CONTENTS

OF THE FIRST CONVERSATION.

Charles Fitzgeffrey's poem on the Death of Sir Francis Drake, 1596-General criticism upon it-Youth of the author-George Chapman's attack upon hypercritical readers-Reference to the "British Bibliographer"-Two editions of Fitzgeffrey's poem in the same year-Differences between them, and commendato y poems omitted by Ritson-Chapman's censure of preliminary panegyrics-Golden age of English poesy-The poets applauded by Fitzgeffrey in his Affania, 1601-Will. Percy, author of "Sonnets to the Fairest Cælia," 1594-Barnabe Barnes's "Four Books of Offices,", 1606-Madrigal by Percy prefixed to it—R. Allot's claim to the title of compiler of "England's Parnassus," 1600 Stanzas by Fitzgeffrey before Storer's "Life of Wolsey," 1599-Fitzgeffrey's inducement to write his poem-Sir John Harington's praise of the study of poetry-Fitzgeffrey's Dedicatory Sonnet-whether he had written any thing before 1596-His apology-Dr. Johnson's opinion of extracts-Quotation from, and criticism upon, Fitzgeffrey's poem-Why productions of this kind are forced and unnatural—Most impudent plagiary by R. Junius from Owen Feltham-Rev. H. J. Todd's praise of Junius-a passage by Junius on which Cowley might have founded his Naufragium Joculare-Thos. Heywood's "English Traveller," -Fitzgeffrey's Address to the great Navigators of Elizabeth's reign John Higgins, Thomas Nabbes, and Ben Jonson, cited for a coincidence-Fitzgeffrey's praise of Spenser, Daniel, and Drayton-His compound epithets, and why most young poets employ them-The question whether English be well suited to them considered-Monosyllables in English, and Chapman's praise of them and the long fourteen-syllable verse-Thos. Churchyard's

praise of English-Authorities in favour of the long fourteen-
syllable verse_ -Chapman's inconsistency-His Odyssey and Shield
of Achilles, 1598-German translations of the Classics into the
original metres, with compound epithets-Chapman's success in
the latter-Envy of his contemporaries-Doubtful hit at Ben
Jonson His autograph in the copy in the British Museum of the
first seven books of Chapman's Iliad-Fitzgeffrey's eulogy of the
stage-poets of his time-Coincidence between Shakespeare and
Fitzgeffrey-Burlesque vulgarism of the latter-Thos. Greepe's
serious burlesque on the Exploits of Sir F. Drake-Laughable
specimens Dedication of it to posterity-Self-delusion of poets
great and small-Spenser, Shakespeare, and Percival Stockdale!
-Remarks on Peele, Nash, Greene, and Marlow-Peele's Jests
forming the incidents of the "Puritan" attributed to Shakespeare
-The "Jests" and the play compared-Shakespeare's doubtful
plays The embryo of a scene in Henry V. found in Sir John
Oldcastle by Drayton, &c.-"The Yorkshire Tragedy" probably
the work of Thos. Nash-Peele's "Farewell to Sir F. Drake
and Sir J. Norris," 1589-Shakespeare's judgment illustrated—
specimens from Peele's poem-Fitzgeffrey's praise of J. Markham
-Markham's frauds on Tofte and Riche --George Whetstone's
poem on the death of Sir P. Sidney-Churchyard's account
of his death-Quotations from Whetstone's poem-Spenser's
"Shepherd's Calendar" attributed by Whetstone to Sir P. Sidney
-Webbe and Puttenham cited-A doubt started when "the
Arcadia" was first printed-Sir J. Harington's note to his Orlando
Furioso, B. 11. an original sonnet by Sidney, not inserted in his
"Arcadia"-Countess of Pembroke's poem on her brother's death
-Dr. Donne the oldest English satirist R. Brathwaite on the
degeneracy of the great-Quotation from Fitzgeffrey's "Blessed
Birth-day," 1654 His Sermons, &c.-Epitaph upon him by

Robert Chamberlaine.

THE

POETICAL DECAMERON.

THE FIRST CONVERSATION.

BOURNE. Let us begin our conversations by an interesting and a much lauded poem, perhaps lauded beyond its merits.

ELLIOT. That is nothing very uncommon, whatever there may be remarkable in the poem: what is that little performance called? If the matter be no heavier than the manner, it is likely to be light reading.

BOURNE. And so it is, though a great many stanzas are printed in a small compass.

MORTON. Come, the title; otherwise we shall have preface enough for a book ten times as large. At all events the preface, if we must have one, ought to follow the title: what is it?

BOURNE. It is Charles Fitzgeffrey's poem on the death of Sir Francis Drake; the production obviously of a very young man, but with a great deal about it that is both admirable and reprehensible. There are few pieces that have greater defects or more

striking beauties.

The title-page is this:

"Sir

Francis Drake, his Honorable life's commendation, and his Tragicall Deathes lamentation." It was printed at Oxford, by Joseph Barnes, in the year 1596.

ELLIOT. You say that Fitzgeffrey was a very young man when he wrote it?

BOURNE. Yes; the dates supply the fact; but even without them there is internal evidence of the boyishness of the writer-a want of restraint of thought, and a fearlessness of expression so characteristic of a youth whose mind is beginning to partake of the same freedom that his body enjoys when first emancipated from scholastic trammels.

MORTON. Let us postpone criticism till we know more about the book. Let us read, and then

criticise.

ELLIOT. At all events let us not, like modern reviewers (according to the vulgar notion of them), criticise without reading at all.

BOURNE. George Chapman, in his 'Exavuxlos (1594), has one of the severest and boldest sentences I remember, not against critics by profession, but critics by choice-hypercritical readers, who read not to enjoy, but to find fault: "How then may a man stay his maruailing to see passion-driuen men reading but to curtoll a tedious houre, and altogether hide-bound with affection to great men's fancies, take upon them as killing censures as if they were

iudgements butchers, and as if the life of truth lay tottering in their verdicts."

ELLIOT. A hard hit, certainly; but it seems principally aimed at the flatterers of noble authors-at those who are "altogether hide-bound with affection to great men's fancies."

MORTON. Very true-I think I have seen some notice or other of this production by Fitzgeffrey.

BOURNE. He was often applauded by contemporary writers; but what you refer to is probably in the British Bibliographer. The article is here, Vol. II.

p. 116, and signed T. P.

MORTON. I believe it is; but I see that no quotations are supplied to enable us to judge of the merits or defects of the poem, excepting the Dedicatory Sonnet to the widow of Sir Francis Drake.

ELLIOT. It is something ludicrous to give us that as a specimen of the body of the work.

MORTON. The preface, however, dated from Broadgate Hall, Nov. 17, 1596, is quoted, and it seems curious. I do not perceive that your copy has any preface or introductory matter of the kind in prose: after the title comes the sonnet here quoted by T. P. " to the beavteous and vertuous Lady Elizabeth late wife to the highly renowmed Sir Francis Drake deceased;" and then follow some commendatory poems, but no preface: is not your copy imperfect?

BOURNE. Certainly not: you do not perceive that there must have been two editions of the book: