JOHN NORDEN.

THIS old English Poet is mentioned by Ritson; but I never saw any specimen of his performance, and know of no other copy of the work below described, but that in the British Museuin.

"The Labyrinth
Of Mans Life,

or

Vertues Delyght and Envies Opposite.
By Jo. Norden.

Virtus abunde sui est proemium quicunque sequatur Eventus.

Printed at London, for John Badge, and are to be sold at the Great South Doore of Paules, and at Brittaines Bursse. 1614."

It is dedicated to "the Right Honourable Sir Robert Carr, Knight, Baron of Branspeth, Vicounte Rochester, Earle of Somersett, of His Majesties most honorable Privie Counsell, Knight of the most noble Order of the Garter, and Lord High Treasurer of Scotland."

The dedication is in that style of fulsome pa negyric, which distinguished and disgraced similar addressers at this period of our history, H 4 and

and was perhaps never more misapplied. Several complimentary verses to the author are prefixed.

The following is as favorable a specimen of the Author's talents as can be given:

The Bramble and the Cedar neighbours bee,
Aud farre the stronger is the Cedar tree;
The Bramble bends, breaks not, when tempests rise,
That soonest falls that is of greatest sise.

Vnder the Cedars on a mountain set;

The lowere trees and shrubs there shelter get,
But when the tempest tumbles downe the tree,
They bend or breake that vnder shelter bee;
Her stature tall, her massie bodie teares,
And breake the branches which the bodie beares,
And vnderlings which Cedars shelters have
Doe bow or bruse or others shelters crave.
High Cedar falling hath no meanes of stay,
His fall affrights, and makes whole woods dismay.
The mountaine whereon Cedar firmly stands,
And woods, when Cedars flourish, clap their hands.

Can Honour wake, and will fowle Enuie sleep?
If Vertue rise, will Enuie silence keep?
Who then can see, though Vertue be his guide;
What may within this Labyrinth betide,

Wherein the wisest, oft amazed stand;
For best successe, to turn on whither hand.
The highest of the highest rancke is set,
To tread this maze, not free from counterlet.
For, Enuie bandes, and doth oppose her skill,
To circumvent as well the good as ill.

Whom

Whom she detracteth, be he hye or low,
Receiues a wound, before he feeles the blow.
But who pursues another, in despite,
Hurts more hymselfe, then him he aymes to smite.

" ANNALIA DUBRENSIA.

Upon the yeerely celebration of Mr. Robert Dovers Olimpick Games upon Cotswold Hills. Written by

London.

Printed by Robert Raworth, for Mathewe Walbancke. 1636."

This is among our rare English Poetical Tracts. The writers were all persons of greater or less consideration in their day but that I may not extend this part of my work to undue limits, I subjoin, without any particular choice, a specimen of but one of their perform

ances.

"To my noble Friend, Mr. Robert Dover, on his brave Annual Assemblies upon Cotswold.

Dover to doe thee right who will not strive,
That dost in these dull yron times revive
The golden ages glories, which poore wee
Had not so much as dreamt on, but for thee.
As those brave Grecians in their happy dayes,
On mount Olympus, to their Hercules
Ordained their games Olympic, and so named
Of that great mountaine for those pastures famed,
Where then their able youth leapt, wrestled, ran,
Threw the armed dart, and honoured was the man,
That was the victor in the cercute there.
The nimble Rider and skild Chariotere
Strove for the garland in those noble times.
Then to their harpes the Poets sang their rimes,
That whilst Grecce floursht and was onely then
Nurse of all arts, and of all famous men,

Numbring their yeeres, still their accounts they made,
Either from this or that Olympiade;

So Dover from these games by thee begun
Wee'l reckon ours as time away doth run,
Wee'l have thy statue in some rocke cut out,
With brave inscriptions garnished about,

And

And under written, loe this was the man,
DOVER that first these noble sports began.
Ladds of the hills, and lasses of the vale,
In many a song, and many a merry tale,
Shall mention thee, and having leave to play,
Vnto thy name shall make a holy day.

The Cotswold Shepheardes as their flocks they keepe,
To put off lazie drowzinesse and sleepe,
Shall sit to tell and heere this story tould,

That hight shall come ere they their flocks can fould. Michaell Drayton.

JOHN ROLLAND.

OF

ANE TREATISE, CALLIT THE COURT VENUS, devidit into four Buikes, newlie compylit by Johnne Rolland, in Dalkeith. Imprinted at Edinburgh by Johnne Ros.

M.D. LXXV.

Cum Privilegio Regali.

THIS is in itself a most curious book, and this edition of extraordinary rarity. The following extract may induce the more inquisitive reader to examine the worke itself.

LAMENTATIO