A poetry miscellany which proved to be the most popular collection printed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It was immediately successful and reprinted in each of the subsequent two years and became a trend setter with other collections such as “a Gorgeous gallery of Gallant Inventions” quickly following suit, but nothing equaled the popularity of The Paradise. It was a collection of the minor poets of the day with the big names: Edmond Spenser, Sir Philip Sydney, and George Gascoigne not being represented. There were other omissions George Turberville, Thomas Howell and Nicholas Grimald and although further poems were added with the first few reprints this practice had ceased by 1585 and so it was too early for Shakespeare and Raleigh.
Richard Edwards edited the first editions and contributed the most poems; Lord Vaux, William Hunnis, Jasper Heywood, Edward De Verre and Francis Kindlemarsh made other sizeable contributions.

“Death is the door whereby we draw to joy
Life is a lake, that drowneth all in pain
Death is so dole it seaseth all awaie,
Life is so leude that all it yelds is vaine.
And as by life, in bondage man is brought,
Even so by death is freedom likewise wrought.”

This was a stanza from a poem from a person referred to as D. S. (there are a good number of poems where the only clue to the identity of the poet are initials), but it does highlight the overall melancholy feel of the collection. Ten of the 127 poems has death as it’s main subject, but it is a preoccupation that is prevalent in many others. This should not be such a great surprise as war, disease, and unrest added to a short life expectancy was a major concern of the poets of the time, who came largely from the Court surrounding Elizabeth I or from the academic classes. Ideas associated with courtly love conventions still predominate with 16 of the poems being little more than lovers complaints, there are epitaphs and other poems in praise of great men and many deal with the subject of false friends and lack of trust. There are a handful of religious poems, but nothing from the clergy, although fear of God and fortunes wheel are significant themes.

Many of the poems have a song like quality and would probably have been sung rather than recited, there are references to this scattered among them. However the overall feel that I get from reading through is one of morality, or at least wise/good advice. M Edwards poem “Of perfect wisdom” is a good example it starts with the lines:

“Who so wii be accompted wise, and truly claim the same,
By joining virtue to his deeds, he must achieve the same:”

There are some good poems scattered through this collection and few outstay their welcome. It does also contain a sizeable number of poems by Lord Vaux, whose melancholia fits so well here. This edition contains a wealth of information for scholars who wish to note how the different version or words within the poems have changed, with the different versions that were printed. There are pen pictures of those poets about whom something is known and some educated thoughts on those that remain something of a mystery; who for example is the poet who signed himself “My Luck is Loss”

It is a good collection for those interested in Elizabethan poetry, but there is little here that will entertain the more general reader. ( )