From The Library of Literary Criticism of English and American Authors, ed. Charles Wells Moulton, 8 vols. (London: Moulton Publishing, 1901), 1: 460-61.
[This section was prepared and proofread by Deborah Hill.]
THE PASSIONATE PILGRIM
THE | PASSIONATE | PILGRIMS | By W. Shakespeare. | AT LONDON | Printed for W. Iaggard, and are | to be sold by W. Leake, at the Grey- | hound in Paules Church-yard. | 1599. -- TITLE PAGE OF FIRST EDITION, 1599.
Here likewise, I must necessarily insert a manifest injury done me in that worke, by taking the two Epistles of Paris to Helen, and Helen to Paris, and printing them in a lesse volume, under the name of another, which may put the world in opinion I might steale them from him; and hee to doe himselfe right, hath since published them in his owne name: but as I must acknowledge my lines not worthy his patronage, under whom he hath publisht them, so the Author I know much offended with M. Jaggard that (altogether unknowne to him) presumed to make so bold with his name. -- HEYWOOD, THOMAS, 1612, An Apology for Actors, Epistle.
In "the Passionate Pilgrim," some critics find difficulty in tracing the hand of the poet; and we accidentally discover by the complaint of Heywood, a congenial dramatist, that there were two of his poems in one edition of this collection; and we know that there were also other poems by Marlowe and Barnefield and others. Heywood tells us that Shakespeare was greatly offended at this licentious use of his name; but he must have been imperturbably careless on such matters, otherwise he would not have suffered three editions of this spurious miscellany. -- DISRAELI, ISAAC, 1841, Shakespeare, Amenities of Literature.
The worst active or positive blemish -- and a most fearful and shameful blemish it is -- to be found in this generally graceful and careful collection [i.e., Lyra Elegantiarum, edited by Frederick Locker-Lampson] will unluckily be found and cannot be overlooked on the fourth pane; sixth on the list of selected poems is a copy of verse attributed to Shakespeare -- of all men on earth! -- by the infamous pirate, liar, and thief who published a worthless little volume of stolen and mutilated poetry patched up and padded out with dirty and dreary doggrel, under the senseless and preposterous title of "The Passionate Pilgrim." It is here more plausibly ascribed tho' on what authority I know not, to some scribbler -- unknown to Shakespeare's contemporaries -- who would seem to have signed himself Shakspere, and to have imagined that the gabble of geese or the chatter of apes was English and was verse. -- SWINBURNE, ALGERNON CHARLES, 1891, Social Verse, The Forum, vol. 12, p. 173.
It contains twenty-one numbers, besides that lofty dirge, so unapproachably solemn, "The Phoenix and the Turtle." Of these, five are undoubtedly by Shakespeare. A sixth ("Crabbed age and youth"), if not by Shakespeare, is one of the loveliest lyrics in the language, and I for my part could give it to no other man. Note also that but for Jaggard's enterprise this jewel had been irrevocably lost to us, since it is known only through "The Passionate Pilgrim." Marlowe's "Live with me and be my love" and Barnefield's "As it fell upon a Day," make numbers seven and eight. And I imagine that even Mr. Swinburne cannot afford to scorn "Sweet rose, fair flower, untimely pluck d soon vaded" which again only occurs in "The Passionate Pilgrim." These nine numbers, with "The Phcenix and the Turtle," make up more than half the book. Among the rest we have the pretty and respectable lyrics; "If music and sweet poetry agree;" "Good night, good rest;" "Lord, how mine eyes throw gazes to the east;" "When as thine eye hath chose the dame," and the gay little song, "It was a Lording's daughter." There remain the "Venus and Adonis" sonnets and "My flocks feed not." Mr. Swinburne may call these " dirty and dreary doggrel, " an he list, with no more risk than of being held a somewhat over-anxious moralist. But to call the whole book worthless is mere abuse of words. It is true, nevertheless, that one of the only two copies existing of the first edition was bought for three halfpence. -- QUILLER-COUCH, A. T., 1896, Adventures in Criticism, p. 39.
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