laxity of manners prevalent in some of those countries he seems to have acquired a taste for the dissolute habits in which he afterwards indulged. It is stated that he entered the Church. In the Lansdowne Manuscripts, 982, art. 102, fol. 187, under the head of "Additions to Mr. Wood's Report of Mr. Robert Green, an eminent poet, who died about 1592," is a reference to a document in Rymer's Foedera, from which it appears that a "Robert Grene" was, in 1576, one of the Queen's chaplains, and that he was presented by her Majesty to the rectory of Walkington in the diocese of York.* According to Octavius Gilchrist,+ worn the vipers head in my hand, and yet stopt his venome; I haue eaten Spanishe mirabolanes, and yet am nothing the more metamorphosed; Fraunce, Germanie, Poland, Denmarke, I know them all, yet not affected to any in the fourme of my life; onelie I am English borne, and I haue English thoughts, not a deuill incarnate because I am Italianate, but hating the pride of Italie, because I knowe their peeuishnes: yet in all these countreyes where I haue trauelled, I haue not seene more excesse of vanitie then wee Englishe men practise through vain glory."-A Notable Discovery of Coosnage, 1591, Sig. A 2. "For being at the Vniuersitie of Cambridge, I light amongst wags as lewd as my selfe, with whome I consumed the flower of my youth; who drew mee to trauell into Italy and Spaine, in which places I sawe and practizde such villainie as is abhominable to declare. Thus by their counsaile I sought to furnishe myselfe with coine, which I procured by cunning sleights from my father and my friends; and my mother pampered me so long, and secretly helped mee to the oyle of angels, that I grew thereby prone to all mischiefe: so that beeing then conuersant with notable braggarts, boon companions, and ordinary spend-thrifts, that practized sundry superficiall studies, I became as a sien grafted into the same stocke, whereby I did absolutely participate of their nature and qualities. At my return into England, I ruffeled out in my silks, in the habit of malcontent, and seemed so discontent, that no place would please me to abide in, nor no vocation cause mee to stay myselfe in but after I had by degrees proceeded Maister of Arts;" &c.-The Repentance of Robert Greene. Sig. C. : "Anno 1576. Regina, delectis Nobis in Christo, Decano et Capitulo Ecclesiæ nostræ Cathedralis et Metropolitica Eboracensis, aut Vicario suo in Spiritualibus Generali et Officiali Principali, aut alii cuicumque in hac parte Potestatem habenti, Salutem. "Ad Rectoriam sive Ecclesiam Parochialem de Walkington Eboracen. Diœces. per mortem Johannis Newcome ultimi Incumbentis ibidem, jam vacantem et ad nostram Donationem et Præsentationem pleno jure spectantem, Dilectum nobis in Christo, Robertum Grene, unum Capellanorum nostrorum Capellæ nostræ Regiæ, vobis Tenore Præsentium præsentamus, Mandantes et Requirentes quatenus eundem Robertum Grene ad Rectoriam sive Ecclesiam Parochialem de Walkington prædictam admittere, ipsumque Rectorem ejusdem ac in et de eadem cum suis Juribus et Pertinentiis universis instituere et investire, cæteraque omnia et singula peragere facere et perimplere, quæ vestro in hac parte incumbunt Officio Pastorali, velitis cum favore. In cujus rei, &c. "Teste Regina apud Gorhambury tricesimo primo die Augusti. Rymer's Fœdera, tom. xv. p. 765. See a sketch of Greene's life by Sir N. H. Nicolas, in his reprint of Davison's Poetical Rhapsody. + Examination of Ben Jonson's Enmity towards Shakespeare, p. 22, where no authority is cited for the statement. The following passage of Never too Late, even if it be allowed that Greene meant Francesco for a picture of himself, must not be adduced to show that he had ever been in orders: his "hauing tasted of the sweet fruits of theology" is to be referred merely to the divinity which (as well as philosophy) Francesco, "who had been nursed up at the Universities," had acquired during his academical career :- "Hast thou read Aristotle, and findest thou not in his philosophie this sentence set downe? Omne animal irrationale ad sui similem diligendum natura dirigitur. And wilt thou that art a creature indued with reason as thou art, excelling them in wisedome, exceede them in vanities? Hast thou turnd oner the liberall sciences as a scholler, and amongst them all hast not found this general principle, that