English Meetre THOMAS MANLEY THomas Manley was saith my Author one of the Croud of Poetical writers of the late King's Time. He wrote among other things the History of Job in verse and Translated into English Pagan Fisher his Congratulatory Ode of Peace Mr. LEWYS GRIFFIN HE was born as he informed me himself in Rutland-shire and bred up in the University of Cambridge where proving an Excellent Preacher he was after some time preferred to be a Minister of St. George's Church in Southwark where being outed for Marrying two Sisters without their Friends Consent He was afterwards beneficed at Colchester in Essex where he continued all the time during a sore Pestilence raged there He wrote a Book of Essays and Characters an excellent Piece also The Doctrine of the Ass of which I remember these two lines Devil's pretences always were Divine A Knave may have an Angel for a Sign He wrote also a Book called The Presbyterian Bramble with several other Pieces in Defence of the King and the Church Now to shew you the Acuteness of his VVit I will give you an Instance The first year that Poor Robin's Almanack came forth about Six and Twenty Years ago there was cut for it a Brass Plate having on one side of it the Pictures of King Charles the First the Earl of Strafford the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Earl of Darby the Lord Capel and Dr. Hewit all six adorned with Wreaths of Lawrel On the other side was Oliver Cromwell Bradshaw Ireton Scot Harrison and Hugh Peters hanging in Halters Betwixt which was placed the Earl of Essex and Mr. Christopher Love upon which plate he made these Verses Bless us what have we here What sundry Shapes Salute our Eyes have Martyrs too their Apes Sure 't is the War of Angels for you 'd Swear That here stood Michael and the Dragon there Tredescan is out-vy'd for we engage Both Heaven and Hell in an Octavo Page Martyrs and Traytors rallied six to six Half fled unto Olimpus half to Styx Joyn'd with two Neuters some Condemn some Praise They hang betwixt the Halters and the Bayes For 'twixt Nolls Torment and Great Charles's Glory There there 's the Presbyterian Purgatory He died as I am informed at Colchester about the Year of our Lord 1670. JOHN DAVNCEY JOhn Dauncey a true Son of Apollo and Bacchus was one who had an Excellent Command of his Pen a fluent Stile and quick Invention nor did any thing come amiss to his undertaking He wrote a compleat History of the late times a Chronicle of the Kingdom of Portugal the English Lovers a Romance which for Language and Contrivance comes not short of either of the best of French or Spanish He Translated a Tragi-Comedy out of French called Nichomede equal in English to the French Original besides several other things too long to recite His English Lovers was Commended by divers of sound Judgment amongst others Mr. Lewis Griffin our forementioned Poet made these verses in commendations of it Rich Soul of Wit and Language thy high strains So plunge arid puzzle unrefined brains That their Illiterate Spirits do not know How much to thy Ingenious Pen they owe. Should my presumptuous Muse attempt to raise Trophies to thee she might as well go blaze Bright Planets with base Colours or display The Worlds Creation in a Puppet-Play Let this suffice what Calumnies may chance To blut thy Fame they spring from Ignorance When Old Orpheus drew the Beasts along By sweet Rhetorick of his learned Tongue 'T was deafness made the Adder sin and this Caus'd him who should have hum'd the Poet hiss RICHARD HEAD RIchard Head the Noted Author of the English Rogue was a Ministers Son born in Ireland whose Father was killed in that horrid Rebellion in 1641. Whereupon his Mother with this her Son came into England and he having been trained up in Learning was by the help of some Friends for some little time brought up in the University of Oxford in the same Colledge wherein his Father had formerly been a Student But means falling short he was taken away from thence and bound Apprentice to a Latin Bookseller in London attaining to a good Proficiency in that Trade But his Genius being addicted to Poetry and having Venus for his Horoscope e're his time were fully out he wrote a Piece called Venus Cabinet Vnlock'd Afterwards he married and set up for himself But being addicted to play a Mans Estate then runs in Hazard for indeed that was his Game until he had almost thrown his Shop away Then he betook himself to Ireland