the title-page of a copy of the play a very old hand attributes it to Peele." But we think this is hardly sufficient proof without stronger internal evidence to settle the question, and although it may be considered heresy to differ with so excellent and critical a judge in such matters as Mr. Dyce, yet weighing the style and composition of this play and other circumstances, we rather hesitate in giving the authorship of it to Peele.

A copy was sold at Sotheby's in 1821 for 127. 128.; Inglis's sale, No. 134, 137. 2s. 6d.; Heber's ditto, pt. iv. No. 2048, 167. 5s.; and Jolly's ditto, pt. iii. No. 539, 15l. 10s.

Collation: Title A 2; Sig. A to L 1 in fours, 32 leaves, or 33 with the blank A 1.

Bound in Venetian Morocco, elegant.

COLLINS, (THOMAS.) The Penitent Publican, his Confession of Mouth. Contrition of heart. Unfained Repentance. And feruent Prayer unto God, for Mercie and forgiuenesse.

At London, Printed for Arthur Johnson, dwelling in Paules Churchyard, at the signe of the white Horse, neere the great North doore of Paules Church. 1610. 4to. pp. 48.

Whatever may be the intrinsic merits of the publications of this writer, and the present is perhaps scarcely deserving of any very high degree of praise, of their extreme rarity there can be no question. Collins is known to be the author of two poems, The Penitent Publican, first printed in 1610, and The Teares of Loue: or Cupids Progresse, &c., 4to, 1615, of both of which it is believed that not more than two or three copies are known to exist. Mr. P. Collier has given a description of the latter work in his Catal. of the Bridgewater Collection, p. 68, from a copy in that library, and mentions that but one other is believed to exist. There was a copy sold in Heber's sale; see Cat., pt. iv. No. 511. This copy of the present work also, which formerly belonged to Sir F. Freeling, was thought. by him to be the only one known. Another however occurred at the sale of Mr. George Chalmers's library, pt. i. No. 971, in the Catalogue of which it is said, "Mr. Lowndes gives the title of this scarce poem, but does not mention where a copy is to be found. The only other copy we can trace is that which was in the library of Sir F. Freeling." It com

mences with a prose dedication "To the Right Honourable, Graue, and Vertuous Lady, the Lady Katherine Hastings, Countesse of Huntington," &c., which opens thus:

It may seeme somewhat strange unto your Ladiship, that I should thus presume to publish this my poore and Penitent Publican, under your Honorable protection : yet in regard of your Ladiships Integritie of heart unto God, manifested by your most vertuous life, and zealous love unto true Religion, I am animated to aduenture him in the worlds view, being shadowed under the shield of your sacred vertues, which (like the bright beames of Phoebus) may illustrate, and giue a long life, to this my illiterate, and litle-worth labour, which (wanting your fauorable reflection) might go without regard. For (Madame) I am not ignorant, that Enuie attends upon all good attempts: Ismael will scoffe, and mocke at Isaack, even in Abrahams house, and Shemy will reuile Dauid, to his teeth, and therefore the godlie in these dayes may well say with holy Job, my soule is cut off, though I liue. Job 10. 1. verse.

This dedication is dated "the 6. of Julie 1610," and subscribed with the author's name, "Thomas Collins." It is followed by a poetical address of fourteen lines "To the Reader whosoeuer," signed "T. C." The poem, which is written throughout in seven-line stanzas, then opens in the following manner :

On bended knees, and with a broken heart,
Eyes cast on earth, hands beating of my brest:
I come to act a penitentiall part,

Before th' almightie, who is pleased best

With sinfull soules, when they are thus addrest :
In whose dread presence (caitiffe that I am)
Prepared thus (till now) I neuer came.

Knees euer bow, and standing beare no more,
Eyes euer weepe, and nere be drie againe :
Hands beat my brest, and make it euer sore,
Heart neuer cease, but sigh and sob amaine :

Tongue, euer pray, and for my sinnes complaine.
Till teares, blowes, sighs, sobbs, prayers, and complaints,
Haue freed my soule from all her foule attaints.*

Humbling my selfe, may in Gods fauour raise me,
Weeping for sinne, may him to mercy moue:
Beating my brest, most sorrowful displaies me,
Sighing and sobbing, my hearts griefe approue:
Playning, and praying, may procure Gods loue.

i.e. faults; see the Comedy of Errors, act iii. scene 2. VOL. II. PART II.

3 н

His loue is life, which causeth me to craue it,
And stedfast faith, doth tell me I shall haue it.
Great wonder-worker, worthiest worthie one,
By whose assistance Henocke walkt with God:
Thou that wert Abrahams righteousnes alone,
Thou that mak'st men moue mountains like a clod:
(Euen heapes of sinne) from off their old abode,
Thou pretious one, proceeding from aboue:
Soule-sauing faith (our euidence of Gods loue.)

By which we doe his promises imbrace,
By which we apprehend Christs righteousnes:
By which we doe, sinne, death, and hell, deface:
By which we are assured of redresse,

(If we repent and waile our wickednes)
By which our prayers are to God conuaid,
And without which, all suppliants are gain-said.

