was published in the same year as the last, and is dedicated, in prose, "To the right worshypfull Sir Francis Drake Knight," to whom he "wisheth continuance of health, with prosperous estate and felicitie." It appears that this celebrated circumnavigator had lately been incorporated into the worshipful Society of Drapers, of which Cotton was a member, and that this circumstance, and "the vertuous zeale that he alwayes had to defende Gods trueth, her Maiesties right, and Countries tranquilitie, had imboldened him (Cotton) to present unto him this Historicall discourse and short thankes-giving, which he had rudely, but truly, and according to the storie, collected out of the holy Scriptures," as an inducement to encourage others "to study the holy worde of God, which is the sworde of the spirite; and to take unto them the whole armor thereof, whereby they may be able to resist all the assaultes of the euyll one, and may also have a full hope in the Lord, that in the ende they shall haue a victorious conquest, and so learne with Martyrs, Apostles, and holy Prophets, to rejoyce and sing Hosanna and Haleluiah," &c. "This, (says he), if your Worshyp shal accept, being the first frutes of my small paynes, not regarding the barbarousnes of my phrase and verse, being no Scholler, but the zealous affection of my hart, to the loue of your godly care, for the upholding of Gods Religion. I shall (hauing so skilfull a Pilote to stirre my sterne, and so worthy a Captaine to encounter the enimie) be imbouldned hereafter to wade into deeper discourses (as God shall blesse and time permit) to gratifie your worthinesse withall: Untill which time, I humbly commende your selfe, and your most vertuous proceedinges, to the gracious gouernment of the puissant Jehouah, the victorious King of eternall glorie." A short address "To the Reader" follows, in which the author says: Since all thinges that are written in the holy Scriptures, are written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope, I haue brought to your remembraunce (as breefely as I can) the cheefest stories therein conteined for this purpose, that when you have heard, you may also say that you haue seene, his great seueritie in the late miraculous destruction of his and our Romish enimies, and his accustomed mercie in the deliverance and preseruation of his children, and so by that meanes be stirred up to giue all thankes and prayse unto God, and to have your heartes firmly stayed upon him, who is a wall and strong defence to Syon his Beloued, and who continually sits upon a throne, hauing a Rainebow round about, to assure us of his fauour to be continued agaynst the waters which the olde Dragon powreth out by the Italian Synagoue of Rome, &c. After this address occur two pages of commendatory verses by P. K., G. W. (probably George Whetstone), A. W. (probably Arthur Warren or Andrew Willett), and R. J. We quote the second of these: G. W. in prayse of this Booke. Will men be taught in whom to put their trust, The work then commences, headed by this text from Psalm cvii. verse 2: "Let them which haue beene redeemed of the Lord, slew how he hath deliuered them from the hande of the oppressor." It is written in five-line stanzas, and is divided into six parts or sections. A short specimen will suffice to show the nature of the work, in which the serious and well-meant intentions of the author are more deserving of praise than his poetry. The writer had been showing how, through the gracious assistance of the Almighty, the nation had escaped from the threatened danger of the formidable Spanish Armada, and the consequent re-introduction of Popery, "even as a bird is escaped out of the snare of the fowler:" Wherefore as we haue heard, so haue we seene, Yea God hath put into her noble hart, to hate that Beast, and flesh of his to eate, and still to striue to make him desolate : And that her Grace, Gods will may thus performe, Therefore let us this day with voyces ring and giue all prayse and thankes unto the Lord, So will all still Halleluiah sing, and eke confesse that God alone doth raigne, Wherefore rejoyce, and prayses sing with hart, and neuer let them from our mouthes depart. At the end of this first poem there is another, entitled "A description of olde Rome, or misticall Babylon: and may be song as the 81. Psalme." This is written in a different metre from the first, and consists of fifteen eight-line stanzas, which are concluded thus: Shew us O Lord, with golden Reede thy Arke, thy Manna hid: Shew us thyne Alter of fine golde, whose Incense standes in steede, Cloth us with holy garmentes White, and golden Girdles give : Us Sacrificers, wash thou cleane, that we may euer lyue. Lo Rome, we crowned are with Starres, Loe Rome, our Lampes are filde with Oyle So Rome, our Sackcloth shall remoue, to Christ our Head and King. R. Cotton. There is a notice of this poetical work, written by Mr. Park, in the third volume of the Restituta, p. 141. See also the Bibl. Ang. Poet., No. 121, from an imperfect copy, which is there priced at 57. 