vnitie is the essence of amitie, and yet wilt thou make a diuision in the greatest simpathie of all loues ? Nay, Francesco, art thou a Christian, and hast tasted of the sweet fruites of theologie, and hast not read our author was presented, 19th June, 1584, to the vicarage of Tollesbury in Essex, which he resigned the next year. And a copy of The Pinner of Wakefield exists, on the title-page of which are the following notes, in hand-writing of about the time when the play was printed; "Written by Teste W. Shakespeare. a minister who acted the piner's pt in it himselfe. Ed. Juby saith it was made by Ro. Greene." Of The Pinner of Wakefield, of these MS. Notes, and of Greene's acting, more will be said hereafter. From the title-page of his Planetomachia, 1585, where he is styled "Student in Phisicke," we may gather that, at one period of his life, he had intended to pursue the medical profession. That Greene has described some of his own adventures under those of Francesco in his Never too Late, must be, I think, sufficiently evident to every one who has perused it with attention: and that he intended Roberto, in his Groats-worth of Wit, for a picture of himself, he has not left us to doubt; "Heere, gentlemen, breake I off Roberto's speech, whose life in most part agreeing with mine, found one selfe punishment as I have done. Hereafter suppose me the said Roberto, and I will go on with that he promised: Greene will send you now his Groats-worth of Witte," &c. But, since in both narratives he has undoubtedly exaggerated the incidents and heightened the colouring much beyond the truth, it is very difficult to determine what portions of them are to be received as facts. These two pieces may be regarded as among the best of Greene's pamphlets; and the ample extracts which I am about to make from them, will serve not only as illustrations of his life, but as specimens of his style in prose. The Palmer's story in Never too Late,* opens thus: "In those dayes when Palmerin reigned King of Great Britaine, famoused for his decdes of chiualrie, there dwelled in the citie of Caerbranck a gentleman of an ancient house, called Francesco; a man whose parentage though it were worshipfull, yet it was not indued with much wealth; insomuch that his learning was better than his reuenewes, and his wit more beneficiall than his substance. This Signor Francesco desirous to bend the course of his compasse to some peaceable port, spread no more cloath in the winde than might make easie saile, least hoysting vp too hastely aboue this in Holy Writt, pend downe by that miracle of wisedome Salomon, that he which is wise should reiect the strange woman, and not regard the sweetnesse of hir flattrie. If then, Francesco, theologie tells thee such axiomes, wilt thou striue against the streame?" Part First, p. 48. ed. 1590. * I print from the edition of 1590: see the full title in the List of Greene's prose-works appended to this essay. I have not quoted here any of the verses with which Never too Late abounds, as they are all given in the present volume among our author's Miscellaneous Poems. the maine yeard, some sodaine gust might make him founder in the deep. Though he were yong, yet he was not rash with Icarus to soare into the skie, but to crie out with olde Dedalus, Medium tenere tutissimum; treading his shooe without anie slip. He was so generally loued of the citizens, that the richest marchant or grauest burghmaster would not refuse to graunt him his daughter in marriage, hoping more of his insuing fortunes than of his present substance. At last, casting his eye on a gentlemans daughter that dwelt not far from Caerbranck, he fell in loue, and prosecuted his sute with such affable courtesie as the maide, considering the vertue and wit of the man, was content to set vp her rest with him, so that her fathers consent might be at the knitting vp of the match. Francesco thinking himselfe cocksure, as a man that hoped his credite in the citie might carrie away more than a country gentlemans daughter, finding her father on a day at fit opportunitie, he made the motion about the grant of his daughters marriage. The olde churle, that listened with both eares to such a question, did not in this in vtramuis aurem dormire; but leaning on his elbow, made present aunswere, that hir dowrie required a greater feoffment than his lands were able to