734 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. 
acyes, I Bequeath Patience to my Credito rs : Mellanchollie, 
W tb out Measure to my ffrindes, And Beggery w tb out shame to 
my ffamilye, . ” 1 
One of the prettiest of the testaments is that of Sumner in 
Thomas Hash’s Summer's Last Will and Testament (1600). 2 
In this play Summer is represented as king of the year, al¬ 
ready old and feeble and leaning for support on Autumn and 
Winter. Summer’s end is approaching. It has been delayed 
eo far only by the authority of Elizabeth which has been keep¬ 
ing him in power till her progress be finished. The old king 
calls his servants together and makes his testament. Autumn 
is made his heir, and appropriate bequests are made to differ¬ 
ent classes of people. His withered flowers are given to strew 
the corses of the dead, his heat and warmth to toiling laborers, 
bis long days to bondmen and prisoners, and his drought and 
thirst to drunkards’ quenchless throats. The best gifts are for 
Elizabeth: 
Vnto Eliza that most sacred dame, 
Whom none but saints and angels ought to name; 
All my faire dayes remaining, I bequeath 
To waite vpon her till she be returned. 
Autumne, I charge thee, when that I am dead, 
Be prest and seruiceable at her beck, 
Present her with thy goodliest ripened fruites; 
Vnclothe no Arbors where she euer sate, 
Touch not a tree, thou thinkst she may passe by. 
And Winter, with thy wrythen frostie face. 
Smoothe vp thy visage, when thou lookst on her, 
Thou neuer lookst on such bright maiestie: 
A charmed circle draw about her court, 
Wherein warme dayes may daunce, and no cold come; 
On seas let winds make warre, not vexe her rest, 
Quiet inclose her bed, thought flye her brest. 
When the dying Summer has made an end, satyrs and wood 
nymphs carry him away singing as they go a parody of the lit¬ 
any ; the refrain of which is, 
From Winter, plague, and pestilence, Good Lord deliuer vs! 
In The Death of Robert Earl of Huntington (1601) Robert 
iR. W. Bond, The Complete Works of John Lyly , Oxford, 1902, I, 70. 
2 Grossart, The Complete Works of Th. Nash, 1885, VI, 80. 
