EARL OF SURREY'S POEMS. N the last year of Queen Mary, ten IN years after the death of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, was published a volume of mifcellaneous poems, by that Earl, Sir Thomas Wyat the elder, and others. The Earl of Surrey is ufually celebrated, as the first introducer of blank verfe into our language, by his tranflation of two books of the Æneis; and the testimony of Afcham seems to confirm the opinion. At the end of this Miscellany, however, are found two pieces, of confiderable length and force, on the deaths of Zoroafter and Cicero, alfo in blank verfe, by N. G.; who was at least The cause of po contemporary with Surrey. lite letters, doubtlefs, fuffered much, in the untimely death of this learned and accomplished Earl; who little thought he was writing writing his own epitaph, when he paraphrafed, from Virgil's 2d book, Quæ caufa indigna ferenos Fœdavit vultus, aut cur hæc vulnera cerno? Sir Thomas Wyat has been justly ranked our first polished fatirift. Nor will it be amifs here to detract, in fome measure, from that importance, which Bishop Hall has arrogated to himself, in his Prologue, where he fays, I first adventure, follow me who lift, for he was himself undoubtedly but the fecond. Puttenham fays, "Before Sir Thomas Wyat's time, alexandrines were not used in "our vulgar." This volume, the first printed Miscellany in our language, contains a variety of tranflations from Petrarca; fome from Ariofto; many original pieces; and alfo the earliest English Paftoral, called Harpalus' Complaint. Paftoral Pastoral sketches are drawn from thofe, who live, according to the fimplicity of nature, without artificial cares and refinements. To fuch, however, neither the nicest sensations, nor the jufteft fentiments are denied; but they must be fimply expreffed: and care must be had, that the scenery be not unfuited to the characters, nor the images to the fcenery; or the images muft, at least, bear ftrong and intimate allufion to rural manners. If this be a juft delineation of paftoral, Harpalus' Complaint, as it greatly precedes Spenfer's Shepherd's Calendar in time, muft alfo take place of it in estimation. Among the Sonnets, found in this volume, it is neceffary carefully to distinguish those, translated from Petrarca, (of which no notice is given in the titles); as a reader may, otherwife, eafily be led into mistake, respecting the authors. See particularly, in the Earl of Surrey's part, that taken from Petrarca's first Canzone. The The republication of these Poems, in 1717, is perhaps the most incorrect book in the language: but of this information few will be able to avail themselves; as the original editions are among the scarceft books in English literature. SPENSER, F Spenfer, who was born about 15551 OFF it seems to be the fate now, as it was in his life-time, to be at once admired and neglected. A life, carefully drawn out from the most authentic memorials, though these be but fcanty, together with a minute inveftigation of the common-places of his reading and study, is the great defideratum of poetical hiftory. To thofe, who are acquainted with the Remarks of the late learned Dr. Jortin, and the Observations of the ingenious au thor of the History of English Poetry, this opinion might appear reprehenfible, if it were not eafy, at once, to point out feventy-eight lines in the fecond book of the Faery Queen, and twenty-two lines in the fixth book, immediately copied from Tasso, and of which no notice is taken by either of those commenC tators: |