his Native Country where he composed his Hic Vbique a noted Comedy and which gained him a general Esteem for the worth thereof And coming over into England had it Printed dedicating it to the then Duke of Monmouth But receiving no great Incouragement from his Patron he resolved to settle himself in the World and to that purpose with his Wife took a House in Queens-Head Alley near Pater-Noster-Row and for a while followed his Business so that contrary to the Nature of a Poet his Pockets began to be well lined with Money But being bewitched to that accursed vice of Play it went out by handfuls as it came in piece by piece And now he is to seek again in the World whereupon he betook him to his Pen and wrote the first part of the English Rogue which being too much smutty would not be Licensed so that he was fain to refine it and then it passed stamp At the coming forth of this first part I being with him at three Cup Tavern in Holborn drinking over a glass of Rhenish made these verses upon it What Gusman Buscon Francion Rablais writ I once applauded for most excellent Wit But reading thee and thy rich Fancies store I now condemn what I admir'd before Henceforth Translations pack away be gone No Rogue so well-writ as the English one There was afterwards three more parts added to it by him and Mr. Kirkman with a promise of a fifth which never came out He wrote several other Books besides as The art of Whedling The Floating Island or a Voyage from Lambethania to Ramalia A discovery of O Brazil Jacksons Recantation The Red Sea c. Amongst others he had a great Fancy in Bandying against Dr. Wild although I must confess therein over Matcht yet fell he upon him tooth and nail in Answer to his Letter directed to his Friend Mr. J. J. upon Occasion of his Majesties Declaration for Liberty of Conscience concluding in this manner Thus Sir you have my Story but am Sorry Taunton excuse it is no better for ye However read it as you Pease are shelling For you will find it is not worth the telling Excuse this boldness for I can't avoid Thinking sometimes you are but ill Imploy'd Fishing for Souls more fit then frying Fish That makes me throw Pease Shellings in your Dish You have a study Books wherein to look How comes it then the
Knight being sent Ambassador by King Henry the Eighth to Charles the Fifth Emperor then residing in Spain died of the Pestilence in the West Country before he could take Shipping Anno 1541. Dr. CHRISTOPHER TYE IN the writing this Doctors Life we shall principally make use for Directions of Mr. Fuller in his England's Worthies fol. 244. He flourished saith he in the Reign of King Henry the Eighth and King Edward the Sixth to whom he was one of the Gentlemen of their Chappel and probably the Organist Musick which received a grievous wound in England at the dissolution of Abbeys was much beholding to him for her recovery such was his excellent Skill and Piety that he kept it up in Credit at Court and in all Cathedrals during his life He translated the Acts of the Apostles into Verse and let us take a tast of his Poetry In the former Treatise to thee dear friend Theophilus I have written the veritie of the Lord Christ Jesus Which he to do and eke to teach began until the day In which the Spirit up did him fetch to dwell above for aye After that he had power to do even by the Holy Ghost Commandements then he gave unto his chosen least and most To whom also himself did shew from death thus to revive By tokens plain unto his few even forty days alive Speaking of God's kingdom with heart chusing together them Commanding them not to depart from that Jerusalem But still to wait on the promise of his Father the Lord Of which you have heard me e're this unto you make record Pass we now saith he from his Poetry being Musick in words to his Musick being Poetry in sounds who set an excellent Composition of Musick in four parts to the several Chapters of his aforenamed Poetry dedicating the same to King Edward the Sixth a little before his death and Printed it Anno Dom. 1353. He also did Compose many excellent Services and Anthems of four and five parts which were used in Cathedrals many years after his death the certain date whereof we cannot attain to JOHN LELAND THis famous Antiquary Mr. John Leland flourish'd in the year 1546. about the beginning of the Reign of King Edward the Sixth and was born by most probable conjecture at London He wrote among many other Volumes