LIFE, written by the godly and learned poet Marcellus Pallingenius Stellatus, wherein are conteyned twelue bookes disclosing the haynous crymes and wicked vices of our corrupt nature: And plainlye declaring the pleasaunt and perfit pathway vnto eternall life, besides a number of digressions both pleasaunt and profitable. Newly translated into Englishe verse by Barnabee Googe. Probitas laudatur et alget. Imprinted at London by Henry Denham for Rafe Newberye dwelling in Fleet-streate. Anno 1565. Aprilis 18." Bishop Tanner, deceived by Wood's papers, supposes that this first edition, which he had evidently never seen, and which is indeed uncommonly rare, contained only the first seven books. In the epistle dedicatory to secretary sir William Cecill, he mentions his "simple trauayles lately dedicated vnto your honor." These are his set of miscellaneous poems printed in 1563, or, "Eglogs, Epytaphes, and Sonnetes*, newly written by Barnabe Googe, 1563, 15 Marche, for Raffe Newbery dwelling in Flete-strete a little aboue the Conduit in the late shop of Thomas Berthelety." He apologises for attempting this work, three books of which, as he had understood too late, were "both eloquentely and excellently Englished by Maister Smith, clark vnto the most honorable of the queenes maiesties counsell. Whose doings as in other matters I haue with admiration be

All these might well be sure
Theyr matches here to fynde,
So muche doth England florishe now
With men of muses' kynde.

In the following year Googe produced his
own poems and inserted a poetical and
pleasing address to his translation of Pal-
lingen.-PARK.]

W A receipt for Ralph Newbery's license is entered for printing "A boke called Pallingenius," I suppose the original, 1560. Registr. Station. A. fol. 48 a.

* In 12mo. Bl. lett. Not paged. The last signature is Y y iiij. The colophon, 'Imprinted at London by Henry Denham," &c. On the second leaf after the title, is an armorial coat with six copartments, and at the top the initials B. G. Then follow Latin commendatory verses, by Gilbert Duke, Christopher Carlile doctor in divinity, James Itzwert, George Chatterton fellow of Christ college in Cambridge, and David Bell, with some anonymous. Doctor Christopher Carlile was of Cambridge, and a learned orientalist, about 1550. He published many tracts in divinity. He was a writer of Greek and Latin verses. He has some in both languages on the death of Bucer in 1551. See Bucer's English Works, Basil. fol. 1577. f. 903. And in the collection on the death of the two Brandons, 1551, 4to. ut supr. Others, before his Reply to Richard Smyth, a papistic divine, Lond. 1582. 4to. He prefixed four Latin copies

to Drant's Ecclesiastes above-mentioned, Lond. 1572. 4to. Two, to one of doctor John Jones's books on Baths, Lond. 1572, 4to. A Sapphic ode to Sadler's version of Vegetius, Lond. 1572. 4to. A Latin copy to Chaloner's De Rep. Anglorum, Lond. 1579. 4to. A Latin hexastic to Batman's Doom, Lond. 1581. 4to. Two of his Latin poems in Papam, are (MS. Bale.) in MSS. Cotton. Tit. D. x. f. 77. He translated the Psalms into English prose, with learned notes. Finished Jun. 24, 1573. Among MSS. More, 206. Colomesius has published a fragment of a Latin Epistle from him to Castalio, dat. kal. Maii, 1562. Cl. Viror. Epist. singul. Lond. 1694.

12mo.

helde," &c.'. Googe was first a retainer to Cecill, and afterwards, in 1563, a gentleman-pensioner to the queen". In his address to the vertuous and frendley reader, he thus, but with the zeal of a puritan, defends divine poetry: "The diuine and notable Prophecies of Esay, the Lamentation of Jeremie, the Songs and Ballades of Solomon, the Psalter of Dauid, and the Booke of Hiob", were written by the first auctours in perfect and pleasaunt hexameter verses. So that the deuine and canonicall volumes were garnished and set forth with sweete according tunes and heauenly soundes of pleasaunt metre. Yet wyll not the gracelesse company of our pernicious hypocrites allow, that the Psalmes of Dauid should be translated into Englishe metre. Marry, saye they, by cause they were only receiued to be chaunted in the church, and not to be song in euery coblers shop. O monstrous and malicious infidels! -do you abhorre to heare [God's] glory and prayse sounding in the mouth of a poore christian artificer?" &c. He adds, that since Chaucer, "there hath flourished in England so fine and filed phrases, and so good and pleasant poets, as may counteruayle the doings of Virgill, Ouid, Horace, Iuuenal, Martial," &c. There was a second edition in 1588*, in which the former prefatory matters of every kind are omitted. This edition is dedicated to lord Buckhurst d.

