482 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1758.
Aullin, Jofephus and Sabellicus * ; and he begged for fonie flieets. — — So hardly was treated a man, who had married a daughter t of Edward the Fourth, who had enjoy- ed (uch dignities, and what was flill more, had gained fuch viclo- ries for his malter !
The noble earl perifhed ; the father efcaped by the death of the tyrant.
We have a fmall volume of elegant and tender fonnets com- pofed by Surry ; and with them J fome others of that age, parti- cularly of Sir Thomas Wyat the elder, a very accompli(hed gentlc- inan, father of him who fell in a rebellion againft Queen Mary. Francis the Firit had given a new air to literature, which he en- couraged by mixing gallantry with it, and producing the ladies at his court along with the learned. Henry, who had at leaft as much tafte for women as letters, and was fond of fplendor and feats ot arms, contributed to give a ro- mantic turn to compofition ; and Petrarch, the poet of the fair,
was naturally a pattern to a court
of that complexion. In imitation
of Laura, our carl had his Geral-
dine. Who (he was, we are not
told direftly : himfelf mentions fe-
veral particulars relating to her,
but not her name. The author
of the laft edition of his poems,
fays, in feme Ihort notes on his
life, that (he was the greatell beauty of her time, and maid of honour to (^ueen Catharine ; to which of the three queens of that name he does cot fpecify. I think I have very nearly difcovercd who this fair per- fon was ; here ib the earl's defcrip- tion :
- From Tiifcane came my ladies worthy
- race,
' Fair Florence was fometyme her U
- aiincient I'eate ;
' The wclKin yle whofe pleafant fhore
- dotii face
- W^iKl Camber's cliffs, did give her
' lyvely hcate :
' Foftered flic was with milke of Li (he <■ breft :
- Her fire, an earl ; her dame, of princes
' blocd ;
' From tender yeres in Britaine (he
' doth reil « With kinges childe, where (he tafteth
- coHly foode.
« Hon:don did firft prefent her to myne
' yien ; ' Bright is her hewe, and Geraldine
- (lie hight,
' Hampton me taught to wi(h her (irft
- for mine,
' And Windlor alas ! doth chafe me
- from her fiLcht.
« Her beauty ot kinde, her vertue from
- above,
- Happy is he, that can obtain her
' love.'
I am inclined to think that her poetical appellation was her real name, as every one of the cir- cumltances tally. Gerald Fitz-
- The artful Duke, though a ftron? pspift, pretended to a(k for Sabel-
licus as the niofi vehement detedor of the ulurpations of the biftiop of Rome.
f His firft wife was the Lady Anne, who left no i(rue. His fecond was daugh- ter of the Duke of Buckingham.
J The earl was intimate too with Sir Thomas More and Erafmus ; and - built a magnificent houle, called Mount Surry, on LennarJ's Hill, near Nor- "wich.
II / nxould read their.
gcrald
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