Netingham, to take the faid earle of March, with his fonne the lord Roger or Geffrey Mortimer, and Simon Pereford, with other. — Sir Hugh Trumpington (or Turrington as fome copies have), that was one of his cheefeft freends, with certaine other, were flaine as they were about to refift against the lord Montacute and his company in taking of the faid earle. The manner of his taking I paffe over, bicaufe of the diversitie in report thereof by fundrie writers. From Notingham he was fent up to London with his fonne the lord Roger or Geoffry de Mortimer, Sir Simon Bereford, and the other prifoners, where they were committed to prifon in the Tower. Shortlie after was a parlement called at Westminster, cheefelie (as was thought) for reformation of things difordered through the mifgovernance of the earle of March. But whofoever was glad or forie for the trouble of the faid earle, fuerlie the queene mother took it most heavilie above all other, as fhe that loved him more (as the fame went) than ftood with her honour. For as fome write, the was found to be with child by him. They kept, as it were, houfe togither; for the earle, to have his provifion the better cheape, laid his penie with hirs, fo that hir takers ferved him as well as they did hir, both of vittels and carriages; of which mifufage (all regard to honour and eftimation neglected) everic fubject spake shame. For their manner of dealing, tending to fuch evill purposes as they continuallie thought upon, could not be fecret from the cies of the people, and their offense heerein was fo much the more heinous, because they were perfons of an extraordinarie degree, and were the more narrowlie marked of the multitude or common people. P. 349. That is, a canopy of lawn. State was the word more commonly used. Page 46. Of richeft, texture. Book X, p. 441, Paradife Loft. And through the ragged entrails of the cave. Thus Shakespeare in a much-admired fimile: Which like a taper in fome monument Page 47. Titus And. Scene VI. Carnarvon Edward's manes had poffeft On Mortimer's impeachment, the first of the five articles laid to his charge, was, "That he had procured Edward of Carnarvon, the king's father, to be murthered, in most heinous and tyrannous manner, within the caftel of Berklie." Holinfhed, p. 349. Page 48. Dear Son (for well she knew her fon was there), &c. &c. May feems here to have confulted Stow in his account. "Upon a certaine night, the king lying without the caftle (Nottingham) both he and his friends were brought by torch light through a fecret way under ground, be beginning far off from the fayde castle, till they came even to the Queenes chamber, which they by chance found open: they therefore being armed with naked fwords in their hands, went forwards leaving the king also armed without the doore of the chamber, leaft that his mother shoulde espie him: they which entred in flew Hugh Turpingion, knight, who refifted them, Master Jobn Nevel of Horn, by giving him his deadly wound. From thence they went toward the Queene Mother, whom they found with the earle of March readie to have gone to bedde: and having taken the fayde Earle, they ledde him ont into the hall, after whom the Queene followed, crying, Bel filz, Bel filz, ayes pilie de gentil Mortimer Good fonne, good fonne, take pittie upon gentle Mortimer, for she suspected that her fonne was there, though the faw him not." Chron. fol. 1615, p. 229. Page 49. The particular relation that the whole of this Piece bears to many paffages in Milton's Paradife Loft, and the great fublimity of the Poetry, are reafons fufficient to make it acceptable to every reader of taste, notwithstanding its being a tranflation. Of the Sofpetto D'Herode it is to be lamented, that poetical readers in general know fo little, from the specimen here produced, every English reader must be inclined to wish for more. A very intelligent correfpondent in Maty's Review for March, 1785, (Article; Phillip's Edition of Crafhaw) has told us, that the whole Poem has already been rendered into English verse, and that the title-page of the tranflation ftands thus. "The flaughter of the Innocents by Herod; written in Italian by the famous poet the Cavalier Marino, in four books, newly Englished, 1675; to which is added in my copy' in writing, “Englifhed by T. R;" to whom the initials T. R. belong I know not; but the tranflation feems fuperior to Crashaw."——— -An Epitome of the 2d book is then given. Surely a republication of this Tranflation would be highly worth republishing, particularly if executed in a superior style to Crashaw, which feems to me hardly poffible: His eyes the fullen dens of Death and Night, &c. Milton gives him` eyes That fparkling blaz'd. Milton has this fimile of a Comet in his 2d Book. on th' other fide, Incens'd with indignation Satan stood, Unterrify'd; and like a comet, burn'd, That fires th' Arctic sky, and from his horrid hair Again, he compares him to the fun in an Eclipfe. 598. 