always be important because through it the Elizabethan age
knew Surrey. It was reprinted nine times before the end of the
century.

It may be even due to Tottel's publication that in the last half
of the century Surrey was regarded as the great poet of the former
age. The title-page of the Miscellany reads Songes and Sonettes,
written by the ryght honorable Lorde Henry Haward late Earle of
Surrey, and other. Although the only other author named in full in
the second edition is Wyatt, apparently he is considered secondary.
They are usually bracketed together, and Surrey is usually given
the precedence,--so often in fact that the curious error arose that
Wyatt was Surrey's disciple. The most extreme illustration of
Wyatt's eclipse by Surrey is given by Sidney: ¹

For there being two principall parts, Matter to be expressed by words, and words
to expresse the matter: In neither, wee use Art or imitation rightly . . . Chawcer
undoubtedly did excellently in his Troilus and Creseid: of whome trulie I knowe not
whether to mervaile more, either that hee in that mistie time could see so clearly
or that wee in this cleare age, walke so stumblingly after him. Yet had hee great
wants, fit to be forgiven in so reverent an Antiquitie. I account the Mirrour of
Magistrates, meetly furnished of bewtiful partes. And in the Earle of Surreis
Lirickes, manie thinges tasting of a Noble minde. The Sheepheards Kalendar,
hath much poetrie in his Egloges, . . Besides these, I doo not remember to have
seen but fewe (to speak boldly) printed, that have poeticall sinnewes in
them.

Chaucer, Surrey, presumably Sackville and Spenser, those four
names to Sidney are the only ones that have poetical sinews. The
list is extraordinary for its omissions. As to him Chaucer is the
sole representative of Middle English, Surrey is the only survivor
of the literature of the first half of the century. ² It is a fair state-
ment that where Wyatt is remembered, as in Ascham and Putten-
ham, he is subordinated to Surrey, and that very many did not
remember him at all. Surrey is the principal figure of the past
age.

As the respect for caste was great in the time of Elizabeth, such
valuation of his poetry may have been due, to some extent at

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