Palmer. Then, to our reafon, God gyve us his grace, To byleve hys churche, fafte and faythfully; And all that bath fcaped 236 us here by neglygence, To paffe the tyme in thys without offence, 236 scaped] escapte, edit. 1569. EDITIONS. (1.) "The Playe called the Foure PP. A newe and a very mery Enterlude of A Palmer, A Pardoner, A Potycary, A "Pedler. Made by John Heewood. Imprynted at London "in Fleteftrete, at the fynge of the George, by Wyllyam "Myddylton." This Edition must have been printed at least as early as the year 1547, at which time William Middleton either died or retired from bufinefs. See Ames's Typographical Antiquities, p. 218. 258. (2.) "The Play called the Foure P. A very mery Enter"lude of A Palmer, A Pardoner, A Poticary, A Pedler. "Imprinted at London, at the long Shop adjoyning unto "S. Mildreds Churche in the Pultrie, by John Allde, Anno "Domini 1569, Septembris 14." Both thefe Editions are in the Collection of Mr. Garrick. T HOMAS SACKVILLE, Lord Buckhurst, was related I to Queen Elizabeth by her mother Ann Boleyn, He was born in 1536, and educated at Hart-Hall, in the University of Oxford; from whence he went to Cambridge, and afterwards to the Temple. In his younger days he travelled into France and Italy; and at the early period of his life only he was, as Mr. Spence obferves, what perhaps all perfons of his birth ought to be, a poet. His father, dying in 1566, left him a large fortune, the greatest part of which he foon spent by his magnificent manner of living, but in thẻ end became a better economist. He served in parliament both in the reign of Queen Mary and Elizabeth. In 1567, he was created Baron Buckhurft; in 1571, was fent ambassador to Charles IX, king of France; and in 1587, to the States of the United Provinces. In 1588, he was made one of the Knights of the Garter; in 1591, Chancellor of the Univerfity of Oxford; and in 1598, Lord High Treasurer of England. He was continued in that office by King James, and in 1603 advanced by him to the dignity of Earl of Dorfet. He died fuddenly at the council board, in 1608, of a fit of the apoplexy. He was the Author of The Induction to the Mirror for Magiftrates, first published by William Baldwin in 4to, 1550; again, with the fecond part in 4to, 1563; re-published with additions in 1575; and a fourth time further augmented and published by Richard Nicols in 1610. "The wurke (fays the original publisher) was begun, and parte of it prynted in Queene Maries tyme, but hyndred by the Lorde Chaunceliour that then 66 was; nevertheles, through the meanes of my Lord Staf"ford, the fyrst parte was licenced and imprynted the fyrst yeare of the raygne of this our most noble and vertuous 66 Some account of Lord Buckhurst and his Writings, prefixed to the edition of Gorboduc printed in 1736. "Queene. G 3 "Queene. Since whych time, although I have bene called 66 to an other trade of lyfe, yet my good Lorde Stafforde hath not cea'ed to call upon me to publish fo much as I had 66 gotten at other mens hands, fo that through his Lord"fhippe's earnest meanes I have now alfo fetfurth an other parie conteyning as little of myne owne, as the fyrst part doth "of other mens." 29 In this fecond part Lord Buckhurst's Induction first appeared. The caufe of writing it was as follows: "After that he (Lord Buckhurst) understode that some of the "counfayle would not fuffer the booke to be printed in fuche "order as we had agreed and determined, he purpofed with "h.mielfe to have gotten at my handes al the tragedies that 66 were before the duke of Buckin han's, which he would have preferve in one volume; and from that time backward 66 even to the time of William the Conquerour, he determined to continue and perfect all the story himfelfe in fuch order as Lydgate (iolowing Bocchas) had already used; and there"fore to make a meete induction into the matter, he devised "this poefye." We are informed, that this defign was laid afide on the Author's being called to a more ferious expence in the great ftate affairs of his moft royal Lady and Sovereign, The Induction, in 1759, was re-printed by Mr. Capel, in his Prolufions. * 86 Thofe praifes which were beflowed on the poetry of Lord Buckhurst by his contemporaries are not to be afcribed to his rank or fortune. The best judges have ratified the fentence paffed by the criticks of the time, and even gone beyond them in their commendations. Mr. Warton, speaking of the The Mirror for Magift, ates, fays (Obfervations on Spenfer, vol. II. p. 109.): "There is one Poem indeed among the "reft which exhibits a groupe of imaginary perfonages, fo "beautifully drawn, that in all probability they contributed "to direct, at leaft to ftimulate, Spenfer's imagination in the "conftruction of the like representations. Thus much may "be truly faid, that Sackville's INDUCTION approaches nearer "to the FAIRY QUEEN, in the richness of allegoric de "feription, than any previous or fucceeding poem.' (2) The Complaynt of Henrye, duke of Buckingham, in The Mirror for Magistrates. |