His confidence in the gentle reader was not misplaced, and he had the satisfaction of issuing six editions between 1557 and 1574. The first was printed at The Hand and Star, June 5, 1557, and is represented by one copy which is in the Bodleian Library; the British Museum and the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge, each owns a copy of a second edition, dated July 31, 1557; one copy exists of a third edition dated 1559; and there is a fourth edition dated 1565. The present edition agrees in its contents with the second, and is said to be the most correct of all. This volume contains two hundred and eighty sonnets, of which the first forty-one (including one by an unknown author) are by Lord Howard. "S. T. VVyate the elder" is signed to the next group of ninety-six; and a collection of one hundred and thirty-three by "Vncertain auctours," follows. The collection ends with ten "Songs written by N. G." (Nicholas Grimald). Grimald had contributed forty to the first edition, which were cut down to the present number for the second edition. Octavo. The fifth edition. Roman. COLLATION: _A-P, in eights_. THOMAS NORTON (1532-1584) AND THOMAS SACKVILLE, FIRST EARL OF DORSET (1536-1608) 9. ¶The Tragidie of Ferrex | and Porrex, | ſet forth without addition or alte- | ration but altogether as the ſame was ſhewed | on ſtage before the Queenes Maieſtie, | about nine yeares paſt, vz. the | xviij. day of Ianuarie. 1561. | by the gentlemen of the | Inner Temple. Seen and allowed. &c. | Imprinted at London by | Iohn Daye, dwelling ouer | Alderſgate. This play, drawn from Geoffrey of Monmouth's _History of Britain_, and telling the story of King Gorboduc's efforts to divide his realm between his sons Ferrex and Porrex, was the first tragedy written in English. Before this authorized edition, one unauthorized by the writers, though regularly licensed by the Government, had appeared in an octavo volume of thirty-six leaves, printed in black letter, with a title-page which reads as follows: _The | tragedie of Gorboduc, | where of three Actes were wrytten by | Thomas Nortone, and the two laste by | Thomas Sackuyle. | Sette forthe as the same was shewed before the | Qvenes most excellent Maiestie, in her highnes | Court of Whitehall, the XViii day of January | Anno Domini, 1561. By the Gentlemen of Thynner Temple in London. | Imprynted at London | in Flete strete, at the Signe of the Faucon by William Griffith; and are | to be sold at his shop in Saincte | Dunstones Churchyarde in | the West of London. | Anno. 1565. Septemb. 22._ Day, in his introductory note to the present volume, entitled "The P to the Reader," explains very satisfactorily the reason for the new edition, but lets us only infer why he dropped the authors' names from the title-page. He says: