the likeness of his body. For his hat he shall take the assistance of God; his shooes shall be the mortification of his affictions; patience shall be his mantle, or leether cloake; civility shall be his coate or cassacke; chastity his girdle; contemplation and meditation shall be his bag and bottle; the love of the crosse his pilgrime's staff; faith, charity, and good workes, shall be his purse and money; so shall he spiritually attire the inward man of the spirit to the immitation of the Apostle St, Paul; who arming the christian souldier, giveth him his furniture, framed of the stuff of such like allegories, and armes, forged of the same mettal. The shield of verity, a breast plate of justice, shooes of the preparation to the gospell, the buckler of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit of God." The Annual Reviewer of Mr. Cayley's book observes that this poem is not in Ralegh's usual style, and doubts its authenticity; yet adds, that there is a troubled wildness of thought and expression which may be admitted as strong internal evidence in its favour. This evidence goes to prove that the poem was written under the circumstances assigned, but by no means points to Ralegh as the author. Ralegh would not have written in that strain of piety. I believe it to be a catholic poem, and the production of one of the many good, but dangerous men who suffered in those days for a religion which it was impossible to tolerate. Is it by Robert Southwell the Jesuit? a writer of no ordinary powers; yet he was too pure a writer to have made the miserable pun upon angels: there is a levity in that, and in the conceit about wanting a head to dine with, which, if the language were older, might lead one to attribute it to Sir Thomas More. One thing, and only one, is in Ralegh's temper; the allusions to the king's attorney. It is likely that one of the last things which he remembered with indignation, would be the cruel and cowardly viru lence of Coke. That it is catholic, however, I consider as beyond a doubt. 57. Steel Mirrors for assiting the sight. In an old and rare Spanish book, known by the title of" Las Preguntas del Almirante," there are these two coplas. Pergunta 247. Los que acostumbran al estudiar Respuesta del Auctor. A mi me paresce sin otra revista The Letrado, who propounds the question, says, that those persons who are accustomed to study, and find that the print hurts their eyes, recommend looking in a fine steel mirror as the best remedy, and he enquires what mirror will preserve the sight best... plane, concave, or convex. The author replies, that the plane mirror is best. This is the sum of the two coplas which I have given at full. In what manner can such a mirror possibly have been used? As Nicolas Antonio did not know the name of the author from whose very singular work this is extracted, it may be worth while to mention, that it appears by an acrostic at the beginning of the sixth part, to have been Fray Luys d'Escobar. The book was first licensed in 1543, but he complains that it had been printed out of the kingdom without his knowledge, and in an incorrect state. 58. Classification of Novels. Novels may be arranged according to the botanical system of Linnæus. Monandria Monogynia is the usual class, most novels having one hero and one heroine. Sir Charles Grandison belongs to the Monandria Digynia. Those in which the families of the two lovers are at variance may be called Diœcious. The Cryptogamia are very numerous, so are the Polygamia.Where the lady is in doubt which of her lovers to chuse, the tale is to be classed under the Icosandria. Where the party hesitates between love and duty, or avarice and ambition, Didynamia. Many are poisonous, few of any use, and far the greater number are annuals. 59. Crocodile. The natives of Madagascar worship the crocodile as the Egyptians did before them but I know not whether the Egyptians had so good a reason to allege for : |