exhibited on the story of Circe, which there is reason to think had acquired some popularity, suggested to Milton the bint of a masque on the story of Comus. It would be superfluous to point out minutely the absolute similiarity of the two characters: they both deal in incantations conducted by the same mode of operation, and producing effects exactly parallel." Without offering any objection to these remarks, it may still be necessary to remind the reader of a circumstance to which this excellent critic has not advertednamely, that the Inner Temple Mask appears to have been exhibited about the year 1620, when Milton was a boy of only twelve years old, and remained in manuscript until Dr. Farmer procured a copy for the edition of 1772; and that Milton produced his Comus at the age of twenty-six. It remains, therefore, for some future conjecture to determine on the probability of Milton's having seen Browne's manuscript in the interim Prince informs us, that 66 as he had honoured his country with his sweet and elegant Pastorals, so it was expected, and he also entreated a little farther to grace it by his drawing out the line of his poetic ancestors, beginning in Joseph Iscanus, and ending in himself. A noble design if it had been effected." Josephus Iscanus was Joseph of Exeter, who flourished in the thirteenth century, and wrote two epic poems in Latin heroics. Had Browne begun much later he would have conferred a very high obligation on posterity. Collections of poetry are of very ancient date, but very little is known with certainty of the lives of English poets, and that little must now be recovered with great difficulty. It yet remains to be noticed, that some poems of Browne are supposed to exist in manuscript. Mr. Nichols' thinks that Warburton the herald had some which were sold with the rest of his library about the year 1759 or 1760. Those who are fond of coincidences may be probably amused by comparing the account of a concert among the birds in Britannia's Pastorals, Book I. Song 3. beginning, "Two nights thus past: the lilly-handed morne, &c." with some ingenious poems lately written for the use of children, under the titles of the Butterfly's Ball, the Peacock at home, &c. C. ' Nichols's Miscellany Poems, vol. i. p. 262. C. DEDICATION. TO THE NO LESSE ENOBLED BY VIRTUE, THAN ANCIENT IN NOBILITIE, THE RIGHT HONOURABLE EDWARD LORD ZOUCH, ST. MAURE AND CANTELUPE, and one oF HIS MAJESTIE'S MOST HONOURABLE PRIVIE COUNSELL. HONOR's bright ray More highly crown'd with vertue then with In shepheards gray, Intreating your attention to a lay Fitting a Sylvan bowre, not courtly traines; yeares, Should have Apollo's priests, not Pan's rude swaines: A thought upreares, For your approvement of that part she beares, May better boast their being from the spring In spight of Envy and her restless paines: The vales shall ring Thy honor'd name: and every song shall be A pyramis built to thy memorie. Your honor's: W. BROWNE. TO THE READER. THE times are swolne so big with nicer wits, The great rewardresse of a poet's penne, Hence grows the want of ever-living songs, From the Inner Temple, June the 18, 1613. W. W. RECOMMENDATORY POEMS. IN BUCOLICA G. BROUN, QUOD, PER SECESSUS RUSTICI OTIA, LICUIT AD AMIC. & BON. LIT. AMANTIST. ANACREONTICUM. Κάλλος σὸν Κυθέρεια, Σον, Κούραι Διός, ἦθος Εμνήσευσαν, Ιλερμί. Τη συμπράξαν Ερῶτες Ταῖς συν Παλλάδι Φιβος Τῆς Μοῦσαι προκατῆρχου. Τᾶις Σὺ Δοῦλος ὑπάρχεις· Τῆς οὔμὴν ἀκούσης. Ωἱ γὰρ ἐσ ̓ ἀνέρατος Yuzn, Evvia TAYOU Φέυγουσ ̓ αυτῶ ἕπονται Ος προστύσσετ' Ερῶτας" Μούσαις κ' Αφρογενίνη Προῦπτον τοῦτο πέλεσκε Νόσσαξ ἀμφοτερῆσιν Οὕτως ἐστὶ φίλιςτος· AD AMORIS NUMINA. QUIN Vostrum Paphie, Anteros, Erosque, spe placita fovete flammas ! So much a stranger my severer Muse Is not to love-strains, or a shepward's reed, TO HIS FRIEND THE AUTHOR'. DRIVE forth thy flocke, young pastor, to that plaine, Where our old shepeards wont their flocks to feed: To those cleare walkes, where many a skilfull swaine To'ards the calme ev'ning, tun'd his pleasant reede. Ne scilicet quis pernumeret. Finitus n. & notus numerus fascino, apud veteres, obnoxius. Idque in Basiis observatum habes ap. Catul. Carın. 5. & 7. ✦ Amor a pastore omne genus Musices olim edoctus, Bion Idyll. 3. Baies (faire readers) being the materials of poet's ghirlands (as myrtle and roses are for enjoying lovers, and the fruitlesse willow for them which your unconstancie, too oft, makes most unhappy) are supposed not subject to any hurt of Jupiter's thunderbolts, as other trees are. See Canto 5. and B. 2. S. 2. Those, to the Muses once so sacred, downes, Our garlands, pipes, and cornamutes were hong So may thy sheepe like, so thy lambes increase, MICHAEL DRAITON". TO HIS INGENIOUS AND WORTHY FRIEND, He that will tune his oaten pipe aright, ON HIM; A PASTORALL ODE TO HIS FAIREST SHEPHEARDESSE. SYREN more than earthly faire, Sweetly breake the yeelding ayre: Sing; and he, whilst younglings feede, He likewise pays him this compliment in his epistle on Poets and Poetry, in the 2d vol. of his poems, in fol. printed 1627, p. 203. or vol. iv. p. 398 of the present collection. Then they two Beaumonts and my Browne arose, My dear companions, whom I freely chose. My bosom friends *; and in their several wayes Rightly born poets, and in these last days Men of much note, and no less noble parts, &c. *Sir John Beaumont, bart. and his brother Francis Beaumont, esq. Made of purer mould than carth. Kala loves him: and the lasses EDWARD HEYWARD. TO HIS FRIEND THE AUTHOR. ON (jolly lad) and hye thee to the field Amongst the best swaines that the vallies yeeld; Goe boldly, and in presence of them all, Proceede a shepheard with his pastorall. Let Pan, and all his rurall traine attending, From stately mountaines to the plaines descending, Salute this pastor with their kinde embraces; And entertaine him to their holy places, Let all the nymphes of hils and dales together Kisse him for earnest of his welcome thither: Crowne him with garlands of the choisest flowres, And make him ever dwell within their bowres : See Book 2. Canto 2. |