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Dei ordinationi resistit. Imprinted by Thomas Marshe. 1575. Cum privilegio." It begins with a table, reciting the several histories, 17 in number, ending with "The Tragedy of Irenglas." Next is I. Higgins's Epistle "To the nobilitie and all other in office," superscribed " Love and Live." Then another "To the Reader." Contains besides fol. 162. 4to.*

It was upon this occasion that Baldwin's original publication began to be entitled "The Last Part." Nearly at the same time, Thomas Blener-Hasset compiled and published another intermediate part, which he entitled,

"The Seconde part of The Mirrour of Magistrates, conteining the falles of the infortunate Princes of this Lande: from the Conquest of Cæsar unto the commyng of Duke William the Conquerour. Imprinted by Richard Webster, 1578." 4to. In a neat architective compartment, and on the sell, "Goe straight, and feare not." It is introduced with an epistle from the Printer to the friendly Reader." Then "The Authour's epistle unto his friende," which concludes with "Keepe these trifles from the view of all men, and as you promysed, let them not not raunge out of your private study. 15 May, 1577. Tho. Blener-Hasset," 66 pages. † +

Warton, therefore, in his History of Poetry, III. 270, makes a great mistake in supposing these last to have been first printed in Niccols's edition, 1610.

In 1578 Baldwin seems still to have kept his own work apart, as appears by Mr. Gilchrist's copy above cited.

In 1587, Higgins published his own work and

Herbert, 864.

+ Ibid 1138.

B 2

Baldwin's

Baldwin's together, with several additions to each part. "London, Imprinted by Henry Marshe, being the assigne of Thomas Marsh, neare to Saint Dunstanes Churche in Fleete-streete, 1587, 4to.

At length the whole was digested anew by Richard Niccols, with many additions, and alterations, and printed by Felix Kyngston, in 1610. I take the following to be only a new title-page to this edition, though it has the date 1619; for other title pages occur to subsequent parts of the work, which retain the date 1610.

"The Falles of Unfortunate Princes. Being a true Chronicle Historie of the untimely death of such unfortunate Princes and men of Note, as have hap pened since the first entrance of Brute into this iland, untill this our latter age. Whereunto is added the famous Life and Death of Queene Elizabeth, with a declaration of all the warres, battels, and sea fights, during her raigne: wherein at large is described the Battel of 88, with the particular service of all such ships, and men of note in that action. Contre fortune nul ne peut. At London Imprinted by F.K. for William Aspley, and are to be sold at his shop in Paul's Churchyard, at the signe of the Parrot, 1619."* 4to. pp. 875.

The second edition of 1563 begins as follows.

"Love and Live. To the Nobilitee and all other in office, God graunt wisedome and all thinges nedefull for the preservacion of theyr estates, Amen.

"Plato among manie other of his notable sen

* Warton says there was a second edition by Niccols, printed by W. Aspley; but it rather appears that the edit. of 1610 bad two subsequent titles, in 1619 and 1621.

tences

tences concernyng the government of a common weale hath this: Wel is that realme governed, in whiche the ambicious desyre not to beare offyce. Wherby you may perceive, right honorable, what offices are, where they be duely executed: not gaynful spoyles for the greedy to hunt for, but paineful toyles for the heedy to be charged with. You may perceive also by this sentence, that there is nothing more necessarye in a common weale, then that officers be diligent and trusty in theyr charges. And sure in whatsoever realme such provision is made, that officers be forced to do their duties, there is it as hard a matter to get an officer, as it is in other places to shift of, and putby b those, that with flattery, bribes, and other shiftes, sue and preace for offices. For the ambicious, that is to say prollers for power or gayne, seeke not for offices to helpe other, for which cause offices are ordayned, but with the undoing of other to pranke up themselves. And therfore bar them once of this bayte, and force them to do their duties, and they will geve more to be rid fro their charges, than they did at the first to bye them: for they seke only their commodity and ease. And therfore where the ambicious seeke no office, there, no doubt, offices are duly ministered and where offices are duly ministerd, it cannot be chosen, but the people are good, whereof must nedes folow a good commonweale. For if the officers be good, the people cannot be yll. Thus the goodnes or badnes of any realme lieth in the

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C

c Office:s.

g Private profite.

goodnes

m

goodnes or badnes of the rulers. And therfore not without great cause do the holy Apostles so ernestly charge us to pray for the Magistrates: for in dede the welth and quiet of every common weale, the disorder also and miseries of the same cum specially through them. I nede not go eyther to the Romans or Greekes for the proofe hereof, neyther yet to the Jewes, or other nacyons: whose common weales have alway florished while their officersi wer good, and decayed and ranne to ruyne, when noughtyej men had the regiment.* Our owne1 countrey stories, if we reade and marke them, wil shewe us examples ynow, would God we had not sene mo than ynowe. I purpose not to stand here upon the particulers, because they be in part set furth in the tragedies. Yet, by the waye, this I note, wishinge all other to do the like, namely, that as good governers have never lacked their deserved renowne, so have not the bad escaped infamy, besides such plages as are horrible to heare of. For God, the ordeyner of offices, although he suffer them for punishment of the people to be often occupied of such, as are rather spoylers and Judasses, than toylers or Justices, whom the Scripture therfore calleth hippocrites, yet suffreth he them not to scape unpunished, because they dishonour him: for it is God's own office, yea his chiefe office, whyche they bear and abuse. For as Justice is the chiefe vertue, so is the ministracion therof the chiefest office: and therfore hath God established it with the chiefest name, honoring and calling Kinges, and al officers under them by his owne name;-Gods.

i Magistrates. 1 "Own" omitted.

Praises.

j Vicious. * Government.
Add "following."
• Scriptures cal.

n

Ye

Ye be all Gods, as many as have in your charge any ministracion of Justice. What a fowle shame were it for any nowe to take upon them the name and office of God, and in theyr doynges to shew themselves devils? God cannot, of justice, but plague suche shameles presumpcion and hipocrisie, and that wyth shameful death, diseases, or infamye. Howe he hath plagued evell rulers from time to time, in other nacions, you may see gathered in Boccas booke intituled the Fall of Princes, translated into Englyshe by Lydgate. P

How he hath delte wyth sum of our countreymen your auncestors, for sundry vyces not yet left, thys booke named, A Mirrour for Magistrates, can shewe; a which therfore I humbly offer unto your honors, be seeching you to accept it favorably.

For here, as in a looking glas, you shal se, (if any vice be in you) how the like hath bene punished in other heretofore, whereby admonished, I trust it wyl be a good occasion to move" to the sooner amendment. This is the chiefest ende, whye it is set furth, whych God graunt it may attayne.

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W

The wurke was begun and parte of it prynted in Queen Marie's tyme, but hyndred by the Lorde Chauncellour that then was; nevertheles, through the meanes of my Lord Stafford, the fyrst parte was licenced, and imprynted the fyrst yeare of the raygne

P Add "a Monke of the Abbey of Bury in Suff."

9 Shall in parte plalinye set forth before your eyes.
Add "mirror, or."

Bɔke.

u Add "men."

t Found.

v Chief.

w Talke according to the maner of the makers.
* Staid by such as then were chief in office.

y The right honourable Henry.

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