John Harington, the elder (flor. 1540-78), who was a confidential servant of Henry VIII., wrote very pleasing love-verses, some of which were published in the Nuga Antiquæ (1804). The poet married first a natural daughter of the king, and then Isabella Markham, one of the Princess Elizabeth's gentlewomen; and with his second wife was sent to the Tower by Queen Mary, together with Elizabeth, who, on her accession to the throne, rewarded him with many favours. The following verses, from the author's own MS. dated 1564 (but written probably ten years before), were composed on Isabella Markham; and Sir John Harington (page 391), the translator of Ariosto, was the son of this loving couple :

Whence comes my love? O hearte, disclose :
'Twas from cheeks that shame the rose,
From lips that spoyle the rubyes prayse,
From eyes that mock the diamond's blaze :
Whence comes my woe? as freely owne;
Ah me! 'twas from a hearte lyke stone.
The blushyng cheek speakes modest mynde,
The lipps, befitting wordes moste kynde,
The eye does tempte to love's desire,
And seems to say 'tis Cupid's fire;
Yet all so faire but speake my moane,
Syth noughte dothe saye the hearte of stone.

Why thus, my love, so kynd bespeake
Sweet lyppe, sweet eye, sweet blushynge cheeke-
Yet not a hearte to save my paine?

O Venus, take thy giftes again; Make not so faire to cause our moane, Or make a hearte that 's lyke our owne. Richard Edwards (1523?-66) was a Somerset man, who studied at Oxford, and was a member of Lincoln's Inn, but became a gentleman of the Chapel Royal and Master of the Children of the Chapel. His drama of Palamon and Arcite has not been preserved; but Damon and Pythias is in Dodsley's collection, and is of little importance. Many of his poems, which were very popular, are in The Paradyse of Dayntye Devises. One was

Amantium Iræ Amoris Redintegratio Est. In going to my naked bed, as one that would have slept, I heard a wife sing to her childe, that long before had wept.

She sighed sore, and sung full sweet, to bring the babe to rest,

That would not cease, but cried still, in sucking at her brest.

She was full wearie of her watch, and grieved with her childe;

She rocked it, and rated it, till that on her it smilde; Then did she say: Now have I found this proverb true

to prove,

The falling out of faithfull freendes renewing is of love. Then tooke I paper, pen, and ink, this proverb for to write,

In register for to remaine of such a worthy wight,
As she proceeded thus in song unto her little brat,
Much matter uttered she of waight in place whereas she

sat;

And proved plaine there was no beast, nor creature bearing life,

Could well be knowne to live in love without discorde and strife:

Then kissed she her little babe, and sware by God above,

The falling out of faithfull freendes renewing is of love.

I marvaile much, pardie, quoth she, for to beholde the rout,

To see man, woman, boy, and beast, to tosse the world about;

Some kneele, some crouch, some becke, some check, and some can smoothly smile,

And some embrace others in arme, and there thinke many a wile.

Some stand aloofe at cap and knee, some humble, and

some stout,

Yet are they never freendes indeed until they once fall

out.

Thus ended she her song, and said, before she did

remove:

The falling out of faithfull freendes renewing is of love.

George Turberville (1540?-1610) was of the ancient Dorset house from which Mr Hardy's 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles' was descended, and was secretary to Sir Thomas Randolph, Queen Elizabeth's ambassador in Scotland and (for two years) in Russia. He translated from Latin into English verse (Ovid, &c.), and from Italian (Ten Tragicall Tales, also versified); wrote books on Falconrie and hunting, and -his most notable book, in virtue of which he ranks amongst Elizabethan poets - Epitaphes, Epigrams, Songs and Sonets (2nd ed. 1567; reprinted by Collier 1867). A number of his poems, written in Moscovia,' describe the manners of the Russians.

That Death is not so much to be Feared as Daylie Diseases are.

What? ist not follie for to dread

and stand of Death in feare,
That Mother is of quiet rest,

and griefs away doth weare?
That brings release to want of wealth,
and poore oppressed Wights?
He comes but once to mortall men,
but once for all he smites.

