Note 333 — The Drawing Room.

Let us be introduced to the sprightly figure and expression of character of this renowned Coventry captain, before we speak particularly of his library. "Captain Cox (says the above-mentioned Master Laneham) came marching on valiantly before, clean trust and gartered above the knee, all fresh in a velvet cap (Master Golding a lent it him), flourishing with his ton sword; and another fence master with him:" p. 39. A little before, he is thus described as connected with his library: "And first, Captain Cox; an odd man, I promise you: by profession a mason, and that right skilful: very cunning in fens (fencing); and hardy as Gawin; for his ton sword hangs at his table's end. Great oversight hath he in matters of story: for as for King Arthur's Book, Huon of Bourdeaux, the Four Sons of Aymon, Bevys of Hampton, The Squyre of Low Degree, The Knight of Curtsy, and the Lady Fagnel, Frederick of Gene, Syr Eglamour, Syr Tryamour, Syr Lamurell, Syr Isenbras, Syr Gawyn, Olyver of the Castl, Lucres and Eurialus, Virgil's Life, the Castl of Ladies, the Widow Edyth, the King and the Tanner, Frier Rous, Howleglas, Gargantua, Robin Hood, Adam Bel, Clim on the Clough, and William of Cloudsley, the Churl and the Burd, the Seaven Wise Masters, the Wife lapt in a Morel's skin, the Sakful of Nuez, the Sergeaunt that became a Fryar, Skogan, Collyn Cloout, the Fryar and the Boy, Elynor Rumming, and the Nutbrooun Maid, with many more than I rehearse here. I believe he has them all at his finger's ends," p. 36. The preceding is a list of the worthy Captain's Romances; some of which, at least in their original shape, were unknown to Ritson: what would be the amount of their present produce under the hammer of those renowned black-letter-book auctioneers in King-street, Covent Garden—? Speak we, in the next place, of the said military bibliomaniac's collection of books in "philosophy moral and natural." "Beside Poetry and Astronomy, and other hid sciences, as I may guess by the omberty of his books: whereof part are, as I remember, The Shepherd's Kalendar, the Ship of Fools, Daniel's Dreams, the Book of Fortune, Stans, puer ad mensam, the bye way to the Spitl-house, Julian of Brainford's Testament, the Castle of Love, the Booget of Demaunds, the Hundred Mery Talez, the Book of Riddels, the Seaven Sorows of Wemen, the Proud Wives' Pater-Noster, the Chapman of a Penniworth of Wit: Beside his auncient plays; Youth and Charitee, Hikskorner, Nugize, Impacient Poverty, and herewith Doctor Boord's Breviary of Health. What should I rehearse here, what a bunch of ballads and songs, all ancient?!—Here they come, gentle reader; lift up thine eyen and marvel while thou dost peruse the same: Broom Broom on Hill, So wo iz me begon, trolly lo Over a Whinny Meg, Hey ding a ding, Bony lass upon a green, My bony on gave me a bek, By a bank az I lay; and two more he hath fair wrapt up in parchment, and bound with a whipcord!" It is no wonder that Ritson, in the historical essay prefixed to his collection of Scottish Songs, should speak of some of these ballads with a zest as if he would have sacrificed half his library to untie the said "whipcord" packet. And equally joyous, I ween, would my friend Mr. R.H. Evans, of Pall-Mall, have been—during his editorial labours in publishing a new edition of his father's collection of Ballads—(an edition, by the bye, which gives us more of the genuine spirit of the Coxean collection than any with which I am acquainted)—equally joyous would Mr. Evans have been to have had the inspection of some of these 'bonny' songs. The late Duke of Roxburgh, of never-dying bibliomaniacal celebrity, would have parted with half the insignia of his order of the Garter to have obtained clean original copies of these fascinating effusions! But let us return, and take farewell of Captain Cox, by noticing only the remaining department of his library, as described by Laneham. "As for Almanacs of antiquity (a point for Ephemerides) I ween he can shew from Jasper Laet of Antwerp, unto Nostradam of Frauns, and thence unto our John Securiz of Salisbury. To stay ye no longer herein (concludes Laneham) I dare say he hath as fair a library of these sciences, and as many goodly monuments both in prose and poetry, and at afternoon can talk as much without book, as any innholder betwixt Brentford and Bagshot, what degree soever he be." A Letter wherein part of the Entertainment untoo the Queenz Majesty at Killingwoorth Castl in Warwick-Sheer, in this Soomerz Progrest, 1575, is signefied: Warwick, 1784, 8vo. O rare Captain Cox!