From the title of this work, ZODIACUS VITÆ, written in Latin hexameters by Marcello Palingeni, an Italian, about the year 1531, the reader at least expects some astronomical allusions. But it has not the most distant connection with the stars; except that the poet is once transported to the moon, not to measure her diameter, but for a moral purpose; and that he once takes occasion, in his general survey of the world, and in reference to his title, to introduce a philosophic explanation of the zodiacal system. The author meaning to divide his poem into

It is doubtful whether he means sir Thomas Smith, the secretary. Nor does it appear, whether this translation was in verse or prose. Sir Thomas Smith, however, has left some English poetry. While a prisoner in the Tower in 1549, he translated eleven of David's Psalms into English metre, and composed three English metrical prayers, with three English copies of verses besides. These are now in the British Museum, MSS. Reg. 17. A. xvii. I ought to have mentioned this before.

and no lesse iudgement. Translated out
of Latine into English by Barnabie Googe,
and by him newly recognished. Probitas,
&c. Hereunto is annexed (for the read-
er's advantage) a large Table, as well of
woords as of matters mentioned in this
whole worke. Imp. at London by Robert
Robinson dwelling in Fetter Lane neere
Holborne 1588." In this edition appears
a translation of the Author's original pre-
face addressed to Hercules II. Duke of
Ferrar. The dedication is addressed to
his former patron, Lord Burghley (not
Buckhurst); and in this he declares, that
although the number of faults in his rude
translation made it impossible for him to
amend it in all points, yet in overpass-
ing many jarring discords, he had set the
whole in as good tune as he could. He
expresses an intention hereafter to attempt
some matter worthy of the noble person-
age to whom he inscribes this.-PARK.]
c Bl. lett. 4to.

d At the end is a short copy of verses by Abraham Fleming. See supr. p. 326, B. xi. Aquarius.

twelve books, chose to distinguish each with a name of the celestial signs; just as Herodotus, but with less affectation and inconsistency, marked the nine books or divisions of his history with the names of the nine Muses. Yet so strange and pedantic a title is not totally without a conceit, as the author was born at Stellada, or Stellata, a province of Ferrara, and from whence he calls himself Marcellus Palingenius Stellatusf.

This poem is a general satire on life, yet without peevishness or malevolence; and with more of the solemnity of the censor than the petulance of the satirist*. Much of the morality is couched under allegorical personages and adventures. The Latinity is tolerably pure, but there is a mediocrity in the versification. Palingenius's transitions often discover more quickness of imagination, and fertility of reflection, than solidity of judgment. Having started a topic, he pursues it through all its possible affinities, and deviates into the most distant and unneces sary digressions. Yet there is a facility in his manner, which is not always unpleasing; nor is the general conduct of the work void of art and method. He moralizes with a boldness and a liberality of sentiment, which were then unusual; and his maxims and strictures are sometimes tinctured with a spirit of libertinism, which, without exposing the opinions, must have offended the gravity, of the more orthodox ecclesiastics. He fancies that a confident philosopher, who rashly presumes to scrutinize the remote mysteries of nature, is shown in heaven like an ape, for the public diversion of the gods. A thought evidently borrowed by Popes. Although he submits his performance to the sentence of the church, he treats the authority of the popes, and the voluptuous lives of the monks, with the severest acrimony. It was the last circumstance that chiefly contributed to give this poem almost the rank of a classic in the reformed countries, and probably produced an early English translation. After his death, he was pronounced a heretic; and his body was taken up, and committed to the flames: a measure which only contributed to spread his book, and disseminate his doctrines.