several Books of Epigrams his Cigneo Cantio a Genethliac of Prince Edward Naniae upon the death of Sir Thomas Wiat out of which we shall present you with these Verses Transtulit in nostram Davidis carmina linguam Et numeros magnareddidit arte pares Non morietur opus tersum spectabile sacrum Clarior hac fama parte Viattus erit Vna dies geminos Phoenices non dedit orbi Mors erit in unius vita sed alterius Rara avis in terris confectus morte Viattus Houerdum haeredem scripser at ante suum Dicere nemo potest recte periisse Viattum Ingenit cujus tot monimenta vigent He wrote also several other things both in Prose and Verse to his great fame and commendation THOMAS CHVRCHYARD THomas Churchyard was born in the Town of Shrewsbury as himself doth affirm in his Book made in Verse of the Worthiness of Wales taking Shropshire within the compass to use his own Expression Wales the Park and the Marches the Pale thereof He was one equally addicted to Arts and Arms serving under that renowned Captain Sir William Drury in a rode he made into Scotland as also under several other Commanders beyond Sea as he declares in his Tragical Discourse of the Unhappy Mans Life saying Full thirty years both Court and Wars I tryde And still I sought acquaintance with the best And served the State and did such hap abide As might befal and Fortune sent the rest When Drum did sound I was a Soldier prest To Sea or Land as Princes quarrel stood And for the same full oft I lost my blood But it seems he got little by the Wars but blows as he declares himself a little after But God he knows my gain was small I weene For though I did my credit still encrease I got no wealth by wars ne yet by peace Yet it seems he was born of wealthy friends and had an Estate left unto him as in the same Work he doth declare So born I was to House and Land by right But in a Bag to Court I brought the same From Shrewsbury-Town a seat of ancient fame Some conceive him to be as much beneath a Poet as above a Rymer yet who so shall consider the time he wrote in viz. the beginning of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth shall find his Verses to go abreast with the best of that Age. His Works such as I have seen and have now in custody are as followeth The Siege of Leith A Farewel to the World. A feigned Fancy of the Spider and the Gout A doleful Discourse of a Lady and a Knight The Road into Scotland by Sir William Drury Sir Simon Burley's Tragedy A Tragical Discourse of the Vnhappy Mans Life A Discourse of Vertue Churchyard's Dream A Tale of a Fryar and and a Shoomaker 's wife The Siege of Edenborough-Castle Queen Elizabeth's Reception into Bristol These Twelve several Treatises he bound togegether calling them Church-yard's Chips and dedicated them to Sir Christopher Hatton He also wrote the Falls of Shore's Wife and of Cardinal Wolsey which are inserted into the Book of the Mirrour for Magistrates Thus like a stone did he trundle about but never gather'd any Moss dying but poor as may be seen by his Epitaph in Mr. Cambden's Remains which runs thus Come Alecto lend me thy Torch To find a Church-yard in a Church-porch Poverty and Poetry his Tomb doth enclose Wherefore good Neighbours be merry in prose His death according to the most probable conjecture may be presumed about the eleventh year of the Queen's Reign Anno Dom. 1570. JOHN HIGGINS JOhn Higgins was one of the chief of them who compiled the History of the Mirrour of Magistrates associated with Mr. Baldwin Mr. Ferrers Thomas Churchyard and several others of which Book Sir Philip Sidney thus writes in his Defence of Poesie I account the Mirrour of Magistrates meetly furnished of beautiful parts These Commendations coming from so worthy a person our Higgins having so principal a share therein deserves a principal part of the praise And how well his deservings were take an essay of his Poetry in his induction to the Book When Summer sweet with all her pleasures past And leaves began to leave the shady tree The Winter cold encreased on full fast And time of year to sadness moved me For moisty blasts not half so mirthful be As sweet Aurora brings in Spring-time fair Our joys they dim as Winter damps the air The Nights began to grow to length apace Sir Phoebus to th' Antartique 'gan to fare From Libra's lance to the Crab he took his race Beneath the Line to lend of light a share For then with
