"First, out of many excellent speeches, spoken to her Majestie, at tiltings, triumphes, maskes, and shewes, and devises perfourmed in prograce: as also out of divers choise ditties sung to her; and some especially, proceeding from her owne most sacred selfe! Here are great store of them digested into their meete places, according as the method of the worke plainly delivereth. Likewise out of private poems, sonnets, ditties, and other wittie conceits, given to her honorable Ladies and vertuous Maids of Honour; according as they could be obtained by sight, or favour of copying, a number of most wittie and singular sentences. Secondly, looke what workes of poetrie have been put to the worlds eye, by that learned and right royall king and poet, James King of Scotland; no one sentence of worth hath escaped, but are likewise here reduced into their right roome and place. Next, out of sundry things extant, and many in private, done by these right honourable persons following:

Thomas, [Henry] Earle of Surrey.

The Lorde Marquesse of Winchester.

Mary, Countess of Pembrooke.

Sir Philip Sidney.

From poems and workes of these noble personages,

extant.

Edward, Earle of Oxenford.

Ferdinando, Earle of Derby.
Sir Walter Raleigh.

Sir Edward Dyer.

Fulke Grevile, Esq.

Sir John Harrington.

From divers essayes of their poetrie; some extant

among other honourable personages writings, some

from private labours and translations.

Edmund Spencer.

Henry Constable, Esq.

Samuel Daniell.

These being moderne and extant poets, that have lived together: from many of their extant workes,

and some kept in private.

Tho. Norton, Esq.

Geo. Gascoigne, Esq.

Frauncis Kindlemarsh, Esq.

Thomas Atchelow.

George Whetstones.

These being deceased, have left divers extant labours, and many more held back from publishing, which for the most part have been perused, and their due right here given them in the Muses Garden.

Besides, what excellent sentences have been in any presented Tragedie, Historie, Pastorall, or Comedie, they have been likewise gathered, and are here inserted in their proper places."

It will be seen from the above statement, that this compilation must have been formed with elaborate attention, and that it must necessarily contain many choice and sententious flores poetarum Anglicanorum. Its pervading defects arise from the names of the authors not being annexed to the extracts from their works, as in England's Parnassus; and from the selections having been made with still greater brevity.

ART. XXXI. The Canticles or Balades of Salomon, phraselyke declared in Englysh Metres, by William Baldwin. Halleluiah,

Syng to the Lord sum plesaunt song

Of matter fresh and newe:

Vnto his churche it doth belong,

His prayses to renewe." Psalme cxviii.

1549. 4to. Colophon. Imprinted at London by William Baldwin, seruant with Edwarde Whitchurche. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum.

The address to the reader is followed by a dedication to King Edward the Sixth, dated "at London, the first of June, 1549"

"The Canticles" are divided into eight chapters, each of which is separated into many distinct "ballades."* These consist first of the text, then the argument of that portion which constitutes the Song, and lastly we have the Song itself. Of these we select one from chap. 4. no. 33.

"The Texte.

"O howe fayer are thy brestes, my syster, my spouse? they are more pleasaunt then wine, and the smell of thyne oyntmentes passeth al the spices. Thy lippes, O my loue, are a dropping hony combe, milke and hony is vnder thy tongue," &c.†

"The Argument.

"After Christe hath praysed his Spouse for thone of her iyes, and for one of her chaynes, dispraysyng the other (for she hath yet one carnal iye, and doeth sum of her wurkes through hipocrisie) he prayseth the rest of her partes throwly, syngyng before the young-lynges."

"Christe to his Spouse. xxxiii.

"How fayre thy dugges, thy charitie is my Spouse, My syster swete more fayre they are than wyne :

Thy sauour eke of my gyftes glorious,

Do

passe all odours, be they neuer so fine.

*In all they amount to 71.

↑ I omit transcribing the whole of the original text: it begins at verse 10, and continues to part of v. 16.

Thy lyppes, my loue, the hunney combe are lyke,
From whiche my prayse doeth drop al men among :
My scriptures eke, that are not muche vnlyke
Hunney and mylke, doe vnder lye the toụng;

Thy garmentes gay, my merites whiche thou hast,
Do sauour swete, lyke the mount Libanus.

My Spouse, thou art an orchard locked fast
Of pleasaunt trees, my elect most bounteous.

The planted trees and frutes whiche grow in thee,
Of pomegranates are lyke a paradise,

Beset about with fruites that pleasaunt bee,

Of cumly heyght that spryng in goodly wyse.

In thee doeth grow spykenarde and calamus,
With saffron, camphor, and swete cypres,
And all the trees that grow in Libanus :
Swete cynamome, strong myrrhe and aloes:
With all hote spices aromatical,

These are the elect and fayth full that doe dwell
In thee my church, in office seueral :

Who all through fayth, excedyng swete do smel.

And thou my Spouse of gardeyns art a wel,
Thy dewie fayth doth moysten euery coost:

Thou art also a poole the whiche doeth wel

Vp lyuely springes, from out the holy goost.

With these thy streames, whiche calmly take their course From Libanus, my wurde that mountayne clere

Thou waterest the gardens fine or course

"Of all good folke, that in thy waye appere,

* A verse here omitted.