CHETTLE, (HENRY.)-Englandes Mourning Garment; Worne here by plaine Shepheardes; in memorie of ELIZABETH their sacred Mistresse, Queene of, Vertue while she liued, and Theame of Sorrow, being dead. To which is added the true manner of her Emperiall Funerall. After which foloweth the Shepheards Spring-Song, for entertainement of King IAMES our most potent Soueraigne. Dedicated to all that loued the deceased Queene, and honor the liuing King. Non Verbis sed Virtute.

Printed at London by V. S. for Thomas Millington, and are to be sold at his shop vnder Saint Peters Church in Cornhill. 4to, n.d., pp. 50.

Henry Chettle, originally a printer or compositor, is better known as a prolific playwright, having been concerned, along with Decker, Munday, Haughton, and others, in the composition of nearly forty plays, only four of which, however, have descended to our times. He wrote a tragedy by himself, called Hoffman, or Revenge for a Father, 1631, 4to; and was concerned, with others, in the comedy of Patient Grissell, The Blind Beggar of Bethnall-green, and The Death of Robert Earl of Huntingdon. His first work (not dramatic) was entitled "Kind Hearts Dream," published without date, but probably printed about 1593, 4to, blk. lett. a very rare tract, of which only two or three copies are known.

-

The present pamphlet is by no means devoid of attraction, and is written partly in prose and partly in verse. It is dedicated "To all true Louers of the right gratious Queene Elizabeth, in her life," &c., signed "Fœlicens puisse infaustum," and commences with a dialogue, in verse, between two shepherds, Thenot and Collin, the latter representing the author himself. The chief subject of Chettle's work is a laudatory discourse or eulogy on the character of Elizabeth, commencing with notices of her grandfather and grandmother, Henry of Lancaster and Elizabeth of York, of her father Henry VIII., her brother Edward VI., and her sister Queen Mary, in his praise of whom he is interrupted by Thenot telling him there were a number of true shepherds misliked that Queen's life, and joyed greatly at her death, but is quickly stopped by Collin in these words:

Peace, Thenot, peace, Princes are sacred things,

It fits not Swaines to thinke amisse of Kings.

The larger proportion of the tract is in prose, but the most singular and

interesting part of it is that in which the writer, having, in a not unpleasing manner, described at some length the character and various virtues and good qualities of Elizabeth, apologizes that, rude as he was, he had presumed to handle this excellent theme. But, he says, "in regard the Funerall hastens on of that sometime most Serene Lady, and yet I see none, or at least not one or two that have sung anything since her departure worth the hearing; and of them, they that are best able, scarce remember her Maiestie," he had been induced to come forward, and "though in ruder verse to speake.”

Chettle then, in an interesting manner, complains of many of his contemporary poets that they neglected to offer their parting tribute to the memory of their lamented Queen

Nor doth one Poet seeke her name to raise,

That liuing hourely striu'd to sing her praise;

while they were only too eager to welcome their newly-risen King. Several of these, Daniel, Warner, Chapman, Jonson, Shakespeare, Drayton, &c., are pointed out by allusions to their works, although not mentioned by name. Daniel, the first on the list, is thus noticed as the "sweetest song-man of all," and is followed by Warner:

He that so well could sing the fatall strife
Betweene the royall Roses White and Red,
That praised so oft Eliza in her life,
His Muse seemes now to die, as shee is dead.

Thou sweetest song-man of all English swaines
Awake for shame, honour ensues thy paines,
But thou alone deseru'dst not to be blamde,
He that sung fortie yeares her life and birth,
And is by English Albions so much famde
For sweete mixt layes of maiestie with mirth,

Doth of her losse take now but little keepe,
Or else I gesse he cannot sing, but weepe.

Chapman, under the name of Coryn, who finished Marlow's poem of Hero and Leander, is next introduced:

Neither doth Coryn full of worth and wit,

That finisht dead Musaus gracious song,

With grace as great, and words, and verse as fit;

Chide meager death for dooing vertue wrong

He doth not seeke with songs to deck her herse
Nor make her name liue in his liuely verse.

Then comes "our English Horace," Ben Jonson, who is succeeded by

Shakespeare, under the name of Melicert, whom he had already mentioned as "the smooth-tongued Melicert," and Drayton, who had written his gratulation to King James before he had mourned the death of Elizabeth :

Nor does our English Horace, whose steele pen

Can drawe Characters which will neuer die,

Tell her bright glories vnto listning men,

Of her he seemes to haue no memorie.

His Muse another path desires to tread,

True Satyres scourge the liuing, leaue the dead.

Nor doth the siluer-tonged Melicert,

Drop from his honied muse one sable teare

To mourne her death that graced his desert,

And to his laies opend her Royall eare.

Shepheard, remember our Elizabeth,

And sing her Rape, done by that Tarquin, Death.

