the Historian of English Poetry! But they have deeply sullied his own credit; and the estimation, not only of his moral, but his intellectual qualities. Yet even from him, these sad instances of his malignant temper, and perverted judgment, cannot withdraw the acknowledgement of the merits which he really possessed. To his persevering industry, and the vast stores of minute and accurate discovery which flowed from it, the public are willing to concede, at least, its due share of praise! In every department of exertion, it is melancholy, and even disgusting, to observe how few can bear a brother near the throne." If there be any, who can feel envy or jealousy of a being so obscure as I am, let them lay it aside. It will be of no use to the purposes they desire. If I have no well-grounded pretensions to notice, I shall soon be forgotten without the aid of their efforts: if the perseverance from boyhood to the age of forty-six in literary pursuits, have given me any claim, however slight, to public favour, that claim cannot be taken away, or even shaken, by them! But the memory of their offence will long haunt their own consciences, after it has ceased to reach me ! Feb. 20, 1809. N° LXVII. Praises of old English Poets, from W. Browne's Britannia's Pastorals. William Browne, in his BRITANNIA'S PASTORALS, of which the First Book was published in 1613, in folio, and the Second Rook in 1616; and both parts were reprinted in 2 vols. sm. Svo. 1623,i gives the following praises of some of our old English Poets, in Book 2, Song 2. "SIDNEY began, and (if a wit so mean May taste with him the dews of Hippocrene), i The first book is dedicated to Edward Lord Zouch; and has commendatory verses by J. Selden, both Latin and English; Michael Drayton; Edward Heyward, of the Inner Temple; Christopher Brooke, Fr. Dynne, of the Inner Temple; and Thomas Gardiner, of the same. The second book is dedicated to William Earl of Pembroke, and has commendatory verses by John Glanville; Tho. Wenman, of the Inner Temple; W. Herbert; John Davies, of Hereford; Charles Croke (in Latin); Unton Croke, of the Inner Temple; Anth. Vincent; John Morgan; Tho. Heygate; and Augustus Cæsar; all three of the Inner Temple; G.Wither; W. B; and Ben Jonson. A new edition of Browne's Poems was published in 1772,、 by T. Davies, in 3 small vols. to which were added some short notes, by the Rev. W. Thompson, of Queen's Coll. Oxford. I sung the Pastoral next, his muse my mover: My humble lines the more for praising thee. Then in a strain beyond an oaten quill, To able censure, for the theatre. Not Seneca transcends his worth of praise; Who writes him well shall well deserve the bays. * Chapman. Well-languag'd DANIEL; BROOKE,' whose polish'd lines Are fittest to accomplish high designs; Whose pen, it seems, still young Apollo guides; Worthy the forked hill, for ever glides Streams from thy brain, so fair, that Time shall see CHRISTOPHER BROOKE was a Yorkshireman, who, after having left the university (whether Oxford or Cambridge, is not known), settled in Lincoln's Inn to study the law, where he became acquainted with the eminent wits of his day; especially after he had published An Elegy to the Memory of Henry Prince of Wales, Lond. 1613, 4to. In the year following he became a Bencher, and Summer reader of his House; and wrote another book, entitled, Eclogues dedicated to his much-loved friend, Mr. Will. Browne, of the Inner Temple Lond. 1614, 8vo. He had a brother, Sam. Brooke, D. D. Archdeacon of Coventry, and Master of Trinity College, a learned divine, who died Sept. 16th, 1631. Wood's Ath. F. I. 220. See also Brit. Bibliog. II. 235. That any second can thy virtues raise, Striving as much to hide, as merit praise. DAVIS and WITHER, by whose muse's power A natural day to me seems but an hour; These sweetly chanted to the Queen of waves, Fly from the Muses, and their fair resort, Nor great in titles make our worth obey, A spell, that can command the wings of Fame, Begin their immortality on earth; When he, that 'gainst a muse with hate combines, The following is his praise of SPENSER. Having spoken of the bards of Italy and France in his first song of this book, he goes on, "But let us leave, fair Muse, the banks of Po; Thetis forsook his brave stream long ago; And we must after. See in haste she sweeps Along the Celtic shores; the Armoric deeps |