Was never none that twise hath felt
of cruell Death the Knife;
But other griefes and pining paines
doe linger on thro life,

And oftentimes one selfe same Corse
with furious fits molest,
When Death by one dispatch of life
doth bring the soule to rest.

A Vow to Serve Faithfully.
In greene and growing age, in lustie yeeres,
In latter dayes when silver bush appeers;
In good and gladsome hap when Fortune serves,
In lowring luck when good aventure swerves;
By day when Phoebus shewes his princely pride,
By night when golden Starres in skies doe glide ;

Discharge thy dole,

Thou subtile soule,

It standes in little steede

To curse the kisse

That causer is

Thy chirrie lippe doth bleede

is a very old stave (as in Sir Thomas More, page 124, and the older song on page 157); and This kind of paine

Doth he sustaine
Not ceasing
Increasing,

His pittifull pining wo:
In plenties place,
Devoide of grace,
Releasing

Or ceasing

The pangs that pinch him so

suggests the bob-wheel used afterwards by Montgomerie in The Cherrie and the Slae.

A few other contemporaries we name here : Barnabe Googe (1540-1594), born in Lincoln, studied both at Cambridge and at Oxford, and in 1574 was by Cecil sent to Ireland, where he became provost-marshal in Connaught. He was well spoken of as a poet for his Eglogs, Epitaphes, and Sonnetes (1563), and translated The Popish Kingdome or Reigne of Antichrist, a satirical Latin poem by Thomas Naogeorgus or Kirchmayer.Thomas Churchyard (1520?-1604), soldier, poetaster, and miscellaneous writer, produced scores of volumes, pamphlets, and broadsides in prose and verse. He served in the army; 'trailed a pike' in the reigns of Henry VIII., Mary, and Elizabeth; fought in Scotland (he described the siege of Leith in a poem), Ireland, Flanders, and France; and received from Elizabeth-whom he had propitiated by complimentary addresses-a pension of eighteenpence a day, which was not paid regularly. Churchyard was the Old Palamon of Spenser's Colin Clout,

That sang so long untill quite hoarse he grew. His best poem is The Legend of Shore's Wife (1563), but is not great. The Worthiness of Wales is a highly topographical poem (1587, republished by the Spenser Society in 1871). His adventures are described in Churchyarde's Chippes (1575, &c. ; the part concerning Scotland was reprinted by Chalmers in 1817). Single pieces or selections were printed by Sir Alexander Boswell and others. —Thomas Phaer (c. 1510-60), lawyer, physician, and translator, apparently born at Norwich, is remembered for his translation (1555-60) of the first nine books of the Eneid into fourteen-syllable verse (completed later by other hands); it was warmly commended by Puttenham and other contemporaries. Sir Thomas Chaloner (1521-65), a London mercer's son, who was at the court of Charles V. as a diplomatist, repeatedly conducted negotiations with the Scots, fought at Pinkie, and was later ambassador to Spain. He wrote in prose and

verse, both Latin and English, and contributed to the Myrroure for Magistrates.—Arthur Golding (1535?-1605?), the son of an Essex gentleman, is said to have been educated at Cambridge, and was an industrious translator of theological works from Latin and French, especially Calvin, Beza, and Bullinger. He also Englished Cæsar and part of Seneca, but is best known for his rendering in English ballad metre of Ovid's Metamorphoses (1565-67), praised by all contemporary critics, and familiar, as is believed, to Shakespeare.

Literary Criticism.

