"The god of love,
That sits above."
[682:A] This poem, of which a prior edition is noticed in Censura Literaria, vol. v. p. 349, as published in 4to. 1600, is conjectured by Ritson, p. 201, to have been the production of William Evans, who is well known to the lovers of old English poetry, by his eulogium prefixed to the first edition of Spenser's "Faerie Queene," 1590. The Thamesiades, which consists of three books or cantos, is written with vigour, and exhibits some pleasing poetical pictures.
[682:B] This thin volume of 22 leaves, consists of seven poetical speeches "spoken before the King and Queens most excellent Majestie, the Prince his highnesse, and the Lady Elizabeth's Grace."
[682:C] He contributed also to the previous editions of 1559 and 1563.
[682:D] The "Georgiks" were added to a new version of the "Bucolikes," forming one volume, 4to. Both are in regular Alexandrines without rhyme.
[683:A] This production consists of a pastoral and an elegy; the former being a translation of the Aminta of Tasso.
[683:B] Fraunce also published in a work of his, entitled "The Lawyers Logicke," 1586, an hexameter version of Virgil's Alexis. His affectation of Latin metres has condemned him to oblivion, for as Phillips justly remarks, "they neither become the English, nor any other modern language."—Edit. apud Brydges, p. 109.
[683:C] Wood tells us (Ath. Oxon. vol. i. p. 398.), that Freeman was held in esteem by Donne, Daniel, Chapman, and Shakspeare; and to these poets, and to Spenser, he has addressed epigrams. For numerous specimens of this poet, see Warton, vol. iv., Ellis, and Park in Censura Lit. vol. iv. p. 129.
[683:D] This poem was afterwards annexed to Greene's "History of Arbasto," 1617, where it is termed "a lovely poem." It was reprinted in 1626. On Greene's authority, I have ranked it beyond mediocrity.