on account of his poverty; for tho' it generally happens that Poets have the greateft power in courtship, as they can celebrate their miftreffes with more elegance than people of any other profeffion; yet it very feldom falls out that they marry fuccessfully, as their needy circumstances naturally deter them from making advances to Ladies of fuch fashion as their ge-`. nius and manners give them a right to addrefs. This proved our author's cafe exactly; he made love to a widow named Browning, who poffeffed a very good jointure; but this lady being more in love with money than laurels, with wealth than merit, rejected his fuit; which not a little difcouraged him, as he had spent his money in hopes of effecting this match, which, to his great mortification, all his rhimes and fonnets could not do. He dedicated his works to Sir Chriftopher Hatton; but addrefies of that nature don't always imply a provifion for their author. It is conjectured that he died about the eleventh year of Queen Elizabeth, and according to Mr. Wood was buried near Skelton in the Chancel of St. Margaret's, Weftminfter. By his writings, he appears a man of fenfe, and fometimes a poet, tho' he does not feem to poffefs any degree of invention. His language is generally pure, and his numbers not wholly inharmonious. The Legend of Jane Shore is the most finished of all his works, from which I have taken a quotation His death, according to the moft probable conjecture, happened in 1570. Thus like a ftone (fays Winftanley) did he trundle about, but never gathered any mofs, dying but poor, as may be feen by his epitaph in Mr. Camden's Remains, which runs thus: Come Alecto, lend me thy torch To find a Church-yard in a Church-porch; His His works according to Winftanley are as follow : The Siege of Leith. A Farewell to the world. A feigned Fancy of the Spider and the Gaul, A lamentable Defcription of the Wars in Flanders in profe, and dedicated to Walfingham fecretary of ftate. A light Bundle of lively Difcourfes, called Churchyard's Charge 1580, dedicated to his noble patron' the Earl of Surry. A Spark of Friendship, a treatife on that writer, addrefs'd to Sir Walter Raleigh. A Description and Difcourfe on the ufe of paper, in which he praises a paper-mill built near Darthfend, by a German called Spillman. The Honour of the Law 1596. Jane Shore, miftrefs to King Edward IV. Life. A Difcourfe of Virtue. Churchyard's Dream. A Tale of a Fryar and a Shoemaker's Wife, Queen Elizabeth's reception into Bristol. These twelve several pieces he bound together, calling them Churchyard's Chips, which he dedicated to Sir Chriftopher Hatton. He wrote befide, The Tragedy of Thomas Moubray Duke of Norfolk, JANE JANE SHORE. Among the reft by fortune overthrowne, Who can forget a thing thus done so late? JOHN HEYWOOD, NE of the first who wrote English plays, was a noted jester, of fome reputation in poetry in his time. Wood fays, that notwithstanding he was ftiled Civis Londinenfis, yet he laid a foundation of learning at Oxford, but the feverity of an academical life not fuiting with his airy genius, he retired to his native place, and had the honour to have a great intimacy with Sir Thomas More. It is faid, that he had admirable skill both in inftrumental and vocal mufic, but it is not certain whether he left any compofitions of that fort behind him. He found means to become a favourite with King Henry VIII. on account of the quickness of his conceits, and was well rewarded by that Monarch. * After the acceffion of Queen Mary to the throne, he was equally valued by her, and was admitted into the most intimate converfation with her, in diverting her by his merry ftories, which he did, even when Wood Athen. Oxon. The fhe lay languishing on her death-bed. After the decease of that princefs, he being a bigotted Roman Catholic, and finding the protestant intereft was like to prevail under the patronage of the renowned Queen Elizabeth, he facrificed the enjoyment of living in his own country, to that of his religion: For he entered into a voluntary exile, and fettled at Mechlin in Brabant. The Play called the Four P's being a new and and merry interlude of a Palmer, Pardoner, Poticary, and Pedler-printed in an old English character in quarto, has in the title page the pictures of four men in old-fashioned habits, wrought off, from a wooden cut. He has likewife writ the following interludes. Between John the Husband and Tib the Wife. Between the Pardoner and the Fryer, the Curate and neighbouring Pratt. Play of Gentleness and Nobility, in two parts. This author alfo wrote a dialogue, containing the number in effect of all the proverbs in the English tongue, compact in a matter concerning two manner of marriages. London 1547, and 1598, in two parts in quarto, all writ in old English verfe, and printed in an English character. Three hundred epigrams upon three hundred proverbs, in old English character. A fourth hundred of epigrams, printed in quarto, London 1598. A fifth hundred of epigrams, printed in quarto, London 1598. The Spider and Fly. A Parable of the Spider and Fly, London 1556, in a pretty thick quarto, all in old English verfe. Before the title is the picture of John Heywood at full length, printed from a wooden cut, with a fur gown on, almost representing the fashion of that, belonging to a mafter of arts, but the bottom of the fleeves reach no lower than his knees; on his head is a round cap, his chin and lips are clofe fhaved, and hath a dagger hanging to his girdle. § Dr. Fuller mentions a book writ by our author, entitled Monumenta Literaria, which are faid to Non tam labore, condita, quam Lepore condita : The author of English poetry, fpeaking of feveral of our old English bards, fays thus of our poet. "John Heywood for the mirth and quickness of "conceit, more than any good learning that was ** in him, came to be well rewarded by the king. That the reader may judge of his epigrams, to which certainly the writer juft mentioned alludes, I fhall prefent him with one writ by him on himfelf. Art thou Heywood, with thy mad merry wit ? Yes fir, I take merry mirth, a golden gift. Yea many plays, few good works in my days. Art thou Heywood, that hath made men merry long? Yea, and will, if I be made merry among. Art thou Heywood, that would't be made merry now? Yes, Sir, help me to it now, I beseech you. § Wood ubi fupra. Worthies of London, p. 221. He |