Produced by Irma Spehar, Ralf Stephan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) The Pembroke Booklets (First Series) III Nicholas Breton Pastoral Poems George Wither Selected Poetry William Browne (of Tavistock) Pastoral Poetry [Small Ornamental Illustration] J. R. Tutin Hull 1906 _Large Paper Edition, limited to 250 copies_ _Turnbull & Spears, Printers, Edinburgh._ Nicholas Breton (1558-1626) _Thou that wouldst find the habit of true passion, And see a mind attired in perfect strains ... Look here on Breton's work._--BEN JONSON. George Wither (1588-1667) _The praises of poetry have been often sung in ancient and in modern times; strange powers have been ascribed to it of influence over animate and inanimate auditors; its force over fascinated crowds has been acknowledged; but before Wither, no one ever celebrated its power at home, the wealth and the strength which this divine gift confers upon its possessor. Fame, and that too after death, was all which hitherto the poets had promised themselves from this art. It seems to have been left to Wither to discover that poetry was a present possession, as well as a rich reversion, and that the Muse has a promise of both lives,--of this, and of that which was to come._--CHARLES LAMB. William Browne (1591-? 1645) _I feel an envious touch, And tell thee Swain: that at thy fame I grutch, Wishing the Art that makes this Poem shine, And this thy Work (wert not thou wronged) mine._ GEORGE WITHER: _To the Author_ [_of Britannia's Pastorals_]. Contents PAGE PREFATORY NOTE 5 NICHOLAS BRETON