it spread Till 't is too fine for our weak eyes to find And dwindles into Nothing in the end No they 'r above the Genius of this Age Each word of thine swells pregnant with a Page Then why do some Mens nicer ears complain Of the uneven Harshness of thy strain Preferring to the vigour of thy Muse Some smooth weak Rhymer that so gently flowes That Ladies may his easy strains admire And melt like Wax before the softning fire Let such to Women write you write to Men We study thee when we but play with them Sir JOHN BERKENHEAD Sir John Berkenhead was a Gentleman whose worth and deserts were too high for me to delineate He was a constant Assertor of his Majesties Cause in its lowest Condition painting the Rebels forth to the life in his Mercurius Aulicus and other Writings his Zany Brittanieus who wrote against him being no more his Equal than a Dwarf to a Gyant or the goodness of his cause to that of the Kings for this his Loyalty he suffered several Imprisonments yet always constant to his first Principles His skill in Poetry was such that one thus writes of him Whil'st Lawrel sprigs anothers head shall Crown Thou the whole Grove mayst challenge as thy Own. He survived to see his Majesties happy Restoration and some of them hanged who used their best endeavor to do the same by him As for his learned Writings those who are ignorant of them must plead ignorance both to Wit and Learning Dr. ROBERT WILD HE was one and not of the meanest of the Poetical Caslock being in some sort a kind of an Anti-Cleaveland writing as high and standing up as stifly for the Presbyterians as ever Cleaveland did against them But that which most recommended him to publick fame was his Iter Boreale the same in Title though not in Argument with that little but much commended Poem of Dr. Corbets mentioned before This being upon General Monk's Journey out of Scotland in order to his Majesties Restoration and is indeed the Cream and flower of all his Works and look't upon for a lofty and conceited Stile His other things are for the most part of a lepid and facetious nature reflecting on others who as sharply retorted upon him for he that throwes stones at other 't is ten to one but is hit with astone himself one of them playing upon his red face thus I like the Man that carries in his Face the tinsture of that bloody Banner he fights under and would not have any Mans countenance prove so much an Hypocrite to cross a French Proverb His Nose plainly proves What pottage he loves Hear one of their reflections upon him on his humble thanks for his Majesties Declaration for Liberty of Conscience When first the Hawkers bawl'd ' i th' streets Wild's name A lickerish longing to my Pallat came A feast of Wit I look't for but alass The meat smelt strong and too much Sawce there was c. Indeed his strain had it been fitted to a right key might have equal'd the chiefest of his age Mr. ABRAHAM COWLEY THis Gentleman was one who may well be be stil'd the glory of our Nation both of the present and past ages whose early Muse began to dawn at the Thirteenth year of his age being then a Scholar at Westminiser-School which produc'd two little Poems the one called Antonius and Melida the other Pyramus and Thisbe discovering in them a maturity of Sence far above the years that writ them shewing by these his early Fruits what in time his stock of worth would come to And indeed Fame was not deceived in him of its Expectation he having built a lasting Monument of his worth to posterity in that compleat Volume of his Works divided into four parts His Mistress being the amorous Prolusions of his youthful Muse his Miscelanies or Poems of various arguments his most admired Heroick Poem Davideis the first Books whereof he compos'd while but a young Student at Trinity-Colledge in Cambridge and lastly that is in order of time though not of place his Pindaric Odes so call'd from the Measure in which he translated the first Ithmian and Nemean Odes where as the form of those Odes in the Original is very different yet so well were they approved by succeeding Authors that our primest Wits have hitherto driven a notable Trade in Pindaric Odes But besides these his English Poems there is extant of his writing a Latine Volume by it self containing a Poem of Herbs and Plants Also he Translated two Books of his Davideis into Latine Verse which is in the large Volume amongst the rest of his Works Mr. EDMOND WALLER THis Gentleman is one of the most fam'd Poets and that not undeservedly of the presentage