CENSURA LITERARIA.

NUMBER XVII.

[Being Number V. of the New Series.]

ART. I. The Rocke of Regard: divided into foure parts. The first, the Castle of Delight; wherein is reported, the wretched end of wanton and dissolute living. The second, the Garden of Unthriftinesse; wherein are many sweete flowers (or rather fancies) of honest love. The thirde, the Arbour of Vertue; wherein slaunder is highly punished, and vertuous ladies and gentlewomen worthily commended. The fourth, the Ortchard of Repentance; wherein are discoursed, the miseries that followe dicing, the mischiefes of quareling, the fall of prodigalitie, and the souden overthrowe of foure notable cousners, with divers other morall, natural, and tragical discourses; documents and admonitions: being all the invention, collection, and translation of George Whetstons, Gent. Forma nulla fides. Thus far the title.-A Colophon adds-Imprinted at London for Robert Waley. Anno 1576. 4to.

After an epistle dedicatory of three pages "To all the young gentlemen of England," and a general adver tisement "unto the reader," verses in commendation

YOL. V.

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of

of the book and its author are supplied by Nicholas Bowyer, R. C. Humfrey Turner, Abraham Fleming, and John Wytton. Then commences the first part of the author's work, containing

1. The disordered life of Bianca Maria, Countesse of Celaunt,* in forme of her Complainte, supposed at the houre of her beheading, for procuring the murder of Ardissino Valperga, earl of Massino:" (ten pages, in seven-line stanzas.) 2. "An Invective written by Roberto San Severino, earle of Giazzo, against Bianca Maria, Countesse of Celant." (6 pages.)

3. "Cressid's Complaint." (5 pages.)

4. "The Discourse of Rinaldo and Giletta." (40 pages. An intermixture of prose and verse, composed much on the plan of Gascoigne's love-tale, entitled the Fable of Ferdinando Jeronimi.)

Part II "The Garden of Unthriftinesse, wherein is reported the dolorous Discourse of Dom Diego, a Spaniard, together with his Triumphe, Wherein are divers ather flowers (or fancies) of honest love. Being the inventions and collection of George Whetstone, Gent. Forma nulla fides.

The discourse or tale of Diego is limited to seven pages. Then follows a series of amatory poesies, like those in England's Helicon, thus entitled:

Whetstone, in his Heptameron, gives a brief prose history of Maria Bianca, who from being "unworthily raised to bee Countesse of Zelande, wickedly and wilfully fel to be a Courtesan." "If you covet more authori→ ties (he adds) to approve so common a mischiefe, read Ovid's Metamorphoses in Latine, Segnior Lodovicus' register in Italian, Amadis de Gaule in French, and the Pallace of Pleasure in English."

I. "The

1. "The Complaint of two Lovers, restrained from their wicked desires by the displeasure of their

friendes.

2. The device of a Gentlewoman to persuade her Lover of her constancie, notwithstanding her

show of hate, which she onely used to quench the jelous suspicion of her friendes.

3. The rejected Lover, with earnest desire, pursues the sight of his disdainfull mystresse.

4. A Gentlewoman falsely deceived with faire wordes, forsweareth hereafter to be wonne with flattering promises.

5. The piteous complaint of Medea, forsaken of Jason, lively bewraying the slipperie hold in sugred words.

6. The forsaken Lover pretilie nippeth his Ladie's inconstancie, for that (as he thought) shee matched with his baser in accompt, wherein coulerablie he discovereth both their names. 7. The Lover attributeth his curelesse wound to chaunce, by loving long."

The whimsical singularity, added to the brevity of this piece, may render it admissible.

" Long have I lost my libertie,
Alas! through love long have I so;

Long have I stoode in jeopardie,

In loving long through pyning woe, Whose constant truth long hath been tryde, Though long his suit hath been denyde.

By batterie long the brasen wall

The cannon shot doth cleane deface; The longest trees in time doe fall Which long before bad Boreas base:

The little brooke, in running long,
Doth turne into a river strong.

Then may it be, I loving long,

My pyning corps, by long delay,
Can long abide the furie strong-

Of ghastly death, which long doth stay
His ling'ring stroke, to have it so,

That loving long should worke my woe."

8. "A Sonet, wherin is showne the straunge effectes

of Love.

9. The Lover wearied with a number of delayes, sues unto his Ladie for pitie, or otherwise her speedie denyall, by death to wake a speedie dispatch of his languishing dayes."

From the following passage it appears that the Poet was the Lover:

To coole his flaming harte,

By Cupide set on fire,

Through heate whereof a Whetstone colde

Consumes with hote desire.'

10. "The thought of wonted joyes, doubleth the miserable man's griefe.

11. The hap and hard fortune of a carelesse Lover. 12. The absent Lover, in pawne of his constancie, sendeth his heart to his Ladie.

13. The Lover neither greatly favoured, nor openly refused, compareth the wretchednesse of his estate unto the paines of hell.

14. G. W. to the signe of the brazen Bell.

15. The Lover blameth his Ladie's mistrust, wherin

is figured the passions of an earnest Lover.

16. The

16. The infortunate Lover determineth rather desperately to end his sorrowes, then to proroge them with bootelesse hope.

17. Verses of complaint devised for a well-meaning Lover, to move his Maistresse to pitie.

18. The complaint of a Gentlewoman, being with child, falsely forsaken.

19. Against one which wrote a slaunderous libell in dishonour of a Ladie.

20. The unfortunate Lover is persuaded his mishap to grow by destinie. 21. The discommodities of forst marriages, by the example of Venus and Vulcan: supposed, for the more plaine explayning of the inconveniences, to be written to a covetous carle, having but one onely daughter, [who] refused the offers of diverse gentlemen, some being of good worship; and married her unto an old croked coffing crust, for his great wealthes

sake.

22. The forsaken Lover sheweth to what intent he weareth Tawnie, bewraying the bondage that wanton dames bring their thralles unto.

23. The rejected Lover determineth either to purchase his Ladie's speedie reconcilement, or els desperatly to die.

24. The Lover, being wounded at the Bathe, sues. unto his Ladie for pittie.

25. The Lover to his Ladie in durance.

26. Her Aunsweare.

27. A description of Jelousie.

28. To a disdainfull Dame.

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29. The