(1st edit.). Another tract by the same author, "A Neaste of Waspes," &c. of which I had not heard, is also there noticed. P. 328, 1. 21. S. Rowland's "Letting of Humours blood in the head-vaine," 1600, has been reprinted in Edinburgh, under the superintendance of Mr. Walter Scott, from a copy dated in 1611, with a preface and illustrative notes which show the editor to be "well seen" in the literature and habits of the times to which the epigrams and satires refer. VOL. II. P. 37, 1. 22. Whetstone's "Rocke of Regard" was printed in 1576, Part IV. of which contains what is here alluded to; it is under the title of the "Inventions of P. Plasmos, touching his hap and hard fortune, vnto the which is annexed the sundrie Complaintes of foure notable Couseners the instrumentes of his greatest Troubles," &c. The same part also contains "Whetston's Inuectiue against Dice." P. 39, 1. 11. The list of Whetstone's pieces has been noticed in Mr. T. Park's Heliconia, but he there states, that a funeral poem included in the enumeration, called "The lyfe and death of the good L. Dyer," is not known. This is a mistake, for I have seen a copy of the tract very lately: it bears date in 1582, and purports to be a Remembrance of Sir James Dyer, the judge. It opens with these lines in allusion to well known works, 66 Lidgate, Bawldwin, and many writers more The heauie faules of naughtie men haue showne," &c. It may be added, that the list is very inaccurately quoted in Heliconia, even to the substitution of one word for another. P. 71, 1. 4. "The Booke of Demeanor and the Allowance and Disallowance of certaine Misdemeanors in Companie" in R. Weste's "Schoole of Vertue," might, perhaps, have afforded the party a useful hint or two in some of the dryer points of these conversations: "To gape in such vnseemely sort with vgly gaping mouth Is like an image pictured, a blowing from the south: Which to avoyd, then turne about and with a napkin hide That gaping foule deformity, when thou art so aside." P. 71, 1. 5. For "1589" read "1598." P. 72, 1. 22. The celebrated Porson thought this moving epitaph worthy a Greek translation. P. 72, 1. 28. The burlesque of the story of Hero and Leander was printed at London in 1651 and again in 1653. P. 88, 1. 29. Churchyard's notice of his intention to publish "the Miserie of Flaunders, Calamitie of Fraunce," &c. 1579, in his "Lamentable and pitifull description of the wofull warres in Flaunders," 1578, is actually quoted by one of our most industrious antiquaries, Mr. Haslewood, in Cens. Lit. (IX. 245), but without being put upon the alert for the former work. To the other proofs of its great rarity may be added, that Mr. Bliss, neither in his "Bibliographical Miscellanies," nor in his new edition of Wood's Ath. Ox., has any reference to such a tract. P. 104, 1. 3. I mention, as an excuse for my own lapses, which will be found too frequent, that Mr. P. Bliss, the very learned and industrious editor of Wood's Athena Oxonienses, has made a mistake in his "Bibliographical Miscellanies," p. 64, in attributing to Sir P. Sidney two sonnets, found in a MS. in the Bodleian, which, in fact (with a few not unimportant variations), are the property of Henry Constable, being printed in his "Diana," 1594; Son. 4 and 5 of Decad. III. P. 120, 1. 22. Francis Meres, in his often quoted Palladis Tamia, 1598, (fo. 283. a.) speaks of " Dr. Edes of Oxforde" as among "our best for Tragedie." P. 167. 1. 22. I might have added, as connected with "the Merchant of Venice," a reference to Lazarus Piot's translation of Silvayn's "Orator," 1596, where two harangues are given "Of a Jew who would for his debt have a pound of the flesh of a Christian,' and the Christian's "Answer;" but I doubt if Shakespeare used them, or the old translation of the Gesta Romanorum. I may here remark, that Mr. Douce, in his "Illustrations," when speaking of the various versions of the stories in the Gesta Romanorum, omits one in "Les Comptes du Monde adventureux," Lyons, 1572. "De la folle superstition des Juifs, qui faisans leur sabbath, par faute de charité cuiderent laisser mourir l'vn de leur synagogue, qui par fortune estoit tombé en vn retrait.” P. 171. 1. 24. In his poems 1646, Shirley has the same thought, and almost similar expressions, No more, for shame! How hath thy fancy straid; To dote upon! What would I give Old Michael Angelo revive, Make Titian, Vandyke or bold Ruben live!" with several stanzas more, in which the thought is carried out. P. 177. l. 28. In the list of R. Greene's pieces in Cens. Lit. (VIII. 386.) is one called "Pandosto, the triumph of Time," 1588. It is not impossible that this is the same as "Dorastus and Fawnia," 1588, under a different title, as Pandosto is a principal character in the latter, and the words, "the triumph of Time," are very applicable to the event of the story. The earliest title may have been subsequently altered, like Lodge's "Rosalynde," but this can best be determined by those who have seen both pamphlets. P. 182. 1. 15. Dele " MORTON." P. 256. 1. 12. The following tract appears to allude to Dr. Gager, and it would follow from thence, that as late as 1608 he had not recanted on the subject of university plays, as he is charged in 1629 with having done. "An Apologie for Women or an opposition to Mr. Dr. G. his assertion, who held in the Act at Oxforde, Anno 1608, that it was lawfull for husbands to beat their wives. By W. H. of Ex. in Ox. At Oxford, by Joseph Barnes, 1609." The title promises more amusement than the body of the pamphlet performs. P. 274. 1. 20. A strong confirmation in favour of the opinion I have given, that T. B. the translator of the "French Academie" alluded to C. Marlow and R. Greene as disbelievers in God, &c. is derived from Greene's own words in his "Groatsworth of Wit bought with a million of Repentance," 1592, which was published by H. Chettle, as he admitted in his "Kindhearts Dreame." Greene's expressions are these, speaking of Marlow: "Wonder not (for with thee will I first beginne) thou famous gracer of Tragedians, that Greene, who hath said with thee, like the fool in his heart, There is no GOD,' should now giue glory vnto his greatnesse.... It is pestilent Mucheavilian pollicie that thou hast studied." It is to be observed also, that T. B. just before the passage quoted on p. 274, charges the atheist, of whom he is speaking, with being one of the "students of Machiauels principles.' This circumstance further fixes the passage upon Marlow P. 277. 1. 3. It is not impossible that by the words "poysonfull platforms of loue and deuellish discourses of fancies fittes," some allusion may be intended to such books as A. Copley's "Wits Fittes and Fancies," &c. the earliest edition of which, however, yet discovered is in 1595. The reference may however only be general to R Greene's light amorous productions. P. 288. 1. 8, for "plays" read "play." P. 294. l. 4. after "Gabriel" dele the comma. P. 294.1. 5. Singer and Pope are known to have been celebrated players of the clown's part, and from the following quotation from S. Rowland's fourth satire in his "Letting of Humours blood in the head-vaine," 1600, it appears that the country clown, and not the court jester, was their forte. "How dee like the phrase Are plough-men simple fellowes now a dayes? |