[1482] Tracke. 1575, 78. N.
[1483] Iohn Dolman. Ritson, in the Bibliographia Poetica, art. Dolman, has mentioned a manuscript note upon this legend describing it as “evidently the worst in the collection.” That note is written in a copy of the edition by Niccols, now in the possession of Mr. Heber, and being so quoted has given it more importance than it is worth; but, for the sake of juxta position, the whole is now given. “The stile of this legend, which is evidently the worst in the collection, and in this edition much alter’d from the three former publications of it, convinced me the author of it was not Drayton. By the second edition of these poems, printed A. 1563, this poem appears to have been penned by Maister Dolman.” Whatever credit may be given to this writer as a critic, his statement is too erroneous to be of any value, as the principal alterations made by Dolman are inserted in the edition of 1575, and the above signature is not to be found in that of 1563, but first appears in 1571.
[1484] Q. 1563.
[1485] Purposed with him selfe to. 1563.
[1486] This celebrated poem was reprinted in Mrs. Cooper’s Muse’s Library, 1738, from the edition of 1610. By Capell in the Prolusions, 1760. from those of 1563 and 71, with the text modernized. And also by Warton in the History of English Poetry, 1781, Vol. III. from the edition of 1610, who adopted most of the emendations of Capell. Also, in Anderson’s Poets, Vol. I. 1793; from the first edition.
[1487] In two copies of the edition of 1563 is the following variation. In the title one has “The Induction:” the other “Mayster Sackuille’s Induction.”
[1488] Hastning. N.
[1489] This line was also altered in the first edition while at press, as in one copy the reading is,
“The tapets torne and euery tree downe blowen:”
and is uniformly repeated in the subsequent editions, which also adopt the running title of “Mayster Sackuille’s Induction,” following the copy where the alteration to “tree” appears, though the head title conforms to the other copy. It therefore remains uncertain which was intended as the correction. “Bloom” is the reading preferred by Capell and Warton, and the context appears to confirm the adoption. In a preceding line the blustering blasts of winter are said to have bared the trees, and the poet goes on to describe that the cold had pierced the green, had rent and overthrown the mantles of the groves, had torn the tapets, or tapistry, and blown down every bloom. In this picture there is not any thing extravagant, or beyond the usual effects of winter, whereas were every tree down blown, it would amount to a hurricane, and not to the common decay of nature despoiling the earth of the flowers wherewith it was clad by summer, and as described by the poet in the following stanza. J. H.