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probationer Fellow in 1542, but probably left the university soon after to learn the art of printing, having, as is believed, acquired his knowledge of that trade under the celebrated John Day. In the reign of Edward VI. he commenced printing for himself, in Ely Rents in Holborn, and in 1550 printed two editions of the Vision of Pierce Ploughman. About the same time also he took Orders, and employed his leisure hours in preaching, in London and elsewhere; and we have seen in our notice of a former work, page 80, that he was found preaching before the door of Bishop Bonner's apartment, when he was confined in the prison of the Marshalsea. On the accession of Queen Mary, in company with many other Protestants, he left this kingdom and settled at Frankfort in Germany, to enjoy that religious liberty which was denied him in his own country. On the death of Mary he returned to England, and during the reign of Elizabeth had several benefices conferred upon him, including a prebendal stall in St. Paul's Cathedral, in 1563; the Vicarage of St. Giles's, Cripplegate, in 1566; and the Vicarage of St. Lawrence, Jewry, in 1576, which last he resigned two years after. To Crowley belongs the honour of being the first person in England who versified the whole Psalter, he having translated into popular rhyme the Psalms of David, and the Litany, with hymns, all which were printed together in 1549. He also attacked the abuses of his age in One and thirty Epigrams, printed in 1551, sm. 8vo, now become exceedingly rare, and printed and published many other works, chiefly controversial, both in prose and verse, a list of which may be seen in Wood. He was a strong predestinarian, and most zealous in spreading the principles of the reformed faith among the people, by whom he was much respected. Crowley lived to an advanced period, labouring diligently in his various avocations, and dying in June 1588, when he was about 70 years of age, was buried in the chancel of St. Giles's Church, Cripplegate, where he had been Vicar.

"

On the reverse of the title-page of the present little work are some metrical lines, "The boke to the reader," and underneath these is a list of "The contents of this boke." The work is divided into twelve lessons, bearing the title of that of "the begger," "the servaunt," "the yeoman,' "the lewde or unlerned Prieste," "the Scholar," "the learned man," the Physician," "the Lawiar," "the Merchaunt," "the Gentleman," "the Maiestrate," and "the Woman." It is in alternately rhyming octave verse, of four lines each, with occasional marginal references to texts of Scripture. We select a portion of "the learned mans lesson" as a specimen of Crow

ley's verse, the advice in which might be equally well applied in the present day to certain abuses still prevalent amongst us:

What shouldest thou speake of usurie When thou dost take unlawfull gayne? Or rebuke men for Simonie

When nothynge else doeth in the rayne?

Maye not the lay man saufly saye
I learned of the to by and sel
Benefices, whych to thys daye
Thou canst put in practise ful well.

Why should not I as well as thou
Haue benefices two or thre?
Sens thou hast taught me the wei how
I may kepe them and blamelesse be.

I can set one to serue the cure
That shall excel the in learninge
More then thou dost me I am sure
And also in godly lyueynge.

I can kepe hospitalyte
And geue as much unto the pore
In one yere as thou dost in thre
And wyl performe it wyth the more

Alas that euer we should se
The flocke of Christ thus bought & solde
Of them that shoulde the shepherdes be
To leade them saifly to the folde.

Repent this thyng I the aduise And take the to one cure alone, And se that in most faythfull wise Thou walk in thy vocation.

Then shall no lay man saye by right That he learned his misse of the, For it is playne in ech mans syght That thou doste walke in thy degree. Morouer if thou chance to be Made a Prelate of hygh estate, To thyne office loke that thou se And leaue not thy flocke desolate.

And fyrste before all other thynges Seke thou to fynde good ministers, And appoynt them honest lyuynges, To be the peoples instructers.

Let none haue cure wythin thy see, In whome any greate vice doth reigne, For where mislyuyng curates be, The people are not good certayne.

