chylus, Euripedes, Sophocles, Alexander Aetolus, Achæus Erithriæus, Astydamus Athenie'sis, Apollodorus Tarsensis, Nicomachus Phrygius, Thespis Atticus, and Timon Apolloniates; and these among the Latines, Accius, M. Attilius, Pomponius Secundus, and Seneca: so these are our best for tragedie, the Lorde Buckhurst,* Doctor Leg of Cambridge,† Doctor Edes of Oxforde, Maister Edward Ferris, the authour of the Mirrour for Magistrates, § Marlow, Peele, Watson, Kid, Shakespeare, Drayton, Chapman, Decker, and Beniamin Iohnson.

"As M. Anneus Lucanus writ two excellent trage dies, one called Medea, the other de Incendio Troia cum Priami calamitate: so Doctor Leg hath penned two famous tragedies, ye. one of Richard the 3, the other of the destruction of Ierusalem.

"The best poets for comedy among the Greeks are these, Menander, Aristophanes, Eupolis, Atheniensis, Alexis Terius, Nicostratus, Amipsias Atheniensis, Anaxadrides Rhodius, Aristonymus, Archippus, Athenie sis, and Callias Atheniesis; and among the La

• Jointly with Thomas Norton wrote Ferrex and Porrex. See Dodsley's Collection, 2d Edit. Vol. i. p. 101.

↑ Vice-chancellor of Oxford, author of two tragedies not printed. Died 1607, aged 72.

Dean of Worcester, died Nov. 19, 1604.

S Dr. Farmer had noticed in the margin the christian name of Ferrers as George, which seems a doubtful question. The words in Puttenham are "that for tragedie, the Lord of Buckhurst and Maister Edward Ferrys for such doings as I have sene of theirs do deserue the hyest price:" and Warton was inclined to consider them the same person, but Ritson has attempted to prove the contrary, in the Bibliographia Poetica. If Puttenham alluded to the writer in the Mirrour for Magistrates, does it not appear singular the omitting to mention Baldwin and the other persons concerned in that prodution?

Alexis

tines, Plautus, Terence, Næuius, Sext. Turpilius, Licinius Imbrex, and Virgilius Romanus: so the best for comedy amongst vs bee, Edwarde Earle of Oxforde, Doctor Gager of Oxforde,* Maister Rowley once a rare scholler of learned Pembrooke Hall in Cambridge,t Maister Edwardes, one of her Maiestie's Chappell,+ eloquent and wittie Iohn Lilly, Lodge, Gascoyne, Greene, Shakespeare; Thomas Nash, Thomas Heywood, Anthony Mundye, our best plotter, Chapman, Porter,§ Wilson,|| Hathway,** and Henry Chettle.++

William Gager. Baker, in his Companion to the Play House, 1764, has the following passage." The commendation which Anth. à Wood gives of him as to his poetical talents is somewhat extraordinary. He was (says that author) an excellent poet, espécially in the Latin tongue, and reputed the best comedian (by which I suppose he means dramatic writer) of his time, whether, adds he, it was Edward Earl of Oxford, Will. Rowley, the once ornament for wit and ingenuity of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge, Richard Edwards, John Lylie, Tho. Lodge, Geo. Gascoigne, Will. Shakespeare, Tho. Nash, or John Heywood. A combination of names, by the bye, so oddly jumbled together, as must convince us that Mr. Wood was a much better biographer than a judge of dramatic writings." This "odd jumble" is continued in the Biographia Dramatica by Reed; the origin of which the reader will now easily discover. Dr. Gager was living 1610. His controversy with Rainoldes respecting stage-plays is known to all readers of theatrical works.

† I consider this as Samuel Rowley the player, as well as poet; and that a portion of the character of William Rowley, given in the Biographia Dramatica, should be transferred to the preceding article. Reed's Shak. Vol. 3. Henslowe's list passim.

↑ Author of various poems in the Paradise of Dainty Devises. Died about 1566.

Wrote the pleasant history of the two angry women of Abington, printed 1599, a second part acted 1598, n. p. and Love prevented, acted 1598. See note postea.

"Richard Hathwaye was concerned in writing six dramatic pieces, not prin ed. The researches of Mr.Malone first discovered their titles, which are enumerated in Barker's Continuation of tb: Theatrical Remembrancer to 1803. †† This writer assisted in 29 pieces also mentioned by Barker.

VOL. IX.

E

"As

"As Horace, Lucilius Iuuenall, Persius & Lucullus are the best for satyre among the Latines, so with vs in the same faculty these are chiefe, Piers Plowman, Lodge, Hall of Imanuel Colledge in Cambridge; the author of Pigmalion's Image, and certaine satyrs;* the author of Skialetheia.+

"Among the Greekes I wil name but two for iambicks, Archilochus Parius, and Hipponax Ephesius : so amongst vs I name but two iambical poets, Gabriel Haruey, and Richard Stanyhurst, bicause I haue seene no mo in this kind.