Oh blessed faith, my fortresse and my shield,
My onely comfort in calamitie:

Which dost resolue me I shall win the field,
And orecome, Sathan my arch-enemie,
Ile thanke my God (for thee) continually :
Cause 'tis his grace, and goodnes that I haue thee,
(Which art a signe, he will in mercy saue mee.

Thou that art God of gods, and King of kings,
Thou whom the Sun, the Moone, and Stars obey :
That fillst the poore and hungry with good things,
And dost the rich ones, emptie send away:
My soule shall magnifie thee day by day,
And all the powers that doe remaine in mee,
Shall onely praise, and euer pray to thee.

For thou hast vow'd, (and that most solemnely)
As thou dost liue (which art the life of all)
Thou dost not will those that doe wickedly,
And into many grieuous sinnes doe fall,
Should die the death, but rather will'st they shall

Returne and liue, oh sweet, and gracious Lord,

Which to thy foes saluation dost accord.

We quote three more stanzas from the close of the poem with which the volume concludes, and which with those already given will sufficiently enable the reader to judge of the style and merits of the author:

Ierusalem, peace be within thy walls:

And in thy pallaces let plentie bee:

For blest is he, whom thy sweet soueraigne calls,
And doth confirme free denizen in thee,

Where such joyes are, as th' eye did neuer see,

Th' eare ne're heard, nor can mans heart conceive it,
Most blest, and happie they that shall receiue it.

Oh thou that art, of that great citie, King,
Thou life, thou light, and glory of the same:
Thou in whose honour, quires of Angells sing,
Thou that art great, and excellent in fame,
Thou onely good one (holy is thy name.)
Though I bee sinfull, yet (sweet Lord) in pittie,
Make my soule free of that most sacred cittie.
As thou art holy, heare my prayer Lord,
As thou art good, and gracious, pittie mee,
As thou art true, and faithfull of thy word,
Forgiue my sins (though infinite they bee)
And let me liue, to laud, and honour thee.

To whom be giuen, all glory, power, and praise,
Euen to the end, of neuer-ending daies.

In a poetical address to his readers, prefixed to his other work, The Teares of Loue: or Cupids Progresse, &c., Collins thus alludes in the first couplet to his present religious poem:

My Muse (of late) diuinely did indite,

But (Poet-like) I now a Pastorall write.

There is another allusion also to this work in some commendatory verses prefixed to that poem, signed Jo. B.; and it would appear also, from these verses, that Collins had written another poem, now supposed to be lost:

From Newports bloudy battell (sung by thee)

With Yaxley's death (the flow'r of Chivalry)
And from thy well-penn'd Publican, to bee

Transported thus to fields of Arcady,

Shews that thy Muse is apt for all assayes, &c.

See Caldecot's Cat. for an account of another poem by this Thomas Collins, not noticed by Lowndes.

Nothing appears to be known of Collins beyond his being the writer of these two rare poems. Samuel Rowlands, who prefixed some stanzas to The Teares of Loue, calls him "his affected friend." See Dibdin's Literary

Reminisc., p. 927, and Collier's Bridgewater Catal., p. 68. The present copy is from Sir Francis Freeling's library, who says: "I do not remember having either seen or heard of another copy."

If a "Mr. Collins" mentioned in the MS. Lansd., No. 51, be the same person who wrote this poem, it would appear that in his early life he had served some office under government.

Bound in Calf extra, gilt leaves.

COLMAN, (W.)-La Dance Machabre or Death's Duell, by W. C. London, Printed by W. Stansby. n. d. 8vo. pp. 88.

Prefixed to this volume of poetry, which is a work of great rarity, not more than three or four copies at most being known, there is a beautifully engraved title-page by T. Cecill, which is so well and concisely described in the Brit. Bibliogr., vol. ii. p. 463, that we shall quote the description from that work. "The above words" of the title are "on a central curtain, upheld by two angels; beneath, time on the globe, with his scythe, as in motion. Up the sides, eight ovals, with crowded figures, representing several different estates of mankind, from the monarch and pope to the laborious delver: death, as in triumph, surmounteth the angels, and the eternal glory is seen through an arch at the top. The crest and arms of the author occupy two corners. On a preceding leaf a few lines describe The mind of the Front:' which is executed with extraordinary spirit and minuteness by T. Cecill."

After the title is a prose dedication written in French, "A la Royne,” i.e. Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of Charles the First, who arrived in England June 13, 1625, and subscribed "Le tres humble et tres obeissant seruiteur et subjet. Colman." This is followed by some English verses likewise addressed to the same sovereign lady, inscribed "To the great Empresse of our little World," in which the author intreats for the favour of her Highness to his work as

Being the first piece ventur'd on the Stage
Since you were ours, To craue your Patronage
You cannot with your Honour choose but giue

It harbour, and a libertie to liue

For its owne merit (rightly vnderstood)

Let Enuie censure whether it be good.

i.e. judge. Not used here in the ordinary sense of the word.