Laying on them a pleasant yoke, Wisdom I meane, which is the dore, · J. H. ART. LIII. A compendious Register in Metre, conteining the names and pacient suffryngs of the membres of Jesus Christ; and the tormented, and cruelly burned within Englande, since the death of our famous Kyng, of immortall memory, Edwarde the Sixte; to the entrance and beginning of the raign of our Soceraigne and dearest Lady Elizabeth, of Englande, Frauncé, and Ireland, Quene, Defender of the Faithe; to whose Highnes truly and properly apperteineth, next and immediately under God, the supreme power and authoritie of the Churches of Englande and Irelande. Sobeit. Anno 1559. 12mo. THIS metrical register of English Martyrs is inscribed in a long prose dedication, to the Rt. Hon. Lord Par, Marquis of Northampton, by Thomas Brice. Next follows an address to the gentle reader: and after that "the maner how to understande the letters and figures of the Register or Calender is revealed." Then the book addresses the reader in verse but such verse as may be guessed at from one stanza of the poem. "When blessed Bulter and Osmande With force of fyre, to death were brent, When Minge in Maidstone toke his death, We wisht for our Elizabeth." A briefe Register in meter, containing the Names and patient suffrings of the Martyrs and members of Jesus Christ, afflicted, tormented, and cruelly burned here in England, in the time of Q. Marie, together with the yeere, moneth, day, and place of their martyrdomes. Newly imprinted at the earnest request of divers godly and wel disposed Citizens of London. Imprinted at London by Simon Stafford, and are to be sold by E. Venge, dwelling at the Black Bull neere to the Three Cranes in the Vinetree. 1599. 12mo. black letter, not paged. "To the gentle Reader, mercy and peace. "May it please thee, gentle Reader, to take in good woorth, this short and simple Register, containing the names of divers, both men, women, and virgins, which for the profession of Christ, their captaine, were most miserably tormented, imprisoned, and executed, in the time of Queene Marie, together with the yeare, moneth, and day of their sufferings, which are plainely shewed unto thee in their fit places after this manner. This I at any line's end, wheresoever it standeth, doth signifie the changing of the yeere; the twelve letters of the alphabet do shewe unto thee the twelve moneths, whereby thou mayest easily finde the yeare, moneth, and day, wherein any of them suffered. Such as it is, I commend unto thee, onely judge well. Farewell." This singularly curious poem is not mentioned in "Ames's General History of Printing," nor can I find the least information relative to it, in any of those sources to which I have referred, as most likely to afford it. I have subjoined the following extracts as specimens of the author's style and versification. "The Register of the Martyrs. 1555. "When raging raygne of tyrants stout To rend and roote the simple out With furious force of sword and fire, 1555. 4. When Rogers rufully was brent, B 8. When Sanders did the like sustayne, When faithful Farrar forth was sent His life to lose with grievous payne, 22. When constant Hooper dyed the death, 1555. 16. When learned Ridley and Latimer, When furious foes could not confer B K. But with revenge and mortall paine, 1556. 12. When constant Cranmer lost his life And held his hand into the fire: When streames of teares for him were ripe, Our wished wealth hath brought us peace, The blazing brand's of fire do cease, Pray we therefore both night and day Amen." J. H. M. ART. LIV. The boke of Wisdome otherwise called the Flower of Vertue, folowing the Auctorities of auncient Doctours and Philosophers, deuiding and speaking of Vices and Vertues, wyth many goodly examples wherby a man may be praysed or dyspraysed, wyth the maner to speake well and wyselie to al folkes, of what estate so euer they bee. Translated fyrst out of Italion into French, and out of French into English by Iohn Larke. 1565. Lerne my godly chyldren to eschew vyce [Wood cut of a Philosopher pointing to the stars. A small square, between the preceding sentence] and loke you to learne wisdoe of your fore fathers. Colophon. Imprinted at London in Fletestreate, beneathe the Cunduyte, at the sygne of S. Iohn Euangeliste by Thomas Colwell. [Wood cut of] S. Iohn Euangelist. 12mo. fol. 107. b. l. THE work commences with "these be the auctoures of thys booke," enumerating sixty-two names, the first being that of our Saviour and the last Galyen," for "these putteth in manye goodlye examples." 66 John Larke claims notice as a poet by "the Prologue," consisting of sixty-six lines, from which the following extracts are certainly the most favourable specimen. "It was of Apryll the seuentene day, In that freshe tyme, when the Rose so gay In I thoughte in my slepe that I dyd see A goo[d]ly medowe, not farre from me, Me thought in my dreame there should be." After an enumeration of various characters that form the subjects of the work he concludes; "All that great companie I dyd se, In that same medowe as semyd me, |