XIII. Perhaps by the author of X. 66 XVII. Dumain's Poem to Kate, Love's Labour's Lost (IV. iii.). XVIII. Found in Weekes's "Madrigals," 1597; also in " England's Helicon," 1600, with the title "The Unknown Shepherd's Complaint," and subscribed "Ignoto" (probably printed from the 1599 volume).† XIX. Doubtfully Shakespeare's. The poem strongly resembles one section of Willobie's Avisa, published 1594.‡ XX. By Christopher Marlowe. "The Lover's Answer,” probably by Sir Walter Raleigh. In England's Helicon the poem is given in full.§ XXI. By Richard Barnfield, from "Poems in divers humours," 1598 (II. 1-28 found also in “England's Helicon,” signed "Ignoto "). "The Passionate Pilgrim" belonged in reality to the poetical miscellanies so popular at the time; it deserved utter failure for the undue liberty it had taken with Shakespeare's great name, and it perhaps deserved the almost too severe though eloquent * Wrongly printed as two poems, though evidently not intended as such in the First Edition. + Cp. Bullen's edition of " England's Helicon," p. xxi., where he gives his opinion in favour of Barnfield's authorship. Cp. Preface to Sonnets, on the subject of this curiously interesting book. § Isaac Walton's well-known reference did much to maintain the fame of the lyric:-"As I left this place, and entered into the next field, a second pleasure entertained me: 'twas a handsome milkmaid: she cast away all care and sang like a nightingale. Her voice was good and the ditty fitted for it it was the smooth song which was made by Kit Marlowe, now at least fifty years ago. And the milkmaid's mother sang an answer to it, which was made by Sir Walter Raleigh in his young days." ... censure which a modern poet, Mr Swinburne, has passed upon it. When the genuine Shakespearian pieces have been taken into account, "the rest of the ragman's gatherings, with three most notable exceptions, is little better for the most part than dry rubbish or disgusting refuse. . . . I need not say that those three exceptions are the stolen and garbled work of Marlowe and of Barnfield, our elder Shelley and our first-born Keats; the singer of Cynthia in verse well worthy of Endymion, who would seem to have died as a poet in the same fatal year of his age that Keats died as a man; the first adequate English laureate of the nightingale, to be supplanted or equalled by none until the advent of his mightier brother." Our Poet, bim Wbose insight makes all others dim: A thousand poets pried at life, And only one amid the strife RIGHT HONORABLE HENRIE WRIOTHESLEY, Earle of Southampton, and Baron of Titchfield. RIGHT HONOURABLE, I KNOW not how I shall offend in dedicating my vnpolisht lines to your Lordship, nor how the worlde will censure me for choosing so strong a proppe to support so weake a burthen, onely if your Honour seeme but pleased, I account my selfe highly praised, and vowe to take advantage of all idle houres, till I haue honoured you with some grauer labour. But if the first heire of my inuention proue deformed, I shall be sorry it had so noble a godfather: and neuer after eare so barren a land, for fear it yeeld me still so bad a haruest, I leaue it to Honourable suruey, and your Honor to your hearts content which I wish may alwaies answere your owne wish, and the worlds hopefull expectation. Your Honors in all dutie, your WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. Venus and Adonis. EVEN as the sun with purple-colour'd face Sick-thoughted Venus makes amain unto him, Thrice fairer than myself,' thus she began, Nature that made thee, with herself at strife, ΙΟ |