ART. VIII. The Lives of the three Normans, Kings of England: William the First, William the Second, Henrie the First. Written by J. H. Mart. Improbe facit qui in alieno libro ingeniosus est. Imprinted at London by R. B. Anno 1613. 4to. pp. 314. Besides the Epistle Dedicatorie to Charles the First whilst Prince of Wales, pp. 6,

The author, Sir John Hayward, Knight, whose historical works, as Wood informs us, "for the phrase and words in them were in their time esteemed very good," in his dedication tells us, that it was in consequence of a conversation which passed between the Prince Henry and himself, a short time previous to the decease of the former, he undertook to give the world a history of his own country during certain periods. I cannot refrain from giving a short specimen of the manner in which he draws the character of that distinguished and promising young Prince," whose death," he says, "alasse! hath bound the liues of many vnto death, face to face; being no wayes able, either by forgetfulnesse to couer their griefe, or to diminish it with consideration." He then proceeds,

"For in trueth he was a Prince of a most heroical heart: free from many vices which sometimes accom

* In addition to this work Hayward likewise wrote the Lives of Henry the Fourth and of Edward the Sixth, 1599, 1630, 4to. and as he informs us himself, finished "certaine yeeres of Queene Elizabeth's Reigne." Of this however I can find no account, nor am I of opinion that it has ever been printed.

panie high estates, full of most amiable and admirable vertues of whose perfections the world was not worthy. His eyes were full of pleasant modestie; his countenance manly, beautifull; in bodie both strongly and delicately made; in behauiour sweetely sober, which gaue grace to whatsoeuer he did. He was of a discerning wit; and for the facultie of his mind, of great capacitic and power, accompanied with equall expedition of will: much foreseeing in his actions, and for passions a commander of himselfe ; and of good strength to resist the power of prosperitie. In counsaile he was ripe and measured; in resolution constant; his word euer led by his thought, and followed by his deede. And albeit hee was but yong, and his nature forward and free, yet his wisedom reduced both to a true temper of moderation; his desires being neuer aboue his reason, nor his hopes inferiour to his desires. In a word, hee was the most faire fruit of his progenitours, an excellent ornament of the present age, a true mirrour to posteritie; being so equally both setled to valour, and disposed to goodnesse and justice, as hee expressed not onely tokens, but proofes, both of a courage, and of a grauitie and industrie right worthie of his estate.".

The history of the Normans contains a very well written account of the period during which they lived: it abounds in anecdotes, many of which are to be found in no other publication of the kind, and is enriched with a variety of just remarks as well on the actions and characters of those whom it is intended to display, as on the manners of the times during which they flourished. I know of no other edition of it than this of

1613,

1613, excepting that it has been reprinted in The Harleian Miscellany with some few notes, Vol. II. P. 418.

P. B.

ART. IX. A Disputacion of Purgatorye made by Jhon Frith is deuided into thre bokes. The fyrst boke is an answer vnto Rastell, which goeth aboute to proue purgatorye by naturall Phylosophye. The seconde boke answereth unto Sir Thomas More, which laboureth to proue purgatorye by scripture. The thyrde boke maketh answere vnto my lorde of Rochestre which moost leaneth vnto the doctoures. "Beware lest any man come and spoyle you thorow phylosophye and deceytfull vanite, thorow the tradicions of men, and: ordinacions after the worlde, and not after Christ. Collos. ii." 12mo. black letter.

ART. X. An other boke against Rastel named the subsedye or bulwark to his fyrst boke, made by Jhon Frithe presoner in the Tower. "Awake thou that slepeste and stonde vppe from deeth, and Chryste shall geue the lyght. Ephesians v." 12mo black letter.

To the above very curious books are neither date, place, or printer's name. I conceive however that they must have appeared either in 1529 or 1530, as in 1531, the author suffered at Smithfield, through the means of Sir Thomas More, Lord Chancellor, with whom he had continual controversies on theological

subjects,

subjects. In Clark's "Marrow of Ecclesiastical Historie, London, 1650," 4to. is a short account of Frith, from which I shall extract one anecdote. "Having som business in Reading, hee was there taken for a vagabond, and set in the stocks: there hee sate till he was almost pined with hunger, and then desiring to speak with the schoolmaster of the town, when hee came to him, Frith in Latine bewailed his captivitie to him: the schoolmaster being overcom with his eloquence, began exceedingly to affect and pittie him, the rather when hee spake in Greek to him also, and repeted divers verses out of Homer: whereupon the schoolmaster repaired speedily to the magistrates and procured his enlargement."

So imperfectly does Wood mention both of these works, that I am tempted to suppose he never was able to procure a sight of them: nor have I ever heard of or seen any other copies than those from which the above titles are given.

P. B.

ART. XI. Winter. A Poem. By James Thomson. The Second Edition. 1726.

[CONCLUDED FROM VOL. II. P. 353.]

Clear frost succeeds, and thro' the blue serene,

For sight too fine, th' ætherial nitre flies,
To bake the glebe, and bind the slip'ry flood.
This of the wintry season is the prime;
Pare are the days, and lustrous are the nights,
Radiant with starry worlds, till then unseen.

Mean

Mean while, the orient, darkly red, breathes forth
An icy gale, that in its mid career,

Arrests the bickering stream. The nightly sky,
And all her glowing constellations, pour
Their rigid influence down: it freezes on,
Till Morn, late-rising, o'er the drooping world
Lifts her pale eye, unjoyous: then appears
The various labour of the silent night;

The pendant isicle, the frost-work fair,

*

Where fancy'd figures rise; the crusted snow,
Tho' white, made whiter, by the fining north,
[And gem-besprinkled in the mid-day beam. ] +

On blithsome frolicks bent, the youthful swains,
While every work of man is laid at rest,

Rush o'er the watry plains, and, shuddering, view
The fearful deeps below: or, with the gun,
And faithful spaniel, range the ravag'd fields;
And, adding to the ruins of the year,

Distress the feathery, or the footed game.

Muttering, the winds, at eve, with hoarser voice, Blow, blustering, from the south-the frost subdu'd, Gradual, resolves into a trickling § thaw.

Spotted, the mountains shine: loose sleet descends,
And floods the country round: the rivers swell,
Impatient for the day. [ Broke from the hills,
O'er rocks and woods, in broad, brown cataracts,
A thousand snow-fed torrents shoot, at once;
And where they rush, the wide-resounding plain
Is left one slimy waste.] Those sullen seas,
That wash th' ungenial Pole, will rest no more
Beneath the shackles of the mighty North;

Thousand. 1st edit.

+Added in the 2d edit.

But hark! the nightly winds with hollow voice. 1st edit.

Weeping thaw. 1st ́edit.

Added in the 2d edit.

But,