excelling in the charming Sweets of his Lyrick Odes or amorous Sonnets as also in his other occasional Poems both smooth and strenuous rich of Conceit and eloquently adorned with proper Similies view his abilities in this Poem of his concerning the Puissance of our Navies and the English Dominion at Sea. Lords of the Worlds great Wast the Ocean we Whole Forrests send to reign upon the Sea And every Coast may trouble or relieve But none can visit us without our leave Angels and we have this Prerogative That none can at our happy Seat arrive While we descend at pleasure to invade The bad with Vengeance or the good to aid Our little world the image of the great Like that amidst the boundless Ocean set Of her own growth has all that Nature craves And all that 's rare as Tribute from the waves As Aegypt does not on the Clouds rely But to her Nyle owes more then to the sky So what our Earth and what our Heaven denies Our ever constant friend the Sea supplies The tast of hot Arabia's Spice we know Free from the Scorching Sun that makes it grow Without the worm in Persian Silks we shine And without Planting drink of every Vine To dig for wealth we weary not our limbs Gold though the heaviest mettal hither swims Ours is the Harvest where the Indians mow We plough the deep and reap what others Sow I shall only add two lines more of his quoted by several Authors All that the Angels do above Is that they sing and that they love In sum this our Poet was not Inferior to Carew Lovelace nor any of those who were accounted the brightest Stars in the Firmament of Poetry Sir JOHN DENHAM SIr John Denham was a Gentleman who to his other Honors had this added that he was one of the Chief of the Delphick Quire and for his Writings worthy to be Crowned with a wreath of Stars The excellency of his Poetry may be seen in his Coopers Hill which whosoever shall deny may be accounted no Friends to the Muses His Tragedy of the Sophy is equal to any of the Chiefest Authors which with his other Works bound together in one Volume will make his name Famous to all Posterity Sir WILLIAM DAVENANT
SIr William Davenant may be accounted one of the Chiefest of Apollo's Sons for the great Fluency of his Wit and Fancy Especially his Gondibert the Crown of all his other Writings to which Mr. Hobbs of Malmsbury wrote a Preface wherein he extolleth him to the Skyes wherein no wonder sayes one if Compliment and Friendly Compliance do a little biass and over-sway Judgment He also wrote a Poem entituled Madagascur also a Farrago of his Juvenile and other Miscelaneous Pieces But his Chiefest matter was what he wrote for the English Stage of which was four Comedies viz. Love and Honour The Man is the Master the Platonick Lovers and The Wits Three Tragedies Albovine The Cruel Brother and The unfortunate Lovers Two Tragi-Comedies the Just Italian and the Lost Lady And Six Masques viz. Brittania Triumphans The Cruelty of the Spaniards in Peru Drakes History First Part Siege of Rhodes in two Parts and The Temple of Love Besides his Musical Drama's when the usual Playes were not suffered to be Acted whereof he was the first Reviver and Improver by painted Scenes after his Majesties Restoration erecting a new Company of Actors under the Patronage of the Duke of York Now this our Poet as he was a Wit himself so did several of the Wits play upon him amongst others Sir John Suckling in his Session of the Poets hath these Verses Will. Davenant asham'd of a Foolish mischance That he had got lately Travelling into France Modestly hoped the Handsomness of 's Muse Might any Deformity about him excuse And Surely the Company would have been content If they could have found any President But in all their Records either in Verse or Prose There was not one Laureat without a Nose His Works since his Death have been fairly Published in a large Volume to which I refer my Reader Sir GEORGE WHARTON HE was one was a good Souldier Famous Mathematician and an excellent Poet alwayes Loyal to his Prince For whose Service he raised a Troop of Horse at his own Charge of which he became Captain himself and with much Gallantry and Resolution behaved himself Nor was he less serviceable to the Royal Cause with his Pen of which he was a resolute Assertor Suffering very much by Imprisonment even to the apparent hazard of his Life He having so Satyrically wounded them in his Elenctichus as left indelible Characters of Infancy upon their Actions His