several years, of Bishop Still's "Gammer Gurton's Needle."1 See also D. O. P. 1825, Vol. II. p. 3. Wilson's "Rhetoric," though it contains no such novel and valuable fact, is a work of great literary interest, including nearly all the information that, at that early date, could be introduced in illustration of the subject. The author wrote it at the instance of John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, to whom he dedicates it, and it is ushered by Latin verses by Walter Haddon, "the best Latin-man" in England, Nicholas Udall, Robert Hillermius, and Wilson himself. The Rev. H. J. Todd considered the "Rhetoric' "the first system of regular criticism in our language," but of course it has been little read during the last two centuries. To illustrate the success with which Wilson intermixes mere fun and humor with graver and more instructive matter, we may quote what he says under the head of the advantage to be gained sometimes by the "alteryng parte of a worde," which contains also a new and clever anecdote of Henry the VIIIth's jester, William Sommer, or Sommers, not then dead : 66 Alteryng part of a word is when we take a letter or sillable from some word, or els adde a letter or sillable to a worde, as thus. William Somer, seying muche a do for accomptes makyng, and that the Kynges Majestie of most worthie memorie, Henry theight, wanted mony suche as was due vnto hym, And please your grace (quoth he) you have so many frauditors, so many conveiers, and so many deceivers to get up your money, that they get al to themselves. Whether he said true or no, let God judge that: it was unhappely spoken of a foole, and I thinke he had some Scholemaister: he should have saied Auditours, Surveyours and Receavours." When Wilson wrote this, Will Sommer or Sommers was still alive, as is proved by the following entry, which we found in the Register of St. Leonard, Shoreditch, a parish then and afterwards much inhabited by persons of his class and character :— "1560. Willm. Somers was buried the xv day of June." It is a great merit in the work before us, that the author so often assists his argument by reference to familiar subjects, and to 1 It is not to be conclusively taken that Still was the author of "Gammer Gurton's Needle," although there is good reason to believe it. We have already seen, that it had been imputed to Dr. Bridges. events and persons of his time: thus we meet with several notices of Sir Thomas More, Bishop Latimer, John Heywood, &c., to say nothing of Robin Hood and Garagantua. On folio 103 b, he speaks of Minstrels, not only as musicians and singers, but as reciters, “talkyng matters altogether in rime." At the end is an alphabetical "Table" of contents, as we apprehend, one of the earliest of the kind. WINTER, THOMAS. - The Second Day of the First Weeke of the most excellent, learned, and divine Poet, William, Lord Bartas. Done out of French into English Heroicall verse by Thomas Winter, Maister of Artes &c. London, Printed for James Shaw. 1603. 4to. 24 leaves. At the back of this title is an address by the author "to his Translation," in two six-line stanzas, followed by a dedication to Sir Walter Raleigh: we have then Latin hexameters by Jo. Sandford, and by Ed. Lapworth, and English verses by Douglas Castillion and John Davies of Hereford, in praise of the author and of his performance. The latter gives Winter great credit for the literalness of his version, which commences after two pages of Argument. Attention had been especially directed to Du Bartas by the admiration expressed of him by King James, who in 1591 printed a translation of "The Furies," and who in his Baoiλikov Aāpov, 1599, recommended him to his son Henry, as "most worthy to be read by any Prince." It seems that Prince Henry had encouraged Winter to proceed with his version, and, accordingly, in the next year, 1604, he produced "The Third Dayes Creation, and done verse for verse out of the Originall," with a dedication to the Prince of Wales. This was introduced by commendatory poems in French and Latin, by John Sandford, John Dunster, Thomas Mason, Nathaniel Tomkins, and Henry Ashwood. At the close are sonnets by Winter to Sir Thomas Chaloner, Sir George Somers, Sir Thomas Lucy, the younger, and Dr. James. Sylvester printed his version of the whole in 1605. WIT. Bought Wit is best. Or Tom Longs Journey to London to buy Wit. Many men learn after-wit By errors which they doe commit. - London Printed by E. A. for Francis Smith, and are to be sold at his Shop on Snow-hill, over against the Sarazens head. 1634. B. L. 12 leaves. Tom Long continued a sort of hero in popular literature for nearly two centuries. We first obtain information regarding him from a ballad entitled "Tom Long the Caryer," entered on the books of the Stationers' Company in the year 1561–62; and so profitable was it, that having been first licensed to William Shepparde, his right was very soon afterwards invaded by Thomas Hackett, who