“I see howe plenty suffers ofte,
    And hasty clymers sone do fall,
  I see that those which are alofte
    Mishapp dothe threaten moste of all;
  They get with toyle, they keepe with feare,
  Suche cares my mynde coulde never beare.

  “Content to live, this is my staye,
    I seeke no more than maye suffyse,
  I presse to beare no haughty swaye;
    Look what I lack, my mynde supplies;
  Lo, thus I triumph like a kynge,
  Content with that my mynde doth bringe.

  “Some have too muche, yet still do crave,
    I little have and seek no more,
  They are but poore, though muche they have,
    And I am ryche with lyttle store;
  They poore, I ryche, they begge, I gyve,
  They lacke, I leave, they pyne, I lyve.

  “I laughe not at another’s losse,
    I grudge not at another’s payne;
  No worldly wants my mynde can toss,
    My state at one dothe still remayne: 
  I feare no foe, I fawn no friende,
  I lothe not lyfe nor dreade my ende.

  “Some weighe their pleasure by theyre luste,
    Theyre wisdom by theyre rage of wyll,
  Theyre treasure is theyre onlye truste,
    A cloked crafte theyre store of skylle: 
  But all the pleasure that I fynde
  Is to mayntayne a quiet mynde.

  “My wealthe is healthe and perfect ease,
    My conscience cleere my chiefe defence,
  I neither seek by brybes to please,
    Nor by deceyte to breede offence;
  Thus do I lyve, thus will I dye,
  Would all did so as well as I.

    “FINIS. [Symbol:  CROWN] E. DIER.”

S.W.S.

* * * * *

ROBERT CROWLEY.

“Be pleased to observe,” says Herbert, “that, though ’The Supper of the Lorde’ and ‘The Vision of Piers Plowman’ are inserted among the rest of his writings, he wrote only the prefixes to them” (vol. ii. p. 278.).  Farther on he gives the title of the book, and adds, “Though this treatise is anonymous, Will.  Tindall is allowed to have been the author; Crowley wrote only the preface.”  It was originally printed at Nornberg, and dated as above [the same date as that given by “C.H.,” No. 21. p. 332.].  “Bearing no printer’s name, nor date of printing, I have placed it to Crowley, being a printer, as having the justest claim to it” (p. 762.). {356} There is a copy in the Lambeth Library, No. 553. p. 249. in my “List,” of which I have said (on what grounds I do not now know), “This must be a different edition from that noticed by Herbert (ii. 762.) and Dibdin (iv. 334.  No. 2427.).”  I have not Dibdin’s work at hand to refer to, but as I see nothing in Herbert on which I could ground such a statement, I suppose that something may be found in Dibdin’s account; though probably it may be only my mistake or his.  As to foreign editions, I always feel very suspicious of their existence; and though I do not remember this book in particular, or know why I supposed it to differ from the edition ascribed to Crowley, yet I feel pretty confident that it bore no mark of “Nornberg.”  According to my description it had four pairs of [Symbol:  pointing hands] on the title, and contained E iv., in eights, which should be thirty six leaves.