Stanzas, 17, 18, 19.

At the sale of Mr. Brand's books, in 1807, a copy of this
rare tract, of six or seven pages, was sold for 3_l._ 17_s._
6_d._ Vide _Bibl. Brand_, part i., no. 1300. This was
surely more than both plaister and horse were worth! A
poetical satire of a similar kind, entitled "_John Bon and
Mast Person_," was printed by Daye and Seres; who struck off
but a few copies, but who were brought into considerable
trouble for the same. The virulence with which the author
and printer of this lampoon were persecuted in Mary's reign
is sufficiently attested by the care which was taken to
suppress every copy that could be secured. The only perfect
known copy of this rare tract was purchased at the sale of
Mr. R. Forster's books, for the Marquis of Bute; and Mr.
Stace, the bookseller, had privilege to make a fac-simile
reprint of it; of which there were six copies struck off
UPON VELLUM. It being now rather common with
book-collectors, there is no necessity to make a quotation
from it here. Indeed there is very little in it deserving of
republication.]

LOREN. I will make a memorandum to try to secure this "comical" piece,
as you call it; but has it never been reprinted in our "_Corpora
Poetarum Anglicorum_?"

LYSAND. Never to the best of my recollection. Mr. Alexander Chalmers
probably shewed his judgment in the omission of it, in his lately
published collection of our poets. A work, which I can safely
recommend to you as being, upon the whole, one of the most faithful
and useful, as well as elegant, compilations of its kind, that any
country has to boast of. But I think I saw it in your library,
Lorenzo?--

LOREN. It was certainly there, and bound in stout Russia, when we
quitted it for this place.

LIS. Dispatch your "gall'd horse," and now--having placed a justly
merited wreath round the brow of your poetical editor, proceed--as
Lorenzo has well said--with personal anecdotes. What has become of
Wyatt and Surrey--and when shall we reach Leland and Bale?

LYSAND. I crave your mercy, Master Lisardo! One at a time. Gently ride
your bibliomaniacal hobby-horse!

WYATT and SURREY had, beyond all question, the most exquisitely
polished minds of their day. They were far above the generality of
their compeers. But although Hall chooses to notice _the whistle_[318]
of the latter, it does not follow that I should