which he dedicated to Edward the VI. 1549. He is faid to have lived fome years after Q Elizabeth came to the Crown, but it does not appear when he died.*

It is not improbable, that the fhades of unfortunate men, who, defcribed under peculiar fituations, and with their proper attributes, are introduced relating at large their hiftories in Hell to Dante, might have given the hint to Boccace's book, " De Cafibus Virorum Illuf trium," on the misfortunes of illuftrious perfonages, a book tranflated by Lydgate, the original model of the Mirror of Magiftrates.

Baldwyne and Ferrers, perhaps deterred by the greatness of the attempt, did not attend to the feries, prefcribed by Sackville; but inviting fome others to their affiftance, chofe fuch lives from the newly published chronicles of Fabyan and Hall, as feemed to display the moft affecting catastrophes, and which very probably were pointed out by Sackville. The other affiftants were Churchyard, Phayer, John Dolman, Francis Segers, and Cavyl.

*Wood, I. p. 146, 147. † Warton, III. p. 251.

THOMAS.

THOMAS CHURCHYARD.

"Thomas Churchyard" has nothing more than his name mentioned by Phillips amongst feveral other Elizabethan writers, under the article of William Warner.* This author was born at Shrewsbury. Wood, in his bald and inelegant language, gives the following curious account of him. "Being much addicted to Letters, when a child, his father, who had a fondnefs for him, caused him to be carefully educated in grammar learning, and to sweeten his ftudies, was taught to play on the lute. When he came to the age of about 17, he left his father and relations, and with a fum of money, then given to him, he went to feek his fortune; and his heels being equally reftless with his head, he went to the royal court, laid afide his books, and for a time, fo long as his money lafted, became a Royfter. At length, being reduced low in his purfe, he was taken into the fervice of the most noble, learned, and poetical Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, lived with

him, as his fervant, four years in the latter end of K. Hen. 8: in which time applying himself to his book, and to the exercifing his mind in poetry, he was much countenanced by that moft noble count; but that Earl being untimely cut off, to the great regret of the learned men of that time, in Jan. 1546, the hopes of Churchyard's rifing higher were in a manner buried in his grave. Afterwards he turned a foldier of fortune, learned their postures, and duty, but fuffered much hardship, left that employment, travelled very far to learn the modern tongues, or at least some fmattering in them, returned, was wholly bent to his study, and then spent fome time in Oxon, in the condition at least of an hofpes among his country men of Wales; but having a rambling head, return'd to his warlike employment, went into Scotland, as it feems, was there taken prifoner, and upon a peace made, returned to the Count very poor and bare, spoiled of all, and his body in a fickly and decayed condition. It was then that he refolved to continue at home and never go to the wars again; and being then about 30 years of age, he went to Shrewsbury for recruits and as it seems for a time to Oxon. At length he was taken into the service of Robert, Earl of Leicefter, Chancellor of the Univerfity of Oxon, but found him not fuch a mafter as Surrey, being as much

as much different, as gold is from glass. Afterwards he wooed a rich widow called Catherine Browning, but the giving him no countenance, he became much paffionate, and troubled in mind. In the fpring following, he, contrary to his former refolutions, went to the wars again, (in Flanders as it seems) had a command there, was wounded, and taken prisoner; but fhewing himself a perfon of bravery and breeding, was respected and well used by the enemy, who setting a great ransome upon him, efcaped by the endeavours of a lady of confiderable quality, and his fupplies for that end were by her exhibited. Afterwards he trudged on foot threefcore miles thro' bye-ways before he could come to his friends, went home, recruited, went to the wars again, was taken, committed to close custody for a spy, condemned to lofe his head by martial law; but by the endeavours of a noble dame was reprieved, relieved and fent away. So that returning home, he fought again after a wife, and whether he took one, in truth I cannot tell nor how his life was spent after 1580, when by the men of those times he was counted a good poet; by others a poor court-poet, but fince as much beneath a poet as a rhymer." Such is Wood's sketch of this unhappy poet's life.* He adds

a lift of fuch works of his, as he could recover, principally in poetry. CHURCHY ARD died poor, and is buried near Skelton, in St. Margaret's Church, Weftminster. Mr. Chalmers in his Apology for the Believers in the late Shakefpeare MSS. mentions (p. 65. n. (z) that he has discovered from the parish register, that his bu rial was on the 4th April, 1604. He must then have been very old-His "Worthiness of Wales" was reprinted a few years fince.

THOMAS PHAYER was born in Pembrokeshire and educated at Oxford, from whence he retired to the Inns of Court; he afterwards eagerly addicted himself to the study of Medicine, in which science he took his degree of Doctor, 21 March, 1559; but he had now returned to his patrimonial feat in the forest of Kilgarran, where he made the firft tranflation of the Æneid, as far as the ninth book; which laft he finished in 1560-but dying the 12th Aug. the fame year, when he had only begun the tenth, he was buried in Kilgarran church. He wrote the legend of Owen Glendower.

JOHN DOLMAN was educated in philofophy and polite letters, at one of the Univerfities, and thence became "Student and fellow of the Inner Temple," as he calls himself. He tranflated

*Wood's Ath. I. p. 134.-Warton, III. p. 395, 396.

"Cicero's