Most early English literary criticism is incidental, as in Ascham's Scholemaster; or, like Gascoigne's Notes of Instruction (see page 247), deals directly with the craft of verse-making. Gabriel Harvey staggered his friend Spenser with his pedantic arguments against rhyme, and in favour of regulating English verse by the rules of classical prosody (see page 332). William Webbe, about whom little is known save that after studying at St John's College, Cambridge, he became tutor in families of distinction, in 1586 took the same side, in his Discourse of English Poetrie, with the author's judgment touching the reformation of English verse.' He not merely protested against the tinkerly verse which we call rhyme,' but provided his enemies with arguments by printing, as example of reformed verse, his own wooden hexameters and sapphics. But he cursorily surveys English poetry to his own time, gives us much interesting information on current views, and, in spite of his theory, welcomes the (anonymous) author of the Shepheards Calender as 'the best of all English poets that I have seen or heard.' In 1602 Thomas Campion, graceful songwriter though he was, was still denouncing 'the childish titilation of riming,' and being answered by Daniel (see page 339). Gosson's School of Abuse (1579) was not so much literary criticism as a sincere and powerful Puritan impeachment, by a converted playwright, of modern manners, including playgoing and poetry-making; and ultimately called forth Sidney's Apology (1595). Meanwhile Puttenham's Art of Poesie had appeared.

Stephen Gosson (1555–1624), a Kentish man, studied at Oxford, and having been poet, actor (perhaps), dramatist, satirist, and preacher, died rector of St Botolph's, Bishopsgate. His pastorals were praised; none of his comedies or tragedies have been preserved. Gosson's famous satire, the School of Abuse (1579), was dedicated to Sidney, and moved him, after a time, to write his apology or defence of poetry, as Gosson's short treatise is 'an invective against poets, pipers, players, jesters, and such-like caterpillars of a commonwealth.' The first regular theatre in England had been built by Burbage three years before (1576), and was keenly attacked by the clergy. Gosson says:

And because I have bene matriculated my selfe in the schoole where so many abuses florish, I will imitate the dogs of Ægypt, which, comming to the banks of Nylus

to quenche their thirste, syp and away, drinke running, lest they be snapte short for a pray to crocodiles. I shoulde tel tales out of the schoole and bee ferruled for my faulte or hyssed at for a blab yf I layde all the orders open before your eyes. You are no sooner entred, but libertie looseth the reynes, and geves you head, placing you with poetrie in the lowest forme; when his skill is showne to make his scholer as good as ever twangde. Hee preferres you to piping, from pyping to playing, from play to pleasure, from pleasure to slouth, from slouth to sleepe, from sleepe to sinne, from sinne to death, from death to the devill, if you take your learning apace and passe through every forme without revolting.

Like other satirical writers, when he inveighs against the degeneracy of his own time he forgets all its claims to credit, and leaves out of account all the glories of the Elizabethan era. Thus :

Our wrestling at arms is turned to wallowyng in ladies laps, our courage to cowardice, our running to ryot, our bowes into bolles [bowls], and our dartes to dishes. We have robbed Greece of gluttonie, Italy of wantonnesse, Spaine of pride, Fraunce of deceite, and Dutchland of quaffing. Compare London to Rome and England to Italy, you shall find the theaters of the one, the abuses of the other, to be rife among us. Experto crede, I have seene somewhat, and therefore I thinke may say the more.

Lodge replied to Gosson almost at once (see an extract at page 318); and there were defences, attacks, and reiterations on both sides. Sidney's apology did not appear till 1595.

George Puttenham. — In 1589 appeared anonymously The Arte of English Poesie, written, as its author states, for the queen herself, courtiers, and ladies and young gentlewomen 'desirous to become skilful in their owne mother tongue, and for their private recreation to make now and then ditties of pleasure.' The authorship was not ascribed to any one till in 1614 Richard Carew said the book was by Master Puttenham. This has generally been understood to be George Puttenham (died 1590); but it may have been his brother Richard (c. 1520-1601), both of them nephews of Sir Thomas Elyot. The author describes himself as a scholar of Oxford, and as having travelled abroad, been at court, and written interludes, poems, and prose works (unknown to any later generation). Slender as are the grounds for fixing the authorship, there is no doubt that the Arte of Poesie is the first systematic criticism of literature as art in English; more comprehensive than the cognate essays of Webbe (1586) and Sidney (1595), and from its publication onwards treated as a standard work. It is a treatise of some length, divided into three books-the first of poets and poesy, the second of proportion, and the third of ornament. There are chapters on language, rhyme in Latin, the poetry of 'wilde and savadge people,' the different kinds of poesy, cadence, metres, style, figures, and an interesting survey of English poetry down to his own time, quoted below. The first book thus opens :