1 B. P. Loft. Page 50. While his steel fides found with his tail's strong lash. Thus Milton fpeaking of the Old Dragon, upon the very fame occafion: Swindges the fcaly horrour of his tail. Hymn of the Nativ. 18 Stan. Page 51. He faw rich nectar thaws release the rigor, &c. For an oppofite picture to this, fee Shakspeare's Midfum. Night's Dream. hoary headed frofts Fall in the fresh lap of the crimson rose; Page 52. He faw the falling idols all confefs Act. 2. Sc. 2. See Milton's Hymn on the Nativity, where thefe particulars are most sublimely enumerated, IX Stan. &c. among other portents, that of the Oracles having been all truck dumb is not the most inconfiderable. G. Fletcher, an his Christ's Victorie, published in 160, fome time before Milton could pofliby have compofed his Ode, has a fimilar idea on the fame occafion: The Angells caroll'd, low'd their fongs of peace, To fee their Shepheard, the poore fhepheards prefs, 82 St. Can. r. For the fulleft information on this fubject, fee Mr. T. Warton's Edit. of Milton's Minor Poems, p. 280, to which this paffage may be added: He shook himself, and spread bis fpacious wings, &c. In the fame ftyle Milton talks of his jail-broad vans. Page 55. What though I mift my blow, &c. Thus Milton: what though the field be loft? All is not loft; th' unconquerable will, And study of revenge immortal hate, And courage never to fubmit or yield. B. 1. Phineas Fletcher thus, in a fimilar spirit, defcribes the Dragon: Yet full of malice and of ftubborn pride. Though oft had ftrove, and had been foil'd as oft, And mounted on his flaggie fails aloft, With boundleffe fpite he long'd to try again A fecond loffe, and new death; glad and fain So So up he rose upon his ftretched fails, So up he rofe, as does a thunder-cloud, P. Ifland. 12 Can. 58. St. See also a very fpirited Speech in G. Fletcher's Chrifts Triumph, Part 1. zo Stan. Page 58. The image of Death, who is here described as master of this murderous groupe, being almoft out of breath with endless buifnefs, can never be fufficiently commended : The cup they drink in is Medufa's fcull. This circumftance reminds us of a paffage in a Runic Ode preferved by Olaus Wormius, the old Scandinavian warrior Lodbrog, difdaining life and thinking on the joys of immortality, which he was foon about to share in the hall of Odin, exclaims in a high spirit of favage fublimity: Bibemus cerevifiam Ex concavis craniorum crateribus. Page 58. They prick a bleeding heart at every stitch. This line muft immediately recall to the minds of the lovers of Gray, his "Fatal Sifters," an Ode tranflated from the Norfe Page 59. a black wood Which nods with many a heavy-headed tree. Pope's Eloifa. An expreffion of infinite beauty and force, it is ufed by fome one of our la ter poets; but I am now unable to turn to the paffage. Page 61. She thinks not fit fuch he her face fhould fee, As it is feen by Hell, and feen with dread. The reverfe of this, that is in a good sense, is Virgil's: qualifque videri Çælicolis et quanta følet. 2 Æn. See Milton, 225, B. 1. The original is to be found in Spenfer's F. Queen, B. 1. Cant. 1. 18 Stan. where the air is reprefented as too light to fupport the weight of the Old Dragon. Sound was never more completely rendered an echo to fenfe than in the last line of the zd Stanza, which I have quoted from P. Fletcher: "So up ke rofe and through the weary ayer vowd." Page Page 66. But fits at home with folded arms. Shakspeare, who above all others has the power of giving to common circumftances an air the most uncommon, has a pretty image of this kind. Ariel is defcribing to Profpero in what manner he had executed his orders: amongst other things he adds: The King's fon have I landed by himself, Page 67. TEMPEST. -withing in vaine She could recall her virgine state againe. Thus Rowe in his Jane Shore: In vain with tears her lofs fhe may deplore; When that unblemish'd forme, Thus Milton in his Comus: And thou unblemish'd form of Chastity. 215. He had originally written, "And thou unfpotted forme of Chastity." How far this expreffion of May might influence him in the alteration, it is impoffible to determine: O then the with'd her beauties ne'er had been Renown'd; I cannot refift the opportunity of quoting a few fine lines from Daniel on this occafion, and on this very fubject: Did nature (for this good) ingeniate, To chastity, and us, that love thee most, Without thee, how w' are loath'd, and with thee loft? COMPL. OF ROSAMOND The rofie tincture her fweete cheekes forfooke. Thus Milton, What need a vermeil-tinctur'd lip for that. COMUS. The tale of Fair Rofamond is altogether moft happily adapted to the purpofes of poetry, nor has it efcaped the notice of our older poets, for (exclu five of May) Warner, Drayton, and Daniel, have each tried their refpective powers upon it. P. Fletcher, in his P. Ifland, alludes to one of them, though it is uncertain which, Cant. 5. Stan. XLV. Both Drayton and VOL. II. L Daniel |