What one could see his Wife go thus, as this my Husbande can? I moyle, I toile, and cannot get a new cote for my paynes; By mighte nor righte he will not spare a pennie of his gaines. I will no more dresse supper, therefore, I will make him kisse postes, if he be not hostis, 46 "John Why, Jone, I pray thee be contente, if oughte I have offended, I will become a better man, and all shall be amended: But haste maks waste, thou knowst thy selfe, and therefore waite my leisure, And, Wife, thy life to my poore state shall wante no honest pleasure. But see that my meate thou dresse me to eate, or els I will not love thee, And if thou wilte weare thy Husband's gere, 18. "A dossen of points sente by a Gentlewoman to hir Lover for a New Yeares Gifte." These points are nothing less than moral saws, concise as the distichs of Cato, and unpoetic enough to hang up in a country-hall by the side of King Charles's "Royal Rules." "These points, in number twelve, VOL. I. BB 1 The sense wherof by poet's skill 1. With meate before thee set Suffice but nature's scante. 2. Be sure thy tongue at table time 3. Let worde, let thought and deede, 4. And loke that poore, in time of neede, 5. When foes invade the realme, Then shew thy might and strength. 6. Tel truth in place where thou dost come, 7. Be fast and firme to friende, As thou wouldst him to be. 8. Be shamefast there, where shamefull deeds Be offred unto thee. 9. Weare not such costly clothes As are not for thy state. 10. Heare eache man's cause, as though he were In wealth thine equall mate. 11. In place thy manners shewe In right and comely wise. 12. From thee let peace and quietnesse With these twelve vertuous points See thou do tye thee rounde; ་ And like and love this simple gift Till better may be founde." 19. "In commendation of Patience." This being the shortest poem in the work, it may constitute a closing specimen, as it will furnish the least laborious trial of the virtue here commended. "For eache mischaunce and hurtefull hap that Fortune seekes to sende, A comforte and a remedie dame Patience stil doth lende. She feeles no force of flashing flames, which mightie Jove doth throwe. She bids thee still to wish the best, But chaunce what may, she never cares 20. "To E. W. in praise of hir marriage, with certaine precepts of Matrimonie. 21. A defence of schollers' pastimes in riding abroade at Christmas times. 22. A promise of faithfull friendship to his friende. 23. A comforte or consolation to one that had buried his wife. 24. How necessarie the intermission of studie is for scholers. 25. The conquering Lover." A L'Envoy of the author concerning his book seems to conclude it, but is incomplete. Enough has been given to prove, that the poet did not attain to "a plat of rising ground" in the territory of Par nassus. T. P. ART. LVII. The Flower of Fame. Containing the bright Renowne, and moste fortunate raigne of King Henry the VIII. Wherein is mentioned of matters, by the rest of our Chonographers overpassed. Compyled by Ulpian Fulwell, &c. &c. 1575. 4to. THIS mélange of history, compiled partly by Ulpian Fulwell, a Somersetshire man by birth, and in 1570 rector of Naunton in Gloucestershire; and in part by "Master Edmunde Harman," is dedicated (after many qualms of conscience) to "Sir William Cecill, Baron of Burghleygh, &c. &c. whose arms (impaling those of Beaufoy) are engraved on the back of the title page. Lest we should object to his "crabbed metre," Mr. Ulpianus Fulwell confesses in the outset that he has not the gifte of flowing eloquence, neyther can he enterlace his phrase with Italian termes, nor powder his style wythe Frenche, Englyshe, or inkhorne rhetoricke, nor cowche his matter under a cloake of curious inventions, to feede the daintie eares of delicate yonkers." "The flower of fame," whose praise is recorded in this tract, is the capricious and sanguinary tyrant Henry the Eighth ;* and the poet, aware of the reigning power, loses no opportunity of lauding Henry's fiend-like daughter Elizabeth. It would not have been prudent for any historian to have intimated aught hostile to the Tudors during the reign of Elizabeth; and in consequence we find all the chroniclers speaking invariably in praise of a race of usurpers, than which a * It has been very justly observed of him, that "he spared neither man in his wrath, nor woman in his lust."-" Pour votre Henri VIII." says Voltaire, il n'etoit qu'un coupeur de bourse." more rapacious and sanguinary catalogue* (ab limine usque ad finem) never polluted a sceptre; but Fulwell is rather an eulogist than an historian, and what he has written in their praise seems written con amore: as he was therefore a "laureat volunteer, he probably anticipated a price for his poetry. To a metrical address to his book, succeeds "in Ulpiani Fulwelli operis laudem Richardi Coppoci carmen," which is followed by "A manifest description of King Henryes noble vertues," in six lined stanzas; but instead of descending to detail, Mr. Ulpianus finds it more convenient to compare the slaughterer of the gentle Lord Surry to Cæsar and Alexander, to Solon, to Solomon, and to Sampson; and prays that God will preserve Elizabeth "in regale seat Til Nestor's yeres be full complete." The early events of Henry's reign are continued, partly in rhyme and partly in prose, from Hall's Chronicle. After relating the events at "Floddon's blood-stained field, and justifying the indignities offered to the royal corse of James, Fulwell "takes upon him to introduce King James unto us in forme of the Mirror for Magestrates, to utter his complaynt, and tell his own tale:" the first four lines will serve to prove, if proof were wanting, the popularity of those legends. *Mr. G. will forgive the Editor for entering his strong dissent from this sweeping opinion. Mr. G. has forgot Edw. VI.—and the Editor cannot admit the censure to include Q. Elizabeth. Editor. |