Aspects of Kentish Local History

pedagogues in the correspondence, also a letter from Browne to Henry Oxinden which may have accompanied his verses.¹ The chorus of praise closes with a poem by Thomas Oxinden to his "beloved father".²

V

   The text of the poem occupies pp. 15-39 of the tiny volume, roughly bound in old brown calf. Twenty-five pages are occupied with the story of Job's misfortunes, summarized from the scripture narrative. An apostrophe follows to the man who is master of his soul, unbroken by misfortune, unspoilt by prosperity. A description of sunshine after storm, spring succeeding to winter, leads on to Job's return to the divine favour.
   Job's patience exceeded Cato's: it had no equal save in Jesus Christ alone. What wonder if the Lord's disciples could endure poverty and hardship; they were fishermen, ever needy; but Job had known luxury and regal surroundings. So fearless and unperturbed may the Christian keep his unconquerable soul.
   Henry's apostrophe "To the oppressed owners of lands", shows clearly enough to what personal experience he owed his inspiration. His contemporaries took the poem as he intended it; they applied it to their own griefs, to their suffering country, above all to their

martyred king; they accepted its lesson of endurance until God's good time of returning prosperity. "Jobus" is much more attractively written than the earlier poem, and its tone is loftier—less full of bitterness.

VI

   The third and most curious of Henry's productions is the "Eikon Basilike, or an Image Royal, etc.", which has nothing to do with the famous work of that name but is an Epithalamium to celebrate the marriage of Sir Basil Dixwell of Broome Park and Mistress Dorothy Peyton. It bears on the title page the date "March 25. Printed in the year 1660". This was probably the wedding day; the marriage is unrecorded in the registers of Knowlton Chuch, the bride's home. A woodcut of a laurel leaf tied with flowing ribbons ornaments the title page. No printer's name appears, but Letter CLII shows that it was printed by David Maxwell, of Thames Street, near Baynard's Castle. It is a tiny volume of 22 pages, no less scarce than the Jobus Triumphans, if indeed any copy besides the one formerly in Dr. Cock's possession can now be traced.³  The opening congratulatory verses,
  ¹ cf. MS. 28,002, f. 79.
   ²  cf. O. and P. Letters, p. 152.
   ³  Purchased Pickering, June 1944.