affoord." The old gentleman, who was called Signor Fregoso, now goes home, and rates his daughter, whose name was Isabel, for having thought of marrying a man who was unable to maintain her. "And with that, he carried her in, and shut her vp in his owne chamber, not giuing her leaue to depart but when his key gaue her license: yet at last she so cunningly dissembled, that she gat thus farre libertie, not to bee close prisoner, but to walke about the house; yet euerie night hee shut vp her cloathes, that no nightly feare of her escape might hinder his broken slumbers." Francesco is for some time unable to gain access to his mistress, or to communicate with her in writing. At last a poor woman, for a bribe, conveys a letter from him to Isabel, who, in her answer to it, desires him to "be vpon Thursday next at night hard by the orchard vnder the greatest oake, where expect my comming, and prouide for our safe passage; for, stood all the worlde on the one side, and thou on the other, Francesco should be my guide to direct me whither hee pleased. Faile not, then, vnlesse thou bee false to her that would haue life faile ere she falsifie faith to thee." On the appointed Thursday, at midnight, Isabel "rose vp, and finding her apparell shut vp, she was faine to goe without hose, onely in her smocke and her petticoate, with her fathers hat and an olde cloake. Thus attired like Diana in her night-geere, she marcheth downe softly, where she found Francesco readie with a priuate and familiar frend of his to watch her comming forth; who casting his eye aside, and seeing one in a hat and a cloake, suspecting some treacherie, drew his sword." He, of course, soon recognizes his mistress, and professes his devotion to her. "Sir,' quoth she, 'these protestations are now bootlesse: and therefore to be briefe, thus' (and with that the teares trickled downe the vermilion of her cheeks, and she blubbred out this passion) 'O Francesco, thou maist see by my attire the depth of my fancie, and in these homely roabes maist thou noate the rechlesnesse of my fortunes, that for thy loue have straind a note too high in loue. I offend nature as repugnant to my father, whose displeasure I haue purchast to please thee; I haue giuen a finall farewell to my friends, to be thy familiar; I haue lost all hope of preferment, to confirme the simpathie of both our desires: ah Francesco, see I come thus poore in apparell, to make thee rich in content. Now, if hereafter (oh, let me sigh at that, least I be forced to repent too late), when thy eye is glutted with my beautie, and thy hotte loue prooued soone colde, thou beginst to hate hir that thus loueth thee, and prove as Demophon did to Phillis, or as Aeneas did to Dido; what then may I doo, reiected, but accurse mine owne folly, that hath brought mee to such hard fortunes? Giue me leaue, Francesco, to feare what may fall; for men are as inconstant in performance as cunning in practises.' She could not fully discourse what she was about to vtter; but he broke off with this protestation. Ah Isabel, although the windes of Lepanthos are euer inconstant, the chriseroll euer brittle, the polype euer changeable, yet measure not my minde by others motions, nor the depth of my affection by the fleeting of others fancies; for as there is a topace that will yeeld to euerie stamp, so there is an emerald that will yeeld to no impression. The selfe same Troy, as it had an Aeneas that was fickle, so it had a Troylus that was constant. Greece had a Piramus as it had a Demophon; and though some haue been ingrateful, yet accuse not al to be vnthankful; for when Francesco shall let his eye slip from thy beautie, or his thoughts from thy qualities, or his heart from thy vertues, or his whole selfe from euer honouring thee, then shal heauen cease to haue starres, the earth trees, the world elements, and eucrie thing reuersed shall fall to their former chaos.' 