11 
considerable merit and interest, entituled The Ghost of 
Richard the Third, expressing himself in three parts :—I. His 
Character: II. His Legend : III. His Tragedie, &c.”* 
Complimentary verses by some of the author’s intimate friends 
precede the poem. Among them are the names of Browne, Chap¬ 
man, Wither, Dahorne, Ben Jonson, and others. Mr. Payne 
Colliert pronounces this to be a poem of great importance, 
as it contains the following stanzas, directly referring to 
Shakespeare, which are put into the mouth of Richard’s Ghost; 
and are placed at the beginning of the second of the two portions 
into which the piece is divided:— 
“ To liim that impt my fame with Clio’s quill, 
Whose magick raised me from oblivion’s den, 
That writ my storie on the muses’ hill 
And with my actions dignified his pen : 
He that from Helicon sends many a rill, 
Whose nectared veines are drunk by thirstie men 
Crown’d be his style with fame, his head with bayes. 
And none detract, but gratulate his praise ! 
“ Yet if his scenes have not engrost all grace. 
The much fam’d action could extend on stage; 
If time or memory have left a place 
For me to fill, t’enforme this ignorant age, 
To that intent I show my horrid face. 
Imprest with feare and characters of rage : 
Nor wits nor chronicles could ere containe 
The hell-deex^e reaches of my soundless braine.” 
Throughout the poem Brooke had Shakespeare’s historical 
drama in his eye and memory, and made many allusions to, and 
quotations from it. 
Mr. Brooke represented the city of York in the short Parlia¬ 
ment which assembled on the 5th of April, 1614, and was 
dissolved on the 7th of June, in the same year. About this 
time he w^as elected summer-reader of Lincoln’s Inn, having 
been previously a bencher of that society. 
Towards the close of the following year, Mr. Brooke intima¬ 
ted to his friends at York that it was his intention to pass the 
* London, 4to, 1614. 
t Bibhographical Account of Early English Literature, Yol i. p. 91. 8vo, 
London, 1865. 
