Wherein they may, as in a glasse,

Dame vertues path desearne."

This may serve as an example of Ulpian Fulwell's poetry. The most curious part of the volume is "The History of the Winning of Hadington in Scotlande, An. 2 Reg. Edwardi VI." which is given from the information of several who were witnesses of the siege, and which, if the present article were not extended to the usual limits, I would have willingly transcribed.

O. G.

ART. LVIII. A misticall deuise of the spirituall and godly love betwene Christ the Spouse, and the Church or congregation. Firste made by the wise prince Saloman, and now newly set forth in verse by Jud Smith. Wherunto is annexed certeine other briefe stories. And also a Treatise of Prodigalitie, most fit and necessarie for to be read and marked of all estates. 1575. Imprinted at London by Henry Kirckham, and are to be solde at his shoppe, at the little northe doore of Paules, at the signe of the Black Boie. Small 8vo.

MR. WARTON, in his enumeration of the various English versions of Solomon's song made in the 16th century,* does not notice the present; nor is it registered either by Ames or Herbert. An address to the Christian reader is prefixed by John Wharton, a puritanical writer of poetry, and thus begins:

Hist. Eng. Poetry, III. sect. xxvii,

"In perusing this little volume intituled 'A misticall devise,' being requested of my frend therunto, I did fynde such a pleasantnes therin, that my hart rejoyced and gave du signes what pleasure and delight my minde of it conceived. For surely (gentle reader) if thou covit to heare any olde bables, as I may terme them, or stale tales of Chauser, or to learne howe Acteon came by his horned head, if thy mynde be fixed to any such metamorphocall toyes, this booke is not apt nor fit for thy purpose. But if thou art - contrarywise bent to heare, or to reade holsome documentes, as it becometh all Christians, then take this same for thou shalt fynde it sweeter (as the prophet sayeth) then the honye or the honye combe. For Salomon had great delite in the makinge of these, to recreat and revyve his spirits, and called them by this name, Canticum Canticorum, whyche is to sayethe song of songes.".

These songs are very briefly and prosaically metrified, in ten pages: then succeeds "A coppie of the Epistle that Jeremye sent unto the Jewes, which were led away prisoners by the king of Babilon &c." in verse. This also fills ten pages. Then, "The Commaundements of God our Creator, geven by Moyses," followed by texts from scripture, on four pages and on four concluding ones, "The Commaundements of Sathan, put in practise dayly by the Pope." A very scanty specimen may suffice, from his version of the song of Solomon.

Christ speaketh to the Churche.

"Come, wend unto my garden gay,

My sister and my spowse;

For I have gathered mirre with spice,
And other gooldy bowes.

I meane to eate my honnye, and
My honny combe so sweete,
And I will drinke my wyne and milke,
For so it seemeth meete.

Christe to the Apostles.

Eat now, my frinds, do nothing spare,
But be of perfect cheare;

And drink with mirth, for you of me

Are sure beloved deare."

T. P.

ART. LIX. The Golden Aphroditis: a pleasant discourse, penned by John Grange, gentleman, student in the common lawe of Englande. Whereunto be annexed, by the same Authour, aswell certayne metres upon sundry poyntes, as also diuers pamphlets in prose; which he entituleth His Garden: pleasant to the eare and delightful to the reader, if he abuse not the scente of the floures.

Habet et musca splenem,

Et formica sua bilis inest.

At London: Anno 1577. Colophon. Imprinted at London by Henry Bynneman. 4to. Signat. S. Grange's Garden, the second title to this book, is given, by Herbert,* at length: but the above must have been wanting in the copy used by him, as he has only cited the running title.

*Typogr. Antiq. II, 990.

There appears

also to be some mistake in describing it as "licensed July 1, 1578;" since the printed date is 1577. An epistle dedicatory of seven pages is addressed to "the Lord Sturton," by his "poore oratour John Grange." Two pages follow of long metre, in which the author sendeth greeting "to the courtelike dames and ladielike gentlewomen." Then, a short copy of verses superscribed "Cuiquam." Acrostical verses fill another page by "C. G. Maister of Arte, in the prayse of the Author:" and eighteen commendatory lines succeed, by W. S. This probably was Wm. Smith, the writer of other poesies. Shakspeare it could not be both on account of the date, and because he thus useth the common-place process of compliment employed in that age, in which mythology and personification are made to halt for it. "Of silver pure thy penne is made, dipte in the Muses' well,

Thy eloquence and loftie style, all other doth excell: Thy wisdome great and secrete sense, diffusedly disguysde, Doth shew how Pallas rules thy minde; and Phœbus hath devisde

Those golden lines which polisht are with Tagus' glittring sandes,

A pallace playne of pleasures great, unto the vewer's handes.

Thy learning doth bewray it selfe, and worthie praise

dothe crave,

Who so thee knew did little thinke, suche learning thee to have.

Here Virtue seemes to checke at Vice, and Wisedome Folly tauntes:

Here Venus she is set at naught, and dame Diane she

vauntes.

Here Pallas Cupid doth detest, and all his carpet-knightes; Here doth she shew that youthfull impes in folly most

delightes;

And how when age comes creeping on, with shewe of hoary heares,*

Then they the losse of time repent, with sobbes and brynish teares," &c.

Of John Grange I have not met with any biographical intimation; but as a poetical writer he is placed by Webbe,† with Whetstone, Munday, &c. and not without propriety. The same critic, to exemplify that puerile species of versification called Echo, has cited six lines from the Golden Aphroditis; a work, as the title § may infer, adapted to youthful votaries of the foam-sprung goddess, and comprising a gallimawfry of pedantical, mythological, and unnatural conceits. In proof of this, the following short colloquy may be cited, between a loquacious lady and her logical gallant.

N. O. is the gentleman who speaks: "I know, deare dame, if it were thy pleasure to shake me of, thy comely personage, thy courteous harte, thy lowly mind, thy friendly cheere, thy cherefull countenance, and eke thy brave demeanour therewithall, desireth to matche with one, whose feete standeth higher than ever my head will reache. Yet, lady, where true *Heares for hairs: an orthographic license used by most of our early poets, when the rhyme required it.

+ Discourse of English Poetrie, 1586.

Grange tells us in his dedication, that certain young gentlemen earnestly requested him to entitle this book "A Nettle for an Ape:" but being somewhat wedded to his own opinion, he thought it good to set a more cleanly name upon it, viz. "Golden Aphroditis." Lodge might have adopted a hint in part which Grange rejected, for he printed in 1591 "A Nettle for Nice Noses."

Hesiod. in Theogon.