children, named respectively Lawrence and Katherine: © if fo, he must have had five children between his marriage in the middle of 1594, and his death in the beginning of 1599-a statement not very likely in itself, and not by any means confiftent with the other information we poffefs. Had any will of the poet, or letters of administration of his property, been discovered in the ufual depofitory, or elsewhere, it would, no doubt, have cleared away fome of the obfcurities at prefent hanging over the history of his fucceffors.

His widow (a point apparently unknown to Todd) married again before 1603, perhaps owing partly to the property the had acquired under the Council's Letter introduced on p. clii. Her fecond husband's name was Roger Seckerstone, as we learn from a petition, prefented to the Lord Chancellor for Ireland in 1603, in which Sylvanus Spenser set forth that his father, Edmund, the poet, had been "seized in his demefne as of fee of the castle of Kilcolman, and divers other lands and tenements in the county of Cork," which defcended to the petitioner; but that Roger Seckerstone, who had married his mother, unjustly detained the evidences of the estate, and thereby prevented the commencement of any action at law for the recovery of the property. The damage, however, was only laid at 100l.; and the prayer of the petition was, that Seckerftone and his wife (the widow of Edmund Spenfer, and the mother of

his cafe, and he does not prove that Daniel had a fifter named Rofe; but, at all events, his paper is agreeable reading, and some of his fpeculations are new and ingenious.

By Sir William Betham: fee Profeffor Craik's "Spenfer and his Poetry," vol. iii. p. 244.

d A diligent fearch was inftituted at Doctors' Commons by Mr. G. Chalmers at the end of the last century, and it has feveral times fince been renewed, but without avail. Recently inquiries have been made. in Ireland, but, we are forry to add, without more fuccefs.

Sylvanus) might be compelled to give up the muniments of which they had wrongful poffeffion. What was the result is not distinctly known, but Sylvanus was subsequently the owner of, at least, a part of the lands and tenements in difpute.

Several portraits of Spenfer are in existence; but it is difficult to fettle the degree of authenticity belonging to them. The late Mr. Rodd, of Newport Street, had a miniature of the poet in his poffeffion in 1845, and perhaps afterwards, which correfponded pretty exactly with the ordinary representations; but what became of it is not known to us. The features were sharp and delicately formed, the nose long, and the mouth refined; but the lower part of the face projected, and the high forehead receded, while the eyes and eye-brows did not very harmoniously range. Chriftopher Beefton, who was much concerned with poets and theatres during the reigns of James and Charles, and survived the Restoration, informed Aubrey that Spenfer was "a little man with short hair, a small band and cuffs:" the latter part of this statement does not tally with the ufual engravings, where the poet is represented in a large flourishing laced ruff. Perhaps Beefton's account applied to Spenfer when, later in life, he was more intimately connected with the puritanical party.

Our biographical account of the author of "The Faerie Queene" has run out to a length we neither intended nor anticipated; and as, in the course of it, we have interspersed fuch remarks, critical and perfonal, as the occafion feemed to require, we fhall not occupy farther space by repeating observations which during the laft century have become trite, and therefore wearifome. It would be easy to fill many pages with the commonplaces of fuch as have written upon the poetry and powers of Spenfer; but remarks of the kind, even if

vigorous and original (and in these refpects they have ufually been deficient), would fall, in our day, upon impatient ears, anxious rather to judge for themselves, than willing to take the questionable word of an editor. A juft eftimate of Spenfer, as a man and as a poet, can, of course, beft be derived from his life and productions. To the first we have fortunately been able to add some new particulars: to the laft nothing, but in the shape of reftorations and corrections of his text.

OOD Mafter H. I doubt not but you have fome great important matter in hande, which al this while reftraineth your penne, and wonted readineffe in provoking me unto that wherein yourselfe nowe faulte. If there bee any fuch thing in hatching, I pray you hartily lette us knowe before al the worlde fee it. But if happly you dwell altogither in Juftinian's Courte, and give your felfe to be devoured of fecreate ftudies, as of all likelihood you doe, yet at least imparte fome your olde or newe Latine or Englishe eloquent and gallant Poefies to us, from whofe eyes, you faye, you keepe in a manner nothing hidden.

Little newes is here stirred, but that olde greate matter ftill depending. His Honoure never better. I thinke the Earthquake was alfo there wyth you (which I would gladly learne) as it was here with us; overthrowing divers old buildings and

a The enfuing Letter from Spenfer, under the name of "Immerito," to Gabriel Harvey, was published by the latter with the following title:"Three proper and wittie familiar Letters: lately paffed betweene two Univerfitie men: touching the Earthquake in Aprill laft, and our English refourmed Verfifying. With the Preface of a well willer to them both.Imprinted at London by H. Bynneman, dwelling in Thames ftreate, neere unto Baynardes Caftell. Anno Domini, 1580.-Cum gratia et privilegio Regiæ Majeftatis." We have had occafion to quote and refer to it, and to Harvey's epiftles, which accompany it in the original edition, in the courfe of the preceding pages.

peeces of churches. Sure verye ftraunge to be heard of in these Countries, and yet I heare fome fay (I knowe not howe truely) that they have knowne the like before in their dayes. Sed quid vobis videtur magnis Philofophis?

I like your late Englifhe Hexameters fo exceedingly well, that I alfo enure my penne fometime in that kinde, whyche I fynd indeede, as I have heard you often defende the worde, neither fo harde, nor fo harfhe, that it will eafily and fairely yeelde it felfe to our Moother tongue. For the onely or chiefeft hardnesse, whych feemeth, is in the accente; whyche sometime gapeth, and, as it were, yawneth ilfavouredly, comming fhorte of that it fhould, and fometime exceeding the measure of the number; as in Carpenter, the middle fillable being used fhorte in fpeache, when it shall be read long in verfe, feemeth like a lame gofling that draweth one legge after hir; and Heaven beeing used fhorte as one fillable, when it is in verse stretched out with a Diastole, is like a lame dogge that holdes up one legge. But it is to be wonne with cuftome, and rough words must be subdued with ufe. For why, a God's name, may not we, as else the Greekes, have the kingdome of oure owne language, and measure our accentes by the founde, referving the quantitie to the verse? Loe, here I let you fee my olde ufe of toying in rymes turned into your artificial straightneffe of verfe by this Tetrafticon. I beseech you tell me your fanfie without parcialitie.

See yee the blindefolded pretie God, that feathered Archer
Of Lovers miferies which maketh his bloodie game?

Wote ye why his Moother with a veale hath coovered his face ?
Trust me, least he my Loove happely chaunce to beholde.

Seeme they comparable to those two which I translated you
ex tempore in bed, the last time we lay togither in Westminster?
That which I eate did I joy, and that which I greedily gorged,
As for those many goodly matters leaft I for others.

I would hartily with you would either fend me the Rules and Precepts of arte, which you observe in quantities, or else followe mine, that M. Philip Sidney gave me, being the very fame which M. Drant devifed, but enlarged with M. Sidneys own judgement, and augmented with my observations, that we might both accorde and agree in one, leaft we overthrowe one an other, and be overthrown of the reft. Truft me, you will hardly believe what greate good liking and estimation Maister Dyer had of your Satyricall Verses; and I, fince the viewe thereof, having before of my felfe had speciall liking of Englishe Verfifying, am even nowe aboute to give you some token what and howe well therein I am able to doe: for, to tell you trueth, I minde shortely at conve