Notes and Queries, Number 19, March 9, 1850 | Page 8

much-admired Legend of Montrose.
Seleucus.
* * * * *
WILLIAM BASSE AND HIS POEMS.
I regret that I am unable to offer any information in answer to "Mr. P. Collier's" inquiry (No. 13. p. 200.) respecting the existence of a perfect or imperfect copy of a poem by William Basse on the Death of Prince Henry, printed at Oxford by Joseph Barnes, 1613, and am only aware of such a poem from the slight mention of it by Sir Harris Nicolas in his beautiful edition of Walton's _Complete Angler_, p. 422. But as the possessor of the 4to. MS. volume of poems by Basse, called _Polyhymnia_, formerly belonging to Mr. Heber, I feel greatly interested in endeavouring to obtain some further biographical particulars of Basse,--of whom, although personally known to Isaac Walton, the author of one or two printed volumes of poems, and of the excellent old songs of "the Hunter in his Career" and "Tom of Bedlam," and worthy of having his verses on Shakspeare inserted among his collected poems, yet the notices we at present possess are exceedingly slight. We learn from Anth. Wood, in his _Ath. Oxon._, vol. iv. p. 222., that Basse was a native of Moreton, near Thame in Oxfordshire, and was for some time a retainer of Sir Richard Wenman, Knt., afterwards Viscount Wenman, in the peerage of Ireland. He seems also to have been attached to the noble family of Norreys of Ricot in Oxfordshire, which is not far from Thame; and addressed some verses to Francis Lord Norreys, Earl of Berkshire, from which I quote one or two stanzas, and in the last of which there is an allusion to the [plainness of the] author's personal appearance:
"O true nobilitie, and rightly grac'd With all the jewels that on thee depend, Where goodnesse doth with greatnesse live embrac'd, And outward stiles, on inward worth attend. Where ample lands, in ample hands are plac'd And ancient deeds, with ancient coats descend: Where noble bloud combin'd with noble spirit Forefathers fames, doth with their formes inherit.
"Where ancestors examples are perus'd Not in large tomes, or costly tombs alone, But in their heires: and being dayly us'd Are (like their robes) more honourable growne, {296} Where Loyalty with Piety is infus'd, And publique rights are cherish'd w'th their owne; Where worth still finds respect, good friend, good word, Desart, reward. And such is _Ricot's_ Lord.
"But what make I (vaine voyce) in midst of all The Quires that have already sung the fame Of this great House, and those that henceforth shall (As that will last) for ever sing the same. But, if on me, my garland instly fall, I justly owe my musique to this name. For he unlawfully usurps the Bayes That has not sung in noble _Norrey's_ prayse.
"In playne (my honour'd Lord) I was not borne, Audacious vowes, or forraigne legs to use, Nature denyed my outside to adorne, And I, of art to learne outsides refuse. Yet haveing of them both, enough to scorne Silence, & vulgar prayse, this humble muse And her meane favourite; at yo'r comand Chose in this kinde, to kisse your noble hand."
His Polyhymnia is dedicated to the sister of this person, the Lady Bridget, Countess of Lindsey, and Baroness of Eresbie and of Ricot. Besides the "Anglers' Song" made at Walton's request, and the before-mentioned two songs, which are given at length in the Appendix to the _Complete Angler_, p. 420., Sir H. Nicolas's edit., besides these, and the verses "on William Shakespeare, who died in April, 1616," sometimes called "Basse his Elegie on Shakespeare," which appear in the edition of Shakespeare's Poems of 1640, 8vo., and are reprinted in Malone's edition of his Plays, vol. i. p. 470.: another poem by William Basse will be found in the collection entitled _Annalia Dubrensia, upon the Yearely Celebration of Mr. Robert Dover's Olympick Games upon Cotswold Hills_, 4to. 1636. This consists of ten stanzas, of eight lines each, "To the noble and fayre Assemblies, the harmonious concourse of Muses, and their Ioviall entertainer, my right generous Friend, Master Robert Dover, upon Cotswold." Basse was also, as Mr. Collier remarks, the author of a poem, which I have never seen, called _Sword and Buckler, or Serving Man's Defence_, in six-line stanzas, 4to. Lond., imprinted in 1602. A copy of this was sold in Steevens's sale, No. 767., and is now among "Malone's Collection of Early Poetry" in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. And, according to Ritson, he wrote another work, published in the same year, viz. _Three Pastorall Elegies of Anander, Anytor and Muridella_, entered to Joseph Barnes, 28 May, 1692, of which I am not aware that any copy is now in existence. These, with the addition of _Great Brittaines Sunnes-set, bewailed with a Shower of Teares_, at Oxford, printed by Joseph