INTRODUCTION.

HE works of Sir Thomas Overbury are now, for the first time, collected into one volume. They consist of his celebrated poem of "The Wife;" "Characters, or Wittie Descriptions of the Properties of Sundry Persons;" a paraphrase of the first and second parts of Ovid's "Remedy of Love;" "Observations in his Travailes upon the State of the XVII Provinces, as they stood, A.D. 1609;" and "Crumms fal'n from King James's Table."

Independently of their particular merit, the works of Overbury possess a certain charm from our recollection of the fate of their unhappy author. As a poet, he was perhaps not remarkable for any particular graces of expression, or smoothness of versification; yet his poem of "The Wife"-no small favourite in its day-contains some pretty passages, and a host of precepts which even the most fastidious

will hardly dispute. It is upon his Characters that Overbury's fame must chiefly rest; and here he displays the fertile and observant powers of his mind, great ingenuity of conceit, and a force of expression rarely equalled by any of the numerous followers of Theophrastus.

Overbury's poem of "The Wife" was written to dissuade the Earl of Somerset from marrying the infamous Countess of Essex. This has been frequently stated, and I am now enabled to give a cotemporary statement in confirmation. Among the notes taken in 1637" from the mouth of Sir Nicholas Overbury," the father of Sir Thomas, (Add. MS. 15,476 Brit. Mus.) we read "That Sir Thomas wrote his pocme called A Wife to induce Viscount Rochester to make a better choise, then of the divorced Countesse." Le Neve, in his "Cursory Remarks on Some of the Ancient English Poets," speaking of this poem, remarks, "The sentiments, maxims, and observations, with which it abounds, are such as a considerable experience, and a correct judgment on mankind alone could furnish. The topics of jealousy, and of the credit, and behaviour of women are treated with great truth, delicacy and perspicuity. The nice distinctions of moral character, and the pattern of female excellence here drawn, contrasted, as they were, with the heinous and flagrant enormities of the Countess of Essex, rendered this poem

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extremely popular, when its ingenious author was no more."

Campbell, the poet, in a prefatory notice prefixed to his Specimens, says, "The compassion of the public for a man of worth, whose spirit still walked unrevenged amongst them,' together with the contrast of his ideal Wife with the Countess of Essex, who was his murderess, attached an interest and popularity to his poem, and made it pass through sixteen editions before the year 1653. His' Characters, or Witty Descriptions of the Properties of Sundry Persons,' is a work of considerable merit; but unfortunately his prose, as well as his verse, has a dryness and quaintness that seems to oppress the natural movement of his thoughts. As a poet he has few imposing attractions: his beauties must be fetched by repeated perusal. They are those of solid reflection, predominating over, but not extinguishing sensibility; and there is danger of the reader neglecting, under the coldness and ruggedness of his manner, the manly but unostentatious moral feeling that is conveyed in his maxims, which are sterling and liberal, if we can only pardon a few obsolete ideas on female education."

With the exception of two small tracts descriptive of the characters of rogues and knaves—“ The Fraternitye of Vacabondes," 1565; and "A Caveat for Common Cursetors vulgarely called Vagabones, set

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forth by Thomas Harman," 1567-Overbury claims the distinction of being the earliest writer of Characters which this country can boast.

Few works have been more popular than the characters of Overbury and Bishop Earle. Hallam, in his "Introduction to the Literature of Europe," (vol. iii. p. 153, edit. 1843) thus sums up his notice of the latter:-"The Microcosmography is not an original work in its plan or mode of execution; it is a close imitation of the characters of Sir Thomas Overbury. They both belong to the favourite style of apophthegm, in which every sentence is a point or a witticism. Yet the entire character, so delincated, produces a certain effect; it is a Dutch picture, a Gerard Dow, somewhat too elaborate. Earle has more natural humour than Overbury, and hits his mark more neatly; the other is more satirical, but often abusive and vulgar. The Fair and Happy Milkmaid,' often quoted, is the best of his characters. The wit is often trivial and flat; the sentiments have nothing in them general, or worthy of much remembrance; praise is only due to the graphic skill in delineating character. Earle is as clearly the better, as Overbury is the more original writer."

It does not appear that any of Overbury's productions were printed during his lifetime, although it is frequently stated to have been the fact. Wood says that his poem of the "Wife" was "printed

several times at London while the author lived;" but the earliest edition which I can discover, bears the date of 1614: and from the entry in the Stationers' Registers, "13 Dec. 1613," we may safely conclude it to have been the first.*

The poem of "The Wife" must have enjoyed considerable popularity, not only from its numerous editions, but also from the imitations that were successively brought forward. In the same year appeared "The Husband; a poem expressed in a Compleat Man:" in 1616, "A Select Second Husband for Sir Thomas Overburie's Wife, now a matchless Widow," by John Davies of Hereford. In 1619, "The Description of a Good Wife, or a rare one amongst

I am indebted to my friend Mr. W. Chappell, F.S.A., for the following extracts from the Stationers' Registers relative to Overbury :—

13 Dec. 1613.

To Laurence Lyle, “A Poeme called A Wife, written by Sir Thomas Overburye."

25 Nov. 1615.

To Laurence Lisle, "A Booke called Sir Thomas Overbaryes Ghost, contayneing the history of his life and untimely death, by John Ford, gent."

20 Jan. 1615-16.

To Laurence Lisle, "The portrature of Sir Thomas Overbury."

28 Jan. 1615-16.

To Mr. Barratt and Lau. Lisle, “A Booke of Sir Tho. Overburyes Observations of his travelles in France, Ger. many & the Lowe Countryes."