Some very singular words occur in this tributary poem, as alewes, scientiall, surquedrous, bountiheed, fleshlyhood, companionrie, raucht, kilture, contristation, reluctation, &c. A few of these appear to be the writer's original coinage, but it would have been wiser to have used the established currency of poetic language. "ANCIENT prices of wearing apparel," &c. from a MS. in the possession of the late Mr. R. Greene of Lichfield, who had formed a museum of curiosities. Dec. 4. 1640. Bought of Mr. Pern a basin and voyder for the Earl of Dorset... July 14, 1641. L. s. d. 32 13 0 Pawn'd my diamond ring of nine diamonds to Mr. To the Sergeant that arrested me at Mr. Bour's suit. one year...... 20 0 0 0 2 0 0 4 0 Borrowed of Mr. Butler, the 2d of May, 1642....100 Charges touching Tho. Harper, for inditing me at the Assizes, to sute... 010 0 11 0 0 16 0 10 0 This day I was imprisoned in the Counter by Wm. .... Dec. 1. To the Earl of Essex's Secretary for a protection for not plundering my house at Iver. Christned Mr. Sampert's son. ....... A pass of Parliament to go to Cambridge..... 1643. Plush and velvet and sattin, for my wedding apparel. 47 12 0 Gloves for Mrs. Mary Thompson, 18 pair... Embroidered slippers for her..,. Diamond pendents for her-Dr. Fryer. Lace for a band, cuffs, and tops. 1 ....... 7 6 A play at Salisbury Court.... Six pills of Mr. Wolf, my apothecary............ May 15, Seeing a new play, Cupid's Revenge.* May 19. Grants 50l. per ann. to Dr. Fryer. This could only be a revival, as the play itself appeared carly as 1615. From ARTHUR HALL'S dedication of his Ten bookes of Homer's Iliades to Sir Tho. Cecill, in the year 1581. "About two or three yeres past, (good knight) ransacking divers old and aside cast papers of small moment, I found some fragments of Homer's Iliades translated out of Frenche verse into Englishe metre, at such time as I groped thereat, being a scholer with you in my L. your father's house which when I had considered, and founde of as small reckening as the rest they were stored up with, which was in truth none at all, I was about to bequeath them to the fire: but being either better or worse advised, (for in your allowing and disallowing of this my proceeding consisteth the same) I tooke them againe in hand, and not only as my leasure and capacitie did serve me somewhat, corrected my first translation (which, God knows, needes even now much mending, and therefore in likelihood verie roughly hewed at the first) but also proceeded to finishe up tenne whole bookes. The which having performed this yeere, I have till nowe rested in divers myndes touching the publication of them. In which warre with myselfe, I first did deale with mine own want of abilitie to write any thing, much lesse to translate, and that out of verse into the same kinde, in my opinion the hardest matter belonges to the penne. Also I founde alwayes myselfe in such disquiet of minde by meanes of some practise of my contraries,* (I must say undeserved by me) such vexation in lawe, and carefull turmoyle to preserve somewhat of my poore house, in a manner overthrowne by my ungoverned youth, that I was fully perswaded I coulde not goe thorowe well with my desire, being so harried otherwayes: for He had been committed to the Tower in Feb. 1580, by an order of the Commons, for writing and printing a book, deemed false and seditious. See Harl. Misc. v. 246. and Lansdowne MSS. vol. xxxi. li. lviii. lxxxy—vi, your selfe beste knows that to a poet there is no greater poyson than vexation of sprite. Againe, when I considered of the ripe wittes of this age, and had read diverse workes so exquisitely done in this kinde by our owne nation; as the travaile of M. Barnabie Googe in Palingenius; the learned and painefull translation of part of Seneca by M. Jasper Heywood; the excellent and laudable labour of Mr. Arthur Golding, making Ovid speake English in no worse termes than the author's owne gifts gave him grace to write in Latin; the worthy workes of that noble gentleman, my L. of Buckhurst; the pretie and pythie conceites of M. George Gascoigne; and others in great number, no more to be liked than praised, and not so much to be praised as to be recorded for their eternall commendation. These persons (whose bookes I am not worthie to carie) when I minded, I wished I had been otherwise occupied; I condemned my travaile, I scratched my head, as men doe when they are greatly barred of their willes. But when I lighted on M. Thomas Phaer's Virgilian Englishe; quoth I, what have I done? Am I become senseless, to travaile to be laughed at, to presume and to be scorned, and to put forth my selfe and not to be received? For I was so abashed, looking upon M. Phaer's heroicall Virgill and my satiricall Homer, as I cried out, (envying Virgill's prosperitie, who gathered of Homer) that he had fallen into the oddest man's hands that ever England bred: and lamented poore blind Homer's case, who gathered of no body, to fall to me; poore blinde soule! poorely and blindly to learne him to talke our mother-tongue. These stoppes, laide before me and considered, made me for a while cast my papers behind mee. But as it is a propertie of everie man soone to finde a reason to will him proceede with his owne humour, be it never so unreasonably grounded; in like case fell it with me; for these were my arguments against these sound persuasions, objected to staie me. First I remembred, that about 18 or 19 yeeres past, walking with M. Richard Askame (a verie good Grecian, and a 3 U VOL. III. familiar acquaintance of Homer) and reciting, upon occasion of talk between us, certaine verses, Englished by me, of the said author, he animated me much with great entreatie to goe forward with my begun enterprise, The like did also about that time the erst-named M. Jasper Heywood; a man then better learned than fortunate; and since more fortunate than he hath well bestowed (as it is thought), the giftes God and Nature hath liberally lent him." &c. From Churchyard's dedication of Ovid de Tristibus, "to his most assured and tryed friende, Maister Christopher Hatton, esq." 1580. "As I have great desire to perfourme my promise, touching my whole workes of English verses, (good maister Hatton,) so I wish my selfe able everye waye to keepe the worthinesse of your frendship, which many have tasted, and few can fynd fault withall: such is the eevennesse of your dealinges, and the upright behaviour of the same. Wel; least I should seeme to unfolde a fardle of flattrie, I retourne to my matter. My booke being unreadye, considering I was commaunded by a great and mighty parsonage to write the same againe, I am forced in the meane whyle to occupy your judgement with the reading of another man's worke, whose doings of it self are sufficient to purchase good report; albeit, it wanted such a patron as you are to defend it. The rest of that woorke, which as yet is not come forth, I purpose to pen and set out; craving a little leasure for the same. And surely, Sir, I blush that myne owne booke bears not a better tytle; but the baseness of the matter wil not suffer it to beare any higher name than Churchyarde's chips for in the same are sondry tryfles composed in my youth, and such fruicte as those dayes and my simple knowledge coulde |