having so
principal a share therein, deserves a principal part of the praise. And
how well his deservings were, take an essay of his Poetry in his
induction to the Book.

When Summer sweet with all her pleasures past,
And leaves began to leave the shady tree,
The Winter cold encreased on full fast,
And time of year to sadness moved me:
For moisty blasts not half so mirthful be,
As sweet _Aurora_ brings in Spring-time fair,
Our joys they dim as Winter damps the air.

The Nights began to grow to length apace,
Sir _Phoebus_ to th'Antartique 'gan to fare:
From _Libra_'s lance, to the _Crab_ he took his race
Beneath the Line, to lend of light a share.
For then with us the days more darkish are,
More short, cold, moist, and stormy, cloudy, clit,
For sadness more than mirths or pleasures fit.

Devising then what Books were best to read,
Both for that time, and sentence grave also,
For conference of friend to stand in stead,
When I my faithful friend was parted fro;
I gat me strait the Printers shops unto,
To seek some Work of price I surely ment,
That might alone my careful mind content.

And then he declareth how there he found the first part of this Mirrour
for Magistrates, which yet took beginning from the time of King
_Richard_ the Second; But he knowing many Examples of famous persons
before _William_ the Conquerour, which were wholly omitted, he set upon
the Work, and beginning from _Brute_, continued it to _Aurelius
Bassianus Caracalla_ Emperour of _Rome_, about the year of Christ 209.
shewing in his Writings a great deal of Wisdom and Learning. He
flourished about the beginning of the Reign of Queen _Elizabeth_.

* * * * *

_ABRAHAM FRAUNCE_.

This _Abraham Fraunce_, a Versifier, about the same time with _John
Higgins_, was one who imitated _Latine_ measure in _English_ Verse,
writing a Pastoral, called _the Countess of_ Pembroke's _Ivy-church_,
and some other things in Hexameter, some also in Hexameter and
Pentameter; He also wrote _the Countess of_ Pembroke's _Emanuel_,
containing the Nativity, Passion, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ,
together with certain Psalms of _David_, all in _English_ Hexameters.
Nor was he altogether singular in this way of writing, for Sir _Philip
Sidney_ in the Pastoral Interludes of his _Arcadia_, uses not only
these, but all other sorts of _Latine_ measure, in which no wonder he
is followed