Hence the writer (supposed without much evidence to be Robert Parsons) proceeds to notice two publications by Munday: one upon the death of Everard Haunce, a copy of which was sold among Heber's books, and the other his tract entitled "A Discoverie of Edmond Campion and his Confederates," which also includes an account of their execution, and was published in 8vo by Edward White, with the date of 1582. Munday claimed to have been very instrumental, not only in the detection, but in the capture of Campion, and having been a witness at his trial, was present at his execution for the purpose of confronting him. The latter part of Munday's tract is "A breefe Discourse concerning the deathes of Edmond Campion, Jesuit, Raphe Shirwin and Alexander Brian, on 1 Dec. 1581"; and in the next year Munday wrote, and printed, a reply to the publication before us. MUNDAY, post.) (See At the close of the small volume in our hands are four poems upon Campion and his fellow-sufferers. The first contains the following stanza against Munday: "The witnesse false, Sledd, Munday & the rest, Elderton excited the author's wrath by ballads he had published, in the usual course of his calling, upon the execution of Campion. He attacks him thus: "Fonde Elderton, call in thy foolish rime: Write alehouse toys-blaspheme not in thy vain." No ballad by Elderton on this subject has come down to us: he was a noted writer of poems upon temporary topics, and the laughing-stock of Thomas Nash and other younger contemporaries : he had been a player as early as 1552, (Kempe's Loseley MSS. p. 47,) and twenty years afterwards we find him at the head of a company of actors. It must have been subsequently to this date that he subsisted mainly by "ballading," though some of his extant productions of that class bear an earlier date, as, for instance, his Epitaph upon Bishop Jewell in 1571. His "Lamentation of Follie," printed by Edward Allde without date, is probably still older, and, from expressions it contains, may be assigned to the very commencement of the reign of Elizabeth.1 CAP AND THE HEAD. - A Pleasaunt Dialogue or disputation betweene the Cap and the Head.-Imprinted at London by Henry Denham for Lucas Harrison &c. Anno 1564. Novembris 11. B. L. 12mo. 23 leaves. This highly amusing and curious tract is anonymous, and it was so popular that it came to a second edition very early in 1565, a copy bearing the date of 19th Feb. in that year being known, and preserved in the library at Bridgewater House. It consists entirely of a conversation between a Cap and a Head that was about to put it on, the former remonstrating against the fantastic fashions of the early part of the reign of Elizabeth, and illustrating very minutely, and entertainingly, many of the prevailing peculiarities in attire, but especially in the ornaments and coverings for the head. It opens as follows: 1 It was reprinted by the Percy Society in 1840, with a more interesting, but not more curious ballad, entitled "The Panges of Love and Lover's Fittes," which is quoted by Shakspeare in "Twelfth Night," and in "Romeo and Juliet." It is also mentioned in the old play, "The Triumphs of Love and Fortune," 1589, and in the interlude of "The Trial of Treasure," 1567. We quote a single stanza relating to Troilus and Cressida: "Knowe ye not how Troylus To slepe with him and graunt him rest, My deare Ladie!" VOL. I. 9 "The Cap. O, how undiscretely doth Fortune deale with many in this world! cursed be the time that ever I was appoynted to cover thee. "The Head. What the Divel aylest thou? thou doest nothing now a dayes but murmure and grudge. "The Cap. I would the Wolle that I was made of and the Sheepe that bare it had been devoured wyth Dogges, or that it had beene burned in the filthy fyngers of the ilfavoured olde queane that spunne it. "The Head. Why, what meanest thou by this Cursing? I never did thee any harme." Afterwards the Cap enters into particulars of his grievances; and this and other passages would have afforded amusing illustrations to the author of the articles on ancient head-dresses in Vol. xxiv. of the Archæologia: "The Cap. Who is able to beare suche injurye at thy hande? thou art never contented to weare me after one fashion; but one while thou wearest me like a Garlande; by and by lyke a Steeple; another whyle a Barber's Bason; anone after lyke a Boll whelmed upsyde downe; sometyme lyke a Royster; sometime lyke a Souldiour, and sometime like an Antique; sometyme plited, and anone after unplited; and not being contented with that, thou byndest mee wyth garishe bandes, one while of one colour, and another while of an other, and sometyme wyth many coloures at once, as if I were mad: howe is it possible to suffer so many chaunges?" The