probably not much lament their omission in this place.

STEPHEN HAWES was a native of Suffolk, and, like Barclay, after an academical education at Oxford, passed into France and Italy, and made himself a complete master of the literature, and particularly of the poetry, of both countries. On his return to England, he obtained an establishment (as groom of the chamber) in the royal household; a reward, perhaps, for accomplishments so congenial to the taste of Henry VII. who was a great admirer of French, as well as a patron' of English poetry.

Hawes's principal work is the "History of "Graund Amour and la Belle Pucelle, called the "Pastime of Pleasure, containing the knowledge "of the seven sciences, and the course of man's "life in this world. Invented by Stephen Hawes, 66 groom of king Henry the Seventh his chamber." And Mr. Warton is of opinion, that "this poem " contains no common touches of romantic and "allegorical fiction;" that "the personifications are often happily sustained, and indicate the

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Henry VII. was seldom extravagant in his donations; and yet we find, in his household accounts, the sum of 100 shillings paid to Master Barnard, a blind poet, in return, as it seems, for his poetical compositions.

"writer's familiarity with the Provincial school;" and that "Hawes has added new graces to Lydgate's manner. It is, however, very doubtful whether every reader will concur in this favourable opinion of Stephen Hawes's merit.

Graund Amour (true gallantry), the hero of the piece, falls asleep, and sees a vision. He receives from Fame the first account of La Belle Pucelle (perfect beauty), and is by her referred, for farther particulars, to the Tower of Doctrine. Here, certainly, is a beginning very much in the spirit of the times; but the subsequent conduct of the poem is not very well calculated to gratify the impatience of any reader, who shall have taken a lively interest in the success of Graund Amour's passion. An accurate knowledge of the seven sciences, viz. grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, music, geometry, and astronomy, does not seem to be indispensably requisite to the success of a love adventure. These sciences, it is true, are all ladies; but many of them are dreadfully prolix in their instructions. The two following stanzas are not offered as the best specimen of this author's style, but they are part of the hero's conversation with dame Grammar, who has (as she ought to have) the merit of being more concise, than dame Rhetoric, dame Music, &c.

"Madam, quoth I, for as much as there be

Eight parts of speech, I would know right fain, "What a noun substantive is in his degree, “And wherefore it is so called certain ? To whom she answered right gentily again, Saying alway that a noun substantive Might stand without help of an adjective.

The Latin word, which that is referred
Unto a thing which is substantial,
For a noun substantive is well averred;
And, with a gender is declinal,
So all the eight parts in general
Are Latin words, annexed properly

To every speech, for to speak formally.

[Chap. V.]

The education of Graund Amour, which, however, is somewhat enlivened by a meeting with his mistress, whom he had not hitherto seen, occupies rather more than one half of this pastime of pleasure; after which he begins his military career, for the purpose of obtaining Belle Pucelle. But here the attention of the reader is very unexpectedly diverted to a strange personage, who calls himself Godfrey Gobelive, but who turns out to be FALSE REPORT, disguised as a fool. Godfrey

calumniates the whole female sex, and relates two tales, copied from the French fabliaux. The first is the "Lay of Aristotle," the second nearly resembles that of Hippocrates; but the adventure is attributed to Virgil the enchanter, who, in return for the trick of the basket, inflicts on his fair enemy a punishment too disgusting to mention. After this gross and unnecessary episode, our allegorical hero achieves some marvellous adventures, and obtains possession of his mistress. But the story does not stop here; for Graund Amour proceeds to relate his own death and burial; and "how Remembrance made his epitaphy;" and how "Time came into the temple in marvellous "similitude;" and "how Eternity came into the "temple, and of her virtuous exhortacion," after which comes the "excusation of the authour."

Throughout the work, Hawes has studiously imitated the style of Lydgate, but he has generally copied his worst manner. He is diffuse, fond of expletives, and his epithets add nothing to the sense. Of his more laboured diction the reader will judge from the following stanza.

Her redolent words, of sweet influence,
Degouted vapour most aromatick,

And made conversion of my complacence.

Her depured and lusty rhetorick

My courage reformed, that was so lunatick,

My sorrow defeated, and my mind did modify,
And my dolorous heart began to pacify.

[Chap. XXVIII.]

The "Pastime of Pleasure" has been thrice printed; the first time by Winken de Worde, in 1517; again by John Wayland, in 1554; and by Richard Tottell, in 1555. Hawes's other works are, the "Temple of Glass," (which however is ascribed to Lydgate in the Pastime of Pleasure, cap XIV.) written, as it appears, in imitation of Chaucer's Temple of Fame: and a short poem consisting of a single sheet, and ornamented with a curious wooden cut, on the subject of the coronation of Henry VIII. and Katherine of Arragon. This last is preserved in the public library at Cambridge.*

In Major Pearson's collection was a compendious <l story called the example of Vertue, in the which ye shall "find many goodly stories, and natural disputations, be"tween four ladies, named Hardynes, Sapyence, Fortune, "and Nature: compiled by Stephen Hawes, and printed "by W. de Worde, 1530.