And for them all that do perishe, Through thy defalte thou shalt answere: Wherefore I do the admonishe To loke earnestly to thys geare.

Take another extract from "the Lawiars lesson," which is also equally applicable at the present time, and is

Nowe come hither thou manne of lawe, And marcke what I shall to the saye: For I intende the for to drawe Out of thy moste ungodlye waye.

Thy callyng is good and godly,
If thou wouldste walke therin aryght:
But thou art so passyng gredy,
That Gods feare is out of thy syght.

Thou climist so to be alofte,
That thy desyre can haue no staye:
Thou haste forgotten to go soft,
Thou art so hasty on thy waye.

not without some humour:

But now I call thee to repent
And thy gredines to forsake
For Gods wrath is agaynst the bent
If thou wylt not my warnyng take.

Fyrst call unto thy memorye
For what cause the laws were fyrst made
And then apply the busily

To the same ende to use thy trade.

The lawes were made undoubtedly, That al suche men as are opprest Myght in the same fynde remedy, And leade their lyues in quiet reste.

Doest thou then walk in thy callyng
When for to vexe the innocent,
Thou wilt stande at the barre ballyng
Wyth al the craft thou canst inuente.

I saye ballyng, for better name
To haue it can not be worthye :
When lyke a beast withoute al shame
Thou wilt do wrong to get money.

Thyne excuses are knowne to well,
Thou saist thou knowest not the matter:
Wherfore thou sayst thou canst not tel
At the firste whose cause is better.

Thou knowest not at ye first I graūt
But whye wylt thou be retained
Of playntyfe or of defendaunt

Before thou hast their cause learned?

For such a plea I blame the not,
When neither parties ryght is known,
But when thou thy selfe dost well wot
Thy client seketh not his owne :

It were a godly way for the
To knowe the ende ere thou began,
But if that can bi no meanes be,
To make shorte sute do what thou can.

If thou be a mans atturney
In any court where so it be
Let him not waite and spende money
If his dispatch do lie in the.

Apply his matter earnestly,
And set him going home againe,
And take no more then thy dutie
For God shall recompence thi paine.

The reader who wishes to know more of Crowley and his publications may consult Wood's Ath. Oxon., vol. i. p. 542; and Strype's Eccles. Memor., vol. ii. p. 139.

See also further concerning this little work, Warton's Hist. Eng. Poet., vol. iv. p. 11; Dibdin's Typog. Antiq., vol. iv. p. 327; Bibl. Ang. Poet., No. 907; and an article in Restituta, vol. iii. p. 301, by Mr. Park. It is extremely rare, and is not in the Bodleian Cat. of 1843, nor in the Malone, Douce, or Grenville collections. A copy, wanting one leaf, was sold in Bright's sale, No. 1549, for 4l. 14s. 6d. ; Midgley's ditto, No. 186, 37. 13s. 6d; Sir F. Freeling's ditto, No. 314, ; Dr. Bliss's ditto, No. 1067,

107. 10s.; and Bibl. Ang. Poet., No. 907, 13l. We may here mention that another short and excessively rare metrical tract by Crowley, entitled

Pleasure and Payne, Heauen and Hell,

Remembre these foure, and al shall be well,

London, 1551, sm. 8vo, sold in Dr. Bliss's sale, No. 1068, for 25l. 10s.

Collation: Sig. A to Diiii, in eights.

In Brown Calf extra, gilt leaves.

COLLECTANEA ANGLO-POETICA:

OR,

A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE

CATALOGUE

OF A PORTION OF A COLLECTION OF

EARLY ENGLISH POETRY,

WITH OCCASIONAL EXTRACTS AND REMARKS

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL.

BY THE

REV. THOMAS CORSER, M.A., F.S. A.,

RECTOR OF STAND, LANCASHIRE; AND VICAR OF
NORTON, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE.

VOL. I.

PRINTED FOR THE CHETHAM SOCIETY.

M.DCCC.LXIX.

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