Credite

Saie thow
Covet

Trust thow

Dispend

Doe thow

}

ART. XIX. Old Poetry.

Preceptes of Wisedom.

not all

thow beerest others saye;
thow thinkest in thy mynde;
thow seest by night or daye;
thow knowest to be kinde;
thow hast for fear of lack;
thow mayst for fear of wrack.

In each beginning take good heed,
The middle likewise well perpend;
Proceeding, make not too much speed;
Then mayst thow haply praise the end;
Doo that is good, saie that is true;
Cherishe old frindes, chainge for no newe.

Who speakes thee faire and looves thee not,
Geve him good speech and trust him not;
As good a foe that hurteth not,

As frinde at need that helpeth not.

Conduit street.

Ro. DA.

J. H.

ART. XX. Bibliographical Catalogue.

A Prognostication for ever of Erra Pater, a jewe borne in Jewrye, and Doctour in Astronomye and phisiche. Profitable to kepe the bodye in health, and also Ptholomeus saieth the This Prognistication serueth for all the world ouer.

same.

Oct. 12 leaves. b. 1. n. d. or printer's name.

An augur prognosticating the events of the year from the day of the week on which it commences, can only awaken compassion for the credulity of some portion of the human kind. A specimen equally fallacious is the following;

" Of

"Of the signification of thonder in every day of the weake. If it thonder on the Sondaye, there wil be a great death of clarkes, of judges, and other peruers people by signification. If on the Mondaye it chaunce to thonder, then many women shall dye, and the corne will suffer an eclipse by signification. If it thonder on Tuesdaye it betokeneth plentie of corne. If on Wednesdaye it chaunce to thonder, it betokeneth that yere that common women and lighte wenches and folishe women shall die, and then shal be great bloudsheding. If it thonder on the Tursday then shal be great chepe of corne. If on Friday it chaunce to thonder it betokeneth that a great man shalbe slaine, and diuers other murthers shalbe done. If on Saterday it chaunce to thonder it betokeneth that then shall be a generall pestilent plage whereof many shall die &c. Expilcit. Thus endeth this prognostication for euer,"

Art. 2. A Modell of truths or a Discovery of certain reall passages of this Parliament. Printed in the Yeare 1642, qto 4 leaves.

Prefixed is "6 a coppy of a letter sent from London to one Mr. N. C. living in Gloucester," in answer to a desire of knowing the occurrences of the great throng swarmed together, "commonly called the High court of Parliament; but things of this sort are of such a spreading nature, that what is newes when I write it, may grow old ere you have read it." Not fearing to offend "with a Crambe," and being easier put to tune, the writer " thought fit to deliver in that habiliment of a Madrigall." The Poem is in nine stanzas, from which are selected the fourth and fifth.

"They would not have the Kingdome fall
By an ignoble funerall,

But

But piously preferre the Nation
To a renowned Decollation.

The feet and lower parts 'tis sed,
Would trample on, and off the head;
What e're they say this is the thing,
They love the Charles, but hate the King.
To make an even Grove, one stroake
Should lift the Shrub unto the Oake.
A new found musicke, they would make
A Gamut, but no Ela take.

This is the pious good intent
Of Priviledge of Parliament.

In all humility they crave
Their Soveraigne to be their slave,
Desiring him that he would be
Betray'd to them most Loyally:
For it were meeknesse sure in him
To be a Vayvod unto Pym:
And if he would a while lay downe
His scepter, Majesty, and Crowne,
He should be made for time to come
The greatest Prince in Christendome.
Charles at this time not having need,
Thank'd them as much as if he did.

This is the happy wisht event
Of Priviledge of Parliament."

A portion of this last stanza the reader will find inserted in most old collections of poetry as the humble petition of the House of Commons, with the King's answer.

Art. 3. The Generall History of Women, containing the lives of the most holy and profane, the most famous and infamous in all ages, exactly described not only from poeticall fictions,

VOL. IX.

FF

fictions, but from the most ancient, modern, and admired Historians to our times. By T. H. Gent. London, printed by W. H. for W. H. at the sign of the blew Anchor, at the backside of the Roiall Exchange, 1657, oct. pp.

651.

At. p. 244 of this compilation, under the head of Incest, is inserted the story of the Mysterious Mother, transcribed from Byshop's Blossoms with trifling variation, which may be added to the account already given at p. 184 of the present volume.

In the Ductor Dubitantium, or the Rule of Conscience, &c. by Jeremy Taylor, 2d edit. 1671, the name of Manlius as an authority is converted into Comitolus; and given as what " was determined by a congregation of learned and prudent persons, in answering to a strange and rare case happening in Venice." The story is similar in principal facts, and the whole passage may be found among the Extracts at the end of "a Miscellany, containing, amidst a variety of other matters curious and interesting, remarks on Boswell's Johnson, &c. &c. by S. Whyte, and his son, E. A. Whyte." Oct. Dublin, 1799.

Art. 4. The Choise of Change; containing the triplicitie of Diuinitie, Philosophie, and Poetrie; Short for memorie; profitable for knowledge; and necessarie for maners; whereby the learned may be confirmed, the ignorant instructed, and all men generally recreated. Newly set forth by S. R. Gent. and Student in the Vniuersitie of Cambridge. Tria sunt omnia. At London, printed by Roger Warde, dwelling neere Holburne Conduite, at the signe of the Talbot. An. Dom. 1585. qto. 58 leaves.

"To the right honorable Sir Henry Herbert, knight of the most noble order of the garter, Lord of Cardiffe mannor and S. Quintin, and Earle of Pembrocke, the right wor

shipfull

shipfull Sir Philip Sidney Knight, with the right worthy Gentleman M. Robert Sidney Esquire, S. R. wisheth increase of vertuous qualities in the mind, of the gifts of the body, and goodes of Fortune.-I present these my three bookes of Diuinitie, Philosophie, and Poetrie (comprized together in one volume) vnto you three right H. and W. (who are linked and vnited together in an indissoluble band of amitie and fraternitie) humbly requesting that you wil countenance them with fauour, and patronage them by your authoritie, that thereby they may eschew the reproches of malitious tongues, and bleare the enuious eyes of such as prye at other mens faultes in the water, which cause thinges seeme bigger then they be, but regard their owne faultes as through small nets, which cause things to seeme lesse.-Your Honor and Worships to commaund. S. R."

"To the reader. 1. He that knoweth not that he ought to know, is a brute beast among men. 2. He that knoweth no more than he hath need of, is a man among brute beasts. 3. He that knoweth all that may be knowen, is a God among men. 1. Read willingly. 2. Correct friendly. 3. Judge indifferently.

Of each article, divinity, philosophy, and poetry, there are the first and second hundredth only, leaving the work incomplete as to the triple number of books. The following class under the head of poetry.

"There is a scarcitie of 3 sortes of men in this our age. Of priests, for if there were not, one should not need to haue 3 or 4 benefices, Of noble men, because citizens doe aspire to honor, and buy nobilitie. Of Jewes, because christians make an occupation of vsury."

"Whosoeuer will retaine a Lawier, and lawfully seeke his owne right, must be furnished with 3 pockets. In the first pocket he must haue his declarations and certificates, wherewith he may show his right. In the second pocket