Latin, and out of Latine into Castilian, and out of Castilian into Frenche, and out of French into English, written in high and swete styles. O ryght happy trauayle, syth that suche fruite is yssued thereof! And also blessyd bee the handes that haue written it! A ryght precious meate is the sentences of this boke; but fynally the sauce of the saied swete style moueth the appetyte. Many bookes there be of substanciall meates, but they bee so rude and so vnsauery, and the style of so small grace, that the fyrste morcell is lothsome and noyfull: and of suche bookes foloweth to lye hole and sounde in lybraries, but I trust this will not. Of trouth great prayse is due to the auctour of his trauayle, and sith there can be no grace equipolent in earth, let vs praie to God to geue hym grace and re warde in heauen. Amen. Graces to God. Finis. "Thus endeth the volume of Marke Aurelie, emperour, otherwise called the golden booke,* translated oute of French into Englishe by John" Bourchier, knight, Lord Barners, deputee generall of the kinges town of Caleis and marches of the same, at the instaunt desire of his neuewe Sir Frauncis Bryan, knighte, ended at Caleis the tenth daie of Marche, in the yere of the reigne of our Souerayne Lorde Kyng Henry the Eyghte, the fowre and twentie." Conduit street. J. H. "I will intitle this boke the Golden boke (says the author of the prologue). It maie be called golden bycause in so high estimacion it holdeth the vertuouse, discouerynge in theyr this booke with the sentences, as chese princes holdeth theyr mynes of golde in their Indees. But I saie that at this houre there bee moo hertes banished into the Indees of golde, thanne to emploie theym to rede the workes of this boke." ART. ART. VI. The Soules immortall Crowne; consisting of Seaven glorious Graces. 1. Virtue. 2. Wisedome. 3. Love. 4. Constancie. 5. Patience. 6. Humilitie. 7. Infinitenes. Devided into Seaven Dayes Workes: and dedicated to the King's most Excellent Majestie. At London, printed by H. Lownes; and are to be sold by I. C. and F. B. 1605. 4to. 34 leaves. This is one of the curious, though not most rare productions, of that prolific writer Nicholas Breton, who supplied the press with a rich diversity of ingenious compositions for more than forty years. The scheme of this poem was suggested probably by the "divine weeks" of Du Bartas; though Breton's manner of treating his subject is very different, and being much more concise is therefore more impressive. I cite a few stanzas from the fourth division of the work, which are very creditable to the ear and mind and heart of the author. "O Constancie! thou only kingly thought, And like a mountaine settlest fast the minde: And though I cannot reach that royall height, To see thine honour and to speake of it; The The constant eye hath never wandring sight, It loves no change, and breeds the joy of choice, It is the lock upon the heart of Love, A chest that keepes the treasure of the mind; Within the soule a rocke that cannot move, A band that doth the thoughts together bind: A light where wisdom vertue's honour seeth, And life where only grace with loue agreeth. Oh, how it writes the worthiness of those, That strove for honour to the stroke of death: And how without comparison it shows The mouth of wisdom blessed in her breath: And how it makes the fame of them to flourish, That with their bounty vertuous spirits nourish." Having produced this fair specimen from the present publication, I proceed to exhibit an instance of his lyrical powers from the following pious production. ART. VII. A Divine poeme, divided into two partes: the ravisht Soule, and the blessed Weeper. Compiled by Nicholas Breton, Gentle-man. Imprinted at at London, for John Browne and John Deane. 1601. 4to. 24 leaves. To compile and to compose seem formerly to have been considered as synonimous, and the term compiled does not therefore invalidate Breton's full claim to the merits of this composition; which consists of two parts (as the title expresses) and of two distinct modes of versification:-"The ravisht Soule," which describes the devout aspirations of spiritualized affection, is written in the elegiac quatrain; and "the Blessed Weeper," which represents the sorrowful lamentation of Mary Magdalen at the tomb of our Saviour, is written in seven-line stanzas. • To these is prefixed a hymn, from which I extract nearly half, divested of its ancient spelling, that it may be read with the advantage it deserves. "Gloria in excelsis Deo. "Sing, my soul, to God thy Lord! Lay the angel's quire aboard, In their highest holy day;- Tell the world-no world can tell, In whose mercies only dwell All that heaven and earth preserveth : It seems not unlikely, from Mr. Steevens's MS. list of Breton's pieces, that this production had been printed in 1596, under the title of "Marie Magdalen's Love: whereunto is added a solemne passion of the Sowle's Love." VOL, IX. M Grace Grace and glory, life and love, Praise of praises! where thou dwellest, When thy wonder worth doth show thee, Where thou gain'st thy highest glory. "Tis not earth, nor earthly wonder, Can discern thy dearest honour: All her praises are put under, When thy glory looks upon her ;No:-in heaven thy glory dwelleth, Where thy wonder most excelleth. Yet in heaven was never living, Virgin, saint, nor angel's spirit, Where thy grace may have the giving Of thine honour's highest merit: 'Tis their glory's admiration. That deserves thy commendation. Since then, by all consequences In the notes of glory's nature, And the grace's influences, 'Tis not earth, nor heavenly creature; In my God alone, on high, Is this only mystery. Let all kings and princes then In submission fall before him; Virgins, angels, holy men, Both in heaven and earth adore him; In |