while he likens her to Venus, he calls himself Adonis, and entreats her to transform him to a flower. In all this there is not one word of original thought, although the language is sufficiently harmonious. A couplet printed in the following manner makes it pretty clear that the lady whom R. T. addressed was named Caril:

"And gainst all sense makes me of CARe and IL,
More than of good and comfoR. T. to have will.”

If Tofte at all expected that his "Laura" would rival that of Petrarch, he was wofully mistaken. The work is so scarce, that we doubt if a third copy of it be in existence.

TOFTE, ROBERT.

Alba. The Months Minde of a melancholy Lover, divided into three parts. By R. T. Gentleman. Hereunto is added a most excellent patheticall and passionate Letter sent by the Duke D'Epernoun unto the late French King, Henry the 3. of that name, when he was commanded from the Court and from his Royall Companie. Translated into English by the foresaid Author. Spes, Amor et Fortuna valete. -At London. Printed by Felix Kingston for Matthew Lownes. 1598. 12mo. 40 leaves.

Attention has been directed to this production, chiefly on account of its mention of "Love's Labour's Lost," by name, as a play" which the writer had seen performed, and the title which he found consistent with his own condition as 66 'a melancholy Lover," disappointed by the rejection of his suit:

"Loves Labour lost I once did see, a play

Ycleped so, so called to my paine."

He goes on to complain that what seemed "jest" to others was earnest" to him, but he praises the "cunning wise" in which "each Actor plaid his part." If he had told us also how the parts were distributed, he would have much increased our obligation, for it is not known by whom a single character was supported.

Tofte was a voluminous translator, chiefly from the Italian, and, as in the previous article, dates some of his poems from Rome, Mantua, &c., and one from Burnham, in Buckinghamshire. However, the lady to whom he was devoted lived at Warrington, and her name, he again tells us, was Carill: this is biographically interesting, but the fact has hitherto been passed over, perhaps on account of the extreme scarcity of Tofte's volumes: he says of the place:

War in that town Love, lord like, keepeth still,
Yet she ore him triumphs with chastest will:"

and as to the lady's name he observes,

"Then constant Care, not comfort I do crave,

And (might I chuse) I Care with L would have."

This sort of word-play does not say much for the merit of the many separate love-poems; but, perhaps, as much as they deserve. The dedication of the volume is "to the no lesse excellent then honorablie descended Gentlewoman, Mistresse Anne Herne," to whom, in 1610, Tofte addressed his "Honour's Academie." She was the wife of Sir Edward Herne, Kt. of the Bath. Tofte's friends, R. Day, Ignoto, J. M., and R. A., presented him with compassionate and commendatory verses to his "Alba" (the poetical appellation of Miss Carill), and from them we again learn that by his familiars he was known as "Robin Redbreast,” a nickname which Queen Elizabeth had given to her spoilt favorite, Robert Earl of Essex.

TOFTE, ROBERT. Ariosto's Satyres in seven famous Discourses, shewing the state, 1. Of the Court and Courtiers. 2. Of Libertie and the Clergie in generall. 3. Of the Romaine Clergie. 4. Of Marriage. 5. Of Soldiers Musitians and Lovers. 6. Of Schoolmasters and Scholers. 7. Of Honour and the happiest Life. In English by Gervis Markham.-London Printed by Nicholas Okes for Roger Jackson &c. 1608. 4to. 58 leaves.

Markham, whose name is on the title-page, was a "bookseller's hack" in the age in which he lived; but perhaps we have no right to conclude that he was a party to the fraud here committed, by putting his name to the work of another. In his version of Varchi's "Blazon of Jealousy," 4to, 1615, Robert Tofte lays claim to this translation of Ariosto's Satires, and, as Markham did not dispute his right, we may infer that Tofte was the real translator. It was reprinted anonymously in 1611, under the title of "Seven Planets governing Italy," with the addition of three elegies.

The edition of 1608 is ushered by an address from the stationer to the reader, followed by "The Argument of the whole worke, and the reasons why Ludovico Ariosto writ these seaven Satyres." The translation, which is not deficient in spirit or fidelity, is accompanied by explanatory marginal notes.

