the ascension of James I. It is not unlikely, therefore, that a copy
of Nash's manuscript made for Lord Essex passed, on the execution of
the latter, with other papers and documents, into the official custody
of the Lord Keeper, to be subsequently unearthed by his successor,
Petyt, who, with a taste for the "curious," had it copied for his own
edification. This supposition is further borne out as follows: The
particular commonplace book in which this poem occurs has been written
by various hands. In the same handwriting as, and immediately
preceding "The Choise of Valentines," are two poetical effusions
dedicated "To the Earl of Essex," both apparently written when he was
in prison and under sentence of death. The other contents of the
volume are likewise contemporaneous.

All things considered, then, the Petyt text, although transcribed
about fifty years later, has weightier claims to attention than the
version in the Rawlinson MSS. I have, therefore, adopted the former as
a basis, giving the Rawlinson variations in the form of notes. A few
of these are obviously better readings than those of the Petyt text:
the reader cannot fail to distinguish these. In the main, however, the
Inner Temple version will be found consistent with its particular
dedication, whilst the Rawlinson variations appear due to an attempt,
signally unsuccessful, to adapt the poem for general use.

For the rest I have faithfully adhered to the original in the basic
text, and in the variorum readings, except in one particular. The
Rawlinson _MS._ is altogether guiltless of punctuation, while the
Petyt copy has been carelessly "stopped" by the scribe: I have
therefore given modern punctuation.

J. S. F.