meanest. Into some spleanatiue vaines of wantonesse, hercto-fore haue I foolishly relapsed, to supply my priuate wants: of them no lesse doe I desire to be absolued than the rest, and to God and man doe I promise an unfained conversion.”

The chief difficulty in reconciling the sincerity of his repentance with his professions, and with his after conduct in life, appears to be that his Christa Teares over Jerusalem was first published in 1593, whilst some of his most bitter satires, and amongst the rest his present work, Haue with you to Saffron-walden, were printed after that period. Nash is supposed to have died about the year 1604, before he had attained the early age of forty, but nothing is known for absolute certainty. Mr. Collier has shewn, however, in his Bridgew. Catal., p. 200, from Middleton's "Ant and the Nightingale," that Nash's death must have taken place before the end of that year, although the precise date must still remain a matter of doubt. Nash's chief talent lay in satire, in which he displayed much learning and great severity. He obtained considerable reputation as an author amongst his contemporaries, and "was a great favourite with the wits of his day." And, in conclusion, we may say of him, as was well observed in a very curious and scarce old play called The Returne from Parnassus, or the Scourge of Simony, acted by the students of St. John's College, Cambridge, 4to, 1606,

Let all his faults sleepe with his mournfull chest

And there for ever with his ashes rest;

His style was witty, tho' he had some gall;

Something he might have mended, so may all,

Yet this I say, that for a mother wit

Few men have ever seen the like of it.

The present popular and caustic satire, which contains an inexhaustible fund of wit and humour, was written against Gabriel Harvey, who was a native of Saffron Walden, in Essex. It was intended to ridicule the inflated and turgid language of Harvey, and should not be taken as a specimen of Nash's general style, which often exhibits great vigour and clearness. The epistle dedicatorie is addressed "To the most Orthodoxall and reuerent Corrector of staring haires, the sincere and finigraphicall rarifier of prolixious rough barbarisme, the thrice egregious and censoriall animaduertiser of vagrant moustachios, chiefe scauinger of chins, and principall Head-man of the parish wherein he dwells, speciall superuisor of all excremental superfluities for Trinitie Colledge in Cambridge, and

(to conclude) a notable and singular benefactor to all beards in generall, Don Richardo Barbarossa de Cæsario; Tho. Nashe wisheth the highest Toppe of his contentment and felicitie, and the Shortning of all his enemies.” Under this feigned appellation is meant Richard Lichfield, the barber of Cambridge, in whose name Gabriel Harvey wrote the reply called The Trimming of Tho. Nashe, which has been already noticed. This is followed by an address of several pages, To all Christian Readers to whom these Presents shall come. The work is written in the form of a Dialogue, the following being the Interlocutores, Senior Importunio, Grand Consiliadore, Domino Bentivole, Don Carneades de boone Compagniola, Peers Penilesse Respondent. The whole tract is full of the most amusing allusions relating to the time, and in the course of it, on Sig. F 4, there is a woodcut of Gabriel Harvey "as hee is readie to let fly upon Aiax:" upon which

Nash observes, "Gaze upon him who list, for I tell you I am not a little proud of my workmanship, and though I say it, I haue handled it so neatly and so sprightly and with all ouzled, gidnumbled, muddled, and drizled it so finely, that I forbid euer a Hauns Doll, Hauns Holbine, or Hauns Mullier of them all (let them but play true with the face) to amend it or come within fortie foote of it. A way, away, Blockland, Trusser, Francis de Murre and the whole generation of them will sooner catch the murre and the pose tenscore times ere they doo a thing one quarter so masterly. Yea (without Kerry merry buffe let it be spoken) put a whole million of Iohannes Mabusiusses of them together, and they shall not handle their matters at sharpe so handsomely as I."

For an account of this pamphlet, which is now exceedingly rare, see Brydges's Restituta, vol. ii, p. 358, and Collier's Bridgew. Cat., p. 212; consult also concerning Nash and his works, Cens. Liter., vol. ii, p. 245; Beloe's Anecd. vol. i, p. 265; Collier's Poet. Decam., vol. i, p. 215; and Hartshorne's Book Rarities, p. 253; Old Plays, vol. xix, p. 1., Reed and Gilchrist's Edit.; Drake's Shakesp. and his Times, vol. i, p. 458; and Jones's Biogr. Dram., vol. i, p. 538. This work has generally when offered for sale brought a high price, as the following list will testify:Reed's copy, No. 2442, sold in 1807, for 5l. 12s. 6d., and was bought by Mr. Heber; Bindley's, pt. iii, No. 767, 97. 98. ; Strettell's, No. 1420, 71. 78. ; Midgley's, sold by Saunders in 1818, with M.S. title, No. 587, 81.; Hibbert's, No. 6793, 31. 13s. 6d. ; Utterson's, No. 1398, 4l. 16s.; Heber, pt. iv, No. 1594, 4l.

Longman & Co. gave 107. 15s. at Mr. Geo. Nicols' sale by Evans, July

1, 1819, for a very inferior copy, and having bound it in morocco, marked it in their catalogue for 1814, pt. iii, No. 2669, at 25l. 108.; and another copy, No. 2670, with a manuscript title, at 217. Bindley's copy was bought by Mr. Lepard, for Mr. Strettell, and at the latter's sale, March, 1820, was bought in at 77. 78. In Thorpe's Catal. for 1820, pt. iii, a fine copy, bound in morocco, gilt leaves, by Lewis, was marked 10%. 10s. The present very large copy, which contains many rough leaves, was obtained in 1834, from the Bibl. Heber, pt. iv. It is the one purchased by him at Reed's sale in 1807, and with the binding, &c., cost him altogether 67. 178. 6d.

