describing with considerable force the revolutionists of Queen Elizabeth's reign, entitled "Rythmes against Martin Marre, prelate ;" in which is the following stanza:

"And ye grave men that answer Martin's mowes He mocks the more, and ye in vain loose times, Leave apes to dogs to bait; their skins to crows;

And let old Lanam lash him with his rhymes: The beast is proud when men weigh his inditings Let his works go the way of all waste writings."

It seems not improbable that amongst the various qualifications of our Laneham, a talent for versification was included; and his powers for satire and ridicule cannot be doubted: these he possessed in a super-eminent degree.

The first publication of Laneham's letter was in small octavo size, and black letter; and contains eighty pages; without date or printer's name. It is extremely scarce, and of much value.

CAPTAIN COx.

Little of this worthy's personal history is known; but it appears that his taste was in great requisition in the invention and arrangement of the motley pageants of his day. His fame survived his death; and afforded a subject, in after times, both of eulogy and ridicule. The wit of Ben Jonson made it a vehicle of the latter. In his masque, entitled "The Masque of Owls at Kenilworth, presented by the Ghost of Captain Cox, mounted on his hobby-horse," in 1626, the following lines occur. The reader will perceive in them a good vein of humour.

Enter Captain Cox, on his Hobby-Horse.

Room! room! for my horse will wince,

If he come within so many yards of a prince

And tho' he have not on his wings,

He will do strange things.

He is the Pegasus that uses
To wait on Warwick muses;
And on gaudy days he paces
Before the Coventry graces;
For to tell you true, and in rhyme,
He was fool'd in Elizabeth's time,

MASTER ROBERT LANEHAM,

Master-keeper of the Council-chamber door.

This whimsical personage, so important in the regulation of the grotesque gaieties of Elizabeth's court, is introduced in the novel with strict attention to the actual circumstances of his person, manner, and costume. "The earl (Leicester) was approached (says oùr author) with several fantastic congées, by a person quaintly dressed in a doublet of black velvet, curiously slashed, and pinked with crimson satin; a long cock's feather in the velvet bonnet which he held in his hand; and an enormous ruff, stiffened to the extremity of the absurd taste of the times, joined with a sharp, lively, conceited expression of countenance, seemed to body forth a vain, hair-brained coxcomb, and small wit; while the rod which he held, and an assumption of formal authority, appeared to express some sense of official consequence, which qualified the natural pertness of his manner." This singular personage attended at Kenilworth, during the right royal reception which was given to Elizabeth in the year

1575, so spiritedly described by our author; and, in conjunction with Captain Cox, (of whom we shall speedily make mention,) imagined and executed the diversified pageants which were exhibited on the occasion. Of these he cummunicated a most minute, amusing, and elaborate account to his friend, "Master Humfrey Martin, mercer," in London, which was afterwards published, with the following title, and has been since reprinted in the first volume of Nichols's "Progresses," and in "Kenilworth illustrated,"-" A Letter, wherein part of the entertainment unto the Queen's Majesty, at Killingworth Castle, in Warwickshire, in this summer's progress 1575, is signified; from a friend, officer attendant in the court, unto his friend, a citizen and merchant in London."

It is to be regretted that we possess no further account of the lively and facetious writer of this curious detail, than is incidentally contained in the letter itself; but his communicative disposition has furnished numerous hints respecting himself, from which we may collect the following facts-that he