pawnes, to spoile our whole game, the ready way to the mate, and so the worst draught in the whole check-boorde. But against proud checking is necessarie the surest savegarding commonly called necking; and sometime invasion is the best evasion from mischiefe.

Item: that God's commandementes of placabilitie and forgevenesse extend to our owne enemies, but not to his enemies; against revenge of private displeasures, and not against severitie and sharpe execution, in cases of God's honor and commonweales: wherein is alway to be noted, that the prince is not a private but a publike person, as no attempt against her safetie, can or ought to be accompted a private cause."

A Wife, not ready made, but bespoken, by Dicus the Batchelor; and made up for him by his fellow shepheard, Tityrus. In four pastorall Eglogues. The second Edition. Wherein are some things added, but nothing amended.

All Husbands that do laugh or weep,
Read over this, before you sleep.
Here's virtue in each line and letter,
To make both good and bad Wives better.
But they that are resolv'd for none,
Were better let this book alone;
Lest seeing here the good of Wives,
They change their votes for married lives.

London, printed for A. R. 1653.

As there is no publisher's address to this little tract, the initials in the title may be merely those of the author's name transposed, viz. ROBERT AYLETT: who published a poetical volume in 1622, containing"Peace, with her foure Garders: Thrift's Equipage: Susanna: Joseph, or Pharaoh's Favourite." In 1654 he put forth a thick octavo volume, entitled "Divine Speculations in metrical Numbers:" and in 1655, the article which follows this.

The present piece is metrically inscribed to his "honoured good friend, Sir Robert Stapleton," and has a copy of verses prefixed Lectori Calibi, by J. H. probably John Hall, the friend of Stapleton, Stanley, &c.

A preliminary poem follows, from "the two married shepheards, T. and D. [Tityrus and Dorus] to R. and G. batchelours." Other verses are signed G. H. and a few lines close, addressed "to the courteous Reader."

The Eglogues contain much pro and con argumentation on the married and single life; in which the former seems to carry the palm. After a few short poems, which follow the Eglogues, there succeeds "A pair of Turtles: viz. Two Elegies on the deaths of Edmund Alleyn, esquire, son and heir to Sir Edward Alleyn of Hatfield in Essex, Baronet, and Mary his Wife."

The first Elegie.

The times of war and peace this difference have :-
In peace, sons fathers follow to the grave;
In war, the father mourneth for the son;
Here peace and war do both agree in one.

-:

And surely tears more plentifully fall
At children's than at parent's funerall;
By which man's frailty's manifestly shown,
Who wail not others' losses, but our own.

For why should we with grief our hearts molest
For them, who quite from cares now live at rest;
Or plain the shortnesse of their living day,
Who unto Heaven have found a nearer way;
And setting later out, do on us gain

With running, like Ahimaaz by the plain.*
They that with diligence will heed their waies,
Attain their journey's end in fewer daies
Than he that by his oft diversions spends
Much precious time, in world's delight and friends;
Or maketh in his inne a longer stay,
Whereby his reck'ning larger grows to pay.

If here on earth we ought to lay up store
For heaven, that our good deeds may go before;
What comfort will't be at our latter end,
When children we before us thither send;
Who, sitting by their sweetest Saviour's side,
Us mansions there, as we them here provide:
Or rather enter on the habitation
Provided for us, ere the world's foundation.

Oh, what can add to their felicity,

That see their sons prefer'd, before they die,
To higher states their wishes can advance,
An endless, glorious, rich inheritance?
Of which the son† of Jacob's greatest glory
Was but a type: this lasts, that's transitory.

In life thou never envied'st him content:
Then do not his last happinesse lament,

* Vide 2 Sam. xviii. 23.

+ Joseph.

Who would not change his state one hour, to get
The wealth and honour of a Baronet :

Beleev't, thy son is only gone before,

Thou him must follow-he'll return no more.
Then, like that good old man, thy soul revive;

Thou hast enough, thy son is yet alive.

Heaven's chariots* shall thee bring to Goshen's plain,
Where thou shalt living see thy son again.

Dr. Aylett gives the following as his own Epitaph.

Hæc suprema dies, sit mihi prima quies.

Lord! let this last be my first day of rest.

London, printed by T. M. for Abel Roper, at the signe of the Sun, in Fleet-street, 1655.

A NEAT engraving of a female figure at prayer, by Cross, is prefixed, and in the margin Pulchrior intus.

The following dedication to this rare metrical morceau bespeaks its author to have been ROBERt AyLETT,* Doctor of Laws,† made Master of the Faculties on the death of Sir Charles Cæsar in 1642, and was the writer of an article preceding this.

"To the right honble Lady Anne Pierpoint, elder Daughter to the Lord Marquisse of Dorchester.

MADAM,

Though your Ladiship be already in the high road of piety and vertue, so that none need to shew you the way, yet these following examples of the best of women, and drawne out of the best records, will not, I presume, prove altogether superfluous: for they may confirm and encourage you in the same road. But hee who would counsel your Ladiship hereunto, must needs commend when hee counselleth, and by his exhortations approve of your actions. So I rest,

Madam,

Your Ladiship's most devoted servant,
ROBERT AYLETT."

These devotional exercises consist of supplications for gifts and graces, such as were possessed by the most distinguished characters in holy writ, female and male: and each part is preceded by a short proëm, which, with a short specimen from both, I transcribe.

* Wood found a person of this name, M. A. of Cambridge, to be incorporated at Oxford in 1608, and quæres whether he was not uncle to Samuel Aylett, the author of Britannia Antiqua Illustrata, 1676.

Hence, D. L. in the title, for which we now should place LL. D.