NOTE. 'Astrophel, etc.,' formed part of the vol. of 1596—whose separate portions precede this. By an odd printer's blunder, the head running line is— 'Colin Clovts come home again.' It is to be Our text is from a beautiful exemplar in my own Library. noted that the imprint at close is '1595.' See Life in Vol. I., and Essays, as before. The following suggestions are to be noted :— 1. 22, 'and weetingly'-Dr. Morris asks 'unweetingly '?-doubtful. 1. 50, often'-an obvious correction of 'oft' of the original. Cf. 1. 37, Dr. Morris's query-‘Did Spenser intend to write oft had sighed'? I for one answer nega. tively. 1. 89, 'need[eth]'-this and occasional similar filling in, justify themselves. 1. 149, 'beare'-Dr. Morris places in his Appendix I. 'biere' from 1611 but there is a play on the 'beare bearing, of the preceding line. In the 'Dolefull Lay of Clorinda,' 1. 35, 'did' filled in: 1. 50, 1611, and accepted by Dr. Morris, 'fro me' for 'me fro'-the latter and original to be preferred for the antithesis between 'you' and 'me.' In 'The Mourning Mufe of Thes tylis,' 1. 20, 'thy' accepted from Dr. Morris for 'their' of the original: 1. 34, 'Seyne' is substituted by Dr. Morris for ‘Reyne’[= Rhine] of the original. Why not 'Reyne' = Rhine? The more famous river is not to be thus deleted. Sidney was as much by the Rhine as by the Seine probably. In 'An Elegie, or friends paffion,' 1. 3, 'glaffe' is misprinted 'grasse ': 1. 72, 'night' is misprinted might' in the original: 1. 134, ‘Astrophrill' may not be a misprint, but an intended variant of its rhyme-word Aftrophill' 1. 181, 'This'-restored from the catch-word of the original for 'His.' 6 In Another on the fame,' l. 25, 'parallels' is misprinted 'parables' in the original and 1. 39, 'feeke' is misprinted 'feekes.' G. ASTROPHEL. A Paftorall Elegie vpon the death of the moft Noble and valorous Knight, Sir Philip Sidney. Dedicated To the most beautifull and vertuous Ladie, the Counteffe of Effex. Aftrophel. SHepheards that wont on pipes of oaten reed, Hearken ye gentle Shepheards to my fong, To you alone I fing this mournfull verfe, Yet as they been, if any nycer wit Shall hap to heare, or couet them to read: A Gentle Shepheard borne in Arcady, Of gentleft race that euer fhepheard bore: About the graffie bancks of Hæmony, Did keepe his sheep, his litle stock and store. |