love,
  Of all sweet Nymphs, I honour Rosalinde,
  Of all her Gifts, her Wisdom pleaseth most: 
  Of all her Graces, Virtue she doth boast;
  For all the Gifts, my Life and Joy is lost,
  If Rosalinde prove cruel and unkind.

* * * * *

ROBERT GREENE.

Robert Greene (that great Friend to the Printers by his many Impressions of numerous Books) was by Birth a Gentleman, and sent to study in the University of Cambridge; where he proceeded Master of Art therein.  He had in his time sipped of the Fountain of Hellicon, but drank deeper Draughts of Sack, that Helliconian Liquor, whereby he beggar’d his Purse to enrich his Fancy; writing much against Viciousness, but too vicious in his Life.  He had to his Wife a Virtuous Gentlewoman, whom yet he forsook, and betook himself to a high course of Living; to maintain which, he made his Pen mercenary, making his Name very famous for several Books which he wrote, very much taking in his time, and in indifferent repute amongst the vulgar at this present; of which, those that I have seen, are as followeth) Euphues his Censure to Philautus; Tullies Love, Philomela, The Lady Fitz-waters Nightingale, A Quip for an upstart Courtier, the History of Dorastus and Fawnia, Green’s never too late, first and second Part; Green’s Arcadia, Green his Farewell to Folly, Greene’s Groats-worth of Wit, &c. He was also an Associate with Dr. Lodge in writing of several Comedies; namely, The Laws of Nature; Lady Alimony; Liberality and Prodigality; and a Masque called Luminalia; besides which, he wrote alone the Comedies of Fryer Bacon, and fair Emme.

But notwithstanding by these his Writings he got much Money, yet was it not sufficient to maintain his Prodigality, but that before his death he fell into extream Poverty, when his Friends, (like Leaves to Trees in the Summer of Prosperity) fell from him in his Winter of Adversity:  of which he was very sensible, and heartily repented of his ill passed Life, especially of the wrongs he had done to his Wife; which he declared in a Letter written to her, and found with his Book of A Groatsworth of Wit, after his Death, containing these Words;

The Remembrance of many Wrongs offered Thee and thy unreproved Vertues, add greater sorrow to my miserable State than I can utter, or thou conceive; neither is it lessened by consideration of thy Absence (though Shame would let me hardly behold thy Face) but exceedingly aggravated, for that I cannot (as I ought) to thy own self reconcile my self, that thou mightest witness my inward Wo at this instan Green, and may grow strait, if he be carefully tended; otherwise apt enough (I fear me) to follow his Fathers Folly.  That I have offended thee highly, I know; that thou canst forget