Googe seems chiefly to have excelled in rendering the descriptive and flowery passages of this moral ZODIAC. He thus describes the Spring:

The earth againe doth florishe greene,
The trees repaire their springe;

f It should have been Stellatensis. # [Googe says in his dedication to Cecil, "I have many times much mused wyth myselfe how he (Palingenius) durst take upon him so boldely to controll the corrupte and unchristian lives of the whole colledge of contemptuous Cardinals, the ungracious overseeings of bloud thirsty bishops, the panch plying practises of pelting priours, the manifold madnesse of mischievous monkes, wyth the filthy fraterni

tie of flattering friers." From such a specimen it might be expected that alliteration had been studiously pursued in Googe's version, but this does not appear.-PARK.]

See Essay on Pope, p. 94.

[The turn of the sentiment differs. Palingenius laughed at Man: Pope intended at least to praise Newton; but perhaps the imitation of the thought occasioned an ambiguity.-ASHBY.]

With pleasaunt notes the nightingale

Beginneth new to sing.

With flowers fresh their heads bedeckt,

The Fairies dance in fielde:

And wanton songes in mossye dennes
The Drids and Satirs yielde.
The wynged Cupide fast doth cast

His dartes of gold yframed, &c.h

There is some poetic imagination in SAGITTARIUS, or the ninth book, where a divine mystagogue opens to the poet's eyes an unknown region of infernal kings and inhabitants. But this is an imitation of Dante. As a specimen of the translation, and of the author's fancy, I will transcribe some of this imagery.

Now open wyde your springs, and playne
Your caues abrode displaye,

You sisters of Parnassus hyll
Beset about with baye!

And vnto me, for neede it is,

A hundred tongues in verse
Sende oute, that I these ayrie kings
And people may rehearse.
Here fyrst, whereas in chariot red
Aurora fayre doth ryse,

And bright from out the ocean seas
Appeares to mortal eyes,

And chaseth hence the hellish night
With blushing beauty fayre,

A mighty King I might discerne,
Placde hie in lofty chayre:
Hys haire with fyry garland deckt

Puft vp in fiendish wise;

Wyth browes full broade, and threatning loke,

And fyry-flaming eyes.

Two monstrous hornes and large he had,

And nostrils wide in sight;

Al black himself, (for bodies black

To euery euyll spright,

And ugly shape, hath nature dealt,)
Yet white his teeth did showe;
And white his grenning tuskes stode,
Large winges on him did growe,
Framde like the wings of flindermice;
His fete of largest sise,

h B. ii. Taurus. Signat. B iij.

In fashion as the wilde-duck beares,

Or goose that creaking cries:
His tayle such one as lions haue:
All naked sate he there,
But bodies couered round about

Wyth lothsome shagged haire,

A number great about him stoode, &c.1

After viewing the wonders of heaven, his guide Timalphes, the son of Jupiter and Arete, shows him the moon, whose gates are half of gold and half of silver. They enter a city of the moon.

The loftie walles of diamonde strong
Were raysed high and framde;
The bulwarks built of carbuncle
That all as fyer yflamde.-

And wondred at the number great
That through the city so,

Al clad in whyte, by thousands thick,
Amyd the streates did go.

Their heads beset with garlands fayre:

In hand the lillies white

They ioyfull bearek

Then follows a mixture of classical and christian history and mythology. This poem has many symptoms of the wildness and wanderings of Italian fiction.

It must be confessed, that there is a perspicuity and a freedom in Googe's versification. But this metre of Sternhold and Hopkins impoverished three parts of the poetry of queen Elizabeth's reign. A hermit is thus described, who afterwards proves to be sir EPICURE, in a part of the poem which has been copied by sir David Lyndesey. His hoary beard with siluer heares

His middle fully rought';

His skin was white, and ioyfull face :

Of diuers colours wrought,

A flowry garland gay he ware

About his semely heare, &c.m

The seventh book, in which the poet looks down upon the world, with its various occupations, follies, and vices, is opened with these nervous and elegant stanzas.

My Muse, aloft! raise vp thyself,

And vse a better flite:

B. ix. Signat. H H iiij.

Ibid. Signat. G G iiij.

I reached.
Lib. iii. E j.