zabeth, and is probably owing to this Johnson and Deloney, who, when they were advanced in years, and incapable, perhaps, of producing any thing of merit, seem to have contented themselves with collecting their more juvenile or happier compositions into little Penny Books, entitled GARLANDS; of these, being popular and often reprinted, many are still extant. In the Pepysian and other libraries, are preserved a great number, in Black Letter, 12mo. under the following quaint and affected titles:

A Crown Garland of Goulden Roses gathered out of England's Royall Garden, &c. by Richard Johnson, 1612. (In the Bodleian Library.)" In Bib. Ang. Poet." 10£. Os. Od. The Golden Garland of Princely Delight. The Garland of Good-will by Thomas Deloncy, 1631 In Bib. Ang. Poet. '2£. 2s. Od The Royal Garland of Love and Delight, by T. D. The Garland of Love and Mirth, by Thomas Lanfier. The Garland of Delight, &c. by Thomas Deloney. Cupid's Garland set round with Guilded Roses The Garland of Withered Roses, by Martin Parker 1656. The Shepherd's Garland of Love, Loyalty, &c. The County Garland. The Golden Garland of Mirth and Merriment. The Lover's Garland. Neptune's fair Garland. England's fair Garland. Robin Hood's Garland. The Maiden's Garland. A Loyal Garland of Mirth and Pastime, The Loyal Garland, containing choice Songs and Sonnets of our late unhappy Revolution, by S. N. 1671. In "Bib. Ang. Poet." 4£. 48. Od. A Royal Garland of new Songs. A small Garland of pious and godly Songs, 1684. The Jovial Garland. 8th Ed. 1691. &c. &c. &c. and lately by Joseph Ritson, The Bishopric Garland, or Durham Minstrel, 1784, The Yorkshire Garland,

Samuel Pepys, Esq. Secretary of the Admiralty in the reigns of Charles the 2nd and James the 2nd, was the mu ificent founder of the Pepysian Library at Magdalen College, Cambridge. He made a large collection of ancient English Ballads, nearly 2000 in number, which he has left pasted in five folio volumes, besides Garlands, and other Miscellanies. The Collection he informs us was "begun by Mr. Selden; improved by the addition of many pieces "elder thereto in time; and the whole continued down to the year "1700; when the form peculiar till then thereto, viz. of the Black "Letter with pictures, seems (for cheapness sake) wholly laid aside "for that of the White Letter without pictures."

1788. The Northumberland Garland, 1793. and the Northi Country Garland, 1802. which, in 1810, were collected into one volume by Mr. Triphook, and published under the title of 66 Nor "thern Garlands." "The Goodly Garland, or Chaplet of Lau“rell, by Maister Skelton, Imp. by Fawkers, 1523," 4to. This very rare volume sold at Major Pearson's sale for 7£. 17s. 6d.

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This sort of petty publications had anciently the name of " Penny Merriments," or "Drolleries:" as little religious tracts of the same size were called Penny Godlinesses." In the Pepysian library are multitudes of both kinds. At the sale of Major Pearson's library in 1788. No. 1951. Drollery (eleven) 1661, &c. 8vo. sold for 5£. 6s. 6d. These Drolls are much coveted by knowing Bibliomaniacs. Mr. Heber and Mr. Hill have each a copious collection; and Mr. Gutch, when a Bookseller at Bristol, gratified the curious by exhibiting in his Catalogue of 1810 a number of GARLANDS, which proved a successful bait for a hungry book-fish, for I saw them, says Dibdin in his Bibliomania, a few days after in the well-furnished library of Atticus (R. Heber, Esq.) who exhibited them to me in triumph, grasping the whole of them between his finger and thumb. They are marvellous well-looking little volumes, clean, bright, and rejoicing to the eye; many of them, moreover, are first editions. The severest winter cannot tarnish the foliage of such GARLANDS. In Dr. Farmer's Catalogue, No. 6288. were upwards of seventy Garlands and Penny-Histories. At the sale of the Duke of Roxburghe's library, No. 3210, "A curious collection of some thousand "ancient Ballads and Garlands, bound in three large Vols. fol." sold for £477. 15s. !!!

