(Vol. vi., p. 5.; Vol. vii., pp. 7. 111.)
I am obliged to apologise for having made Sir Henry Wotton use the words
"some long time before," instead of "some good while before," and therefore
take the opportunity of saying that I think Sir Henry's allusion to "the
art of stationers," in binding a good and a bad book up together, almost
proves "our common friend Mr. R." to have been a bookseller.
Notwithstanding the very high authorities against me, I will then venture
to insinuate, that instead of John Rouse, or Robert Randolph, plain
Humphrey _Robinson_ is meant, by whom _Comus_ was printed in 1637, "at the
signe of the Three Pidgeons, in Paul's Church-yard."
Once grant the probability of this being the case, and we have no further
difficulty in understanding why _Comus_ should be stitched up "with the
late Rd. poems," or Wotton be left in ignorance of the author's name. Lawes
tells us in the dedication to _Comus_, that it was "not openly acknowledged
by the author;" and the publisher would naturally keep the secret: but why
Rouse or Robert Randolph should do so, appears to me inexplicable. I hope
soon to have access to some public libraries, and also to return to this
very interesting question again. Meanwhile, may I beg the forbearance of
your more learned correspondents?