printed it in his own name, and was fined 2s. 6d. for so doing. The next we hear of Tom Long is in 1608, when was published "The merry Conceits of Tom Long," which show that he was "the Carrier of Gotham," and that he went through a series of adventures very consistent with the grotesque folly imputed to the "wise men "of that famous town. He was afterwards celebrated by Taylor the Water-poet as "Tom Long the Carrier," in one of his pleasant productions of 1630; and in 1634 came out the little performance, in prose and verse, in our hands. When "Tom Long's Lessons" first appeared we do not know, but it was a favorite chap-book, and copies of it exist as late as 1750. Thus we are able, in a manner, to trace his history from 1561 to the middle of the eighteenth century. In the tract before us, of 1634, Tom Long is sent to London by the corporation of Gotham to purchase wit for them, under the promise that if he bring back "a whole horse-load" of that commodity, they will elect him Alderman. The address "to the Reader, gentle or ungentle," is subscribed W. S., which letters, we may speculate, were meant for Wentworth Smith, a dramatist whose initials have sometimes been mistaken for those of Shakspeare. However, W. S. does not profess to speak for himself, but for a friend who has just commenced authorship. He says: "Encourage his beginning, and he will Entreate his friend to climbe the Muses hill, By every one, that Bought Wit is the best." The above is followed by sixteen other lines, enumerating many things that are to be bought in London, among them this book, which furnishes wit and merriment at a very cheap rate. The body of the work informs us that when Tom Long arrived in London from Gotham in the spring, he put up at an inn, and then sallied forth "to seeke for his penniworths" of wit, which he had been commissioned to buy. He soon meets with one Musario, apparently a disappointed poet, "walking with crossed armes, his hat puld over his eyes, as if he scorned to looke upon the vanitie of the world." Tom inquires of him where wit is to be bought, and is answered that it can only be had second-hand, through woeful experience. Tom is delighted with his new acquaintance, and takes him to his inn, where Musario describes a number of persons and classes who have paid very dearly for their wit. Among them are "drunken Barnaby" (from whom Brathwaite may have taken the name of his hero,) Phantastes, Mr. Young-age, Mistress Light-heels, Master Wilfull, Master Wildoats and many more. The last is thus described: "After this comes Master Wild-oates, and hee lookes as though he scorned to learne; but yet at last out of Taverne reckonings, Taylors bills, Mercers bookes, false dice, horse-races and Taffety petticoates, he begins to learne these two letters B. O.; and that O bringes him to woe, and that woe brings him to have wit, when all is done." There are several scraps of verse as we proceed through the different characters who are the purchasers of costly wit, and near the end we have in rhyme the description of the “School of Repentance" and its scholars. It opens: "Repentance keepes a Schoole where men do learne Where many formes and severall places bee To fit all sorts, of high and low degree: And here they are some rules of wisedome taught, And to the knowledge of themselves are brought.” The verses occupy several pages, and are presented to Tom Long by Musario. The former promises to make due return, if the latter happen to come to Gotham; but we are told, quite at the end, that Tom Long remained in London until he had procured the account of his Journey to be printed, for the information of others who might wish to purchase Wit. The tract contains much various amusement, and some local information. WITHER, GEORGE. Abuses stript and whipt. Or Satirical Essayes. By George Wyther. Divided into two Bookes, &c. Despise not this what ere I seeme in showe, A foole to purpose speaks sometime you know. At London, Printed by G. Eld for Francis Burton &c. 1613. 8vo. 160 leaves. There are at least two editions of these celebrated Satires, &c. dated 1613. This is the first, and, although the text is substantially the same in both, they differ in several particulars. In the first edition (besides literal variations) "The Scourge" and " Epigrams" are not mentioned on the title-page; and after "The Contents" is inserted a long list of Errata, which are corrected in the second impression. The separate satires are also called "Chapters" in the first edition, and differently numbered, as "The Occasion," "An Introduction," and a poem "Of Man," are included. It has been said (British Bibliogr. I. 180,) that there was an impression in 1611; and, although no copy of that date has been discovered, circumstances, which it is not necessary to detail, seem to render it probable. The work was again published in 1614, 1615, 1617, 1622, 1626, and 1633, and no one of those reimpressions was exactly like any other that preceded it. |