These Songs and Ballads were written on various subjects and printed between the years 1560, and 1700. In a note to the Roxburghe Catalogue (Pref. pp. 7. 8) it is stated that this Collection was originally formed for the celebrated library of the Earl of Oxford, at the begining of the last century, and

was then supposed to exceed the famous Pepys collection at Cambridge. It was obtained from the Harleian library by Mr. West; at whose sale it was purchased for £.20 by Major Pearson, a gentleman who had made old English literature his particular study. In his possession, with the assistance of his friend, Mr. Isaac Reed, the collection received very great additions, and was bound up in two large volumes, with printed title pages, indexes, &c. In this state it was bought at Major Pearson's sale in 1788, for £.26 4s. by the Duke of Roxburghe,' who soon added a considerable number to the two volumes, and formed a third. At the Duke's sale it was purchased by Mr. Harding.

This numerous and matchless collection is printed in the Black Letter, and decorated with many hundred wooden prints. They are pasted upon paper, with borders (printed on purpose) round each ballad: also a printed title and index to each volume. To these are added the paragraphs, which appeared in the public papers, respecting the above curious collection, at the time they were purchased at Mr. West's. At Mr. I. Reed's sale No. 5867. a Portfolio of single-sheet Ballads, sold for 15£. 10s.

Antiquarian research, and even Poetry itself, have been of late turned to the elucidation of ancient manners, and customs; and the pursuit is a decisive proof of the superior intelligence and curiosity which belong to modern times. The favorable attention, therefore, which has been shewn to such works, however trifling, has induced the Editor of the present collection to communicate a small Garland of Poetic Flowers,illustrative of these topics; in which, however, the reader must not expect to find romantic wildness, or the interesting fable, much less "thoughts "that breathe, or words that burn." But to the Antiquary and the County Collector no apology need, surely, be offered for thus opening a fresh source of gratification and amusement in their favorite pursuit; and this first attempt to collect together the scattered Poems, &c. &c. illustrative of

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the County of Suffolk cannot, it is presumed, be unacceptable, as they will exhibit a just and faithful representation of domestic manners, and provineial customs.

In the arrangement, adopted by the Editor, the following collection is divided into Four Parts, of which the First Part will be found to consist of "Local Descriptions;" the Second of " Circumstan"ces and Events, Historical, Political, Legendary, " and Romantic;" the Third of" Biographical Me"moirs, Anecdotes, and Characters ;" and the Fourth of " Manners, Habits, and Customs." To each Poem are prefixed such necessary Remarks and Observations as tend to ellucidate the subject, but which, from the narrow limits of the plan, are of course superficial, and calculated rather to excite than to gratify curiosity. They do not, indeed, affect to convey any fresh information, or to abound in anecdotes hitherto unnoticed: it is hoped, however, that they still may be deemed necessary by ordinary readers, and no unacceptable appendage to the several articles. The Notes, likewise, which are appended, will be found to contain some little information of which every one may not be already possessed, and which may serve to amuse at least, if they fail to instruct. It has been the Editor's endeavour to form this GARLAND of the choicest and most variegated flowers; and to dispose those which he has culled in such a manner as to place in their proper light the dark shades, sprightly glow, and airy colors, and thus to form a combination at once pleasing to the eye, and gratifying to the

taste.

To a valuable and highly esteemed Friend, the accuracy of whose information is unquestionable, from whom the Editor first derived a taste for Antiquarian and Topographical research, and with whom he has spent many pleasurable hours in its pursuit, he stands indebted for much useful information, particularly in the Biographical Part of this collection. He is, therefore, alone restrained from

expressing what he feels for such continued assistance by the delicacy of an intimate friendship.

It would be absurd to state that the Subject is exhausted. Many Pieces, both of Miscellaneous and Romantic Poetry, are doubtless yet remaining in various libraries throughout the County, and in the hands of private Collectors, which have escaped the researches of the present Editor: but he has completed the object which he proposed to himself, and trusts that he has been instrumental in rendering accessible to common readers no inconsiderable portion of SUFFOLK LOCAL POETRY.