VERSES BY THE WINCHESTER SCHOLARS ON THE QUEEN'S MARRIAGE.

The very book of verses which was presented by the Winchester scholars to queen Mary (see p. 143) is still preserved bound up in the royal manuscript (Brit. Museum,) 12 A XX. It consists of fifteen leaves of small quarto, and on the first leaf is stuck a small piece of parchment, apparently cut out of the outer cover, on which is written in red ink

Mariae Reginae.

showing that this was the copy presented to the queen. The title is as follows:

AD * PHILLIPPVM * ET *

MARIAM *

REGES

Semper Augustos

Puerorum

COLLOEGII WICKAMENSIS

Apud illustrem Wintoniam

Carmen uuptiale.

1554.

At the back of the title is a pedigree exhibiting the descent of both tbe king and queen, each in two ways, [1] from the four children of Joannes de Gandavo Dux Lancastriae, son of king Edward the Third; from Philippus and Maria descends a circle intended for their issue, void donec impleatur; in allusion to which these verses are attached.

Deest puer, at dabitur (Chriito donante) Mariam
Qui vocitet matrem, teque, Philippe, patrem;
Nascere magne puer parvo scribendus in orbe,
Nomine signetur pagina nostra tuo.

The whole pedigree is made to surround as with a double collar the following lines:

Nubat ut Angla Anglo Regina, Maria Philippo,
Inque suum fontem Regia stirps redeat,
Noluit humani generis Daemon vetus hostis,
Sed Deus Anglorum provida spes voluit.
Gallia terra ferax, et inhospita Scotia nollet, [2]
Caesar, et Italia, et Flandria tota volet.
Octo maritati mitrati [3] in Daemone nollent,
Quinque cathenati pro pietate volent.
Nollet Joannes Dudli Northumbrius ursus,
Sed fidum regni concilium voluit.
Noluit aetatis nostrae Catilina Viattus,
Sed proceres, sed plebs, et pia turba volet.
Transfuga siquis homo est, vel siquis apostata, nollet,
Cui fidei, et voti cura relicta, volet.
Nos, quod proditio, nos quod volet haeresis, illud
Nolumus, at Dominus quod voluit, volumus. [4]

These verses were the composition of John White, bishop of Lincoln, and they were published, with the variations indicated below, in Foxe's Actes and Monuments, followed by four replies in the same Latin metre, the two first written by John Parkhurst afterwards bishop of Norwich, the third "made by I. C." and the last anonymous.

The other verses in the Winchester book were the production of Gabriel White, Edward Middelton, Nicholas Hargrave, Richard White, Luke Atslow, William Dibbins, John Noble, Edward Tichborne, Henry Twichener, Philip Dale (? Daelus), Ambrose Edmunds, William Palmer, Richard Harris, John Meyrick, Lewis Owen, John Satwel, Arkenwold Willoby, Thomas More, Thomas Reding, Nicholas Hodson, Thomas Darell, Elenry Harenden, Thomas Wright, Edmund Thomas, and Rodolph Griffin. They are all in Latin verse.

Footnotes