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Rogers.] Imprinted at London by I[ohn] C[harlwood] for Andrew Maunsell, dwelling in Paule's Church Yarde, at the signe of the Parret. 1576." 8vo.

A. G. affixed" to the reader, in commendation of this present woorke," thirty lines in couplets, before Peele's "Pathe-waye to Perfectness." 1569. Fol.-poste Peele.

"T. H. to the Reader," is the head-line for two six-line stanzas, prefixed to "A Discourse concerning the Spanish Fleete invading England, in the yeere 1588: by A. Ryther" 4to. 1590.

"JOSUA HUTTEN to the booke," prefixed to 100 lines of Alternate rhimes before Rogers's Philosophical Discourse. See FOWLER.

'J. H.

At p. 373 of the 3d volume of the CENSURA, a republication of the poems of" James the First, (for Mr. Tytler's text is exceedingly incorrect,") is suggested. "I had transcribed the Kyngis quair long before the publication of this edition, [printed for Balfour, 1783,] and afterward sent my copy to Mr. Tytler, who might have made use of it for that which was printed at Perth. The transcript he followed has abounded with the most flagrant and absurd blunders, which he has carefully preserved. Christ's kirk on the Green is likewise very inaccurate. The Editor's acquaintance with the language of either poem seems superficial and imperfect." Quod Joseph Ritson. M, S. penes

me,

At the end of ane compendious booke of godly and spirituall songs, &c. Edinburgh, printed by Andro Hart. 12mo. b. l. is the following poem.

"Sen throw vertue incressis dignity,,

And vertew is flowre and rute of nobles ay,
Of ony wit or what estate thou be,

His steps follow, and dreid for none effray:
Eject vice, and follow treuth alway.

Lufe maist thy God that first thy lufe began,
And for ilk inch he will thee quite ane span.
Be not over proud in thy prosperity,
For as it cummis, sa will it passe away;

The time to compt is short thou may well see,
For of greene grasse, soone cummis wallowed hay;
Labour in trueth quhilk suith is of thy fay:
Traist maist in God for he best guide thee can,
And for ilk inch he will thee quite ane span.

Sen word is thrall, and thoght is only free,
Thou daunt thy toung that power hes, and may
Thou steik thy eine fra warlds vanity,

Refraine thy lust, and harken what I say:

Graip or thou slide, and keep furth the hieway,'
Thou hald thee fast upon thy God and man,
And for ilk inch he will thee quite ane span.

Finis.

¶ Quod King James the First."

This poem is given from a transcript made by Ritson and Mr. Irving has also copied it into his Lives of the Scotish Poets, Vol. I. p. 315; but its being written by James seems doubtful. It is the last in the volume of Godly Songs, and, similar to all the preceding, has the word "Finis" affixed;

then a new line, as above, with "Quod King James the First." Had names of authors been necessary, those of Gawin Douglas and Sir D. Lindsay, might have been added to their pieces, and lines written by a monarch, were not likely to be thrust to the end of a volume, to close the rear of anonymous writers only. The work is supposed to have been published to promote the views of the reformers, and had a veil for the nonce; therefore, if attributing the lines to King James, is only to depend upon the above slender authority, I shall conclude with suggesting the probability that "Quod King Iames the First was a shallow artifice of the printer to imply the whole volume was written by that

monarch.

J. H.

ART. DCCCXVII. Literary Epitaphs.

Epitaph by Dr. Free, for himself.

Hic sepultus est
Johannes Free,

In Academiâ Oxoniensi sacræ Theol. Doctor,

* See Mr. Dalyell's cursory remarks upon "ane book of godly songs," (who has republished the work) p. 37 of Scotish Poems of the Sixteenth Century. Edinburgh, 1801, small 8vo. Mr. D. also published another edition, same year, large 8vo.-" A specimen of a book intituled ane compendious booke of godly and spiritual sangs, collectit out of sundrie partes of the Scripture, with sundrie of other Ballates changed out of prophaine sanges for avoyding of synne and harlotrie, with augmentation of sundrie gude and godly Ballates, not contained in the first edition, Edinburgh, printed by Andro Hart: Edinburgh, printed by W. Ruddiman, J. Richardson, and Company, 1765." Small 8vo. pp. 46, was edited by Sir David Dalrymple.

.

Et Civitatis ejusdem nominis civis natus,
Utriusque Pater;

Quoniam non supererat in Civitate Civis senior,
Nec in Universitate Doctor

Hic vir frustra vixit; nam laboravit frustra.
Nunquam enim quod Usus vitæ postulat,
Utcumque Moderatum, aut sibi assecutus est,
Aut suis

Concionator publicus per Annos LIII.
Et Doctor suæ facultatis XLIII.
Quinetiam, frustra :

Nam cum hæc scriberet, licet admodum senex,
Nunquam Ecclesiam obtinuisset,

Quæ redderet quotannis LXXX minas.
Mirum!

Sacerdos attamen fuit

Sub Imperio Georgiii III. Magnæ Britannia

Regis,

Qui caput esse audit insuper Ecclesiæ.
At vero, quanquam Regis Familiæ fidus
Subditus,

Et suo damno fidus,

Nunquam tamen tulit, vel fidei politica
Vel operis Sacerdotalis præmium.
Adeo ut hujus hominis vita comparetur
Proventui arboris, naturâ fertilis
Sed quæ tempestatibus subinde agitata,
Cœlique inclementiâ oppressa, et tandem vieta,
Fructum suum cum vitâ perdidit.

Quod perinde est, ac si a principio
facta fuisset sterilis.

Sic visum est Creatori

Opus texere, et retexere suum.

Sicciné, ait Psalmista, Deus,

Omnes homines in mendacium,
Aut deceptionem creâsti ? *
Sic hoc verum sit,

Tum præter inferna illa, ab antiquis temporibus
Credita et formidata,

Locus pænæ est etiam hæc Terra nostra,
Ubi sic decipimur; ubi

Per tramites perplexos iter, et ad quodvis
Divorticulum crebri laquei et insidiæ locantur, -
Atque post infinitum molimen
Spei perpetua frustratio:

Qui cruciatus!

Patet, igitur, in hunc orbem eo fine inducimur,
Semper aliquid pati ;

Et, quod maximum inter homines
Habitum est, et nominatum supplicium,
Patiendo mori.

Nonne hæc est pæna per totum,
Quando mors, cujus causâ nascimur,
Ut Supremum et grande officium ultionis
Coronat opus ?

Cur ita comparatum est, aut quam ob causam
Hunc venimus puniendi? An in hanc vitam
Ex aliâ vitâ profecti sumus? an-
sed melius est intactas relinquere
Quæstiones tam difficiles :-Deus noverit,
Hominem vero puto scire nullum.
Abi, Viator:

Nam adhuc calcanda tibi semita tortuosa vitæ :

Repone animo, et converte, si potes, in tuum

Usum

Arcanum Regis sapientissimi documentum,

Vanitas Vanitatum,

Psalm lxxxix. ver. 48. edit. Jun. et Tremell.

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