The following article from lord Burleigh's Diary, exposes a baser cause than history has assigned for the earl's subsequent separation from his countess: "1576, Mar. 29, The erle of Oxford arryved; being retorned out of Italy, he was entyced by certen lewd persons to be a stranger to his wiff.” As the queen gave her royal assent to the match 4, it might have been expected that her displeasure would have followed the earl's unjustifiable behaviour; but his exterior accomplishments perhaps threw a courtly veil over his domestic immoralities. It may be presumed, however, that a reconciliation afterward took place, as lady Oxford bore him a daughter in 1584, and another in 15875, besides a son❝. A yotary of the muses, and a lord chamberlain of England, was sure to be looked up to as the Phoebus of poesy, and the Mecenas of every verse-maker. Numerous productions were consequently inscribed to the earl of Oxford, and high eulogiums passed on his qualifications as a writer, Watson, Lily, Golding, Munday, and Greene, appear among the number of his dedicatory panegyrists; and Spenser and Lok, the best and the worst poets of that period, have each transmitted a complimentary sonnet in his praise. John Farmer, a composer of madrigals, applauds his lordship's judgment in music also, and protests, See lord Burleigh's Diary, Aug. 3, 1571. See Memoirs of the Peers of England, vol. i. p. 492; or Collins's Noble Families, p. 265. See article of lady Oxford, p. 29 "without flatterie," that using this science as a recreation, he has overgone most of those who make it a profession". Webbe, our early discourser on English metre, declares that the earl of Oxford may challenge to himself the title of the most excellent among the rare devisers of poetry in queen Elizabeth's court. The same "noble gentleman" is placed first in the "crew of courtly makers," by Puttenham, and is ranked by Meres among the best for comedy. Mr. Ellis observes, therefore, with his usual propriety and judgment, that lord Oxford's poetical talents were much admired, or at least extolled, by his contemporaries; and such of his sonnets as are preserved in the Paradise of dainty Devices are certainly not among the worst, although they are by no means the best in that collection". His lordship has a poem "On Desire," in Breton's Bowre of Delights, 1579, which Puttenham commended for its "excellencie and wit," and Dr. Percy has reprinted from the Garland of Good-will, in order "to gratify curiosity 8." Three other pieces occur in the Paradise of dainty Devices, edition 1576, and five in that of 1596. One other is printed in the quarto edition of Sidney's Astrophel and Stella, 1591; another in the Phoenix Nest, 1593; another in England's Helicon, 1600; and three extracts from different • Dedication before English Madrigals, 1599. 7 Specimens, vol. ii. p. 167. Reliques, vol, ii. p. 179. poems in England's Parnassus, 1600. The last of these have been reprinted by Mr. Brydges in Theatrum Poetarum Anglicanorum. Two other poems communicated from an ancient manuscript miscellany by Mr. Lysons, were printed in lord Orford's works; but perhaps no fairer specimen can be shown of this earl's poetical talent, which seldom rose above mediocrity, than the verses prefixed to Bedingfield's translation of Cardanus' Comforte, 1576. They follow a long epistle in prose, addressed by the earl" to his lovinge frend Thomas Bedingfeld, esquyer, one of her majesties gentlemen pencioners," who published the book at his lordship's commaundement. "THE EARLE OF OXENFORDE TO THE READER. "The labouring man that tilles the fertile soyle, "The manchet fyne falles not unto his share, On coursest chear his hungrye stomacke feedes: The landlord doth possesse the fynest fare; He pulles the flowers, the other pluckes but weedes. "The mason poore that buildes the lordly halles, Dwelles not in them, they are for hye degree: His cottage is compact in paper walles, And not with bricke or stone, as others be. 9 Vol. i. p. 553. Printed cheat. "The idle drone, that labours not at all, Suckes up the sweete of honny from the bee: Who worketh most, to their share least doth fall; With due desert reward will never be. "The swiftest hare, unto the mastive slowe Oft times doth fall to him as for a praye: The greyhounde thereby doth misse his game we know "So he that takes the payne to penne the booke, THOMAS SACKVILLE, LORD BUCKHURST, AND EARL OF DORSET. Ir is not my business to enter into the life of this peer as a statesman: it is sufficient to say, that few first ministers have left so fair a character. His family disdained the offer of an apology for it against some little cavils, which "spreta exolescunt; si irascare, agnita videntur." It is almost as needless to say, that he was the patriarch of a race of genius and wit 3. He early quitted the study of the law for the flowery paths of poetry, and shone both in Latin and English composition. In his graver Lloyd's Worthies, p. 680. [To lord Buckhurst Campian dedicated his Observations on English Poesie, 1602; which called forth Daniel's Defence of Ryme.] 3 [Himself a poet, says Dr. Anderson, he encouraged the art which he improved, by his liberality; and left his wit and patronage of polite literature to his descendants, of whom was Charles Sackville, earl of Dorset, the well-known patron of Dryden and Prior: ❝——Whose great forefathers every grace, Reflecting and reflected in his race; Where other Buckhursts, other Dorsets shine, British Poets, vol. i. p. 653.] [Having been in his younger days, according to Wood, poetically inclined, he wrote while he continued in Oxon, |