His pretie teares betokening his annoy, "And Venus, starting at her love-mates crie, Whose beautie quaild, as wont the lillies droop, When wastfull winter windes doe make them stoop: "Her daintie hand addrest to dawe her deere, Her sighes, and then her lookes and heavie cheere, As if the boy were then but new a dying," &c. It is not to be disputed that the poem, from which this quotation is taken, was printed four years before "Venus and Adonis" made its appearance; but there seems as little doubt that the last was composed, perhaps, as long before the first was written Lodge having had an opportunity, like many others, of seeing "Venus and Adonis" in manuscript, followed the example in "Scillae's Metamorphosis," and made the preceding allusion to it. Bibliographers inform us that "Scillae's Metamorphosis," having originally come out in 1589, was reprinted in 1610. This is a mistake, owing to the writers not having been able to see both editions: the only novelty in the copies of 1610 is the title-page, which runs thus: "A most pleasant Historie of Glaucus and Scilla. With many excellent Poems, and delectable Sonnets.-Imprinted at London. 1610." It was only a repetition of the ordinary bookseller's contrivance to sell off copies remaining on hand, under the pretext that the work was an entirely new impression: all, excepting the title, is precisely like the edition of 1589, even to the most minute particular of defective typography. This fact establishes that Lodge's "Scillae's Metamorphosis" was anything but successful: all the copies of the impression of 1589 were not sold even as late as 1610, while of Shakespeare's "Venus and Adonis" four distinct reprints, two in 4to. and two in 8vo., had been made between 1593, when it first appeared, and the year 1600. Before I quit Lodge's poem, I may notice a curious point in it, which has hitherto escaped observation. It is ascertained that, although he strenuously defended dramatic poetry and the stage from Stephen Gosson's attack in his "School of Abuse," 1579,1 Lodge early abandoned the profession both as an author and as an actor: two dramas, one by him alone, and the other by him and Robert Greene, were published in 1594, but at what date they were written has not been ascertained. "Scillae's Metamorphosis" affords curious proof that Lodge had relinquished theatrical composition as early as 1589, for at the close of that poem we meet with the subsequent stanza : the writer is speaking of Glaucus. "At last he left me where at first he found me, But live with fame, and so for fame to wright." At that date, and as Gosson and Northbrooke had con 'Reprinted by the Shakespeare Society in 1841. 2 In his "Treatise against Plays, Interludes," &c., reprinted by the Shakespeare Society in 1843. VOL. III. L tended, "shame " grew from dramatic composition, and Glaucus enjoined Lodge to write no more of it. "Pennyknaves" is a contemptuous term for penny auditors, admitted into some parts of our old theatres at that price. Though Lodge wrote many works after 1589, he seems to have kept his word, and never again touched matters in any way connected with the stage. The drama written by Greene and Lodge, probably in concert, is called "A Looking Glass for London and England;" and although it was first printed in 1594, we may be now sure that it was composed at least five years earlier; which will afford a useful note to the Rev. Mr. Dyce's reprint of it in his edition of "The Dramatic Works of Robert Greene," 2 vols., 8vo., 1831 he has not touched upon the period of the composition of the play. London, January 7th, 1846. JAMES P. REARDON. ART. XVII.—An unknown edition of the Interlude of "Every Man," printed by Pynson. Not very long before his death, the late Mr. Douce, author of the "Illustrations of Shakespeare," &c., gave me an opportunity of transcribing a very curious dramatic fragment in his possession, which, I presume, with his other books and MSS., is now at Oxford. It consists of large portions of the last eight pages of the interlude of "Every Man," from the press of Pynson; and it is the more valuable, because no more complete copy by Pynson appears to be known. Herbert was aware of the fragment, but, notwithstanding his authority, Dr. Dibdin, in his "Typographical Antiquities," ii., 565, says, "The existence of any play printed by Wynkyn de Worde, or Pynson, may be doubtful." As to Wynkyn de Worde, an entire drama, with his colophon, is contained in vol. 12 of the last edition of "Dodsley's Old Plays;" and as to Pynson, it is equally indisputable that he printed a "play," because his colophon is fortunately preserved, in the following words, at the end of Mr. Douce's fragment— 66 Imprynted at London in Fletestrete at the Sygne of the George by Rycharde Pynson prynter vnto the Kynges noble grace." The "moral play" of "Every Man," from one of Skot's editions, is contained in vol. i. of Hawkins's "Origin of the English Drama," but the editor says nothing of any impression by Pynson: it is evident that he was unacquainted with the fact; and, indeed, did not know that "Every Man" had been twice printed by Skot, once with his colophon, and once without it. This circumstance is recorded in the hand writing of Mr. Douce upon his fragment in the following terms "There are two editions printed by John Skot, one of which has a colophon, the other not; both without dates." I happen to have had an opportunity of inspecting both the impressions put forth by Skot, and I subjoin the title-page of that with a colophon, because I have never yet seen it correctly given. "Here begynneth a Treatyse how ye hye fader of heuen sendeth Dethe to somon euery creature to come and gyue a counte of theyr lyues in this worlde, and is in maner of a morall playe." The colophon, at the end of the play, is precisely this— "Imprynted at London, in Poules chyrche yarde, by me, John Skot." The only copy of this edition I ever saw, is, or was, in the library of Lincoln Cathedral: the only copy I have seen of the other edition, by Skot, without his colophon, was sold in 1833, among Mr. Caldecot's books, for £32 10s. It was a distinct impression, and, among other differences, it may noticed that there were six wood-cut figures of the Dramatis Persona at the back of the title-page: on the last leaf was the printer's device, and merely his name, "John Skot." be The exact period when "Every Man" came from Pynson's press cannot be ascertained, but his last dated work is 1531; so that there can be no doubt that "Every Man is one of the very oldest printed dramas in our language: perhaps the only piece of the same kind that has higher claims, on the score of antiquity, is "The World and the Child," printed by Wynkyn de Worde in 1522; but Pynson may have printed his undated "Every Man" before that year: if so, the moral play of "Every Man" would be the oldest drama in our |