larize simple fellowes imperfections, and am altogether loath to adventure my paines in so ungratefull a Province. For transformed Scilla, however she hapned now to bee disjoyned from disdainfull Charybdis, thinke not but if they have good shipping they will meete ere long both in one shop and landed they had at this instant, in one and the self same bay, if Scilla (the unfortunater of the two) had not met with a mudie pirate by the way. Arrived shee is, though in a contrary coast, but so wrackt and weatherbeaten through the unskilfulnes of rough writers, that made their poast haste passage by night, as Glaucus would scarce know her if he met her. Yet my hope is, Gentlemen, that you will not so much imagine what she is, as what shee was: insomuch as from the shop of the Painter shee is falne into the hands of the stainer. Thus referring the supportance of my credit, and the inability of my verse to your ingenious opinions, I bid you farewell till the next Tearm; at which time I hope to entertaine your severall delights with farre better discourses, and bee suppliant to my good frend Master Crane in some or other more acceptable Poem. In the meane time, let my appliable voluisse intitle me to your curtesie: whose I am during life in all enterchangeable dutie. "Your friend asured, "Thomas Lodge." At this period of his life Lodge appears to have devoted himself wholly to literary pursuits; and in 1590 he published his "Rosalynde: Euphues Golden Legacie;" said, in reference to the place where it was written, to have been "fetcht from the Canaries." This pastoral romance was the most popular of all his works, and it was honoured in having furnished Shakespeare with the plot of "As You Like It." In reprinting this novel, in the series of works "used by Shakespeare as the foundation of his dramas,” Mr. Collier says, "We cannot hesitate to declare it a very amusing and varied composition, full of agreeable and graceful invention, (for we are aware of no foreign authority for any of the incidents) and with much natural force and simplicity in the style of the narrative. That it is here and there disfigured by the faults of the time, by forced conceits, by lowness of allusion and expression, and sometimes by inconsistency and want of decorum in the characters, cannot be denied. These are errors which the judgment and genius of Shakespeare taught him to avoid; but the admitted extent and nature of his general obligations to Lodge afford a high tribute to its excellence. ......The resemblance throughout will be found rather general than particular; and the characters of Jaques, Touchstone, and Audrey, are entirely new in Shakespeare. The names of the other personages engaged in the drama have also been changed, with the exception of those of the heroine, Phœbe, Adam, and Charles the Wrestler." At the close of his "Rosalynde" the author says, "If you gather any frutes by this Legacie, speake well of Euphues for writing it, and me for fetching it. If you grace me with that favour, you encorage me to be more forward; and as soone as I have overlookt my labours, expect THE SAILERS KALENDER." This work probably had some relation to his sea adventures, but it seems never to have been printed. The dedication of his "Rosalynde" is as follows: "To the Right Honourable and his most esteemed Lord, the Lord of Hunsdon, Lord Chamberlaine of her Majesties houshold, and Governor of her Towne of Barwicke: T. L.G. wisheth increase of all honourable vertues. "Such Romanes (right Honourable) as delighted in martiall exploytes, attempted their actions in the honour of Augustus, because he was a Patron of souldiers: and Virgil dignified him with his poems, as a Moecenas of schollers; both joyntly advauncing his royaltie, as a Prince warlike and learned. Such as sacrifice to Pallas, present her with bayes as she is Shakespeare's Library, vol. i. London, 1843, 2 vols., 8vo. 1 wise, and with armour as she is valiant; observing herein that excellent то πреπоν which dedicateth honours according to the perfection of the person. When I entred (right Honourable) with a deep insight into the consideration of these premisses, seeing your L. to be a Patron of all martiall men, and a Moecenas of such as applie themselves to studie; wearing with Pallas both the launce and the bay, and ayming with Augustus at the favour of all, by the honourable vertues of your minde: being my selfe first a Student, and after falling from bookes to armes, even vowed in all my thoughts dutifully to affect your L. Having with Capt. Clarke made a voyage to the Islands of Terceras and the Canaries, to beguile the time with labour, I writ this booke; rough, as hatcht in the stormes of the Ocean, and feathered in the surges of many perillous seas. But as it is the worke of a souldier and a scholler, I presumed to shrowde it under your Honors patronage, as one that is the fautor and favourer of all vertuous actions; and whose honorable Loves growen from the generall applause of the whole Common wealth for your higher deserts, may keep it from the mallice of every bitter tung. Other reasons more particular (right Honorable) chalenge in me a speciall affection to your L., as being a scholler with your two noble sonnes, Master Edmond Carew and M. Robert Carew, (two siens