No lesse doe thou (sweete singer Coridon)

The Theame exceedeth Edwards Isabell

Forget her not in Poly-Albion;

Make some amends, I know thou loudst her well.

Thinke twas a fault to haue thy Verses seene

Praising the King, ere they had mournd the Queen.

There are others hinted at whose names it is more difficult to supply; among these are "delicious sportive Musidore," "quicke Anti-horace," whom Mr. Collier applies to Decker, and "young Mælibee frend," and "Heroes last Musæus," given by the same to Henry Petowe, who had written the second part of Hero and Leander, and others. The discourse on the character and virtues of Elizabeth is thus continued by the shepherds in prose, by whom she is thus apostrophized:

Sweeto Virgin, shee was borne on the Eue of that blessed Virgins Natiuitie, holy Mary, Christs Mother: shee dyed on the Eue of the Annunciation of the same most holy Virgin: a blessed note of her endlesse blessednesse, and her societie in heauen with those wise Virgins, that kept Oyle euer in their Lampes, to awaite the Bridegroome. Shee came vnto the Crowne after her royall sisters death, like a fresh Spring euen in the beginning of Winter, and brought vs comfort, as the cleare Sunne doth to storme-dressed Marriners; shee left the Crowne likewise in the winter of her Age, and the beginning of our Spring: as if the Ruler of heauen had ordained her coronation in our sharpest Winter to bring vs happinesse, and vncrowned her in our happiest Spring, to leaue vs in more felicitie by her Succeeder. O happie beginning, and. more happy ende: which notwithstanding, as naturall sonnes and subiects, let her not goe vnwept for to her graue. This euening let vs be like the Euening, that drops

dewy teares on the earth: and while our hyndes shut vp the sheepe in their foldes, sing a Funerall song for the losse of diuine Elizabeth.

This part then concludes with:

The Funerall Song betweene Collin and Thenot, Dryope and Chloris,
vpon the death of the sacred Virgin Elizabeth.

At the close of the piece of "Englandes Mourning Garment" are two leaves containing "The order and proceeding at the Funerall of the Right High and Mightie Princesse Elizabeth Queene of England, France, and Ireland: from the Pallace of Westminster called Whitehall: To the Cathedrall Church of Westminster: the 28 of April, 1603;" at the end of which is an apology, signed Hen. Chetle, for the errors of the press; and the book closes with "The Shepheards Spring Song, in gratulation of the royall, happy, and flourishing Entrance to the Maiestie of England, by the most potent and prudent Soueraigne, Iames, King of England, France, and Ire land," two leaves. It is pleasingly written, without being very remarkable, and thus calls upon the shepherds to welcome their newly-arrived Monarch:

O Shepheards sing his welcome with sweete notes,
Nymphs, strew his way with Roses Red and White,
Prouide all pastimes that may sense delight,
Offer the fleeces of your flockes white cotes:
He that now spares, doth it that sauing, spill,
Where Worth is little, Vertue likes good will.

Now from the Orchades to the Cornish Iles,
From thence to Cambria and the Hyberian shore,
The sound of Ciuill warre is heard no more;
Each Countenance is garnished with smiles,

All in one hymne with sweet contentment sing
The praise and power of Iames their onely King.

Our onely King, one Ile, one Soueraigne :

O long-desired, and perfected good,

By him the heate of wrath, and boyling blood,
Is mildely quencht: and Enuie counted vaine,
One King, one people, blessed vnitie,

That ties such mightie Nations to agree.

There was a second edition of this work by the same printer, Millington, in 1603, 4to, in which there are a few unimportant additions made, and the errors of the press in the present one corrected. But Mr. Collier has remarked that in both editions the word “blushing,” in the line of the Spring Song

The gray eyde morning with a blustring cheeke

is printed "blustring."

The work is very scarce, and has been reprinted in the Harl. Miscell., vol. iii. See Collier's Bibliog. Cat., vol. i. p. 129. It sold in North's sale, pt. 3, No. 794, for 27. 158.; Strettell's do., No. 581, 1. 18s.; and Heber's do., pt. 4, No. 359, 27. 188.

There is a copy in the British Museum.

Collation: Sig. A to G 1 in fours.

Fine Copy. Bound by C. Lewis. In Brown Morocco,
gilt leaves.

CHURCHYARD, (THOMAS.)

The Firste parte of Churchyardes Chippes, contayning twelue seuerall Labours. Deuised and published only by Thomas Churchyard Gentilman. Imprinted at London in Fletestreate neare unto Saint Dunstones Church by Thomas Marshe. 1575. 4to. blk. Lett. pp. 232.

That very voluminous and once highly popular, but now neglected poet, Thomas Churchyard, was extremely fond of giving to many of his works singular and whimsical titles commencing with the letter C, of which the