There is a copy in the Popysian Library, at Cambridge; in the Malone and Douce Collections, at Oxford; and in the Grenville Library in the British Museum.

Collation: Title A 1. Sig. A to X 3, in fours.

Bound by Charles Lewis.

In Crimson Morocco. Gilt leaves.

NELSON, (THOMAS.)

A Short Discourse: Expressing the Substaunce of all the late pretended Treasons against the Queenes Maiestie, and Estates of this Realme, by sondry Traytors: who were executed for the same on the 20 and 21 daies of September last past 1586.

Whereunto is adioyned a Godly Prayer for the safetie of her Highnesse person, her honorable Counsaile, and all other her obedient Subiects.

Imprinted at London by George Robinson for Edward White, and are to be solde at his Shop at the signe of the Gun. 4to, pp. 8, blk. lett.

The reign of Queen Elizabeth, so generally successful and felicitous for her subjects, was yet frequently disturbed by the plots and conspiracies of the followers of the Roman Catholic religion; by the favourers of the pretensions of the unfortunate Queen of Scots; by the attempts of the Pope and other foreigners for dethroning Elizabeth; and for restoring, by force of arms, the free exercise of the ancient faith. Besides the conspiracy of the

VOL. V. PART I.

K

Duke of Norfolk, and the rebellion of the two northern earls and their
adherents, to which allusion has already been made in describing some of
the small poetical tracts relating to that event-there were several published
concerning the later treasonous design in 1586, generally known as
Babington's conspiracy- the full particulars of which may be read in Hume's
Hist. of England, vol. v, p. 282, ed. 1812. One of these tracts is the very
rare little work now under notice, which was entirely unknown to Ritson
and other bibliographers. It is in black letter, and commences, on the re-
verse of the title, with a prose dedication "To the right Worshipful Sir
Owen Hopton her Maiesties Lieutenant in her Highnesse Tower of London,"
signed Thomas Nelson. This is succeeded by "A Godly Prayer giuen to
her Maiestie," written in verses of fourteen feet, and signed T. N. These,
which are not destitute of merit, have been printed in part, in one of the
volumes, p. 551, of "Select Poetry, chiefly Devotional, of the reign of Queen
Elizabeth," printed by the Parker Society in 1845, from a communication
made by the editor from the present copy. Then follow some acrostic
66 verses written upon the alphabet of the Queene's Maiesties name, and
giuen to her Highensse." And after these occurs a
"Short Discourse" or
Poem, entitled "The substance of all the late entended Treasons," which is
written in four-line verses of the same long metre as the "Prayer," occupy-
ing four pages. At the end is a list containing "The names of those Traytors
that were executed for the Treasons before mentioned on the first day," and
"The names of those which were executed on the second day." The reader
is here presented with a few verses taken from the poem, which, in fact, may
be considered as little more than a broadside of the time, and, as such, has
been reprinted by Mr. Collier in his Book of Roxburghes Ballads, 1847, 4to,
p. 189:

When first the gracious God of heauen, by meanes did bring to light,
The Treasons lately practised, by many a wicked wight,

Against their Prince whose life thei sought, and many a noble Peere:
The substaunce of whose Treasons straunge, you shall most truely heare.
Their Treasons once discouered, then were the Traytors sought:
Some of them fled into a Wood, where after they were caught,
And being brought unto the Tower, for ioye the Belles did ring,
And throughout London Bonfiers made, where people Psalmes did sing.
And set their Tables in the streates, with meates of euery kinde,
Where was preparde all signes of ioye, that could be had in minde:
And praisde the Lorde most hartely, that with his mightie hand,
He had preserued our gracious Queene, and people of this Land.

Which thing was taken in good parte, by our renowmed Queene,
Who by her Letters gaue them thankes, as plainly may be seene:
Assuring them that all her care was for their safetie still,?

And that thereby she would deserue their loue and great good will.

These verses are curious in a historical light, as shewing the great rejoicings which were made in London on the capture of the traitors, thus confirming the account given by Stowe in his Annals. Thomas Nelson, the author of them, wrote also several other ballads, and was a printer and bookseller. See Collier's Extracts from the Registers of the Stationers' Company, vol. ii, p. 219.

With the exception of the copy among the Roxburghe collection of ballads in the British Museum, and one in the Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth, no other copy of this work is known.

Half bound in Green Morocco.

NICCOLS, (RICHARD.)-The Cuckow.

At, etiam cubat cuculus: surge amator, i domum.

Richardus Niccols, in Artibus Bac. Oxon. Aulæ Mag.

[Woodcut of a Cuckow.]

At London, Printed by F. R. and are to be sold by W. C. 1607. 4to, pp. 56.

It is generally believed that this is the author's earliest production, and that the idea of it was taken from Drayton's Owle, published, three years before, in 1604. It has a poetical dedication of two six-line stanzas "To his worshipful good friend, Master Thomas Wroth (afterwards Sir Thomas Wroth) an affecter and favourer of the Muses," to whom, as "the Patron of his verse," he offers his excuse for "this Cuckowes poem" and hopes

... that in future time

When as my wit with riper fruit shall grow,

My Muse may speake to thee in sweeter ryme,
And for thy worth some grauer poem show.

This is followed by a short prose address "To the Reader," in which he observes, that poetry was not the chief part of his profession, but rather amongst those accomplishments required for a scholar or gentleman. "I