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a cotemporary, tiles "a man fingularly wellfkilled in this faculty of poetry," published a fuite of tales under the title of "Heptameron," and containing fome novels from Cinthio.*

In fhort, the best ftories of the early and original Italian novelifts, either by immediate tranflation, or through the mediation of Spanish, French, or Latin verfions, by paraphrafe, abridgment, imitation, and often under the dif guife of licentious innovations of names, incidents, and characters, appeared in an English drefs, before the clofe of the reign of Elizabeth, and for the most part even before the publication of the first volume of Belleforeft's grand repofitory of tragical narratives, a compilation from the Italian writers in 1583.†

GEORGE ETHERIDGE.

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"George Etheridge a Comical writer of the prefent age, whofe two Comedies, Love in

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a Tub,' and She would if he could,' for pleasant wit and no bad Oeconomy are judg

Wart. p. 483, 484. † Ibid. p. 487.

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ed not unworthy the applaufe they have met " with."

He was born at Thame in Oxfordshire, admitted in C. C. College in Nov. 1534; and in Feb. 1539 was admitted Probationer-fellow. In 1553, being efteemed an excellent Grecian, he was appointed King's Profeffor of that language in the Univerfity, which, as he had ftood forward against the Papists in Mary's reign, he was obliged to refign on Mary's acceffion. He now practifed phyfic, by which he gained confiderable wealth amongst thofe of his own perfuafion. He adhered to the laft to his religious opinions, being living an old man in 1588, with the character of a good Mathematician, an eminent Hebritian, Grecian, and poet, and above all, an excellent phyfician.*

GEORGE PEELET was a native of Devonshire, and Student of Chrift-Church, Oxford, 1573, and took the degree of A. M. 1579. He was then esteemed an eminent poet, and his Comedies and Tragedies were afterwards acted with great applaufe, and retained their fame in the clofet long after his death. His works, according to Wood and Tanner, were-I. The famous Chronicle of K. Edward I. firnamed

Wood's Ath. I. p. 238. † Peele is recorded by Phillips, p 55, but his accouut was overlooked till too late for infertion in his proper place.

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Edw.

Edw. Longshank, Lond. 1593, 4to.-II. The Life of Lewellin, Prince of Wales, ibid.-III. The Sinking of Q. Elizabeth at Charing Crofs, and of her rifing again at Potters Hith, now named Queenhith, Lond, 1593, 4to.-IV. The Love of K. David and Fair Bathsheba, with the tragedy of Abfalom, Lond. 1599, 4to.-V. Alphonfus, Emperor of Germany, a tragedy.-VI. The Honour of the Garter, a poem.-VII. A Farewell to Sir John Norris and Sir Francis Drake, Lond. 4to.-VIII. Some fragments of pastoral poetry, in the collection, entitled England's Helicon.*-IX. A Book of Jefts or Clinches, which was afterwards fold on the ftalls of ballad-mongers. "This perfon" fays Wood, in his ftrange language, "was living in his middle-age, in the "latter end of Elizabeth, but when, or where "he died I cannot tell; for fo it is, and al"ways hath been, that moft poets die poor, "and confequently obfcurely, and a hard mat

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ter it is to trace them to their graves."+

But the author of the Biographia Dramatica corrects this account in many particulars. For Wood and Tanner have made three plays out of one-the title of the hiftorical play of Edw. I. being "The famous Chronicle of King Edward the firft, furnamed Longshanks, with his

So fays Phillips. + Wood's Ath. I. p. 300.

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returne from the Holy Land. Alfo the life of Lleuellen Rebell in Wales. Lastly the finking of Queene Elinor, who funck at Charing Croffe, and rose again at Potter'shith, now named Queenhith "-Alphonfus Emperor of Germany is attributed by Langbaine to Chapman, and the real titles of the only three other plays which are known to be his are-II. The Arraignment of Paris, 4to. 1584.-III. King David and Fair Bethfabe, 4to. 1599-IV. The Turkish Mahomet, and Hyren the Fair Greek. -About 1593 Peele feems to have been taken into the patronage of the Earl of Northumberland; for to him he dedicates his poem on the Garter. He was almoft as famous for his tricks and merry pranks as Scoggan, Skelton, and Dicke Tarleton; and his book of jefts is entitled "Merrie conceited jefts of George Peele, Gent. fometime Student in Oxford; wherein is fhewed the courfe of his life how he lived," &c. 4to. 1627. These jefts, as they are called, might with more propriety be called the tricks of a fharper. Peele died before 1598-according to Meres, in confequence of his own irregularities. Oldys fays, he left behind him a wife and a daughter.*

EDWARD KELLEY, alias TALBOT, born in the

* Biogr. Dram. I. p. 349, 350. II. p. 99.

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city

city of Worcester, 1555, wrote a poem on Chymistry, printed in Afhmole's Theatr. Chym. Britan. 1652. Alfo a poem on the philofopher's ftone, printed in the fame work. He died at Trebona in Bohemia in 1586.*

HENRY LOK was born of reputable parents in the beginning of Elizabeth's reign, took a degree at Oxford, and thence removed to the Court, where he published "The book of Ecclefiaftes paraphrafed in English verfe; and alfo Sonnets of Christian Paffions," Lond. 1597.— At the end of these are fundry affectionate fonnets of a feeling confcience, and alfo Sonnets to divers perfons of quality, collected by the Printer. He also tranflated into verfe" Sundry pfalms of David," 1597.†

SIR PHILIP SYDNEY.

"Sir Philip Sidney, the glory of the Eng"lish nation in his time, and pattern of true "nobility, as equally addicted both to arts, "and arms, though more fortunate in the

*Wood's Ath. I. p. 279-Tann. Bib. p. 451. Wood's Ath. I. P. 289-Tann. Bib. p. 484.

"first;

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