What could Walton know about it fifty years after the publication of the song and answer as above? On such worthless testimony the Nymph's Answer is credited to Raleigh. And we have in the "Encyclopedia of Poetry," 1873, first the song by Marlowe, "about 1590," and then the Nymph's Reply by Raleigh" about 1610." Strange that the Nymph should wait about twenty years to reply, and should then repeat the lines credited to Shakspere in 1599 and to "Ignoto" in 1600! The song perhaps existed before the death of Marlowe in 1593, but was probably composed by "Ignoto," who also wrote "The Nymph's Reply" and numerous other poetical pieces that were published in the "Helicon " in 1600. "Ignoto" was undoubtedly a concealed poet. Marlowe, Raleigh and Barnfield were not. As early as January 1590, if not a little sooner, "Ignoto" contributed to Spenser's first publication of the "Faery Queen" the following lines: "To look upon a work of rare devise The which a workman setteth out to view, Doth either prove the judgment to be naught, "To labor to commend a piece of work Which no man goes about to discommend, "Thus then, to show my judgment to be such As can discern of colors black and white, I here pronounce this workmanship is such (Not for to show the goodness of the ware; In No. viii of "The Passionate Pilgrim" the writer says: "Dowland to thee is dear, whose heavenly touch Upon the lute doth ravish human sense; As, passing all conceit, needs no defense." Is not this praise of Spenser a substantial repetition of the sentiments expressed by "Ignoto"? Again, in Shakspere's Sonnet lxxx we read: "O how I faint when I of you do write, Knowing a better spirit doth use your name, To make me tongue-tied, speaking of your fame!" Spenser praises Essex in one of the Sonnets prefixed to his "Faery Queen," which antedates the Sonnets of Shakspere. Once more. grim" we read: In No. xviii of "The Passionate Pil "Poor Corydon must live alone, Other help for him I see that there is none." Compare this with the following lines from Spenser's "Colin Clout," dedicated to Sir Walter Raleigh, December 27, 1591, and published in 1595: "And there is Corydon, though meanly waged, Yet ablest wit of most I know this day." Was not Bacon the ablest wit of that time? Was he not a concealed poet? Was he not "Corydon"? Was he not "Ignoto"? But what evidence is there that Raleigh used that signature? The "Faery Queen" was publicly dedicated to him, and in the Sonnet addressed to him as one of Spenser's patrons, a forthcoming poem by Raleigh is announced thus: "Yet, till that thou thy poem wilt make known, Let thy fair Cynthia's praises be thus rudely shown." That poem was known to Spenser, who in the Dedication said he had fashioned his Queen "according to your [Raleigh's] own excellent conceit of Cynthia," i. e., Queen Elizabeth. Furthermore, Raleigh contributed two Sonnets in praise of Spenser's "Faery Queen;" these he subscribed with his own initials. Did he at the same time write another encomium and sign it "Ignoto"? There are sixteen pieces in the "Helicon" subscribed "Ignoto." One of these, "The Nymph's Reply" is ascribed to Raleigh on the testimony of Walton in 1653; and two others are believed by the editor of the third edition, 1812, to belong to Raleigh, because in an early copy of the same "Ignoto" was found pasted over "W. R." Upon such flimsy evidence the modern editor infers that the signature "Ignoto" was "generally, though not exclusively, (his own italics,) subscribed to the pieces of Sir Walter Raleigh." The next piece after "The Nymph's Reply" in the "Helicon" is the following by "Ignoto:" Another of the same nature made since. Come live with me and be my dear, In plains and groves, on hills and dales, There shall you have the beauteous pine, The seat for your disport shall be Where silver sands and pebbles sing There shall you see the nymphs at play, The birds, with heavenly tuned throats, Upon the bare and leafless oak Ten thousand glow-worms shall attend, Your lodging with most majesty. Then in mine arms will I enclose Lily's fair mixture with the rose; Thus as we pass the welcome night Who will say that this is not equal to the first song ascribed to Marlowe? What couplet in that surpasses this one? "Where silver sands and pebbles sing Or this? "Ten thousand glow-worms shall attend, And all their sparkling lights shall spend." For parallels with the first of these couplets take the following: "Sing no more ditties." Ibid, ii, 1. “The murmuring surge That on the unnumbered idle pebbles chafes." Ibid, iv, 6. For a single parallel with the second couplet take this: "Twenty glow-worms shall our lanterns be." M. W. Windsor, v, 5. Similar parallels may be found with other lines of the song. Now are we to believe that Marlowe wrote the first song, and Raleigh the other two signed "Ignoto"? Is it not far more rational and consistent to believe that all three were written by the same pen ? Again, Barnfield has two pieces in the "Helicon," and the editor ascribes to him another signed "Ignoto "-No. xxi, "As it fell upon a day "—while Allibone, in his Dictionary of Authors, makes him the |