“A Sonnet to John Davies, before his Holy Roode, or Christ’s
    Crosse, 4to. (1610).  A Poem in 6 line stanzas.

    “Another to the old edit. of Wit’s Commonwealth.

    “Commendatory Verses before Chapman’s Hesiod.

    “Sonnet to Ant.  Mundy’s 2nd Book of Primation of Greece, 1619.

    “His Heroical Epistles were newly enlarged and republished in
    8vo. 1598; which is the most antient edition we have seen or
    read of.—­[Bodl.  Cat.]—­Biographia his Art.

    “Another edition, as we have heard, in 1610.—­Ibid.

    “See Merc’s Wit’s Treasury, p. 281.  A modern edition was
    published by Oldmixon.—­Cibber’s Lives, 4. 204.

    “See Warton’s Essay on Pope, 296.

    “Drayton’s last Copy of Verses was prefixed to Sir John
    Beaumont’s Poems, 1629.”

So far Dr. Farmer, whose books are often valuable for the notes on the fly-leaves.  Should any one act upon the suggestion of your correspondent, and think of a selection from Drayton, it would be necessary to collate the various editions of his poems, which, as they are numerous, evince his popularity with his contemporaries.

Malone asserted that the Baron’s Wars was not {83} published until 1610.  I have before me a copy, probably the first edition, with the following title:  “The Barrons Wars in the raigne of Edward the Second, with England’s Heroical Epistles, by Michaell Drayton.  At London, Printed by J.R. for N. Ling, 1603,” 12mo.; and the poem had been printed under the title of Mortimerindos, in 4to., 1596.

I have an imperfect copy of an early edition (circa 1600) of “Poemes Lyrick and Pastorall.  Odes, Eglogs, The Man in the Moon, by Michaell Drayton Esquier.  At London, printed by R.B. for N.L. and J. Flaskett.”

It is now thirty-five years since (eheu! fugaces labuntur anni!) the writer of this induced his friend Sir Egerton Brydges to print the Nymphidia at his private press; and it would give him pleasure, should your Notes be now instrumental to the production of a tasteful selection from the copious materials furnished by Drayton’s prolific muse.  Notwithstanding that selections are not generally approved, in this case it would be (if judiciously done) acceptable, and, it is to be presumed, successful.

The Nymphidia, full of lively fancy as it is, was probably produced in his old age, for it was not published, I believe, till 1627, when it formed part of a small folio volume, containing The Battaile of Agincourt and The Miseries of Queene Margarite.  Prefixed to this volume was the noble but tardy panegyric of his friend Ben Jonson, entitled The Vision, and beginning: 

  “It hath been question’d, Michael, if I be
   A friend at all; or, if at all, to thee.”