In our author’s history of the reign of Queen Mary, tho’ he shews himself a great admirer of the personal virtues of that Princess, and a very discerning and able historian, yet it is every where evident that he was attached to the protestant interest; but more especially in the learned account he gives of Archbishop Cranmer’s death, and Sir Thomas Wyat’s insurrection[8].  The works of this author which are printed in the Mirror of Magistrates, are as follow;

  The Fall of Robert Tresilian, Chief Justice of
  England, for misconstruing the laws, and expounding
  them to serve the prince’s affections.

  The Tragedy, or unlawful murther of Thomas
  of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester.

  The Tragedy of Richard ii.

  The Story of Dame Eleanor Cobham, Duchess
  of Gloucester.

  The Story of Humphry Plantagenet, Duke of
  Gloucester, Protector of England.

  The Tragedy of Edmund Duke of Somerset.

Among these the Complaints of Eleanor Cobham, Duchess of Gloucester, who was banished for consulting Conjurers and Fortune-tellers about the Life of King Henry VI. and whose exile quickly made way for the murder of her husband, has of all his compositions been most admired; and from this I shall quote a few lines which that Lady speaks.

  The Isle of Man was the appointed place,
  To penance me for ever in exile;

  Thither in haste, they posted me apace,
  And doubting ’scape, they pined me in a pyle,
  Close by myself; in care alas the while. 
  There felt I first poor prisoner’s hungry fare,
  Much want, things skant, and stone walls, hard and bare.

  The chaunge was straunge from silke and cloth of gold
  To rugged fryze, my carcass for to cloath;
  From prince’s fare, and dainties hot and cold,
  To rotten fish, and meats that one would loath: 
  The diet and dressing were much alike boath: 
  Bedding and lodging were all alike fine,
  Such down it was as served well for swyne.

[Footnote 1:  From manuscript note on the art of poetry.]

[Footnote 2:  Biog.  Brit. p. 1922.]

[Footnote 3:  Willis notitia Parliam. vol 2. p. 295.]

[Footnote 4:  Patten’s Journal of the Scotch expedition, p. 13.]

[Footnote 5:  Stow’s Annal. p. 608.]

[Footnote 6:  Lond. 40.]

[Footnote 7:  Athen.  Oxon. vol.  I. col. 146.]

[Footnote 8:  Grafton’s Chron. p. 1350, 1351.]

* * * * *

Sir Philip Sidney.

This great ornament to human nature, to literature, and to Britain, was the son of Sir Henry Sidney, knight of the Garter, and three times Lord Deputy of Ireland, and of lady Mary Dudley, daughter to the duke of Northumberland, and nephew to that great favourite, Robert, earl of Leicester.