To that altar I will fly, Mercy, Lord, do I crave, Other refuge, none I have, O look upon me through that side, Grant his wounds my sins may hide, In my heart do thou place, That, when death shall claim his due; Grace in glory may expire, This is all my desire." "An Epitaph. "Life leads to death, so nature saith; I have nothing to add concerning the author, but the following information, which I have taken from an inscription to the memory of his great grandson' in Maryport church, Bristol. Richard Standfast, M. A. Chaplain in ordinary to Charles I. who, on account of his inviolable loyalty to the King, and firm attachment to the church, was for 14 years deposed, but on the Restoration, restored to his benefice and promoted to the dignity of a prebendary of the cathedral church of this city, where, notwithstanding a total privation of sight, he continued to discharge the duties of each province as an able, diligent, and orthodox divine. J. F. Bristol. ART. ART. XVII. A brief Memoir of George Gascoigne, with a complete List of his Works. More than seventy years ago, Mrs. Cooper, in her Muses Library, recalled the public notice to the poetry of GEORGE GASCOIGNE. Dr. Percy, Mr. Warton, Mr. Headley, and Mr. Ellis, have all since contributed to revive his fame. Mr. Gilchrist has also given an original memoir of him in the first volume of CENSURA LITERARIA, p. 110. I am fearful fearful that I can add nothing new to these accounts; but it is proper to say something of the author before a list of his works, which, it it is presumed, will be found more perfect than any hitherto given, This poet is said to have been descended from an ancient and noble family in Essex, which must therefore be taken to have been a branch of the eminent Yorkshire house of that name. Mr. Gilchrist however doubts whether Essex can in truth claim the honour of his birth, as he speaks of having "stale his Englishe in Westmerland." It is now ascertained (by the appropriation of the life written by George Whetstone,) that he died at Stamford in Lincolnshire, Oct. 7, 1577, at which time it is probable, that if he was not very old, he was at least a middle-aged man; as Mr. Ellis remarks that he mentions "his crooked age and hoary hairs." On the other hand, as he took a Captain's commission in Holland under William, Prince of Orange, in 15-2, a presumption arises, that he had not at that time outlived the vigour of life. Our poet having been educated at Cambridge chiefly, (if not exclusively) afterwards removed to Gray's Inn to pursue the law; but, as is generally the case with men. of a lively imagination, found that study too dull for him. The splendors of the court were better suited to his taste, though not to his finances. Here he exhausted his patrimony; and having resolved to seek his fortune abroad, embarked on March 19, 1572, at Gravesend for Holland. In this voyage he narrowly escaped shipwreck; but having at length reached the land in safety, obtained the military employment, which I have already mentioned. In this occupation he distinguished himself at the siege of Middleburgh; for which he received an handsome present and promises of future promotion from the Prince. But he was soon surprised by the Spaniards, and taken prisoner near the walls of Leyden. He did not however during this active life discard the It is to be lamented that while the numerous genealogical records of the Heralds College preserve the births, deaths, and connections of thousands of insignificant people, they should furnish no notices regarding such men as Spenser and Gascoigne, to link them with their ancestors; or particularize any circumstance of their own lives. Yet it has been argued most sagaciously that the silence of the Heralds is a proof of obscurity!! Edmund Spenser and George Gascoigne were no doubt very obscure men!! !! Muse Muse. For here he is said to have written in his winter quarters his poem entitled The Fruits of War, under the patronage of Lord Grey of Wilton,* from whom he professes to have received many signal favours. He was released from his imprisonment at the end of four months and sent back to England. On his return he is reported to have again fixed his residence at Gray's Inn, where he was in high esteem among the wits of the age, for his talents in amatory poetry, and his skill in dramatic compositions, as well as for his elegant translations both from the ancient and modern languages. In 1575 he retired to his " poore house" at Walthamstow; and there collected and published his poems. But it does not seem that he had totally forsaken the court; for in this year he wrote an account of "The Princely Pleasures at Kenilworth." He did not enjoy his retirement long, as is evident from "A remembrance of the wel-imployed life and godly end of George Gaskoigne, Esquire, who deceassed at Stalmford in Lincolnshire, the 7th of October, 1577: the reporte of Geo. Whetstone, Gent. An eye-witnes of his godly and charitable end in this world. London, printed for Edward Aggas," &c. which unique publication was lately bought by Mr. Malone from the curious library of Mr. Voight; and on examination proves the person commemorated to have been our poet. Some good specimens of Gascoigne's poetry have been given in the last volume of CENSURA LITERARIA, in the article on Hunting, extracted from Turberville. Puttenham's praise of him "for a good metre and a plentiful vein," is very correct. His poems are elegant, smooth, and harmonious; copious in sentiment and diction; and animated by an easy and abundant, though not a sublime, fancy. Yet with all this, he is not free from antithesis and conceit; and seems sometimes to affect a kind of courtier-like prettiness. Many specimens prove, that in moral and didactic poetry, he was capable of reaching considerable excellence. There is much ingenious delicacy in the following little piece, which has been given by Mrs. Cooper. One of the patrons of Spenser. See CENS. LIT. IV. 218. "The "The Arraignment of a Lover. 1. "At Beauty's bar as I did stand, When false Suspect accused me, George! quoth the Judge, hold up thy hand; Thou art arraign'd of Flattery! Tell therefore how thou wilt be tried! Whose judgement here wilt thou abide ? 2. My Lord, quoth I, this Lady here, 3. Quoth Beauty; no, it fitteth not A Prince herself to judge the cause: 4. Then Craft, the cryer, call'd a quest Of whom was Falsehood foremost feere : A pack of Pickthanks were the rest, Which came false witness for to bear, The Jury such; the Judge unjust, Sentence was said, I should be trust. 5. Jealous the jailer bound me fast To hear the verdict of the bill: George, quoth the Judge, now thou art cast, Thou must go hence to Heavy Hill; And there be hang'd all but the head. God rest thy soul, when thou art dead. 6. Down fell I then upon the knee, All flat before Dame Beauty's face, |