585. It seems to have been a favourite, and is complimented in another piece, A reply to M. Edwardes May, subscribed M. S. ibid. Carm. 29. This miscellany, of which more will be said hereafter, is said in the title to "be devised and written for the most parte by M. Edwardes sometime of her maiesties Chappell." Edwards however had been dead twelve years when the first edition appeared, viz. in 1578. [It will be seen from Mr. Haselwood's careful reprint of Edwards's Metrical Miscellany, that the first edition appeared in 1576, and a second in 1577.-PARK.] It is mentioned by G. Gascoigne in his Epistle to the young Gentlemen, before his works, 1587. qu.. [But it is only mentioned in derision, as a vulgar and groundless notion, to which those who gave credence are ridiculed for their absurdity.-PARK.] 1 Wood, Ath. Oxon. i. 151. See also, ibid. Fast. 71. m Shakspeare has inserted a part of Edwards's song In Commendation of Musicke, extant at length in the Paradise of Daintie Deuiscs, (fol. 34 b.) in Romeo and Juliet: "When griping grief," &c. act iv. sc. 5. In some Miscellany of the reign of Elizabeth, I have seen a song called The Willow-Garland, attributed to Edwards: |