8. ¶ Songes And Sonettes | written by the right honorable | Lord Henry Haward late | Earle of Surrey, and | others. | Apud Richardum Tottell. | 1567. | Cum priuilegio. (Colophon) ¶ Imprinted At Lon- | Don In Fletestrete within Temple barre at the | ſigne of the hand and ſtarre, by | Richard Tottell, | Anno. 1567. | Cum priuilegio.
Richard Tottel was licensed to print law-books, and his publications of that nature exhibit his best work; but this book, though not attractive in appearance, was his most popular venture. It was called "Tottel's miscellany," and it is fitting that his name should always be connected with it as a testimony to his energy and intelligence in producing a work so greatly to the "honor of the English tongue." We learn something of his energy in his desire to establish a paper-mill in England to compete with the French paper, then in general use; and his intelligence is evinced in the following extract from his address "To the reader":
"That to haue wel written in verſe, yea and in ſmal parcelles, deſerueth greate praiſe, the woorkes of diuers Latins, Italians, and other, do proue ſufficiently, that our tong is able in that kinde to do as praiſe woorthelye as the reſte, the honorable ſtile of the Earle of Surreye, and the weightineſſe of the deepe wytted Syr Thomas Wyat the elders verſe, withe ſeueral graces in ſundrie good English writers, doe ſhewe abundantlye. It reſteth now (gentle Reader) that thou thinke it not euill done to publiſh to the honour of the Engliſhe tongue and for profit of the ſtudious of English eloquence, thoſe woorkes which the ungentle horders up of ſuche treaſure haue hertofore enuied thee."
His confidence in the gentle reader was not misplaced, and he had the satisfaction of issuing six editions between 1557 and 1574. The first was printed at The Hand and Star, June 5, 1557, and is represented by one copy which is in the Bodleian Library; the British Museum and the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge, each owns a copy of a second edition, dated July 31, 1557; one copy exists of a third edition dated 1559; and there is a fourth edition dated 1565. The present edition agrees in its contents with the second, and is said to be the most correct of all.
This volume contains two hundred and eighty sonnets, of which the first forty-one (including one by an unknown author) are by Lord Howard. "S. T. VVyate the elder" is signed to the next group of ninety-six; and a collection of one hundred and thirty-three by "Vncertain auctours," follows. The collection ends with ten "Songs written by N. G." (Nicholas Grimald). Grimald had contributed forty to the first edition, which were cut down to the present number for the second edition.
Octavo. The fifth edition. Roman.
Collation: A-P, in eights.