RESTITUTA. A Poet's Vision and a Prince's Glorie. Dedicated to the high and mightie Prince James, King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland. Written by Thomas Greene, Gentleman. Imprinted at London for William Leake. 1603. Quarto. pp. 22. His NEITHER dedication nor preface appears before this little production by T. GREENE, who seems as much unknown to our recorders of the poets of his period, as his contemporary, R. Greene, is well known. name indeed occurs in the second volume of Mr. Beloe's Anecdotes of Literature, and in the index to that work; but this has proved to be a misprint for the name of Thomas Greepe, who was the real celebrator of the exploits of Sir Francis Drake, in 1587. This poem, complimentary to King James, is introduced under the trite fiction of a poetic nap, during which the author hears a lady singing, and the burden of her song was" I pray thee, write." This awakens hin; but he soon after seems to have a waking dream, VOL. IV. and espies a lady sitting with a laurel crown and an ivory lute, who proves to be one of the Muses. To him she condescendingly both plays and sings, and then they enter into a long colloquy, of which the following is the most interesting passage. In Boeotia, my Sisters eight and I, Which once (said she) were elevated high, In all our wants, came from the princely North: But why should such my peacefull gall excite? But now, O ever blest, eternall sweete! The lawrell and a triple crowne doth meete: Now commeth in our long-detained Spring, Whose triple crowne, to adde more glorious praise, Which is the richest crowne a King can have; It keepes him from oblivion of the grave. This caus'd us all to leave our Helicon, The hilles we left were all compos'd of mould, Which, where it stands, shall to such height arise, The flattery here paid to James, as a poet and a patron, seems to rival that which he received from others, as a monarch and a man. In the mention of "Delia's store, and sweete Idaa," it may be supposed Imperious is here used in the sense of imperial; and occasionally was so in the time of Elizabeth and James. that the writer alludes to the sonnets of Daniel and Drayton. In conclusion, the Lady Muse urges T. G. no longer to hide his talents from the light, but "prays him to take up his pen, and write." This he declines to do from various considerations, relating to others and to himself: but she again stimulates him in the following lines, and his resolutions melt away. Fie, fie, (said she) you are too criticall, What though the world sawe never line of thine, And if this prosper but successefullie, This intention of the author may probably have been intercepted by the scanty encouragement which his first performance obtained: having no very prominent merit of any kind. Its rarity would seem to add some strength to this casual conjecture. T EXCERPTA POETICA. From WHETSTONE'S "Heptameron of civill Discourses: containing the Christmasse Exercise of sundrie well courted Gentlemen and Gentlewomen." CARE, care, go pack; thou art no mate for me, 1582. Thy thorny thoughts the heart to death doth wound; Thou mak'st the fair seem like a blasted tree, By thee green years with hoary hairs are crown'd, Care, care, adieu! thou rival of delight! Return into the cave of deep despaire: Care, care, adieu !-my heart doth hope for joy. |