The idea of the work is usually said to have originated with Sackville, who, following Lydgate's _Fall of Princes_, planned it as a review of the illustrious and unfortunate characters in English history from the Conquest to the end of the fourteenth century. He is supposed to have turned the work over to Baldwin and the others, after writing an "Induction," and one legend, the life of Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham; but no good reason is given for the omission of these poems from the volume when it came to be printed in 1559. Baldwin's reason, already quoted, seems likely enough, and Lord Stafford's urgent entreaty, referred to, no doubt had the effect of causing both poems to be added to the edition issued now, where they appear as _The Seconde Parte_ of the volume of 1559. The title-pages of the two editions are alike, except for the date and the imprint; this in the earlier edition reads: _Londini, In ædibus Thomæ Marſhe_. No reference is made to the additional part except in the Epistle. The new part has a separate index. This new part contains only one poem by Baldwin; the others, besides Sackville's two, are by Dolman, Francis Segar, Churchyard, Ferrers, and Cavyl, eight in all. Besides the poems, there is "A proſe to the Reader, continued betwene the tragedies from the beginning of the booke to the ende," just as in the first part. To the Earl of Dorset's legend "The complaynt of Henrye duke of Buckingham," is prefixed "The Induction," of which Baldwin speaks in the prose following _Howe the Lord Hastynges was betrayed_, as follows: "but fyrſt you shal heare his preface or Induction. Hath he made a preface ([backwards P?R] one) what meaneth he thereby, ſeeing none hath uſed the like order. I wyl tell you the cauſe thereof ([backwards P?R] I) which is thys: After that he underſtoode that some of the counſayle would not ſuffer the booke to be printed in ſuche order as we had agreed and determined, he propoſed with himſelfe to have gotten at my handes, al the tragedies that were before the duke of Buckinghams, Which he would have preſerued in one volume. And from that time backeward even to the time of William the conquerour, he determined to continue and perfect all the ſtory himſelfe, in ſuch order as Lydgate (folowing Bocchas) had already uſed. And therefore to make a meete induction into the matter, he deuiſed this poeſye:"