fauour, that he would bring to passe and performe this their bloody purpose, and in so dooing he should merit great thanks at his hands; and to the end he should go forward in that wicked enterprise, he graunted him plenarie absolution, indulgence, and remission of sinnes. The which letter was written by the Cardinall of Como. For the farther credit of the thing it selfe, I haue heare set down woord for woord, as it was writ to the said Parrie.

The copie of the Letter sent

to Doctor Parrie.

Sir, his Holines hath seen your letters of the first, with the assurance concluded, and cannot but commend the good disposition which you writ to hold towards his seruice and benefit publique.

Wherin his Holines dooth exhorte you to perseuer with causing to be brought to effect that which you promise. And to the end you may be so much the more holpen by that good spirit which hath mooued you therunto, his Holines dooth graunt you Plenary Indulgence, and remission of al your sinnes, according to your request. Assuring you that, besides the merits that you shall receiue therfore in Heauen.

His Holines will further make him selfe debter to acknowledge and requite your deseruinges by all the best meanes he may; and that so much the more, in that you vse the more modestie in not pretending any thing.

Put, therfore, to effect your holy and honorable determinations, and attend your health; and to conclude, I offer my selfe to you hartely, and wish you all good and happy successe. From Rome, the 30 of Ianuary, 1584.

At your commaundement,

N. CARDINALL OF COMO.

Now, whose hart is so stonie, that reading this bloody letter

wil not burst foorth in teares?

See heer how her grace was

(as it were) bought and solde; nay, see how bloodely, and how unmercifully, they had murthered her royal maiesty in their harts, if their intended practises had taken expected successe and effect.

What good subiect, now, knowing the Pope and papists to be the instruments of all mischeef, of blood and of treason, wil not abhor and detest both the one and the other? How many times hath the Pope and papists practised her maiesties distruction! nay, not onely the distruction of her grace, but also the ouerthrow of the whole realme, the massaker of God's saints, and vtter desolation for euer. And how mercifully, or rather miraculously, hath God preserued her grace, discouered their treasons, laid open their conspiracies, and turned their inuentions to their owne deserued distruction! How mercifull a watch man hath the Lord been ouer her grace, her people and cuntry these many yeers, defending both the one and the other from all mischeef what soeuer! how true is it which is written, He shall give his Angells charge ouer thee, that thou dashe not thy foot against a stone! The Lord continue watchman ouer her grace stil, confound her foes, and preserue her maiesty for euer !

God graunt that her maiesty, with her moste honorable counsaile, may sound the depth of these things, and preuent them in time for the performance wher of, would God papistry might be punished with death (as it ought to be) and that al obstinate papists might sustaine the same punishments which traitors are to sustaine! for, take this for a maxime, that all papists are traitors in their harts, how soeuer otherwise they beare the world in hand.

And, therfore, how many papists her grace hath in the land, so many deaths may she feare. God graunt that this high Court of Parliament may see to this geare! For, shall it be lawful for the papists to put to death true professors of God's woord, without lawe, without reason, without conscience, or warrant of the woord of God; and shall it not be lawful for vs

to inflict the punishment of death vpon them, being traitors to God, their Prince, and cuntry, hauing the law of God vpon our side, reason, good conscience, and els what soeuer? Wel, how soeuer we perswade ourselues, this is certain, that blood, treason, rebellion, insurrections, commotions, mutenies, murther, and the like, are the badges and cognizaunce of them, and of that wicked generation; and let us look for it, they wil be pricks unto our eyes, whips unto our backs, and kniues to cut our throts withall, if time would serue them, which I pray God neuer doo.

In conclusion, in as much as it hath pleased the maiestie of our good God in mercy to preserue her grace heertofore, and especially at this time, not only from imminent dangers, but euen from present death it self,

I beseech all true Christian hartes and louing subiects, euen in the bowells of Jesus Christe, to rest thankfull to God for it; and to pray to God to preserue her grace still, and confound her foes, and to bring to light all treasons and conspiracies what soeuer shall be intended against her Maiestie, that peace may bee in Israell vnto the end of the world. And in the end, when she must yeeld to nature, to receiue her into his euerlasting kingdome, crowning her with the

immercessible Crowne, and moste
glorious Diadem of

eternal glory.

Amen.

FINIS.

PHILLIP STUBBES, Gent.

ART. V.-Shakespeare illustrated by the Dialect of Cornwall.

In the present provincial Dialect of Cornwall there are several words and phrases still in use, that are now obsolete in other parts of the kingdom, but which in the time of Shakespeare were familiar household terms. Having since that age been gradually thrown out of the society of poets and courtiers, they have been retained and fostered by the hospitable inhabitants of the West Country; and here probably the progress of railroads will ere long level these and other prominent peculiarities. The following examples are given more from a personal knowledge of the dialect, than from any particular research, further than having noted down, on the perusal of Shakespeare and other dramatic writers, passages illustrating these provincialisms. Numerous other examples might be given, but even the following may by some be considered too many.

AFEARD. This word, for " afraid," is so common in Shakespeare and his cotemporaries, that it is scarcely necessary to adduce any example. It would, however, shock the ear now to hear any lady of rank say, with Lady Macbeth

"Art thou afeard

To be the same in thine own act and valour,

As thou art in desire ?"

Macbeth, i., 7.

Charmian's remark, "He is afeard to come," (Antony and Cleopatra, ii., 5) is precisely in the words that one Cornishman would now use to another of a companion hanging back from a wrestling-match: "He is afeard to come."

ASSINEGO." Thou hast no more brain than I have in my elbows; an assinego may tutor thee: thou scurvy valiant ass!"

says Thersites (Troilus and Cressida, ii., 1). So in Cornwall a term of reproach is "thee art an assneger;" though the word is not now much in use, the shorter synonome of ass, or fool, being perhaps preferred, from its fitting in more readily with the expletive or adjective too frequently prefixed. Welford, in Beaumont and Fletcher's Scornful Lady, (v., 4) says"All this would be forsworn, and I again

An asinego, as your sister left me."

Again, in the Antiquary, by Marmion, (v., 1)—

"in the interim they apparell'd me as you see, made

a fool, or an asinigo of me."

"She'd

AS LIEF.-" Nurse. She, good soul, had as lief see a toad, a very toad, as see him.”—(Romeo and Juliet, ii., 5.) as lev see a toa-ad," would an old Cornish nurse say. "Clack. There be as good wenches as you be glad to pay me toll.

"Joan. Like enough, Clack; I had as live they as I, and a great deal rather too."-Grim the Collier of Croydon, ii., 1. This, with a little variation, and a provincial accent, might pass at the present day.

CALL TO.-Timon uses the expression, "I'll call to you," in the sense of I'll call on you. (Timon of Athens, i., 2.) It is a common expression in the West, "I'll call to" (i.,e., at) "your house."—"I'm going to call to Mr.'s."

CENSURE. This frequently occurs in Shakespeare, and other writers, both as noun and verb, in the sense of opinion, and it was in fact the old acceptation of the word :

"Lucetta. Pardon, dear madam, 'tis a passing shame That I, unworthy body as I am,

Should censure thus on lovely gentlemen."

Two Gentlemen of Verona, i., 2.