VI. GASCOIGNE'S PRAISE OF THE FAIR BRIDGES, AFTERWARDS LADY SANDES, ON HER HAVING A SCAR IN HER FOREHEAD. George Gascoigne was a celebrated poet in the early part of 2 Elizabeth's reign, and appears to great advantage among the mifcellaneous writers of that age. He was author of three or four plays, and of many smaller poems; one of the most remarkable of which is a fatire in blank verse, called the STEELE-GLASS, 1576. 4to. 66 Gafcoigne was born in Effex, educated in both univerfities, whence he removed to Gray's-inn; but, difliking the Study of the law, became first a dangler at court, and afterwards a foldier in the wars of the Low Countries. He had no great fuccefs in any of thefe pursuits, as appears from a poem of his, intitled, "Gafcoigne's Wodmanship, written to lord Gray of Wilton." Many of his epiftles dedicatory are dated in 1575, 1576, from "his poore houfe in Walthamftoe:" where he died a middle-aged man in 1578, according to Anth. Wood: or rather in 1577, if he is the perfon meant in an old tra&, intitled, "A remembrance of "the well-employed Life and godly End of GEO. GASCOIGNE, Efq; who deceafed at Stamford in Lincolnfhire, O. 7. 1577. by Geo. Whetstone, Gent. an eyewitness of his godly and charitable end in this world," 4to. no date. [From a MS. of Oldys.] 66 66 66 * A very ingenious critic thinks" Gafcoigne has much exceeded all the poets of his age, in fmoothness and harmony of verfification But the truth is, Scarce any of the earlier poets of 2. Elizabeth's time are found deficient in harmony and Smoothness, tho' thofe qualities appear jo rare in the writings of their fucceffors. In the PARADISE OF DAINTY DEVISES†, (the Dodfley's Mifcellany of those times) **Obfervations on the Faerie Queen, Vol. II. p. 168. + Printed in 1578, 1595, and perhaps oftener, in 4to, black let. will will hardly be found one rough, or inharmonious line* whereas the numbers of Jonfon, Donne, and most of their contemporaries, frequently offend the ear, like the filing of a faw.-Perhaps this is in jome measure to be accounted for from the growing pedantry of that age, and from the writers affecting to run their lines into one another, after the manner of the Latin and Greek poets. The following poem (which the elegant writer above quoted bath recommended to notice, as poffeffed of a delicacy rarely to be feen in that early state of our poetry) properly confifts of alexandrines of 12 and 14 fyllables, and is printed from two quarto black-letter collections of Gascoigne's pieces; the first intitled, "A hundreth fundrie flowres, "bounde up in one fmall pofie, Sc. London, imprinted for "Richarde Smith :" without date, but from a letter of H.W. (p. 202.) compared with the Printer's epift. to the Reader, it appears to have been published in 1572, or 3. The other is intitled, "The Pofies of George Gafcoigne, Efq; "corrected, perfected, and augmented by the authour; 1575. "-Printed at Lond. for Richard Smith, &c." No year, but the epift. dedicat. is dated 1576. In the title page of this last (by way of printer's †, or bookfeller's device) is an ornamental wooden cut, tolerably well executed, wherein time is reprefented drawing the figure of Truth out of a pit or cavern, with this legend, OccULTA VERITAS TEMPORE PATET [R. S.] This is mentioned because it is not improbable but the accidental fight of this or fome other title-page containing the fame device, fuzzested to Rubens that well-known defign of a fimilar kind, which he has introduced into the Luxemburg gallery §, and which has been so justly cenfured for the unnatural manner of its execution.-The device abovementioned being not ill adapted to the fubject of this volume, is with fome Small variations copied in a plate, which to gratify the cu riofity of the Reader is prefixed to Book III. IN *The fame is true of most of the poems in the Mirrour of Magistrates, 1563, 410, and even of Surrey's Poems, 1557. t Henrie Binneman. SLE TEMS DECOUVRE LA VERITE, No frowning cheere dare once prefume Although fome lavishe lippes, Will fay, the blemishe on hir browe Thereto I thus replie, God wotte, they little knowe The hidden cause of that mishap, Nor how the harm did growe: For when dame Nature first Had framde hir heavenly face, And thoroughly bedecked it With goodly gleames of grace; |