Of Wolfangus' his great nose and thin beard.

I muse Wolfangus' beard so thinly grows:
Yet 'tis no marvel, having such a nose!
For being huge, it yields such shade and breath,
That nought can prosper, growing underneath.

To the following he has little claim, as it will be found in a less contracted form among the poems of uncertain authors, annexed to Lord Surrey's; and it is cited by Mr. Warton as the earliest pointed English epigram that he remembered.*

Fast and Loose.

Paphus was married all in hast,
And now to wracke doth runne:
So, knitting of himselfe too fast,
He hath himselfe undone.

Of one that lost a great Stomach.

Marc swears he hath lost his stomach: then, if one
That's poor hath found it, he is quite undone.

These are selected as some of the least exceptionable epigrammatic points, from between three and four hundred.

Hist. Eng. Poetry, ii. 55.

The Forrest of Fancy. Wherein is conteined very prety Apothegmes and pleasant Histories, both in meeter and prose, Songes, Sonets, Epigrams and Epistles, of diverse matter and in diverse manner. With sundry other Devises, no lesse pithye then pleasaunt and profytable.

Reade with regard, peruse each point well,

And then give thy judgement as reason shall move thee;
For eare thou conceive it, twere hard for to tell,

If cause be or no, wherefore to reprove me.

Imprinted at London by Thomas Purfoote, dwelling in Newgate Market, within the New Rents, at the signe of the Lucrece. 1579.

4to. 58 leaves.

1000x

THE rarity and curiosity of this production may render a detailed notice of it suitable to RESTITUTA. After the preceding title follows this explanatory

Epistle to the Reader.

"So variable are the minds of men, gentle Reader, and so diverse their opinions, that amongste twenty it is harde to fynd twaine that agree all in one thing. For commonly, that which one man lyketh, another loatheth; that which one man praiseth, another reproveth; that which one man desyreth, another disdayneth; and whatsoever pleaseth one, doth as much displease another. The yong man taketh pleasure in all youthfull exserciscs, as daunsing, synging, playing on instruments, dallying

with daynty dames, and such like; whereby his pleasure may be procured and increased, without respecting any perill that may insue thereof. The aunciente syre, whome experience hath taught to be more wise and wary of such vaine vanities, hath an eye to his profit, and rejecteth pleasure as a thing unprofytable. The couragious captayne accompteth it for his greatest glory to be in the field, marching among his men of warre, or skirmishing with his enemies, to trie his strength and courage with the hazarde of his life, for the furtheraunce of his fame and increase of his commoditie. The man likewise that is inclyued to learning, is alwayes best at ease when he is setled in his study, there to tosse and turne his bookes, perusing the workes of auncient wrighters, whereby he may in tyme be able both to profite his countrey and purchase such prayse to himself as is due to his good desyres. But as these great clarkes doe not all delight to study one onely science, but some apply themselves to devinity, some to philosophie, some to phisicke, some to astronomy, and some to every one of them alike, not making any speciall choyse of eyther of them: so likewise the common sorte, whose learning nor capacity cannot attaine to the full perfection or perfecte understanding of such deepe misteries, have their severall delightes, as well in reading such workes as are in theire vulgare tongue as in any thing else. For one will peruse pleasant histories, and other poeticall devises; this man merry tales, and other like toyes; that man devine and morrall matter; every one severally, according to his severall affection and naturall inclination: and there is no man, be he never so well stayed, that will addict himselfe to one thing onely, and refuse all other. For as the stomacke is quickly cloyed with feeding continuallye uppon one kinde of meate, so is the mind greatly greeved to bee alwayes musing uppon one matter, and therefore desyreth chaunge.

Which considered, after I had gathered togither in one small volume diverse devises, as well in prose as meeter, of sundry

sortes and severall matter, which at idle times (as wel to sharpen my wits and shake of sloth, as to satisfye my friendes that had occasion to crave my helpe in that behalfe) I have heretofore, as occasion served, diversely framed, supposing the same to be fitte for this present time, and agreeable with the mindes of moste men, I have (as well for the disordered placing of every particular parcel thereof, being rudely and dispersedly devided, as also for the severall fancies therein contained, fit for every degree, and agreable to their diverse affections) thought good to name it The Forrest of Fancy. And so causing it to be imprinted, I doe here, friendly reader, present it unto thee, as a gift of my good will, desiring thee to accept it. And though my yong yeares and small experience will not permit me to wryghte so pithily as some have done heretofore, whose worthy works are extant, and in great estimation; yet considering that I have not done it either for gaine or glory, but partly to make myselfe more apte in other matters of more importance wherein I maye happen hereafter to be imployed, and partly to procure thy pleasure and profite, which may easilye be obtained, if thou doe duely consider and rightly conceive of that which shall be offered to thy view. I beseech thee, conster my doinges to the best take this my small labour in good parte: amende the faultes escaped. Let my good meaning serve to excuse my rashnes, in presuming thus boldly to publish a thing of so small valew and vouchsafe me thy friendly assistaunce against the slandrous reportes of envious Zoylus and his mallicious mates; and in so doing, thou shalt incourage me hereafter to search my wits, and apply my travaile to contrive something more worthy thy reading."

The heads of the several pieces, or "particular parcels" of the book, are as follow:

1. A moral of the misery and mischiefe that raigneth

amongst wicked worldlinges, with an admonition to all true Christians to forsake their sinne and amend their manners.

(Extends to 3 pages in this measure)

The usurer now doth use his trade,

The landlord raise his rent:

The prowling lawyer playes his part,

The truth to circumvent.

2. After the death of Oedipus, king of Theabes, his two sonnes, Ethiocles and Polinices, striving whether of them shoulde succeede him, in the ende it was agreede that they should raigne by course, one yeare the one, the next yeare the other. But Ethiocles raigning fyrst; when his yeare was expired, [he] woulde not give place to his brother Polinices, which caused him to write unto him in effect as followeth.

(verse. 5 pp.)

3. A warning to yong men to flye the flattery and shun the deceiptes of dissembling dames.

(ver. 6 stanzas; the last is here extracted.)

Youth bends his net to catch the pray,
Which some injoy that take no paine;
He toyles, yet seeth every day

His labour wasted all in vaine.

He beates the bush, and in meane space
Another beares the byrdes away;
He fiercely doth pursue the chase,
Whilst others doe possesse the pray.