A Poet is as much to say as a maker. And our English name well conformes with the Greeke word for of Taev, to make, they call a maker Poeta. Such as (by way of resemblance and reverently) we may say of God: who without any travell to his divine imagination, made all the world of nought, nor also by any paterne or mould as the Platonicks with their Idees do phantastically sup pose. Even so the very Poet makes and contrives out of his owne braine both the verse and matter of his poeme, and not by any foreine copie or example, as doth the translator, who therefore may well be sayd a versifier, but not a Poet. The premises considered, it giveth to the name and profession no small dignitie and preheminence above all other artificers, Scientificke or Mechanicall. And neverthelesse without any repugnancie at all, a Poet may in some sort be said a follower or imitator, because he can expresse the true and lively of every thing is set before him, and which he taketh in hand to describe and so in that respect is both a maker and a counterfaitor and Poesie an art not only of making, but also of imitation. . . . (From Chap. i.)

:

It appeareth by sundry records of bookes both printed and written, that many of our countreymen have painfully travelled in this part of whose works some appeare to be but bare translations, other some matters of their owne invention and very commendable, whereof some recitall shall be made in this place, to th'intent chiefly that their names should not be defrauded of such honour as seemeth due to them for having by their thankefull studies so much beautified our English tong, as at this day it will be found our nation is in nothing inferiour to the French or Italian for copie of language, subtiltie of device, good method and proportion in any forme of poeme, but that they may compare with the most, and perchance passe a great many of them. And I will not reach above the time of king Edward the third and Richard the second for any that wrote in English meeter: because before their times by reason of the late Normane conquest, which had brought into this Realme much alteration both of our langage and lawes, and there withall a certain martiall barbarousnes, whereby the study of all good learning was so much decayd, as long time after no man or very few entended to write in any laudable science: so as beyond that time there is litle or nothing worth commendation to be founde written in this arte. And those of the first age were Chaucer and Gower, both of them as I suppose Knightes. After whom followed John Lydgate the monke of Bury, and that nameles, who wrote the Satyre called Piers Plowman; next him followed Harding the Chronicler, then in king Henry th' eight times Skelton, (I wot not for what great worthines) surnamed the Poet Laureat. In the latter end of the same kings raigne sprong up a new company of courtly makers, of whom Sir Thomas Wyat th'elder and Henry Earle of Surrey were the two chieftaines, who having travailed into Italie, and there tasted the sweete and stately measures and stile of the Italian Poesie as novices newly crept out of the schooles of Dante, Arioste and Petrarch, they greatly pollished our rude and homely maner of vulgar Poesie, from that it had bene before, and for that cause may justly be sayd the first reformers of our English meetre and stile. In the same time or not long after was the Lord Nicholas Vaux, a man of much facilitie in vulgar makings. Afterward in king Edward the sixths time came to be in reputation for the same facultie Thomas Sternehold, who first translated

