My copy, however, contains the following poems, not mentioned in the
other:--

"Of a Great Floud; of the Raine-bowe; of Pen and Pensill, upon a
fayre and vertuous Ladye's Picture; and the Spirituall Race."

The MS. contains 52 leaves, beautifully written without any corrections,
and is in the original binding. It was procured by Mr. Heber from
Hanwell, the Bookseller in Oxford, who had probably purchased it on the
taking down of Ricot, the old seat of the Norreys family, and the
dispersion of its contents. It has the autograph of Francis Lord Norreys
on the fly-leaf, and was no doubt a presentation copy to him from Basse.
The poetry of this work does not rise above mediocrity, and is not equal
in thought or vigour to the Epitaph on Shakspeare. The chief portion of
the volume is occupied with the singular tale of "The Youth in the
Boat," which is divided into two parts; the first, containing (with the
introduction) 59 verses of four lines each, and the second 163,
exclusive of the "Morall," which occupies 11 more.

We know that it was Basse's intention to have published these poems,
from some lines addressed by Dr. Ralph Bathurst "To Mr. W. Basse upon
the intended publication of his poems, January 13. 1651," which are
given in Warton's _Life and Literary Remains of Dean Bathurst_, 8vo.
1761, p. 288. In these lines the Dean compares Basse, who was still
living, "to an aged oak," and says:--

"Though thy grey Muse grew up with elder times,
And our deceased Grandsires lisp'd thy rhymes,
Yet we can sing thee too."