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,
When false suspect accused mee,
George (quod the Judge) holde vp thy hande,
Thou art arraignde of Flatterye :

Tell therefore howe thou wylt be tryde:
Whose iudgement here wylt thou abyde,

My Lord (quod I) this Lady here,
Whome I esteeme aboue the rest,
Doth knowe my guilte if any were:
Wherefore hir doome shall please me best.
Let her be Judge and Jurour boathe,
To trye mee guiltlesse by myne oathe.

Quod Beautie, no, it fitteth not,
A Prince hir selfe to iudge the cause:
Wyll is our Justice well you wot,
Appointed to discusse our Lawes :
If you wyll guiltlesse seeme to goe,
God and your countrey quitte you so.

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,
What thou dost meane hencefoorth to bee,
Although thy faultes deserue no lesse,
Than Iustice here hath iudged thee,
Wylt thou be bounde to stynt all strife,
And be true prisoner all thy lyfe?

Yea Madame (quod I) that I shall,
Loe fayth and trueth my suerties* :

Why then (quod shee) come when I call,
I aske no better warrantise.

Thus am I Beauties bounden thrall,
At hir commaunde when she doth call.
Euer or neuer

IN PRAYSE OF BRIDGES, NOWE LADY SANDES.

IN Court who so demaundes what Dame doth most excell, [beares the bell: For my conceyt I must needes say, faire Bridges Upon whose liuely cheeke, to prooue my iudgement true, [of hewe: The Rose and Lillie seeme to striue for equal change And therewithall so well her graces all agree, No frowning cheere dare once presume in hir sweete face to be. [other best, Although some lauishe lippes, which like some Wyll saye the blemishe on her browe disgraceth all the rest †.

Thereto I thus replie, God wotte they little know, The hidden cause of that mishap, nor how the harme dyd grow.

For when Dame nature first had framde hir heauenly face, [of grace: And thoroughly bedecked it with goodly gleames

• Common Bayll.

+She had a scar on her forehead. See Percy's Relics, vol. 2. p. 150. Edit. 1765. C.