But praye not so for me, for I am well inoughe. Ha! browne done! forth, that horson crabbe! Finis. 160 Emprinted at London, by John Daye, and Wyllyam Seres, dwellinge in Sepulchres Parishe, at the signe of the Resurrection, a littel above Holbourne Conduite. Cum gratia et privilegio ad imprimendum solum. The Hye Way to the Spyttel Hous. THE HE Hye Way to the Spyttel Hous. [Woodcut of Copland, the Porter, and a beggar.] COPLAND AND THE PORTER. Who so hath lust, or wyll leaue his thryft, [Colophon] Enprynted at London in the Fletestrete at the rose garland by Robert Copland. n. d. 4to. black letter, 20 leaves.1 The following production, which has been reprinted by Mr. Utterson in his Select Pieces of Early Popular Poetry, 1817, can only lay claim to the title of a poem from being in the metrical form. But it is valuable and curious, nevertheless, as a contribution to our knowledge of the state of the hospitals and of the In the library of James West, Esq. sold in 1773, there were two copies of this tract. poor in the time of Henry VIII,' and as a link in the history of mendicity. Many of its pages might be read side by side with Mayhew's "London Labour and the London Poor;" but it is to be remarked that the "Hye Way to the Spyttel Hous" has in view rather the exposure of the frauds of beggars and almspeople than the illustration of their pursuits and struggles in search of a livelihood. As a picture, presumed to be faithfully drawn, of the lower forms of human life three hundred years ago, the "Hye Way to the Spyttel Hous" possesses unquestionable interest and importance, though its literary merit may be of an infinitesimal kind, and Ritson may be thought to have gone quite far enough in characterizing it as "a dialogue of some humour and merit."2 Robert Copland, the "compiler and printer of this boke," as he styles himself in the Prologue, was an apprentice of Wynkyn de Worde, and probably the father or brother of William Copland,3 a printer of considerable note. Like his contemporary Crowley, who enjoys the meritorious distinction of having been the first to commit to the press the Vision of Piers Ploughman, Robert Copland probably wrote many pieces of a satirical character without putting his name to them which, like the Hye Way to the Spyttel Hous, he also printed. We may perhaps be allowed to doubt, whether Robert Copland The statute 22 Henry VIII, was renewed and confirmed, with some additions, &c. by 14 and 18 Eliz. But practically, the law in this respect was of very slight force, and the evil against which it sought to provide a remedy remained as serious as ever. In his "Treatise against Dicing," &c. 1577, Northbrooke bitterly complains of the inoperative character of the acts 14 and 18 Eliz. 2 Bibliographia Poetica, art. Copland. Ritson, however, appears, in this case, merely to have followed Herbert who, in his edition of Ames, has given an account of the tract from a copy in his own possession. 3 Weever, in his Ancient Funerall Monuments, 1631, quoting Stow, mentions that "one William Copeland, Churchwarden [of St. Mary Bow] gaue the great Bell which is rung nightly at nine of the clocke [An. 1515].” had an independent press, and whether he was not, in fact, a sort of amateur in the art, employing his brother's press whenever he required it. That this practice was occasionally followed, is shown by the "Esclaircissement de la Langue Françoise," by John Palsgrave, 1530, folio, which was printed by John Hawkins at the press of Richard Pynson. It is to be presumed that the latter permitted Hawkins to use his types on this particular occasion, or it may be that Hawkins simply superintended the passage of the book through the press. At the same time, several publications with Robert Copland's name as the printer are known: yet in most cases he describes himself as prac tising the profession at the sign of the Rose Garland, which was also William's place of business. Prefixed to Chaucer's Assemblé of foules, 1530, is an address in verse by "Roberte Coplande, boke-prynter to new-fanglers," in four eight-line stanzas; and, at the end, his Enemy, in three more. And annexed to Wynkyn de Worde's edition of The Castell of Pleasure, a poem, by Nevil, Lord Latimer, is the Envoy de Robert Coplande l'ymprimeur, seeming to show that he was accustomed to use De Worde's press, somewhat in the same manner as he subsequently did that of William Copland, with this difference, that whereas he put his own name in the colophon, when he had removed to the Rose Garland, his typographical labours at W. de Worde's office bore the name and device of the latter, Copland merely attaching his name to the Envoy or to the Prologue. It is evident that this treatise was written after the 22nd Hen. VIII (1530-1), which is referred to by Copland, the writer, in the course of his dialogue, real or fictitious, with the Porter. St. Bartholomew's Hospital1 and Priory were founded, according to the well-known tradition, by the famous jester Rahere. Deloney, in his Pleasant History of Thomas of Reading, circa 1597 (ed. Thoms, p. 16) says of him:-"This Reior was the most skilfullest Musicion that liued at that time [reign of Hence the surrounding fields acquired the name of Spital [i. e. Hospital] fields; according to Weever (Funerall Monuments, 1631, p. 515), they were previously known as Lolesworth Fields. Hen. VIII], whose wealth was very great, so that all the Instruments whereon his seruants plaid, were richly garnished with studdes of siluer, and some gold; the bowes belonging to their Violines were all likewise of pure siluer. He was also for his wisedome called to great Office in the City, who also builded (at his owne cost) the Priory and Hospital of S. Bartholomew in Smithfield." A certain light is thrown on the state of the poor in the time of Henry VIII, by a curious tract entitled "A Supplicacy on for the Beggers [i. e. the Begging or Mendicant Friars]," which appeared either in 1524 or 1525, and the authorship of which there is ground for ascribing to Simon Fish, a zealot of the period. Burton, in his Anatomy of Melancholy, 1621, draws a sorry picture of the state of England in his day. "Amongst our towns," he says, "there is only London that bears the face of a city-epitome Britanniæ, a famous emporium, second to none beyond seas, a noble mart: but sola crescit, decrescentibus aliis; and yet, in my slender judgment, defective in many things. The rest (some few excepted) are in mean estate, ruinous most part, poor and full of beggars, by reason of their decayed trades, neglected or bad policy, idleness of their inhabitants and riot, which had rather beg or loyter, and be ready to starve, than work." Besides the present piece, he is known to have written or translated: Jyl of Breyntfords testament newly compiled. [Col.] Imprinted at London by me William Copland. Black letter, 8 leaves, 4to. Jyl of Braintfords Testament. Newly compiled. [Col.] Imprented at London in Lothbury ouer agaynst Saint Margarytes church by me Wyllyam Copland. Black letter, 8 leaves, 4to. ... A different edition of the preceding. Kynge Appolyue of Thyre. A romance. [Translated from the French by R. C., who added an original prologue.] W. de Worde, 1510, 4to. See Herbert, fol. 149. The Knight of the Swanne. Here Beginneth the History of |