deem it expedient to reproduce them here; but a specimen may be acceptable, and here and there in the places, a few. I limit myself to the Dedication :

Heading, 'soveraigne': Emmanuel [but Elizabeth was meant].

L. I, 'maiestie': Elizabetha: and near it [meaningless] Richar[d] Yeorck.

L. I,

'North': Scotland [but erased], and so against

'sunne' (1. 2) James, but erased.

L. 3, ‘heauenly worth': Shewes for thy glory.
L. 5, 'alone': Supported by none but God.

L. 6, 'great States': Great affaires.

6

L. 8, the Almightie's hand': Per me reges regnant et dixi dii estis.

L. 10, Nature's dowre': Arte's excellence the gift of

L. 13, Great Spirit': Deus.

L. 16, Cynthia': Luna.

L. 30, ‘angell': Angellus Pommi.

L. 32, angell': [Aylyeλλos PúTOS.

L. 33, 'Heauen': Superior: to the higher heauen.
L. 34, 'heauen': Inferior.

These suffice to show how carefully, if not always accurately, the good Bishop read the poem, but also how unimportant his notes are. On the title-page opposite the words "This Oracle," &c., is written "written in the temple of Apollo, letters commendatory." On verso of the title-page, is this memorandum by a former owner : "This Edition is extremely scarce. Vide Smith's Catgue. Iron Bridge,

1822. Pr. O. 16. O. This Book came out of Mr. Hacket's Library, a Descendant of Bp. Hacket, whose Book it was, and the MS. notes are by him." The book is now in the library of my excellent fellow-collector, G. W. Napier, Esq., of Merchiston House, Alderley Edge, Manchester, to whom I owe its re-use, as well as of other early editions of Davies. G.

I. Royal Dedication

TO MY MOST GRACIOVS DREAD

SOVERAIGNE.

To that cleere maiestie which in the North

Doth, like another Sunne in glory rise;

Which standeth fixt, yet spreads1 her heauenly worth; Loadstone to hearts, and loadstarre to all eyes.

Like Heav'n in all; like th' Earth in this alone,

2

That though great States by her support doe stand, Yet she herselfe supported is of none,

But by the finger of the Almightie's hand :

To the diuinest and the richest minde,

Both by Art's purchase and by Nature's dowre,
That euer was from Heau'n to Earth confin'd,
To shew the utmost of a creature's power:

1 Spreds in 1st edn. G.

2 Thomas Davies, as before, misprints 'thro.' G.

To that great Spirit, which doth great kingdomes mooue,
The sacred spring whence right and honor streames,
Distilling Vertue, shedding Peace and Loue,
In euery place, as Cynthia sheds her beames:

I offer up some sparkles of that fire,

Whereby wee reason, liue, and moue, and be;
These sparkes by nature euermore aspire,
Which makes them to so high an highnesse flee.

Faire Soule, since to the fairest body knit,4
You give such liuely life, such quickning power,
Such sweet celestiall influences to it,5

As keepes it still in youth's immortall flower:

(As where the sunne is present all the yeere,
And neuer doth retire his golden ray,
Needs must the Spring bee euerlasting there,
And euery season like the month of May.)

3 Bp. Hacket writes 'Deus' against 'Spirit': but perhaps the Queen only was (flatteringly) intended, as her poetic name of Cynthia would seem to indicate. This word 'Spirit' is misprinted by Thomas Davies and by Southey and usually, 'spring'. G. 4 Misprinted by Davies and Southey, as before, 'join'd'. G. 5 Davies and Southey misread

'And influence of such celestial kind'

which I find supported by none of the author's own texts. G.