worthie of so honorable a tree, and a tree glorious in such honourable fruite) as also being a scholler in the Universitie under that learned and vertuous Knight, Sir Edward Hobbie, when he was Batcheler in Arts, a man as well lettered as well borne, and, after the Etymologie of his name, soaring as high as the wings of knowledge can mount him, happie every way, and the more fortunate, as blessed in the honour of so vertuous a Ladie. Thus (right honourable) the duetie that I owe to the sonnes chargeth me that all my affection be placed on the father; for where the braunches are so precious, the tree of force must be most excellent. Commaunded and emboldened thus with the consideration of these forepassed reasons, to present my Booke to your Lordship; I humbly intreate your Honour will vouch of my labours, and favour a souldiers and a schollers pen with your gracious acceptance; who answeres in affection what he wants in eloquence; so devoted to your Honour, as his onely desire is, to end his life under the favour of so martiall and learned a Patron. "Resting thus in hope of your Lordships courtesie, in deyning the Patronage of my worke, I cease: wishing you as many honourable fortunes as your Lordship can desire, or I imagine. "Your Honours souldier humbly affectionate, Lodge's Tragedy, "The Wounds of the Civil War," may be assigned to this period, although first published in 1594. In point of date, his next performance was a kind of historical romance-"The History of Robert second Duke of Normandy, surnamed Robin the Divell." In addressing "the Courteous Reader whatsoever," he says: "Gentlemen, I have, upon the earnest request of some my good friends, drawne out of the old and ancient antiquaries the true life of Robert second Duke of Normandie, (surnamed, for his youthfull imperfections, Robin the Divell) wherein I stand not so much on the termes as the trueth, publishing as much as I have read, and not so much as they have written." He dedicates it thus: "To the worshipfull and true Moecenas of learning, M. Thomas Smith, T. L. G. wisheth all aboundance of worldly fortunes in this life, and the benefites of heavenlie felicitie in the life to come. "Seeing in these our days men rather seeke the increase of transitorie wealth than the knowledge of devine wisedome, preferring stuffed baggs before studious bookes, their pounds before precepts, loosing the true ritches of the minde, to levell at the transitorie allurements of this world, feeding fooles with figgs, and philosophers with floutes; I have, among the multitudes of these men, made choice of your Worship for my Patron and Moecenas, who, of a farre more happy nature with Theodosius, honour Appian, and seeing learning almost suppressed with contempt, or discountenanced with neglect, have in this famous Citie (like a vertuous member of the same) begun to exile ignorance, to revive artes: knowing Ladislaus reasons to be of force, that Citizens who are unlettered are lesse than men, or rather (as Frederick the Emperour was wont to say) man like beastes. Which vertuous indeavour of yours (worthie both your name and fortune) shall in time to come more advance you, than they who in tooth and nayle labour to purchase lands, which ordinarily perish through their heires lavishnes. It is true fame which is gotten by vertue, and perfect vertue to maintaine learning; which is so kinde to those that seeke after it, that in all changes of fortune, in all miseries of this life, and casualties whatsoever, it prepareth the mind and preventeth mishaps. And least I among the poore Tirones of learning, who desire the increase thereof with the most, though deserve therein with the least, should seeme to forget this especially and ingrafted vertue so admirably bestowed upon your Worship, I have thought good to present you with a rude and lonely written history, which if with like regard you shall accept, as Alphonsus did the silly Satires of Philelphus, I doubt not but in short time to publish that under your name, which shall not only merit and deserve your acceptance, but also mightely profit all such as are studious in all sorts of learning. Till when, I most humbly commend me, desiring your Worship most earnestly to prosecute your vertuous enterprises, beseeching God to prosper you in them and all other, to the advancement of Letters. From my Chamber, 2 Maij., 1591. "Your Worships to command, "T. L. G." Another work, published by Lodge in 1591, has this quaint title, "Catharos: Diogenes in his Singularitie, christened by him, A Nettle for Nice Noses." It was printed for John Busbie, by whom it was inscribed "to the right worshippfull Syr John Hart, Knight." He says, "I present your Worship, in signe of my sincere affect, with this small conceit, pen'd by a Gentleman my deare friend." This suggests the probability of its having appeared towards the close of the year, when the author had set out on a voyage of adventure. During Lodge's absence, his "Euphues Shadow, the Battaile of the Senses," was published by his friend, Robert Greene. In his dedication to Viscount Fitzwalters he says-"It fortuned that one M. Thomas Lodge, who now is gone to sea with Mayster Candish, had bestowed some serious labour in penning of a booke called Euphues Shadowe: and by his last let |