109 



"mortally hated music/' He even entertained a meaa 

 opinion of the capacity and disposition of those, who had 

 no taste for this admirable art. Others of the reformers 

 also, Eobanus Hessus, Ulricus Hutten, and Beatus Rhe- 

 nanus, were men of disti,i;iguished taste and learning. Car- 

 dinal Sadolet, one of the first scholars of the age, highly 

 esteemed both Melancthon and Bucer, noted reformers. 

 The unguarded commendations, bestowed by Leo X. qn 

 Luther, occasioned great scandal. 



The poetical history of the reign of Queen Elizabeth 

 could not be comprised in a moderate volume. Epic, di- 

 dactic and devotional poems, translations from the ancient 

 and all the modern languages, pastorals, sonnets, madri- 

 gals, acrostics, humorous and romantic ballads, were pro- 

 duced, with a profusion, which, perhaps, has never since 

 been equalled. No less than seventy-four poets are as- 

 signed to this period, in the new edition of the Theatrum 

 Poetarum.* , Many of these have be,en consigned to ob- 

 livion: a few, as Sir John Harrington, Sir Phifij:* Sidney, 

 Drayton, Fairfax, Warner, and Sir Walter Raleigh, conti- 

 nue to be cited, in deference to their ancient reputation. 

 Shakespeare, Fletcher, Johnson, Spencer, and Sir John 

 Davis, are still confessed to be unrivalled in their several 

 styles of composition. After a lapse of nearly two cen- 

 turies, during which the progress of literature has not been 

 interrupted, the literary splendpr^jflf^this reign is the boast 



Mli) of 



'■'.'ijqno' od* r<3'l/' . ,:^<3' 



* See Ellis, Spec. ant. Poetr^, Vol. U. p. 129—30. 



