Renowned Poets all, and men of worth,
If wit may passe for worth: Then Sylvester,
Sands, Drayton, Beaumont, Fletcher, Massinger,
Shakespeare, and Heywood, Poets good and free,
Dramatick writers all, but the first three:
These were empanell’d all, and being sworne
A just and perfect verdict to return,” &c. (p. 9.)
George Wither was quite capable of placing himself first on the list, in such a manner, we admit; but it is incredible to us that, if he had been the author, he could have described himself so insultingly as we find in the following lines, and elsewhere:—
“he did protest
That Wither was a cruell Satyrist;