faid to have been an accurate critic in the He

brew language.*

Thomas Newton, in the general character of an author, was a voluminous and laborious writer. From a long and habitual courfe of ftudious and induftrious pursuits he had acquired a confiderable fortune, a portion of which he left in charitable legacies.t

It will neceffary for the fake of connection to mention here the other principal tranflators from the Greek and Latin Claffics. Thomas Phaer, the Tranflator of Virgil, has been already recorded.

RICHARD (whom Warton calls ROBERT) STANYHURST, fon of James Stanyhurst, Efq. was born in Dublin, of which city his father was then Recorder, and educated in Grammar learning under Peter Whyte, became a Commoner of Univerfity College in Oxford, in 1563, where improving his natural abilities, [he wrote commentaries on Porphry at two years ftanding, being then aged only eighteen, which excited the admiration of learned men. After he had taken one degree in Arts, he left the College, retired to London, became firft a Student in Furnival's Inn and afterwards in Lincoln's Inn, where after spending fome time in the

*Wood's Ath. I. p. 291. † Ibid. p. 393.

study

ftudy of the Common Law, he returned to his native Country. Here having married, and changing his opinions in religion, he went abroad; and in the Low Countries, France and other nations, became famous for his learning and wellknown to Princes, more especially the Archduke of Auftria, who made him his chaplain, and allowed him a plentiful falary. His wife was now dead. He was reckoned by many, especially those of his own persuasion, an excellent Theologift, Grecian, Philofopher, Hiftorian and Orator. Camden calls him "Eruditiffimus ille nobilis Rich. Stanihurftus; and others of his time fay, that he was fo rare a poet, that he and Gabriel Harvey, were the beft for lambics in their age. He left many theological, philofophical, and historical books. His Latin "Descriptio Hiberniæ," translated into English, appears in the firft volume of Holinfhed's Chronicles, printed in 1583. His father died at Dublin, 15 Dec. 1573, and himfelf at Bruffels in 1618. His fifter Margaret was mother to the famous Dr. James Ufher, Primate of Ireland. He tranflated into English hexameters, the four first books of the Eneid, Lond. 1583, 80.-In his choice of his metre, he is more unfortunate than his predeceffors,

*Wood's Ath. I. p. 442.

His

and in other refpects fucceeded worfe. book is dedicated to his brother Peter Plunket, the learned Baron of Dunfany. At the end of his Virgil, are certain pfalms of David tranf lated into English without rhyme; and at the end of these, Poetical Conceits, in Latin and English +

ABRAHAM FLEMING was, as well as his brother Samuel, a native of London. He was much employed in correcting, augmenting, and editing the fecond impreffion of Holinfhed's Chronicle, Lond. 1585, fol, which he enriche ed with very full indexes. In 1575 he pub lished a version of the Bucolics of Virgil, with notes, and a dedication to Peter Ofborne, Efq. His plan was to give a plain and literal tranflation, verse for verfe. In 1589, he published a new version both of the Bucolics, and Georgics, with notes, which he dedicated to John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury. This is in regular Alexandrine verfe, without rhyme.§ For the titles of his other numerous works, the reader may confult Tanner's Bibliotheca. Sir William Cordall, the Queen's Sollicitor General, was his chief patron.

WILLIAM WEBBE, who is styled a Graduate,

* Warton, p. 399. † Wood, ut fupra. Tanner's Bibl. 287, 288. § Warton, P. 401, 402, 403.

tranflated

tranflated the Georgics into English verfe, as he himself informs us in the "Difcourfe of English Poetrie," printed in 1586. And in the fame discourse, which was written in defence of the new fashion of English hexameters, he has given us his own version of two of Virgil's Bucolics, in that impracticable mode of verfification. "I must not forget," Warton adds, "that the fame Webb ranks Abraham Fleming, as a tranflator, after Barnabie Googe, the tranflator of Palingenius's Zodiack, not without a compliment to the poetry and learning of his brother Samuel, whofe excellent inventions, he adds, had not yet been made public."*

ABRAHAM FRAUNCE.

"Abraham France, a verfifier in Queen Eli"zabeth's time, who imitating Latin measure "in English verfe, wrote his Iviechurch, and "fome other things in Hexameter; fome also "in Hexameter and Pentameter, nor was he "altogether fingular in this way of writing; "for Sir Philip Sidney in the pastoral inter

"ludes of his Arcadia, ufes not only thefe, "but all other forts of Latin measure, in "which no wonder he is followed by fo few, "fince they neither become the English, nor "any other modern language."

According to Oldys's MSS, he was bred at the expence of Sir Philip Sydney at St. John's College, Cambridge, where he took the degree of A. M. and afterwards went to Gray's Inn, where he remained till he was called to the Bar of the Court of the Marches in Wales. In August 1590, he was recommended by Henry Earl of Pembroke to Lord Treasurer Burleigh, as a man in every respect fufficient for the place of her Majefty's Solicitor in that Court. What became of him afterwards does not appear. He wrote "The Lamentations of Amintas for the death of Phillis, in English hexameters," Lond. 1587, 4to. "The Countefs of Pembroke's Ivy-church and Emanuel: both in English hexameters," Lond. 1591, 4to. In this is included a tranflation of Taffo's Aminta. At the end of the Ivychurch is alfo a tranflation of Virgil's Alexis into English hexameters, verfe for verfe, which he calls, "The Lamentations of Corydon for

Biogr. Dram. I. p. 174. † Tanner's Bibl. p. 297 + Biogr. Dram. ut fupra.

the

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