58. A copy sold in Mr. Strettell's sale, No. 577, for 67. 16s. 6d. ; at Bindley's ditto, pt. i. No. 2199, for 81. 58.; and at Mr. Skegg's ditto, in 1842, No. 434, for 10l. 158. The present is a remarkably fine and beautiful copy of this very rare poetical volume, of which we doubt whether there are three in existence, and is further illustrated with a portrait of Sir Francis Drake, to whom it is dedicated. Bound by C. Lewis. In Blue Morocco, with joints, gilt leaves, COWLEY, (ABRAHAM.) — Poetical Blossomes, by A. C. sit surculus Arbor. London, Printed by E. A. and T. F. for Henry Seile, and are to be sold at his shop at the Signe of the Tygers-head in St. Paules Church-yard. 1633. 4to, pp. 64. These Poetical Blossomes were published by Cowley, according to the generally received opinion, when he was in his fifteenth year, but, if we are to credit the authenticity of the portrait prefixed and of Langbaine, when in his thirteenth year, while still a pupil at Westminster school. As such they are remarkable effusions of poetical talent in so youthful a mind, but differ from the earliest productions of Milton, written almost at as youthful an age, in not being distinguished by any remarkable efforts of fancy or imagination, or exuberance of genius, but appearing rather to show a taste for the moral and didactic. They are dedicated "To the Right Honorable and right reverend Father in God John (Williams) Lord Bishop of Lincolne, and Deane of Westminster," and, after some stanzas "To the Reader" by Cowley, are graced by some commendatory verses by his schoolfellows, Ben. Masters and Rob. Meade. The first poem, written in six-line stanzas, is called "Constantia and Philetus," not as is erroneously said by Phillips and Winstanley, "Antonius and Melida," and afterwards copied from them by Ant. Wood and Dr. Kippis, who have thus perpetuated the mistake. Langbaine, who rightly corrects their error, but falls into another himself in saying that the comedy of "Love's Riddle" was first printed in the present volume, informs us that this poem was written when Cowley was only twelve years old. The second poem, "The Tragicall Historie of Piramus and Thisbe,” which has a separate title-page, is dedicated "To the Worshipful my very loving Master Lambert Osbalston chiefe Schoole-master of Westminster Schoole." It is written in the same metre as the former, and, according to Langbaine, was composed when Cowley was but ten years old. The remaining poems in the book are "An Elegie on the Death of the Right Honorable Dudley Lord Carleton Viscount Dorchester, late Principall Secretarie of State;" another "On the Death of his loving Friend and Cousen Mr. Richard Clerke late of Lincolnes-Inne, Gentleman;" and a short poem entitled "A Dreame of Elysium." At the end, on a separate leaf, is the permission of the licenser, Henry Herbert, for the poems to be printed, dated the 19th of October, 1632, which, if Cowley was born in 1618 as is usually believed, confirms Langbaine's account of the dates when they were written. The contents of this volume were not generally reprinted with his later productions, but there was a reimpression with additions in 1636, Svo, and in 1637, noticed in the next articles. "The Poetical Blossomes of Cowley," says Granger, "which are an abundant proof of his talent for poetry, were generally regarded as an earnest of that fame to which he afterwards rose, and which, in the opinion of some of his contemporaries, eclipsed that of every other English poet. We are even more pleased with some of the earliest of his juvenile poems than with many of his later performances; as there is not in them every where that redundancy of wit; and where there is, we are more inclined to admire than be offended at it, in the productions of a boy." Campbell also says of Cowley with some truth, that "he wrote verses while yet a child; and amidst his best poetry as well as his worst, in his touching and tender as well as extravagant passages, there is always something that reminds us of childhood in Cowley." Prefixed to the volume is a portrait of Cowley with a book in his hand, and two angels holding a chaplet of laurel over his head, inscribed " Ætat. suæ 13. anno 1633," engraved by Robert Vaughan, and underneath are these lines by B. Masters: Reader, when first thou shalt behold this boyes This portrait is of excessive rarity, and adds much to the value of the book. The present copy has also a smaller portrait of Cowley by another hand, taken from another edition of these poems, and is further enriched with some manuscript notes by the late Mr. Park. It is the same copy which was in the Bibl. Ang. Poet., No. 140, and is there priced at 16., and was successively in the collections of Mr. Park, Mr. Hill, Mr. Perry, and Sir Francis Freeling, Bart. A copy was sold in Skegg's sale, No. 442. Collation: A 2; Sig. A to H 4 inclusive, in fours. Fine copy. Bound by Walker. In Blue Morocco, with COWLEY, (ABRAHAM.) -- Poeticall Blossomes. The second Edition enlarged by the Author. VOL. II. PART II, sit surculus Arbor. 3 T |