[THE full name of the writer is preserved in an old MS. Collection belonging to Mr. J. P. Collier, with the loan of which he favoured me some time since. The piece is there entitled, "Doc. Brooke of Teares."-Dr. Samuel Brooke, the intimate friend of Dr. Donne, was the son of a Yorkshire merchant, and was entered at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1596. He took the degree of M. A. in 1604, that of B. D. in 1607, and that of D.D. in 1615. In 1612, he was made Divinity Professor of Gresham College, and was afterwards in succession Rector of St. Margaret's, Lothbury, Master of Trinity, and Archdeacon of Coventry. This last preferment he held only for a few months, and died in September, 1631.* I believe he has not generally been recognized as an English poet, though some of his contemporaries have left allusions which would have led us to look See Ward's Lives of the Gresham Professors, in Bliss's ed. of Wood's Fasti, i. 401, and in Zouch's Walton, pp. 35, 36, ed. 1796: where much more will be found about him. for more copious remains than this short poem, which has hitherto been all but anonymous. Thus Donne speaks of "seeing in" him "bright sparkes of Poetry," and Crashaw calls him a Brooke "Whose Banks the Muses dwelt upon, More then their own Helicon." A Latin pastoral, of which he was the author, (and I think it was not his only performance of that kind,) was acted before King James at Cambridge on Friday, March 10: 1614-5 and was afterwards printed. Its full title is given in the note.t Chamberlain says that it was excellently written, and as well acted;" and that it "gave great contentment, as well to the King as to the rest." 66 His brother, Christopher Brooke, who was Donne's "chamber-fellow," and who shared, like Dr. Brooke, in the troubles arising from Donne's hasty marriage, has been already mentioned in connection with Serjeant Hoskins (p. 7), and was far more celebrated for English Poetry, in which he was frequently the coadjutor of William Browne.§ * Donne's Poems, p. 98, ed. 1633. (I presume the initials " M. S. B." refer to Mr. Samuel Brooke. The piece was evidently written when they were both young, and before Donne became a Protestant.) Crashaw's Poems, p. 95, ed. 1670. Crashaw's Elegy is copied in Archbishop Sancroft's Collection, MS. Tann. 465. fol. 65. vo, which contains also a Latin Epitaph on Dr. Brooke. fol. 27. + "Melanthe, Fabula pastoralis, acta cum Jacobvs Magnæ Brit. Franc. & Hiberniæ Rex, Cantabrigiam suam nuper inviseret, ibidemq; Musarum atque animi gratiâ dies quinque commoraretur. Egervnt Alvmni Coll. San. et Individvæ Trinitatis, Cantabrigiæ. Excudebat Cantrellys Legge. Mart. 27. 1615." A copy in the Bodleian (Rawl. 4to. 253) has an imperfect list of the original actors, supposed to be in the handwriting of the author. See Hawkins's ed. of Ruggle's Ignoramus, p. xxx. and Ward, as above. § Wood mentions his Elegy on Henry, Prince of Wales, 1613; his Eclogues, dedicated to William Browne, 1614, and some scattered pieces, to which Dr. Bliss has made important additions. Wood's Fasti, i. 403. An Epithalamium, which bears his signature, is the last piece contained in England's Helicon. There are two Elegies by "C. B." in Cheetham MS. (Manchester) 8012. pp. 154, 155. The Shakespeare Society has recently republished a curious Poem, entitled, "The Ghost of Richard the Third," 1614, which has his initials at the end of the Dedication. Mr. Collier was at one time inclined to ascribe it to Charles Best; but he has since altered his opinion, at the suggestion of Mr. Rodd, and, like Mr. Dyce, appears to believe that its real author was Christopher Brooke.* The piece now before us was inserted among the Poems of Pembroke and Rudyard, 1660, with the title, "Benj. Rudier of Tears" (p. 46); but the authority of the MS. copy, and of the initials in Rel. Wotton. is sufficient to set his claim aside. The variations marked C. are from Mr. Collier's MS. and those marked R. from Rudyard's Poems. It will be seen that they supply one line which is required by the form of the stanza, but which is omitted in every edition of Rel. Wotton.] [5] 1. HO would have thought there could have bin Mine Eyes have seen, my heart hath The most and best of earthly joys; The sweets of love, and being loved; Masks, Feasts, and Plays, and such like Toys: Collier's Life of Shakespeare, p. ccxlvi. Preface to reprint of "The Ghost of Rich. III." p. xiv. and Dyce's Remarks on Gifford's Jonson, p. 297.-The Bodleian copy of this volume is said to be unique; and even Park, who was intimately acquainted with these old books, had never seen it. (Note on Warton's H. E. P. iii. 235, ed. 1840.) Dr. Donne has addressed more than one poem to Christopher Brooke. See his Poems, pp. 56, 97 ed. 1633. F 2. Indeed mine Eyes at first let in [10] Those Guests that did these woes begin; [15] [20] Therefore mine Eyes in Tears and Grief Thou that mak'st light from darkness spring, 3. Oh where am I! what may I think! Thus laden with my sin, And threat my overthrow. What Heart opprest with such a weight [25] 4. Yet, as at Sea in Storms, Men use, [30] [35] This danger to prevent, I'll chuse the lesser harm: My Tears to seas I will convert, 5. Oh God, my God! what shall I give In thee, and thou didst safe preserve Thou makest me eat while others sterve; [And sing, whilst others do lament.] Such unto me thy Blessings are, [40] As if I were thy only Care. [45] 6. But, oh my God! thou art more kind, Thou fillest my Heart with humble joy, And hope assured of Heavens Bliss ;— 6 [VARIATIONS. (As those of C. were marked some time since, a few may have been overlooked). 3. Mine eye hath seen'— both C. and R.-5. 'The sweet'-both.-12. 'these'-R.-13. ''tis'--both.-16. sadness sing'-both.-It is sorrows' in Rel. Wotton. eds. 1651-4. In ed. 1672, sorrow'-.19. tost'-R. which appears preferable to the other reading.-22. 'mine'-R. -24. Can chuse but sink, and perish streight'-R. 'straight' also in C.-25. 'men choose'-both.-26. 'the'-Rel. Wotton. I follow the copy in R.-29. 'hopes'—R.—32. ‘mine eyes'--both. -After the fourth stanza a fresh commencement is made in R. the letter "R." being interposed.-35. 'dost safe'-R.-37. 'whilst'-both.-38. This line occurs in both C. (where 'other doth') and R. but not in Rel. Wotton. The structure of this stanza is the same as that of the first, second, and sixth.-40. 'As though-thine'-both.-44. ' meek and fervent'-both.-45. All other loves which doth destroy'-both.] |