A Bower of Delights : Interwoven Verse and Prose from
the Works of Nicholas Breton. By Alexander B. Grosart, (Elliot Stock.)— We value, Mr. Grosart thinks, what Sir Philip Sidney and Sir Walter Raleigh wrote, chiefly for the men's sake ; what Breton wrote, chiefly for the writings, kr of the man we know next to nothing. He was a native of London, a student at Oxford, and he died in 1620. This collection will certainly repay study. Breton's verse is in advance of its time in respect of its metrical merits,—it must be remembered that he was more than twenty years older than Shakespeare. Here is a specimen of Life and Conduct," which Mr. Grosart not unfairly describes as -" George Herbert's 'Temple ' long anticipated :"—
" Be not a churl, nor yet exceed in sheer ;
Hold fast thine own, pay truly whit thou owest ; ell not too cheap and do at buy too dear 'fell but to few what secret o'er thou knowest, And take good heed to whom, and what thou shawest Love God, thyself, thy wife, thy ohtldren, friend, Neiglitour and servant—and so make an end.
Believe no news till they be nine days old,
Nor then too much, n though the print approve [them); Mistake tot dross for perfect Indian gold ;
Nor make friends gods; but, as y ute tied them, love,
And, as you know them, keep them or remove: Beware of beauty and affect no slut ; And 'ware the worm before ye crack the nut."
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