the most noble Order of the Garter, Lord High Admirall of England, Ireland, and Wales, &c. one of his Majestie's most Honourable Privie Counsell."

As once that dove (true honor's aged lord!)

Hovering with wearied wings about your Arke,
When Cadiz' towers did fall beneath your sword,
To rest her selfe did single out that barke: *
So my meeke Muse, from all that conquering rout
Conducted through the sea's wild wilderness
By your great selfe, to grave their names about
Th' Iberian pillars of Jove's Hercules;
Most humbly craves your lordly lion's aid

'Gainst monster Envie, while she tells her storie

Of Britaine princes and that royall maid

In whose chaste hymne her Clio sings your glorie : Which if (great lord) you grant, my Muse shall frame Mirrours more worthie your renowned name.

Your Honor's ever most humblie devoted

RICHARD NICCOLS."

An Address to the Reader on two pages, and a metrical induction extending to three leaves, follow: theten histories, before enumerated, occupy from p. 561 to 769 of the volume. Then succeeds a new title page, with a wood-cut of Q. Elizabeth, inscribed England's Eliza: or the victorious and triumphant reigne of that Virgin Empresse of sacred memorie, Elizabeth, Queene of England, France and Ireland, &c. At London, Imprinted by Felix Kings

ton. 1610.

• This circumstance is also recorded by Niccols in his poem of England's Fliza, p. 861, where a marginal note affirms that the author was then present.

Another

Another sonnet-dedication follows this title, which (as well as the above) having been displaced from many of the copies, is here supplied.

"To the vertuous Ladie, the Ladie Elizabeth Clere, wife to the Right Worshipfull Sir Francis Clere, Knt."

My Muse, that whilome wail'd those Briton kings
Who unto her in vision did appeare,

Craves leave to strengthen her night-weather'd wings.
In the warme sunshine of your golden Clere;
Where she (faire Ladie) tuning her chast layes
Of England's Empresse to her hymnicke string
For your affect, to heare that Virgin's praise,

Makes choice of your chast selfe to heare her sing:
Whose royall worth (true virtues paragon)

Heere made me dare t' ingrave your worthie name;
In hope that unto you the same alone

Will so excuse me of presumptuous blame, That gracefull entertaine my Muse may find, And ever beare such grace in thankfull mind.

Your Ladiships ever humblie at command,

RICHARD NICCOLS."

A prose address on one page, and a poetical induction on 8, precede the historical narrative, which occupies more than 90 pages. His induction exhibits the following honourable tribute to the memory of Spenser:

"O did that Fairie Queene's sweet singer live,
That to the dead eternitie could give!
Or, if that Heaven by influence would infuse
His heavenlie spirit on mine earth-born Muse :
Her name ere this a mirror should have been,
Lim'd out in golden verse to th' eyes of men.
But my sad Muse, though willing, yet too weak
In her rude rymes Elizaes worth to speak;

Must

Must yeeld to those, whose Muse can mount on high,
And with brave plumes can climb the loftie skie."

*

Niccols will be found a melodious versifier, if not a

first-rate poet; and was the author of many other productions, which remain to be mentioned.

T. P.

ART. IV. A very godly Letter made by the right honourable Sir Henry Sidney, Knight of the most noble order of the Garter, Lord Deputie of Ireland, and Lord President of Wales; now xxv yeeres past; vnto Phillip Sidney his sonne, then of tender yeeres, at schoole in the towne of Shrowesbury, with one M. Astone. Most necessarie for all yoong gentlemen, to be carried in memorie: with an excellent Epitaph of the life and death of the said Lord President: both which being put in print, at the humble request of one William Gruffith of Coredaney, in the countie of Angles, sometime Clarke of his Kitchen. Printed at London by T. Dawson, 1591. small 8vo. one sheet.

This very pious, sensible, and affectionate letter from Sir Henry Sidney to his celebrated son Philip, when a boy, will be found with some slight variations in Vol. I. of the Sidney papers published by Collins: but the present tract contains "a postscript by my lady Sidney, written in the skirts of my Lord President's letter, to her sayd sonne Philip," not reprinted in that collection. The Epitaph, which extends to nine pages, I have not seen elsewhere; nor does the name of Griffith occur as a verse-maker of the sixteenth

In 1793, died at Lench, co. Worc. æt. 101, Wm. Niccols, a labouring man, said to be the poet's descendant. Gent. Mag. LXIII. p. 282. Editor. century

century in Ritson's Bibliographia Poetica. To some
readers therefore the following memorial may be ac-
ceptable for its rarity; and to others, on account of the
distinguished personage whom it records. If the poetry
be not of the highest order, the vocation of the author
must plead his excuse.

The Epitaph of the worthie Knight Sir Henrie Sidney,
Lord President of Wales.

"How fraile and fickle stands the state

of mortall creatures here,

The late eclips of Sidney's sonne

doth make it plaine appeere;

Whose pearles praise triumphant fame
oft caus'd to scale the skies,
And standes for sundry rare exploits

a mirrour to mens eies;

Till gastfull death, with dismaile dart,

procur'd through envie's spight, Untwin'd his twist, brake of his threed,

and dim'd his splendent light.

Oh why should man be puft with pride,
or beare a loftie sayle?

Sith death doth in a moment make

the hawtest courage quayle.

No state so strong, no fort so firme,
no bulwarke halfe so sound;
But soone is topsie turvie turn'd,
and tottring dasht to ground.

Let Sidney's fall a mirrour bee,

in whom alone did rest

All gallant gifts that ever lodged

in mortall creature's brest.

VOL. III.

M

If

If predecessours matchlesse praise, or auncients spotlesse race, May to successors credite bring, then Sidney bare the base:

For he of puisant Princes three did lineally descend;

And princelike, in most pompous sort,

did make his finall end.

But auncients praise nought profits us;
we must ourselfes so frame,
As our owne actions may procure
our credite or defame.

Admit this true, yet Sidney's praise

perforce must pearse the skie;

For his owne actions every

extolls his fame on hie.

where

God Mercurie with Mars was mixt the moment he was borne;

And both with Sol and Jove conjoyn'd this Sidney to adorne.

A Tullie's tongue, a Scipio's hart,

a courteous, constant mind,

A deepe foresight, and judgement sound,

to Sidney they assigned.

And with such vertues rare him dect,

that Pallas flatly spake,

Had she not sprung from Jova's raigne,

for sire she would him take.

Him Prudens pruned, him Temperance taught,

him Justice did advaunce,

Him Fortitude for martial feates

most highly did enhaunce.

A type