His

Tofte, as we have shown, p. 157, began writing in 1597. "Honour's Academie," 1610, gives him a claim to be mentioned among the few who endeavored to introduce classical measures into English. It is singular that when Tofte wrote in 1598 he spoke of two printed pieces by R. Greene, as if they were still unpublished.

TREATISE OF LOVE. Here begynneth a lytell treatise cleped La conusaunce damours. [Colophon.] Thus endeth la conusaunce damours. Imprinted by Rycharde Pynson, printer to the Kynges noble grace. Cum privilegio. 4to. 16 leaves.

The original production from which this small tract was translated is known in early French literature under the title of La Conusance d'Amours. Who rendered it into English for Pynson we have no means of knowing; but it is more cleverly done, and with fewer marks of obligation, than most other pieces of the time. In the outset the writer expresses his earnest desire to compose something in praise of the female sex, whom he denominates "dames and pusels," and laments his incompetence: suddenly it occurs to him that he might be inspired, if he paid a visit to some young damsels of his acquaintance:

Sodaynly came in my mynde to go

Se a faire pusell, and two or three mo

Of her companions."

He met one of them at the house-door, "whose hart was on a merry pin," and entering he beheld the lady he was most anxious

to see:

"Into a goodly parler she me lad,
And caused me to sit curtesly:

Than unto us came shortly by and by
Another that me swetely dyd welcome,
Bryngyng fresshe flowres and gave me some.

"Than we began to talke and devyse

Of one and other of olde acqueyntaunce;
For comonly of maydens is the gyse
Somtyme to demaunde, for pastaunce,
If that a man be in loves daunce,
Or stande in grace of any dammusell?
Under suche maner in talkynge we fell."

They discourse of love and true lovers, and the young lady to whom the poet was attached relates the story of Pyramus and Thisbe. She also delivers her opinion upon "clandestinat maryage," and diverges to the loves of Troilus and Cressida, when she introduces what, as may be supposed, is not in the original, the praise of Chaucer for the manner in which he had related that history. She asks: —

"What shulde I herof longer processe make?

Theyr great love is wrytten all at longe,

And honce he dyed onely for her sake:
Our ornate Chaucer, other bokes amonge,
In his lyfe dayes dyd underfonge

To translate, and that most pleasantly,
Touchyng the mater of the sayd story."

This interesting notice of our great poet has escaped observation. The author rather injures the effect of his narrative by introducing two allegorical personages, one Reason, and the other Thought-and-hevynesse. What they say is not very pertinent, nor always quite intelligible; and the later portion of the tract consists of an enumeration of many classical stories of love and disappointment. In the sequel the author gives the ladies an ac

count of what love was, according to his experience, and the poem closes with this stanza:

"Your chere here (they sayd) is but small;

We wolde it were much better for your sake.

Our janglynge, that to us now hath fall,

Wolde suffre us no chere for to make.

And so theyr leave swetely of me they take

At the port or gate: and in they go,

And I went strayght to my home also."

This production was never seen by Herbert; and Dr. Dibdin (II. 556) in his brief account of it has given no sort of notion of the nature of its lively contents. It must have been popular, and probably would have been more so if the author, in the speeches of the symbolical impersonations, had not deviated from the sprightly to the didactic. Only two copies have ever been mentioned.

TRIAL OF FRIENDSHIP. The Trial of true Friendship; or perfit mirror wherby to discerne a trustie friend from a flattering Parasite. Otherwise A knacke to know a knave from an honest man: By a perfit mirrour of both: Soothly to say, Trie ere you trust; Beleeve no man rashly. No lesse profitable in observing then pleasant in reading. By M. B.- Imprinted at London by Valentine Simmes dwelling on Adling Hill at the signe of the white Swanne. 1596. 4to. B. L. 18 leaves.

In 1594 had been printed a highly popular comedy, in which Alleyn and Kempe acted, called "A Knacke to know a Knave,” and the author of the very rare tract before us adopted the name of the play, as a prominent feature on his title-page, probably in the hope that his dull treatise might thereby obtain a sale to which otherwise it was certainly not destined. Throughout sixteen closely printed pages there is not a single break, so that the performance looks most forbidding to any reader of light literature.

The writer professes that his purpose is to enforce the value of