"As these are famous among the Greeks for elegie, Melanthus, Mymnerus, Colophonius, Olympius Mysius, Parthenius Nicæus, Philetas Cous, Theogenes Megarensis, and Pigres Halicarnassus; and these among the Latines, Mecanas, Ouid, Tibullus, Propertius, T. Valgius, Cassius Seuerus, & Clodius Sabinus: so these are the most passionate among vs to bewaile and bemoane the perplexities of loue, Henrie Howard, Earle of Surry, Sir Thomas Wyat the elder, Sir Francis Brian, Sir Philip Sidney, Sir Walter Rawley, Sir Edward Dyer, Spencer, Daniel, Drayton, Shakespeare, Whetstone, Gascoyne, Samuell Page, some time fellowe of Corpus Christi Colledge, in Oxford, Churchyard, Bretton.

"As Theocritus in Greeke, Virgil and Mantua in Latine, Sanazar in Italian, and the authour of Amynta Gaudia and Walsingham's Melibus are the best for pastorall, so amongst vs the best in this kind are Sir

CENS. LIT. IV. p. 137.

*Printed 1598, by Marston. Vicar of Deptford, als. West Greenwich, Kent. Died Aug. 8, 1630, aged about 56. His poetical pieces are unknown, and his name is omitted in Ritson's Bib. Poetica.

Philip

Philip Sidney, Master Challener,* Spencer, Stephen Gosson,† Abraham Fraunce and Barnefield.

"These and many other epigrammatists ye. Latin tongue hath, Q. Catulus, Porcius Licinius, Quintus Cornificus, Martial, Ch. Getulicus, and wittie Sir Thomas Moore, so in English we haue these, Heywood, Drate, Kendal, Bastard, Dauies.

"As noble Mecenas that sprung from the Hetrus can kinges not onely graced poets by his bounty, but also by beeing a poet himselfe; and as Iames the 6. nowe king of Scotland is not only a fauorer of poets, but a poet, as my friend master Richard Barnefielde hath in this disticke passing well recorded;

'The King of Scots now liuing is a poet,
As his Lepanto and his furies show it.'‡

So Elizabeth our dread soueraign and gracious Queenę is not only a liberal patrone vnto poets, but an excellent poet herselfe, whose learned, delicate, and noble muse surmounteth, be it in ode, elegy, epigram, or in any other kinde of poem heroicke, or lyricke.

"Octauia, sister vnto Augustus the Emperour, was exceeding bountifull vnto Virgil, who gaue him for making 26 verses, 1137 pounds, to wit, tenne sestertiaes for euerie verse, which amount to about 43 pounds for euery verse: so learned Mary, the honorable Countesse of Pembrook, the noble sister of immortall Sir Philip Sidney, is very liberall vnto poets; besides shee

Ritson has a probable conjecture of this being Sir Thomas Chaloner. Meirs, copying verbatim from Puttenham, might retain the style of master, although he was knighted in 1591.′′

↑ Born about 1556, and alive 1615. His pastoral pieces are unknown. See Royal and Noble Authors by Mr. PARK, Vol. I. p. 117.

is a most delicate poet, of whom I may say, as Antipater Sidonius writeth of Sappho :

Dulcia Mnemosyne demirans carmina Sapphus,

Quæsiuit decima Pieris vnde foret.'

Among others in times past, poets had these fauourers, Augustus, Mecænas, Sophocles, Germanicus, an emperour, a nobleman, a senatour, and a captaine; so of later times poets haue these patrones, Robert King of Sicil, the great King Francis of France, King James of Scotland, & Queene Elizabeth of England.

"As in former times two great cardinals, Bembus & Biena, did countenance poets, so of late yeares two great preachers haue giuen them their right hands in felowship, Beza and Melancthon.

"As the learned philosophers Fracastorius and Scaliger haue highly prized them, so have the eloquent orators Pontanus and Muretus very gloriously estimated them.

"As Georgius Buckananus' Iephthe, amongst all moderne tragedies, is able to abide the touche of Aristotle's precepts, and Euripedes examples, so is Bishop Watson's Absalon *

"As Terence for his translations out of Apollodorus & Menander, and Aquilius for his translation out of Menander, and C. Germanicus Augustus for his out of Aratus, and Ausonius for his translated epigrams out of Greeke, and Doctor Johnson for his Froggefight out of Homer, and Watson for his Antigone out of Sophocles, haue got good commendations,† so these versifiers

Bishop of Winchester, died Jan. 23, 1583, aged 63. "That no reader may be misled (says Warton upon this article) I observe here, that Christopher Johnson, a celebrated head master of Winchester school, afterwards a physician, translated Homer's Frogs and Mice into

Latin