TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE,

THE LADIE COMPTON AND MOUNTEGLE.

MOST faire and vertuous Ladie; having often fought opportunitie by fome good meanes to make knowen to your Ladifhip the humble affection and faithfull duetie, which I have alwaies profeffed, and am bound to beare to that Houfe, from whence yee spring, I have at length found occasion to remember the fame, by making a fimple prefent to you of these my idle labours; which having long fithens compofed in the raw conceipt of my youth, I lately amongst other papers lighted upon, and was by others, which liked the fame, mooved to fet them foorth. Simple is the device, and the compofition meane, yet carrieth fome delight, even the rather because of the fimplicitie and meanneffe thus perfonated. The fame I befeech your Ladifhip take in good part, as a pledge of that profeffion which I have made to you; and keepe with you untill, with fome other more worthie labour, I do redeeme it out of your hands, and discharge my utmoft dutie. Till then wifhing your Ladiship all increase of honour and happineffe, I humblie take leave.

Your La ever humbly;

VOL. VII.

D d

ED. SP.

PROSOPOPOIA:

OR

MOTHER HUBBERDS TALE *.

IT was the month, in which the righteous

Maide,

That for disdaine of finfull worlds upbraide Fled back to heaven, whence fhe was firft conceived,

Into her filver bowre the Sunne received;
And the hot Syrian Dog on him awayting, s
After the chafed Lyons cruell bayting,

Corrupted had th' ayre with his noysome breath, And powr'd on th' earth plague, peftilence, and death.

Emongst the rest a wicked maladie

Raign'd emongit men, that manie did to die, 10

* Mother Hubberds Tale.] In this Poem we have a fpecimen of Spenfer's genius in Satire, a talent he very feldom exercifed. This Fable is after the old manner of Chaucer, of whom it is an excellent imitation; and perhaps the antiquated file has no ill effect in improving the humour of the Story. The Morality of it is admirable. Every one will obferve that keenness of wit, with which he has reprefented the arts of ill Courtiers. In the defcription of a good Courtier, which is fo finely fet off by the contrary characters, it is believed the author had in his view Sir Philip Sidney, of whom this feems to be a very just as well as beautiful picture. HUGHES.

Depriv'd of fenfe and ordinarie reason ;
That it to leaches feemed ftrange and geason.
My fortune was, mongft manie others moe,
To be partaker of their common woe;

And my weake bodie, fet on fire with griefe, 15
Was rob'd of rest and naturall reliefe.

In this ill plight, there came to visite mee
Some friends, who, forie my fad case to see,
Began to comfort me in chearfull wife,
And meanes of gladfome folace to devife.
But feeing kindly fleep refufe to doe
His office, and my feeble eyes forgoe,
They fought my troubled fenfe how to de-

ceave

20

25

With talke, that might unquiet fancies reave;
And, fitting all in feates about me round,
With pleasant tales (fit for that idle ftound)
They caft in course to waste the wearie howres:
Some tolde of Ladies, and their Paramoures;
Some of brave Knights, and their renowned
Squires;

Some of the Faeries and their strange attires; 30

Ver. 12.

geafon.] Uncommon. See the note on F. Q. vi. iv. 37, and Vif. of the Worlds Vanity, ver. 5. TODD.

Ver. 28. Some tolde of Ladies, &c.] Stories of this kind were among the favourite paftimes of our ancestors. See Burton's Anat. of Melancholy, edit. 1624, p. 230. "The ordinary recreations which we have in Winter, &c. are―merry tales of errant Knights, Kings, Queens, Louers, Lords, Ladies,` Giants, Dwarfes, Theeves, Fayries, &c." TODD.