Excellent Works collected into one Volume and Published in the Year 1683. By the Ingenious Mr. Gadbury are a sufficient Testimony of his Learning Ingenuity and Loyalty to which I refer the Reader In sum as he participated of his Masters Sufferings So did he enjoy the Benefit of his Restoration having given him a Place of great Honor and Profit with which he lived in Credit and Reputation all the days of his Life Sir ROBERT HOWARD SIr Robert Howard of the Noble Family of the Earls of Berk-shire a Name so reverenced as it had Six Earls at one time of that Name This Noble Person to his other Abilities which Capacitated him for a Principal Office in his Majesties Exchequer attained to a considerable Fame by his Poetical Works Especially for what he hath written to the Stage viz. The Blind Lady The Committee and The Surprizal Comedies The Great Favorite and The Vestal Virgin Tragedies Inforc'd Marriage a Tragi-Comedy and The Indian Queen a Dramatick History WILLIAM CAVENDISH Duke of New-Castle THis Honourable Person for his eminent Services to his Prince and Country preferred from Earl to Duke of New-Castle was a Person equally addicted both to Arms and Arts which will eternize his Name to all Posterity so long as Learning Loyalty and Valour shall be in Fashion He wrote a splendid Treatise of the Art of Horsemanship in which his Experience was no less than his Delight as also two Comedies The Variety and the Country Captain Nor was his Dutchess no less busied in those ravishing Delights of Poetry leaving to Posteriry in Print three ample Volumes of Her studious Endeavors one of Orations the second of Philosophical Notions and Discourses and the third of Dramatick and other kinds of Poetry of which five Comedies viz. The Bridalls Blazing World Cavent of Pleasure The Presence and The Sociable Companions or Female Wits Sir WILLIAM KILLIGREW SIr William Killigrew was one whose Wings of Fancy displayed as high Invention as most of the Sons of Phaebus of his time contributing to the Stage five Playes viz. Ormardes The Princess or Love at first sight Selindra and the Seige of Vrbin Tragi-Comedies and a Comedy called Pandora To whom we may joyn Mr. Thomas Killigrew who also wrote five Plays viz. The Parsons Wedding and Thomaso or the Wanderer Comedies the Pilgrim a Tragedy and Clarasilla and The Prisoners Tragi-Comedies JOHN STVDLEY WAs one who besides other things which he wrote contributed to the Stage four Tragedies viz. Agamemnon Hyppolitus Hercules Oetes and Medea and therefore thought worthy to have a Place amongst the rest of our English Poets JOHN TATHAM JOhn Tatham was one whose Muse began to bud with his Youth which produced early Blossomes of not altogether Contemptible Poetry in a Collection of Poems entituled Fancys Theater which was usher'd into the World by divers of the Chief VVits of that age He was afterwards City Poet making those Speeches and Representations used at the Lord Mayors show and other Publick Meetings He also contributed to the Stage four plays viz. The Scots Fegaries and The Rump or Mirror of the late times Comedies the Distracted State a Tragedy and Love crowns the End a Tragy-Comedy Here a tast of his juvenile wit in his Fancys Theater speaking in the Person of Momus How now presumptuous Lad think'st thou that we VVill be disturb'd with this thy Infancy Of Wit Or does thy amorous Thoughts beget a flame Beyond its merit for to court the name Of Poet or is 't common now a days Such slender VVits dare claim such things as Bays c. THOMAS JORDEN COntemporary with him was Thomas Jorden and of much like equal Fame indulging his Muse more to vulgar Fancies then to the high flying wits of those times yet did he write three Plays viz. Mony 's an Ass and The Walks of Islington and Hogsden Comedies and Fancys Festivals a Mask HVGH CROMPTON HE was born a Gentleman and bred up a Scholar but his Father not leaving him Means enough to support the one and the Times in that Condition that without Money Learning is little regarded he therefore betook him to a Gentile Employment which his Learning had made him capable to do but the succession of a worse fate disemploying him as he himself saith in his Epistle to the Reader of his Book entituled Pierides or the Muses Mount he betook him to his Pen that Idleness might not sway which in time produced a Volume of Poems which to give you a tast of the briskness of his Muse I shall instance in a few lines in one or two