sses the following title--"_New Essayes and
Characters, with a new Satyre in defence of the Common Law, and Lawyers:
mixt with reproofe against their Enemy Ignoramus, &c. London, 1631._" It
seems not improbable that some person had attacked Stephens's first
edition, although I am unable to discover the publication alluded to. I
suspect him to be the editor of, or one of the contributors to, the later
copies of Sir Thomas Overbury's _Wife_, &c.: since one of Stephens's
friends, (a Mr. I. Cocke) in a poetical address prefixed to his _New
Essayes_, says "I am heere enforced to claime 3 characters following the
Wife[CR]; viz. the _Tinker_, the _Apparatour_, and _Almanack-maker_, that
I may signify the ridiculous and bold dealing of an vnknowne botcher: but
I neede make no question what he is; for his hackney similitudes discouer
him to be the rayler above-mentioned, whosoeuer that rayler be."

FOOTNOTES:

[CP] Coxeter, in his MSS. notes to Gildon's _Lives of the Eng. Dram.
Poets_, in the Bodleian, says that the second edition was in 8vo. 1613,
"_Essays and Characters, Ironical and Instructive_," but this must be a
mistake.

[CQ]

"Who takes thy volume to his vertuous hand,
Must be intended still to vnderstand:
Who bluntly doth but looke vpon the same,
May aske, _what author would conceale his name?_
Who reads may roaue, and call the passage darke,
Yet may, as blind men, sometimes hit the marke.
Who reads, who roaues, who hopes to vnderstand,
May take thy volume to his vertuous hand.
Who cannot reade, but onely doth desire
To vnderstand, hee may at length admire.

B. I."

[CR] These were added to the sixth edition of the _Wife_, in 1615.

v. _Caracters upon Essaies, morall and diuine, written for those good
spirits that will take them in good part, and make use of them to good
purpose. London: Printed by Edw. Griffin for John Guillim, and are to be
sold at his shop in Britaines Burse._ 1615. 12mo.

[Censura Literaria, v. 51. Monthly Mirror, xi. 16.]

vi. _The Good and the Badde, or Descriptions of the Worthies and
Vnworthies of this Age. Where the Best may see their Graces, and the Worst
discerne their Basenesse. London, Printed by George Purslowe for Iohn
Budge, and are to be sold at the great South-dore of Paules, and at
Brittaines Bursse._ 1616.

[4to. containing pp. 40, title, dedication "to Sir Gilbert Houghton,
Knight," and preface six more. A s