tency of the execution, feem to have been per ceived even by his own prejudiced, and undifcerning age.*

EDWARD THE SIXTH† himself is to be ranked among the religious poets of his own reign. Fox has published his metrical inftructions concerning the Eucharift, addreffed to Sir Antony St. Leger.‡

To the reign of Edward the fixth, belongs ARTHUR KELTON,† a native of Shropshire or Wales. He wrote The "Cronicle of the Brutes" in English verfe. It was printed 1547. Wood allows that he was an able antiquary. In this dull book, he has difcovered no ftrokes of imagination, or poetry-Wood fays "he was living at Shrewsbury in the reign of Edw. VI. and for ought I know to the contrary died alfo, and was buried there."§

RICHARD EDWARDS, a native of Somersetfhire, was admitted fcholar of Corpus Chrifti College, Oxford, under the tuition of George Etheridge, on 11 May, 1540, and Probationer Fellow 11 Aug. 1544, Student of the Upper Table of Chrift church at its foundation by K.

*Warton, III. p. 193. Ibid. p. 195. † See before p. 63. § Wood, Ath. I. p. 73.

William Gray, and Bartholomew Traheron are mentioned by Phillips as English poets in the reign of Edw. VI. but by mistakeOf Gray, I find no mention in Warton or Tanner; but in the latter is an account of Traheron, who appears to have written Latin, not English poems.

Hen.

Hen. VIII. in the beginning of 1547, at the age of 24, and the fame year took the degree of A. M.* Warton cites a paffage from his poems to prove that in his early years, he was employed in fome department about the court.f In the British Museum there is a fmall fet of. manufcript fonnets, figned with his initials, addreffed to fome of the Beauties of the courts of Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth. Hence we may conjecture, that he did not long remain at the University. In the beginning of Elizabeth's reign, he was made one of the gentlemen of her chapel, and master of the children there, having the character of being not only an excellent musician, but an exact poet, as many of his compofitions in mufic (for he was not only skilled in the practical but theoretical parts) and in poetry teftify. For thefe he was highly valued, by thofe who knew him, especially his affociates in Lincoln's Inn (of which he was a member, and in fome refpects an ornament) and much lamented by them, and all ingenious men, when he died, which happen'd in 1566, before he had arrived to his middle age.

He wrote "Damon and Pythias, a Comedy," acted at Court and in the University, first printed in 1570, or perhaps in 1565.-And

*Wood's Ath. I. p. 151. † Hift. Po. III. 283.

*

"Palamon and Arcyte," a Comedy in two parts, probably never printed, but acted in Christ church Hall 1566, before Queen Elizabeth, of which I fhall copy the curious account by Wood. "It gave the Queen fo much content, fays he, that fending for the author thereof, fhe was pleafed to give him many thanks with promife of reward for his pains: and then making a paufe, faid to him and her retinue ftanding about her, these matters relating to the faid play, which had entertained her with great delight for two nights in the faid Hall.

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By Palæmon-1 warrant he dallied in love, "when he was in love indeed. By Arcyte"he was a right valiant knight, having a "fwart countenance, and a manly face. By "Trecatio-God's pity what a knave it is!

66

By Pirithous his throwing St. Edward's rich "cloak into the funeral fire, which a stander

by would have ftaid by the arm, with an "oath-Go fool-he knoweth his part I'll "warrant you, &c."-In the faid play was acted a cry of hounds in the quadrant, upon the train of a fox in the hunting of Thefeus: with which the young scholars, who stood in the remoter parts of the ftage, and in the windows, were fo much taken and furprized, (fup

Hift. Po. III. 284.

pofing it had been real,) that they cried outthere, there he's caught-he's caught-All which the Queen merrily beholding, faid, O excellent! those boys in very troth are ready to leap out of the windows to follow the hounds. This part being repeated before certain courtiers in the lodgings of Mr. Roger Marbeck one of the Canons of Chrift-church by the Players in their gowns (for they were all scholars that acted, among whom were Miles Windfore, and Thomas Twyne of C. C. C.) before the Queen came to Oxford, was by them fo well liked, that they faid it far furpaffed "Damon and Pythias," than which they thought nothing could be better. Likewife fome faid, that if the author did proceed to make more plays before his death, he would run mad. But this, it seems was the laft, for he lived not to finish others, that he had lying by him.”*

But Warton says, he probably wrote many other dramatic pieces now loft. He is mentioned by Puttenham, as gaining the prize for comedy and interlude. Befides being a writer of regular dramas, he appears to have been a contriver of masques, and a compofer of poetry for pageants. In a word he united all thofe arts, and accomplishments which minister to

Wood's Ath, I. p. 152. † Warton, III p, 285.

popular pleasantry: he was the firft fiddle, the most fashionable fonneteer, the readieft rhymer, and the most facetious mimic of the court. In confequence of his love, and his knowledge of the hiftrionic art, he taught the choristers, over which he prefided, to act plays; and they were formed into a company of players, like those of St. Paul's Cathedral, by the Queen's licence, under the fuperintendency of Edwards.*

In his laft fickness, Edwards compofed his "Soulknil" or "Soul's Knell," which once was celebrated-His popularity seems to have altogether arisen from those pleasing talents, of which no fpecimens could be tranfmitted to pofterity; and which prejudiced his partial cotemporaries in favour of his poetry.+

Edwards's English poems are for the most part extant in a Book entitled "The Paradife of Dainty Devifes," Lond. 1578, 4to. which book being moftly written by him, was published by Henry D'Ifle a printer, with other men's poems mixed among them. Among thefe, are those of Edward Vere, Earl of Oxford, William Hunnys, who has about nine copies in the collection; Jasper Heywood, NICHOLAS, (Thomas) Lord Vaux, beforenamed; Francis Kynwelmarfh, who has about

*Warton, III. p. 285. † Ibid. p. 286. 16 copies, in the 2d Edit. 1585, 4to.-according to Tanner.