fyftem of ethics, politics, divinity, phisiognomy, medicine, aftrology, and geography.* The only writer deferving the name of a poet in the reign of Hen. VII. is STEPHEN HAWES. Hawes flourished about the close of the fifteenth century, and was a native of Suffolk. After an academical education at Oxford, he travelled much in France; and became a complete mas ter of the French and Italian poetry. His polite accomplishments quickly procured him an establishment in the household of the King; who ftruck with the livelinefs of his converfation, and because he could repeat by memory most of the old English poets, especially Lydgate, made him groom of the privy chamber. His facility in the French tongue was a qualifi cation, which might ftrongly recommend him to the favor of Hen. VII. who was fond of ftudying the best French books then in vogue.† Hawes has left many poems, which are now but imperfectly known, and scarcely remembered."The Temple of Glafs" will be found to be one of the beft; and on comparison, it will appear a copy of Chaucer's House of Fame. There was fome merit in daring to depart from the dull tate of the times, and in chufing Chaucer for a model, after his fublime fancies had * Warton, II. p. 196. † Ibid. p. 210, 211. D 2 been been fo long forgotten, and had given place for almost a century, to legends, homilies and chronicles in verfe. But Hawes's capital performance is "The Paffety me of Pleasure", which was finished in 1506. It is almoft the only ef fort of imagination and invention which had appeared in our poetry, fince Chaucer. This poem contains no common touches of romantic and allegoric fiction. The perfonifications are often happily fuftained, and indicate the writer's familiarity with the Provencial fchool. The model of his versification and phraseology is that improved harmony of numbers, and facility of diction, with which his predeceffor Lydgate adorned our octave ftanza. But Hawes has added new graces to Lydgate's manner. This poem was printed by Wynkyn de Worde, in 1517, 4to; with wooden cuts. Coeval with Hawes was WILLIAM WALTER, a rctainer to Sir Henry Marney, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster; an unknown and obfcure writer, who verfified in the octave ftanza, Boccacio's story, fo beautifully paraphrafed by Dryden, of Sigifmonda and Guiscard. This poem was printed by Wynkyn de Worde, and reprinted 1597. He alfo wrote a Dialogue in verfe, called "The Spectacle of Lovers," and Warton, p. 215. † Ibid. p. 219. "The "The History of Titus and Gemifippus," a tranflation from a Latin romance called the Siege of Jerufalem. About 1490, HENRY MEDWALL, Chaplain to Archbishop Morton, compofed an interlude called "Nature," which was tranflated into Latin. It was printed by Raftel, 1538. About 1497, LAURENCE WADE, a Benedictine monk of Canterbury, tranflated into Englifh rhymes, "The Lyfe of Thomas à Becket," written about 1180, by Herbert Botsham. It ftill remains in MS.* ALEXANDER BARCLAY was educated at Oriel college, Oxford, accomplished his academical studies by travelling, and was appointed one of the priests, or prebendaries of St. Mary Ottery in Devonshire. Afterwards he became a Benedictine monk of Ely monaftery; and at length took the habit of the Francifcans at Canterbury. He temporized with the changes of religion; for he poffeffed fome church preferments in the reign of Edw. VI. He died very old at Croydon in Surry, in 1532.† His principal work is "The Ship of Fooles." The original invention is due to Sebaftian Brandt a learned Civilian of Bafil. It was tranflated into French and Latin verfe; and from the original, *Warton, II. p. 238, 239, † Ibid. p. 240. and and the two translations, Barclay formed a large English poem, in the balade or octave stanza, with confiderable additions gleaned from the follies of his countrymen. It was printed by Pinfon in 1509. All ancient fatirical writings have their merit, and deserve attention, as they tranfmit pictures of familiar manners, and preferve popular customs. In this light at least Barclay's "Ship of Fooles," which is a general fatire on the times, will be found entertaining. Nor must it be denied that his language is more cultivated than that of many of his cotemporaries, and that he contributed his fhare to the improvement of the English phrafeology. His author, Sebastian Brandt, appears to have been a man of univerfal erudition; and his work, for the most part, is a tiffue of citations from the ancient poets, and hiftorians.* Barclay's other pieces are "The Mirrour of Good Manners," and "Five Egloges." The Egloges, are, as Warton thought, the first that appeared in the English language. They are like Petrarch's, and Mantuan's, of the moral, and fatirical kind; and contain but few touches of rural defcription, and bucolic imagery. They were written about 1514. He was a rival of Skelton. * Warton, II. p. 247. † Ibid. Ibid. p. 248. There There are three Scotch poets, whom Warton mentions at this period, WILLIAM Dunbar, GAWEN DOUGLAS, and SIR DAVID LYNDSAY. These have adorned the prefent æra with a degree of fentiment and fpirit, a command of phrafeology, and a fertility of imagination not to be found in any English poet, since Chaucer and Lydgate: more especially, as they have left ftricking fpecimens of allegorical invention; a fpecies of compofition, which appears to have been for fome time almoft totally extinquifhed in England.* William Dunbar was a native of Salton in Eaft Lothian, about 1470. His most celebrated poems are "The Thistle and the Rofe," and "The Golden Terge."+ Gawen Douglas was defcended from a noble family, and born 1475. In 1513 he fled from Scotland into England, and was gracioutly received by Hen. VIII. who in confideration of his literary merit allowed him a liberal penfion. He died of the plague in London, and was buried in the Savoy church, 1521. He was Bishop of Dunkeld. In his early years he tranflated Ovid's Art of Love. In 1513, in the space of thirteen months, he tranflated into Scotch heroics the Eneid of Virgil, with * Warton, II. p. 257. † Ibid. the |