second part of the History of Parismenos, otherwise called the second parte of the Castle of Fame."

7. THE HISTORY OF GEORGE A GREEN, Pindar of the Town of Wakefield, his Birth, Calling, Valour, and Reputation in the Country: with divers pleasant as well as serious Passages in the Course of his Life and Fortune. Illustrated with cuts. Sm. 8vo. London, Printed for Samuel Ballard at the Blue-Ball in Little Britain, 1706.

The wood-cuts in this book are greatly superior to most of the specimens met with in similar productions, as may be judged from the frontispiece here copied. There is a curious early MS. of this prose history in the library of Sion College, which may be the original whence the present edition is taken, for the preface says, "As for the history itself, it's very easie to observe, by its phraseology and manner of writing, that 'tis not very modern, but that the manuscript must at least have been as old as the days of Queen Elizabeth. It's lodged in a publick library in the city of London, from which a copy was taken, and is now made publick, with no other alteration than such as were necessary to make the sence tolerably congruous." George a Green is thus noticed by Drunken Barnaby :

Straight at Wakefield I was seen a,

Where I sought for George a Green a,
But could not find such a creature ;
Yet on a sign I saw his feature,

Where strength of ale had so much stirr'd me,

· That I grew stouter far than Jordie.

This volume contains 109 pages, exclusive of frontispiece, title, epistle dedicatory "to the Steward and other the Gentlemen and Inhabitants in the Town and Lordship of Wakefield in the West-Riding of the County of York," signed by N. W., the preface, and one leaf containing a list of "books printed and sold by Samuel Ballard at the Blue-Ball in Little Britain."

George a Green is mentioned in Gayton's Pleasant Notes upon Don Quixote, 1654, p. 21: "Had you heard of Bevis of Southampton, the Counter-scuffle, Sir Eglamore, John Dory, the Pindar of Wakefield, Robin Hood, or Clem of the Cluff, these no doubt had been recommended to the Vatican without any Index Expurgatorius or censure at all.”

COURTIER AND THE JOVIAL TINKER. 12mo.
London, n. d.

A curious medley of tales, the first of which is on the same story as the Induction to the Taming of the Shrew.-1. How finding a drunken tinker asleep, he had him carried in that posture to his house; laid him on a bed in a stately room, with rich cloaths by him, feasted and entertained him with musick, and making him drunk, conveyed him back again.-2. How he bought all the butter of a woman going to market, and the frolicks he played with her for being over covetous, causing the saying, when a woman scratches her, butter will be cheap.-3. By what a comical method he relieved the poor widow of Mortlake against the Parson of the Parish, who had stopped up her water-gap.-4. How he served the tinker coming again to his house, because he complained he could get no drink.-5. A comical trick he made the tinker serve an old farmer, who used to ride sleeping, making him think that his horse was a devil.-6. How the tinker complained to him of a butcher's dog that often assaulted him: how he put on the tinker's habit, fought with and killed the dog, and the comical examination before a Justice.-On the title is a wood-cut of the old Covent Garden. The first tale, not having been reprinted in any Shakesperian collection, is here given:

Riding one day along with his retinue, he espied a tinker (who had been taking a very early draught, to quench the spark in his throat) lying fast asleep, and snoring under a sunny bank, having made his budget.

into his pillow, to rest his drowsy head upon, and the courtier's country house not being far off, he immediately caused his servants to take him up very softly, and carry him thither; then to put him in a stately bed in the best chamber, pull off his foul shirt and put him on a clean one; then convey away his old cloaths and lay rich ones by him. This was punctually observed. The tinker being thus laid, slept soundly till evening, when rousing up between sleep and waking, and being dry, as usually drunkards are, he began to call for drink, but was extremely frighted to find himself got into such a place, furnished with lights, with attendants about him that bowed to him, and harmonious musick accompanied with most charming voices, but none of them to be seen. Whereupon, looking for his old cloaths and budget, he found a muff and rich attire glittering with gold by him, which made him fancy himself metamorphosed from a tinker to a prince. He asked many questions, but in vain, yet being willing to rise, the attendants arrayed him in the richest attire, so that he looked on all sides admiring the sudden change of fortune, as proud as a peacock when he spreads his tail against the glittering beams of the sun. And being arrayed, they carry him unto another room, where was a costly banquet prepared; and placed him in a chair, under a fine canopy fringed with gold, being attended with wine in gilded cups. At first he strained courtesy,* but being

* That is, stood upon ceremony. The phrase occurs in Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, ii, 4.

entreated to sit down, the banquet being solely at his disposal, he fell too most heartily. Then after supper they ply'd him with so much wine as to make him dead drunk; then stripping him, and putting on his old cloaths, they carried him as they had brought him, and laid him in the same posture they found him, being all this time asleep; and when he waked in the morning staring about, he took all that happened before for a vision, telling it wherever he came, that he had verily dreamed he had been a prince, telling them, as well as he could, all that had happened, but plainly he now saw again, his fortune would raise him no higher than to mend old kettles. Yet he made this song for the fraternity to sing at leisure.

All you that jovial tinkers are,

Come listen unto me:

I dream'd a dream that was so rare,
That none to it can e'er compare,
No tinker such did see.

I thought I was a king indeed,
Attired gay and fine :
In a stately palace I did tread,
Was to a princely banquet led,

And had good cheer of wine.

But soon I found me in a ditch,
That did no comfort lend:
This shews a tinker, tho' he itch
To be a prince or to grow rich,
Must still old kettles mend.

9. JOAKS UPON JOAKS, OR NO JOAK LIKE A True JOAK, being the comical humours of Mr. John