church is the following infcription, which explains whatever elfe is known of him.—

"Here lies, expecting the fecond coming of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Christ, the dead body of Samuel Daniel, Efq. that excellent poet and hiftorian, who was Tutor to the Lady Anne Clifford, in her youth, fhe that was daughter and heir to George Clifford, Earl of Cumberland, who in gratitude to him, erected this monument in his memory, a long time after, when the was Countefs Dowager of Pembroke, Dorset, and Montgomery. He died in Octob. ann. 1619.*

He wrote, I. The Complaint of Rofamond, Lond. 1594, 98, 1611, and 23, 4to. II. Various Sonnets to Delia. III. Tragedy of Cleopatra, Lond. 1594, 98, 4to. IV. Of the Civil Wars between the houses of Lancaster and York, Lond. 1604, 9, 8vo. and 1623, 4to. V. The Vifion of the Twelve Goddeffes prefented in a Mafk, &c. Lond. 1604, 8vo. and 1623, 4to VI. Panegyric congratulatory delivered to K. James at Burleigh-Harrington, in Rutlandshire, Lond. 1604, and 1623, 4to. VII. Epiftles' to various great Perfonages, in verfe, Lond. 1601, and 23, 4to. VIII. Mufophilus, containing a general defence of Learning, printed with the former. IX. Tragedy of Philotas, Lond. 1611, &c. 8vo. X. Hymen's Triumph; a pastoral

See also Collinfon's Hift. Som. II. p. 201.

tragi-comedy, at the nuptials of Lord Roxborough, Lond. 1623, 4to, 2d edit. XI. Mufa, or a defence of Rhime, Lond. 1611, 8vo. XII. the Epiftle of Octavia to M. Antonius, Lond. 1611, 8vo. XIII. The first part of the History of England, in 3 Books, Lond. 1613, 4to, reaching to the end of King Stephen, in profe. To which afterwards he added a fecond part, reaching to the end of K. Edward III. Lond. 1618, 21, 23, and 1634, folio, continued to the end of K. Richard III. by Joh. Truffel, fometime at Winchester scholar, afterwards a trader and Alderman of that city.* XIV. The Queen's Arcadia: a pastoral Tragi-comedy, 1605, Lond. 1623, 4to. XV. Funeral poem on the death of the Earl of Devon, Lond. 1623, 4to.†

The character of Daniel's genius feems to be propriety, rather than elevation. His language is generally pure and harmonious; and his reflections are juft. But his thoughts are too abstract, and appeal rather to the understanding, than to the imagination or the heart; and he wanted the fire neceffary for the loftier flights of poetry.

This Truffel continued in writing a certain old MS. belonging to the Bishops of Winton, containing, as it were, an Hiftory of the Bi fhops and Bifhopric, down to Bishop Curle's time. He alfo wrote "A defcription of the city of Winchester, with an hiftorical relation of divers memorable occurrences touching the fame." Folio. Also a preamble," of the origin of Cities in general." MS.

All these poems are included in his Poetical Works, published by his brother John Daniel, 4to, 1623.

MICHAEL DRAYTON.

"Michael Drayton, contemporary of Spen"cer and Sir Philip Sydney, and for fame and "renown in poetry, not much inferior in his "time to either: however, he feems fomewhat "antiquated in the efteem of the more curious "of thefe times, especially in his Polyalbion, "the old fashion'd kind of verfe whereof, feem "fomewhat to diminish that refpect which was "formerly paid to the fubject, as being both

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pleasant and elaborate, and thereupon thought "worthy to be commented upon by that once "walking library of our nation, Selden; his "England's Heroical Epiftles, are more gené"rally lik'd; and to fuch as love the pretty.

chat of nymphs and fhepherds, his Nym"phals and other things of that nature, cannot "be unpleasant."

DRAYTON, according to the teftimony of Burton the hiftorian of Leicefterfhire, was fprung from an antient family, who derived their name from the town of Drayton, in that county; but his father (who, Aubrey fays, probably falfely, was a butcher) removing into Warwickshire, he was born in the village of Harfull in that county,

in 1573. He was early diftinguifhed for his proficiency in literature, which put him into the way of preferment; and in 1588 he was a fpectator at Dover of the Spanith Armada. Nine or ten years before the death of Q. Elizabeth, he became eminent for his poetical talents, and in 1593 published a collection of Paftorals under the title of "Idea; the Shepherd's Garland, fashioned in nine eclogues; with Rowland's facrifice to the nine Mufes", 4to, dedicated to Mr. Robert Dudley. This Shepherd's Garland is the fame with what was afterwards reprinted, with emendations by our author in 1619, folio, under the title of Paftorals, containing eclogues, with the Man in the Moon. It is remarkable, that the folio edition of Drayton's Works in 1748, though the title page profeffes to give them all, does not contain this part of them. His Barons Wars" and " England's Heroical Epiftles," his "Downfalls of Robert of Normandy," Matilda," and "Gaveston," were all written before 1598. He joined in the congratulations on King James's acceffion, by a poem, 1603, 4to, which, he fays in his preface to the Poly-olbion was fo mifinterpreted, as nearly to prove his ruin. This accident, probably made him defpair of all future hopes of favor at court. In 1613 he published the first part of his Poly-olbion, by which Greek title, fignifying very happy, he denotes England; as

the antient name of Albion is by fome derived from Olbion, happy. It is a chorographical defcription of the rivers, mountains, forests, caftles, &c. in this ifland, intermixed with its remarkable antiquities, rarities and commodities. Prince Henry, to whom this first part is dedicated, and of whom it exhibits a print, in a military pofture, exercifing a pike, had fhewn the poet fome fingular marks of his favour the immature death therefore of this young patron was a great lofs to him. There are 18 fongs in this volume, illuftrated with the learned notes of Selden; and there are maps before every fong, wherein the cities, mountains, forefts, rivers, &c. are reprefented by the figures of men and women. His metre of 12 fyllables being now antiquated, it is quoted more for the hiftory, than the poetry in it; and in that respect is fo very exact, that as Bishop Nicholfon obferves, it affords a much truer account of this kingdom and the dominion of Wales, than could well be expected from the pen of a poet. It is interwoven with many fine episodes: of the conqueft of this inland by the Romans; of the coming of the Saxons, the Danes, and the Normans, with an account of their kings; of English warriors, navigators, faints, and of the civil wars of England, &c. This volume was reprinted in 1622, with the fecond part, or continuation of 12 fongs more, making 30 in the whole, and dedi

cated