From Bibliographia Poetica : A Catalogue of Engleish Poets, of the Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth, and Sixteenth, Centurys, with a short account of their works (1802) by Joseph Ritson, London: Printed by C. Roworth, Hudsons-Court, for G. & W. Nicol, Booksellers, p.118 & pp.121-123.



p.118 /

    B. G.    These initials (G. B.) are given by Webbe. They are sign'd to the dedication of a book intitle'd “ Beware the Cat,” 1561 : at the close of which book is a “ hymne.”



p.121 /
    BALDWIN WILLIAM, at first a printer, and at last a parson, publish'd “ A myrrovre for magistrates, wherein may be seen by example of others, with howe greuous plages vices are punished, and howe frayl and vnstable worldly prosperitie is founded, euen of those whom Fortvne seemeth most highly to fauour.—Anno 1559 :” printed by Tho. Marshe, 4to, b. 1. to a new edition whereof, in 1563, was aded a second part. In this work the legends of Henry Percey earle of Northumberland, Richard earle of Cambridge, Thomas Montagu the earle of Salisbury, Kyng James the first, William Delapole duke of Suffolke, Jacke Cade, Richard Plantagenet duke of Yorke, Lorde Clifforde, John Tiptoft earle of Worcester, Richard Nevel earle of Warwyke, Kyng Henry the sixt, and George duke of Clarence, in the first, and those of Sir Anthony Wudvill, and Collingborne, in the second part, appear to be of his own composition. He had no concern
p.122 /
whatever in the subsequent editions.*   When “ servaunt with Edward Whitchurche,” he wrote and printed “ The canticles or balades of Salomon, phrase lyke declared in Englysh metres,” 1549, 4to. He also wrote “ The funeralles of king Edward the sixt. Wherin are declared the causers and causes of his death :” printed by Tho. Marshe, 1560, 4to.
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    *
  “ At the latter end of the reign of queen Elisabeth,” says Warton, “as i am informed from some curious manuscript authorities, a thin quarto in the black letter was published, with this title, The mirrovr of mirrovrs, or all the tragedys of the mirrovr for magistrates abbreuiated in breefe histories in prose. Very necessary for those that have not the cronicle. London, Imprinted for James Roberts in Barbican, 1598.” This information he professes to have “from manuscripts of Mr. Coxeter;” who appears to have been an impostor of the same stamp as William Chetwood, in furnishing books and editions that never existed, as, in fact, Warton himself appears to have done, in more than one instance.
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    “ The mirrour of magistrates,” and, particularly, Sackvilles induction, are extol'd by Bolton as “ the best of those times.” Bishop Hall, however, seems of a different opinion, thus characteriseing the authour :
p.123 /
“  Another, whose more heavy-hearted saint
Delights in nought but notes of rueful plaint,
Urgeth his melting muse with solemn tears
Rhyme of some dreary fates of luckless peers.
Then brings he up some branded whining ghost,
To tell how old misfortunes had him toss'd.
Then must he ban the guiltless fates above,
Or fortune frail, or unrewarded love.
And when he hath parbrak'd his grieved mind,
He sends him down where erst he did him find,
Without one penny to pay Charons hire,
That waitest for the wandring ghosts retire.”