6

In the "Phoenix Nest," 1593, and in "England's "Helicon," 1600, Peele has several lyrical productions chiefly extracted from his other works; and in 1591 R. Jones, the printer and stationer, obtained a licence for "The Hunting of Cupid, by George Peele," but if pub'lished it has not been recovered. "England's Par66 nassus,' ,"1600, contains several quotations from Peele. In addition to the Pageants before mentioned, he was author of the following dramatic performances, and no doubt of various others that have not come down to us.

1. The Araygnment of Paris. A Pastorall, presented before the Queene's Majestie, by the Children of her Chappell. 1584. 4to.

2. The famous Chronicle of King Edward the First, sirnamed Edward Longshankes, &c. 1593. 1599. 4to.

3. The Old Wives Tale. A pleasant conceited Comedie, plaied by the Queene's Majesties players. 1595. 4to.

4. The Love of King David and faire Bethsabe; with the Tragedie of Absalon. 1599. 4to.

5. The Turkish Mahomet and Hyrin, the faire Greeke. Perhaps never printed.

In Peele's Jests are also mentioned some translations from the Greek which he was making for a gentleman, who was imprudent enough to pay him before hand, and which were therefore never completed.

4 That there was such a play there can be no doubt, as frequent allusion is made to it in old dramas; but Peele's claim to the authorship of it depends upon a passage in the " Merry conceited 'Jests," where his "christianly pen" is said to have written finis to it.

DRAMATIS PERSONE.

EDWARD I. King of England.

EDMUND, Duke of Lancaster, his brother.
GILBERT DE CLARE, Earl of Glocester.
MORTIMER, Earl of March.

EARL OF SUSSEX.

CRESSING HAM.

LLUELLEN, Rebel of Wales.

SIR DAVID OF BRECKNOCK, his brother.

RICE AP MEREDITH.

OWEN AP RICE.

GUENTHER.

Four BARONS OF WALES.

A BISHOP.

FRIAR HUGH AP DAVID.

JACK, his Novice.

HARPER.

FARMER.

JOHN.

LORDS, MESSENGERS, SOLDIERS, SAILORS, &c.

QUEEN MOTHER.

QUEEN ELINOR.

JOAN OF ACON.

THE LADY ELINOR.

MAYORESS OF LONDON.

GUENTHIAN.

NURSE.

POTTER'S WIFE.

KATHERINA, LADIES, &C.

Enter GILBERT DE CLARE, Earl of Glocester, with the EARL OF SUSSEX, MORTIMER, the Earl of March, DAVID, Lluellen's brother, waiting on ELINOR, the QUEEN MOTHER.

Q. Mother. Mr Lord Lieutenant of Glocester and
Lord Mortimer,

To do
you honour in your sovereign's eyes,
That as we hear is newly come a-land

5 The events in this "famous Chronicle History," which are in part taken from Holinshed, extend from about 1274, when Edward returned from Palestine, to 1296, when the wars with Scotland commenced; or perhaps even later, for they are most irregularly introduced, just as suited the purpose of the author, and without attention to chronology. The scene lies in England, Scotland, and Wales.

It is hardly possible that any play should have been worse printed than Peele's Edward I. in 1598; and the copy of 1599, though it makes a few corrections of the grosser blunders, yet introduces several new ones, and implicitly adopts others: this will be evident from the result of a collation of both, as pointed out in the

notes.

In Evans's "Collection of Old Ballads" there is one called "A Warning-piece to England against pride and wickedness,' which relates to the chief incidents of the life of Queen Elinor, as detailed in Peele's Play, and which was probably founded upon it: it is perhaps the ballad to which Anthony Wood alludes in his account of Peele. Doubtless the character of the Queen was drawn in the odious light in which it is represented to gratify the vulgar prejudice against the Spaniards, in consequence of the existing war when the play was written.

From Palestine, with all his men of war,
The poor remainder of the royal fleet,
Preserv'd by miracle in Sicil road,

Go mount your coursers, meet him on the way:
Pray him to spur his steed: minutes are 6 hours
Until his mother see her princely son

Shining in glory of his safe return.

[Exeunt Lords; manet Queen Mother.

Illustrious England, ancient seat of Kings,
Whose chivalry hath royaliz'd thy fame,
That sounding bravely through terrestrial vale,
Proclaiming conquests, spoils, and victories,
Rings glorious echoes through the farthest world!
What warlike nation, train'd in feats of arms,
What barbarous people, stubborn, or untam'd,
What climate under the meridian signs,
Or frozen zone under his brumal stage,
Erst have not quak'd and trembled at the name
Of Britain, and her mighty conquerors?

Her neighbour realms of Scotland, Denmark, France,
Aw'd with her deeds, and jealous of her arms
Have begg'd defensive and offensive leagues.
Thus Europe, rich and mighty in her kings,
Hath fear'd brave England, dreadful in her kings.
And now to eternize Albion's champions;
Equivalent with Trojans' ancient fame,
Comes lovely Edward from Jerusalem,
Veering before the wind, ploughing the sea;
His stretched sails fill'd with the breath of men,
That through the world admire his manliness.
And lo, at last arriv'd in Dover road,
Longshank, your king, your glory, and our son,
With troops of conquering lords and warlike knights,
Like bloody-crested Mars, o'erlooks his host,
Higher than all the army by the head,
Marching along as bright as Phoebus' eyes;
And we, his mother, shall behold our son,
And England's peers shall see their sovereign!

The 4to. of 1593, reads "Minutes and hours."