into English certaine Psalms of David, and John Hoywood the Epigrammatist who for the myrth and quicknesse of his conceits more then for any good learning was in him came to be well benefited by the king. But the principall man in this profession at the same time was Maister Edward Ferrys, a man of no lesse mirth and felicitie that way, but of much more skil and magnificence in his meeter, and therefore wrate for the most part to the stage, in Tragedie and sometimes in Comedie or Enterlude, wherein he gave the king so much good recreation, as he had thereby many good rewardes. In Queene Maries time florished above any other Doctour Phaer, one that was well learned and excellently well translated into English verse heroicall certaine bookes of Virgils Eneidos. Since him followed Maister Arthure Golding, who with no lesse commendation turned into English meetre the Metamorphosis of Ovide, and that other Doctour, who made the supplement to those bookes of Virgils Eneidos, which Maister Phaer left undone. And in her Maiesties time that now is are sprong up an other crew of Courtly makers, Noble men and Gentlemen of her Majesties owne servauntes, who have written excellently well as it would appeare if their doings could be found out and made publicke with the rest, of which number is first that noble Gentleman Edward Earle of Oxford. Thomas Lord of Bukhurst, when he was young, Henry Lord Paget, Sir Philip Sydney, Sir Walter Rawleigh, Master Edward Dyar, Maister Fulke Grevell, Gascon, Britton, Turberville and a great many other learned Gentlemen, whose names I do not omit for envie, but to avoyde tediousnesse, and who have deserved no little commendation. But of them all particularly this is myne opinion, that Chaucer, with Gower, Lidgat and Harding for their antiquitie ought to have the first place, and Chaucer as the most renowmed of them all, for the much learning appeareth to be in him above any of the rest. And though many of his bookes be but bare translations out of the Latin and French, yet are they wel handled, as his bookes of Troilus and Cresseid, and the Romant of the Rose, whereof he translated but one halfe, the device was John de Mehunes a French Poet; the Canterbury tales were Chaucers owne invention as I suppose, and where he sheweth more the naturall of his pleasant wit then in any other of his workes, his similitudes, comparisons and all other descriptions are such as can not be amended. His meetre heroicall of Troilus and Cresseid is very grave and stately, keeping the staffe of seven, and the verse of ten; his other verses of the Canterbury tales be but riding ryme, neverthelesse very well becomming the matter of that pleasaunt pilgrimage in which every mans part is playd with much decency. Gower saving for his good and grave moralities had nothing in him highly to be commended, for his verse was homely and without good measure, his wordes strained much deale out of the French writers, his ryme wrested, and in his inventions small subtillitie: the applications of his moralities are the best in him, and yet those many times very grossely bestowed, neither doth the substance of his workes sufficiently auns were the subtilitie of his titles. Lydgat a translatour onely and no deviser of that which he wrate, but one that wrate in good verse. Harding a Poet Epick or Historicall, handled himselfe well according to the time and maner of his subject. He that wrote the Satyr of Piers Ploughman seemed to have bene a malcontent of that time, and therefore bent himselfe

wholy to taxe the disorders of that age, and specially the pride of the Romane Clergy, of whose fall he seemeth to be a very true Prophet; his verse is but loose meetre, and his termes hard and obscure, so as in them is litle pleasure to be taken. Skelton a sharpe Satirist, but with more rayling and scoffery then became a Poet Lawreat; such among the Greekes were called Pantomimi, with us Buffons, altogether applying their wits to Scurrillities and other ridiculous matters. Henry Earle of Surrey and Sir Thomas Wyat, betweene whom I finde very litle difference, I repute them (as before) for the two chief lanternes of light to all others that have since employed their pennes upon English Poesie; their conceits were loftie, their stiles stately, their conveyance cleanely, their termes proper, their meetre sweete and well proportioned, in all imitating very naturally and studiously their Maister Francis Petrarcha. The Lord Vaux his commendation lyeth chiefly in the facilitie of his meetre, and the aptnesse of his descriptions such as he taketh upon him to make, namely in sundry of his Songs, wherein he sheweth the counterfait action very lively and pleasantly. Of the later sort I thinke thus. That for Tragedie the Lord of Buckhurst, and Maister Edward Ferrys for such doings as I have sene of theirs do deserve the hyest price: Th'Earle of Oxford and Maister Edwardes of her Majesties Chappell for Comedy and Enterlude. For Eglogue and pastorall Poesie, Sir Philip Sydney and Maister Challenner, and that other Gentleman who wrate the late Shepheardes Callender. For dittie and amourous Ode I finde Sir Walter Rawleyghs vayne most loftie, insolent, and passionate. Maister Edward Dyar, for Elegie most sweete, solempne and of high conceit. Gascon for a good meeter and for a plentifull vayne. Phaer and Golding for a learned and well corrected verse, specially in translation cleare and very faithfully answering their authours intent. Others have also written with much facillitie, but more commendably perchance if they had not written so much nor so popularly. But last in recitall and first in degree is the Queene our soveraigne Lady, whose learned, delicate, noble Muse easily surmounteth all the rest that have written before her time or since for sense, sweetnesse and subtillitie, be it in Ode, Elegie, Epigram, or any other kinde of poeme Heroick or Lyricke wherein it shall please her Majestie to employ her penne, even by as much oddes as her owne excellent estate and degree exceedeth all the rest of her most humble vassalls.

