fingular delight, having received it from our "common friend Mr. R. in the very clofe of the "late R's poems printed at Oxford; whereunto it " is added, as I now fuppofe, that the acceffory "might help out the principal, according to the "art of stationers, and leave the reader con la "bocca dolce. "Now, Sir, concerning Your travels, where" in I may challenge a little more privilege of dif"courfe with you; I fuppofe, you will not blanch "Paris in Your way. Therefore I have been bold "to trouble You with a few lines to Mr. M. B. "whom You fhall eafily find attending the young "Lord S. as his governor; and You may furely "receive from him good directions for fhaping of "Your farther journey into Italy, where he did "refide by my choice fome time for the king, after "mine own recefs from Venice. "I fhould think, that Your best line will be "thro' the whole length of France to Marseilles, "and thence by fea to Genoa, whence the paffage "into Tuscany is as diurnal as a Gravefend barge. "I haften, as You do, to Florence or Sienna, the " rather to tell You a short story, from the interest "You have given me in Your fafety. "At Sienna I was tabled in the houfe of one "Alberto Scipione, an old Roman courtier in dan gerous times, having been steward to the Duca "di Pagliano, who with all his family were ftran"gled, fave this only man, that escaped by fore"fight of the tempeft. With him I had often "much chat of those affairs; into which he took "pleasure to look back from his native harbour; "and at my departure toward Rome, which had "been the center of his experience, I had won con"fidence enough to beg his advice, how I might carry 66 carry myself fecurely there, without offense of "others, or of my own confcience: Signor Arri"go meo, fays he, i pensieri stretti, & il viso sci"olto, that is, Your thoughts clofe, and Your "countenance loose, will go fafely over the whole "world. Of which Delphian oracle (for fo I "have found it) Your judgment doth need no "commentary; and therefore, Sir, I will com"mit You with it to the best of all fecurities, God's "dear love, remaining Your friend, as much at "command as any of longer date. H. Wotton. P. S. "Sir, I have expressly fent this by my "foot-boy to prevent Your departure, without "fome acknowledgment from me of the receipt of "Your obliging letter, having myself thro' fome " business, I know not how, neglected the ordinary conveyance. In any part where I fhall “understand You fixed, I shall be glad and diligent to entertain You with home-novelties, even "for fome fomentation of our friendship, too foon “interrupted in the cradle,” The Mafk was presented in 1634, and confequently in the 26th year of our author's age. In the title page of the first edition printed in 1637, it is faid that it was prefented on Michaelmas night, and there was this motto, Eheu quid volui misero mihi! floribus auftrum In this edition, and in that of Milton's poems in 1645, there was prefixed to the Mask the following dedication. To the Right Honorable JOHN Lord Vicount BRACKLY fon and heir appa、 rent to the Earl of BRIDGEWATER &c. MY LORD, T HIS poem, which received its firft occafion of birth from yourself and others of your noble family, and much honor from your own perfon in the performance, now returns again to make a final dedication of itself to you. Although not openly acknowledg'd by the author, yet it is a legitimate ofspring, fo lovely, and fo much defired, that the often copying of it hath tir'd my pen to give my feveral friends fatisfaction, and brought me to a neceffity of producing it to the public view; and now to offer it up in all rightful devotion to those fair hopes, and rare endowments of your much promifing youth, which give a full affurance, to all that know you, of a future excellence. Live fweet Lord to be the honor of your name, and receive this as your own, from the hands of him, who hath by many favors been long oblig'd to your most honor'd parents, and as in this reprefentation your attendent Thyrfis, so now in all real expreffion |