his officers.** It appears, however, that he was not quite implacable; and that he lived a captain for a long time after this occurrence. Before he was perfectly reconciled to his commission, he had an adventure with a lady at the Hague, with whom, having been on 'intimate terms' with her, (according to the phrase of our predecessors,) he left his portrait, as a token of remembrance. Hague was then in the possession of the Spaniards; and the lady, resolving,-for what reason the reader must enquire,-to return Gascoigne's likeness, and to entrust it with no person but himself, despatched a secret message to solicit an interview. Falling into the hands of Gascoigne's enemies, the letter was displayed as a proof of disloyalty; but he defeated their machinations, it is said, by a frank disclosure of the circumstances to the prince; and, obtaining passports to the Hague, he started to redeem his captive portrait. His story appears to have exuded; for the burghers used to watch his motions with some malice, and call him the Green Knight. He next had to deal with three thousand Spaniards. At the siege of Middleburg, his zeal and courage were so conspicuous, that the prince rewarded him with three hundred guilders beyond his regular pay, and promised to give him some post above that of captain. 'He was, however,' says one account, surprised soon after by three thousand Spaniards, when commanding, under captain Sheffield, five hundred Englishmen lately landed, and retired, in good order, at night, under the walls of Leyden.' The Dutch refused to open their gates, and the whole band were taken prisoners. We fear, that the biographer just quoted, has imagined, for Gascoigne, an importance which he never possessed; for, we find it difficult to under * Censura Literaria, vol. i. p. 109. stand, how he should be entrusted with the five hundred Englishmen, and yet be under captain Sheffield. The Spaniards released the men in twelve days; and, after detaining the officers four months, sent them back to England. Captain Gascoigne now betook himself to poetry; and he soon discovered, that the fatigues of camp were not to be compared with the annoyance of malignant rivalship, and of still more malignant criticism. His works are voluminous; but their several dates have not been ascertained; and even the year of his death is the subject of dispute. Wood says, it was 1578; but Whitstone, who appears to be more accurate, makes it the 7th of Oct. 1577. Gascoigne is one of the authors, whose good fortune it has been to sleep for ages in black-letter. His works became so rare, that complete copies were no where to be found; and scarcity, at length, gave them a value, which their intrinsic merit would never have attained. GEORGE GASCOIGNE. THE ARRAIGNMENT OF A LOUER. At Beautyes barre as I dyd stande, George (quod the Judge) holde vp thy hande, Tell therefore howe thou wylt be tryde: My Lord (quod I) this Lady here, Quod Beautie, no, it fitteth not, Then crafte the cryer cal'd a quest, Of whome was falsehoode formost feere, A pack of pickethankes were the rest, Which came false witnesse for to beare, The Jurye suche, the Judge vniust, Sentence was sayde I should be trust. Jelous the Jaylor bound mee fast, To heare the verdite of the byll, George (quod the Judge) nowe thou art cast, Thou must goe hence to heauie hill, And there be hangde all but the head, God rest thy soule when thou art dead. Downe fell I then vpon my knee, All flatte before Dame Beauties face, And cryed, good Ladye pardon mee, Which here appeale vnto your grace, You knowe if I haue beene vntrue, It was in too much praysing you. And though this Judge doe make suche haste, To shead with shame my guiltlesse blood: Yet let your pittie first bee plaste, To saue the man that mennt you good, So shall you shewe your selfe a Queene, And I may bee your seruaunt seene. (Quod Beautie) well: bicause I guesse, |