(From Book i. chap. 31.)

There are shrewd observations in Puttenham's advice to the poet on diction or choice of words :

Before the Conquest of the Normans it was the Anglesaxon, and before that the British, which as some will is at this day the Walsh, or as others affirme the Cornish : I for my parte thinke neither of both, as they be now spoken and pronounced. This part in our maker or Poet must be heedyly looked unto, that it be naturall, pure, and the most usuall of all his countrey: and for the same purpose rather that which is spoken in the kings Court, or in the good townes and Cities within the land, then in the marches and frontiers, or in port townes, where straungers haunt for traffike sake, or yet in Universities where Schollers use much peevish affectation of words out of the primative languages, or finally, in any uplandish village or corner of a Realme, where is no resort but of poore rusticall or uncivill people :

neither shall he follow the speach of a craftes man or carter, or other of the inferiour sort, though he be inhabitant or bred in the best towne and Citie in this Realme, for such persons doe abuse good speaches by strange accents or ill shapen soundes, and false ortographie. But he shall follow generally the better brought up sort, such as the Greekes call charientes, men civil and graciously behavoured and bred. Our maker therfore at these days shall not follow Piers Plowman nor Gower nor Lydgate nor yet Chaucer, for their language is now out of use with us: neither shall he take the termes of Northern-men, such as they use in dayly talke, whether they be noble men or gentlemen, or of their best clarkes all is a matter: nor in effect any speach used beyond the river of Trent, though no man can deny but that theirs is the purer English Saxon at this day, yet it is not so Courtly nor so currant as our Southerne English is, no more is the far Westerne mans speach ye shall therefore take the usuall speach of the Court, and that of London and the shires lying about London within Ix. myles, and not much above. say not this but that in every shyre of England there be gentlemen and others that speake but specially write as good Southerne as we of Middlesex or Surrey do, but not the common people of every shire, to whom the gentlemen, and also their learned clarkes do for the most part condescend, but herein we are already ruled by th'English Dictionaries and other bookes written by learned men, and therefore it needeth none other direction in that behalfe. (From Book iii. chap. 4)

It will be noticed that he includes amongst poets Hardyng (1378–1465), a mere rhyming chronicler ; Edward Ferrys or Ferrers, apparently by mistake for George Ferrers, soldier, courtier, and writer of masques, who died in 1579; Phaer, Golding, and Chaloner are named at pages 265-6. Gascon is Gascoigne ; Britton is Breton.

Camden.

William Camden (1551-1623), one of the best historians of his age, was born in London, and educated at Christ's Hospital, St Paul's School, and Oxford. In 1575 he became second master of Westminster School, but devoted his leisure hours to the study of the antiquities of Britain—a subject to which from his earliest years he had been strongly inclined. That he might personally examine ancient remains, he in 1582 travelled through some of the eastern and northern counties of England; and the fruits of his researches appeared in his famous Britannia, written in Latin, and describing itself (in the translation by Philemon Holland, 1610, prepared apparently under Camden's Own superintendence) as A Chorographicall Description of the most Flourishing Kingdomes of England, Scotland, Ireland, and the Ilands adioyning, out of the Depth of Antiquitie. This was published in 1586, and immediately brought him into high repute as an antiquary and man of learning. Anxious to improve and enlarge it, he again and again journeyed into different parts of the country, examining archives and relics of antiquity, and collecting,