HARMONY OF THE CHURCH

BY

MICHAEL DRAYTON,

NOW FIRST REPRINTED FROM THE EDITION OF 1591.

EDITED BY

THE REV. ALEXANDER DYCE.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR THE PERCY SOCIETY.

M.DCCC.XLIII.

COUNCIL

OF

The Percy Society.

President.

THE RT. HON. LORD BRAYBROOKE, F.S.A.

THOMAS AMYOT, Esq. F.R.S., TREAS. S.A.

WILLIAM HENRY BLACK, Esq.

J. A. CAHUSAC, Esq. F.S.A.

WILLIAM CHAPPELL, Esq. F.S.A., Treasurer.

J. PAYNE COLLIER, Esq. F.S.A.

T. CROFTON CROKER, Esq. F.S.A., M.R.I.A.

PETER CUNNINGHAM, Esq.

REV. ALEXANDER DYCE.

WILLIAM JERDAN, Esq. F.S.A., M.R.S.L.

SIR FREDERICK MADDEN, K.H., F.R.S., F.S.A.

T. J. PETTIGREW, Esq. F.R.S., F.S.A.

E. F. RIMBAULT, Esq. F.S.A. Secretary.

WILLIAM J. THOMS, Esq. F.S.A.

JAMES WALSH, Esq. F.S.A.

THOMAS WRIGHT, Esq. M.A., F.S.A.

PREFACE.

THE following Tract is not included in the Editions of Drayton s Works. The original is a small black-letter quarto.

The Harmony of the Church is nothing more than select portions of Scripture "reduced into sundrie kinds of English meeter"; and, perhaps, exhibits in the versification less of the artist than Drayton's later writings. It has, however, considerable claims to our attention, both as the earliest publication of so celebrated a poet, and as being now reprinted from a copy which is in all probability unique.

A. D.