'Why, then,' quoth Isabel, to horsebacke, for feare the faith of two such louers be impeached by my fathers wakefull iealouzie.' And with that (poore woman) halfe naked as she was, she mounted, and as fast as horse would pace away they post towards a towne in the said countrey of Britaine called Dunecastrum." Fregoso, rising early in the morning, is half distracted at Isabel's escape. "Whereupon in a despayring furie he caused all his men and his tenaunts to mount them, and to disperse themselues euerie one with hue and crie for the recouerie of his daughter, he himself being horst, and riding the readie way to Dunecastrum. Where he no sooner came, but fortune meaning to dally with the olde doteard, and to present him a boane to gnaw on, brought it so to passe that, as he came riding downe the towne, he met Francesco and his daughter comming from the church; which although it piercte him to the quicke, and strainde euerie string of his heart to the highest noate of sorrow, yet he concealed it till he tooke his inne; and then stumbling as fast as he could to the Mayors house of the towne, he reucaled vnto him the whole cause of his distresse, requiring his fauour for the clapping vp of this vnruly gentleman; and to make the matter the more hainous, hee accused him of felonie, that he had not onely, contrarie to the custome, bereft him of his daughter against his wil, but with his daughter had taken away certaine plate. This euidence caused the Mayor straight, garded with his officers, to march downe with Fregoso to the place where Isabel and her Francesco were at breakfast, little thinking, poore soules, such a sharp storme should follow so quiet a calme." Francesco is conveyed to prison, and Isabel to the Mayor's house; and Fregoso, "as a man carelesse what should become of them in a straunge countrey," rides back to his home. After many days the Mayor, perceiving that the charge of felony was groundless, procures the consent of his brethren to set Francesco free. Taking Isabel with him, he goes to the gaol, and tells his prisoner, that "he was content to set him at libertie, conditionally Francesco should giue his hand to be answerable to what hereafter in that behalfe might be obiected against him. These conditions accepted, Francesco was set at libertie; and he and Isabell, ioyntly together taking themselues to a little cottage, began to be as Cyceronicall as they were amorous; with their hands thrift coueting to satisfie their hearts thirst, and to be as diligent in labours as they were affectionate in loues so that the parish wherein they liued so affected them for the course of their life, that they were counted the very myrrours of a democraticall methode; for hee being a scholler, and nurst vp in the vniuersities, resolued rather to liue by his wit than any way to be pinched with want, thinking this olde sentence to be true, that wishers and woulders were neuer good housholders; therefore he applied himselfe to teaching of a schoole, where by his industry he had not onelie great fauour, but gote wealth to withstand fortune. Isabel, that she might seeme no lesse profitable than her husband careful, fel to her needle, and with her worke sought to preuent the iniurie of necessitie. Thus they laboured to mainetaine their loues, being as busie as bees, and as true as turtles, as desirous to satisfie the worlde with their desert as to feede the humours of their owne desires. Liuing thus in a league of vnited vertues, out of this mutuall concorde of confirmed perfection, they had a sonne answerable to their owne proportion; which did increase their amitie, so as the sight of their young infant was a double ratifying of their affection. Fortune and loue thus ioyning in league to make these parties to forget the stormes that had nipped the blossomes of their former yeers, addicted to the content of their loues this conclusion of blisse. After the tearme of fiue yeares, Seigneur Fregoso hearing by sundry reports the fame of their forwardnesse, howe Francesco coueted to be most louing to his daughter, and she most dutifull to him, and both striue to exceede one an other in loyalty, glad at this mutuall agreement, hee fell from the fury of his former melancholic passions, and satisfied him selfe with a contented patience, that at last he directed letters to his sonne in lawe, that he should make repayre to his house with his daughter. Which newes was no sooner come to the eares of this married couple, but, prouiding for all things necessarie for the furniture of their voyage, they posted as fast as they coulde towards Caerbrancke; where speedily arriuing at their fathers house, they found such friendly intertainement at the olde mans hand, that they counted this smile of fortune able to counteruaile all the contrarie stormes that the aduerse planets had inflicted vpon them." |