Cap is sometimes very severe and satirical in his cen sures: "For how many are paynted wyth Diademe for Saincts, that in time of their lyfe have bene false Traytoures to their King and Countrye? howe many crowned wyth Golde, that haue better deserved to be crowned with perpetuall shame? how many paynted wyth precious Myters that, if their lives were wel examined, might more worthily weare an infamous Pyllory paper? so that their head attyre honoureth not them, but they rather dishonour their attyre: whereby thou maist perceave that it is not possyble for me to hyde the faultes of the understanding, as I hyde the scurfe of thy scalde Pate." The Cap further complains that he is sometimes ridiculously "stuck with Ostridge, Cranes, Parrats, Bittons, Cockes and Capons feathers," signifying nothing but the lightness of the brain of the wearer. At last Cap and Head go out into the street together, and Cap questions Head very closely why he pulls him off so frequently to salute different people as they pass. "The Cap. *** But tell me why diddest thou put me of to him that passed by? "The Head. Wouldest thou not have me shew obeyscence to him? looke what a fayre chayne he hath on. "The Cap. Then madest thou curtesy to hys chayne, and not to him. "The Head. Nay, I did it to him bycause of hys chaine. "The Cap. What is hee. "The Head. I can not tell; but well I wote he hath a fayre chayne. "The Cap. But if he had had none, thou wouldest have let him passe. "The Head. Yea: but sawest thou not, when hee perceaved that I made no accoumpte of hym, howe he opened his Cloake of purpose that I might see his chayne? and then, thou knowest, I can doe no lesse." This leads to various shrewd remarks upon persons of different stations and professions: one of the persons they pass is a Catholic bishop, and in the course of the conversation the Head tells an anecdote how he escaped being considered a heretic. Throughout the discussion the Cap has by far the best of the “ disputation," which terminates in this manner : "The Head. I cannot deny but thou haste spoken reason, but bycause I will not seeme to bee selfe willed, I minde to frame myselfe according to the time and company; and therfore beare with mee tyll I haue money to bye a new Cap, at which time I minde to let thee rest in quiet. "The Cap. Well, syth it wyll be no better, I minde no more to trouble thee; but wyll arme my selfe paciently to beare all these Injuries, in hope that a time will come that thou shalte both remember my wordes, and I also shall bee in quiet: therefore, doe what thou wilte, I wyll say no more." The last leaf is occupied only by the printer's colophon, with the same date as on the title-page. CAREW, RICHARD. Godfrey of Bulloigne or the Recouerie of Hierusalem. An heroicall poeme written in Italian by Sieg. Torquato Tasso and translated into English by R. C. Esquire. And now the first part containing fiue Cantos imprinted in both Languages. London, Imprinted by John Windet for Thomas Man. 1594. 4to. 120 leaves. This very faithful version was made by Richard Carew of Anthony, author of the "Survey of Cornwall." There are not two editions in 1594, but the title-pages of some copies differ in the imprint, purporting to have been "printed by John Windet for Christopher Hunt of Exceter"; and an address, subscribed C. H., informs the reader that the MS. had got abroad without Carew's knowledge, and that, after five cantos had been printed, he forbade the publication of more, at least for the present. The address to this copy, instead of being dated, as usual with others we have seen," From Exceter the last of Februarie 1594," is "From Exceter the last of Februarie 1593." In one case, no doubt, the commencement of the year was calculated from 1st January, and in the other from 25th March. As Fairefax in 1600 (see FAIREFAX, post) availed himself of Carew's version, especially in the first draught of the first stanza of his translation, without much improving upon it, we may subjoin it here for the sake of comparison. Carew renders it, "I sing the godly armes and that Chieftaine, Much with his hande, much wrought he with his braine; Much in his glorious conquest suffred hee. And hell in vain it selfe opposde, in vaine The mixed troops, Asian and Libick, flee To armes; for heaven him favour'd, and he drew it Perhaps one reason why Fairefax afterwards made changes in his first stanza was, that he was accused of having copied Carew. Carew's translation was never completed, and, as far as it goes, is rather remarkable for fidelity than for freedom: his versification is always regular, and in the Italian form of stanza. If Carew were too faithful, certainly Fairefax was too free. CAREW, RICHARD.-A Herrings Tayle: Contayning a |