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"Cicero's Tufculan Questions," Lond. 1561,

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FRANCIS SEGER, was the tranflator of fome of David's pfalms into metre, accompanied with tunes, 1553, 12mo-and wrote a poem, entitled, "A Description of the lyfe of man, the world, and vanities thereof," printed at the end of the pfalms.† †

The le

Of CAVYL, I can find no account. gend of Edw. IV. was taken from Skelton, long fince dead.

Such were the original writers of "The Mirror for Magiftrates." The firft legend is of Robert Trefilian, Chief Juftice of England, 1388, by Ferrers. It is entitled "The Fall of Robert Trefilian, chief Justice of England; and other his Fellowes, for mifconftruing the lawes, and expounding them to ferve the Prin ces affections, anno 1388." The laft legend is "Michael Jofeph the Blacksmith, and Lord Audley, anno 1496, by Cavyll."-The Book was printed at London in quarto in 1559. But Sack vylle's Induction is of a strain fo fuperior to the reft; indeed fo intrinfically lofty and poetical; as to be deferving of the higheft admiration. In truth in the whole body of English poetry, I know nothing finer than his defcrip

* Tanner's Bibliotheca, 230. † Tanner, 659, War、on, 181. ‡ See above p. 63.

tion

tion of the Imaginary Beings, who fat within the porch of Hell. He begins with Remorse of Conscience; then follows, Dread; Revenge; Mifery; Care; Sleep; Old-Age; Malady; Famine; Death; and War; with feveral figures painted on his targe-From hence Sorrow having conducted him to the dominions of Pluto, they are furrounded by a troop of men, who met an untimely death. They pass in order before Sorrow, and the poet: and the firft is Henry Duke of Buckingham. The Complaint of Henry Duke of Buckingham is written, fays Warton, with a force, and even elegance of expreffion, a copiousness of phrafeology, and an exactness of verfification, not to be found in any other parts of the collection. On the whole, it may be thought tedious and languid. But that objection unavoidably results from the general plan of thefe pieces. It is impoffible that foliloquies of fuch prolixity, and defigned to include much historical, and even biographical matter, fhould every where fuftain a proper degree of fpirit, pathos, and interest.*

Three new editions of the Mirror were printed in 1563, 1571, and 1574.

At length in 1587, it was reprinted with the

Warton, III. p. 256.

addition

addition of many new lives, under the conduct of John Higgins.

JOHN HIGGINS lived at Winsham, in Somerfetfhire, where however no notice is taken of him, in Collinson's history of that County. He was educated at Oxford-and became a clergyman, and a schoolmafter. He was in great renown for his poetry and divinity, in 1602, in which year he was living at Winfham.* Higgins wrote a new induction in the octave stanza, to the Mirror-and began a new series of legends from Albanact the youngest son of Brutus to Caracalla; and added to the old feries the legends of Jane Shore, and Cardinal Wolfey, by Churchyard; of Sir Nicholas Burdet, by Baldwine; and Elenor Cobham, and Humfry Duke of Gloucester, by Ferrers. Also the legend of King James the IVth of Scotland, faid to have been penned fifty years ago; and of Flodden Field, faid to be of equal antiquity, and subscribed FRANCIS DINGLEY, the name of a poet, who has not otherwise occurred. Warton commends Higgins's legend of Cordelia, as containing the most poetical paffage of his performance.+ At length another new edition with additions, of the Mirror, was published by Richard Niccols, 1610-but this comes to be confidered hereafter.

*Wood, Ath. I. p. 320. † Warton, III, p. 261.

JOHN

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"John Hall, a poetical writer, who ne "ver having had any great fame, that ever I

heard of, no wonder if now totally forgot"ten; especially fince his poem entitled "The "Court of Virtue," was published no lefs while • ago than 1565."

JOHN HALL was a Surgeon at Maidstone in Kent. There was a family of this name poffeffors, not long after his time, of a manfion called Digons in this parish. He was author of many tracts in his profeffion. He published in 1550 "Certain chapters, taken out of the proverbes of Solomon with other chapters of the Holy Scripture, and certain pfalms of David tranflated into English metre by John Hall." Tanner fays he wrote, The Court of Virtue, containing fome pious fongs with mufical notes, 1565. Warton adds in a note, "there is an edition of the proverbs in quarto, dedicated to king Edward the fixth, with this title, "The pfalms of. David translated into English metre by T. Sternhold, Sir T. Wyat,

and

and William Hunnis, with certain chapters of the proverbes and felect pfalms by John Hall." "I think," fays he, "I have seen a book by Hall called the Court of Vertue, containing fome of all thefe facred fongs with notes 1565, 80."* Hall was probably an acquaintance of Sir Thomas Wyat, who lived at Allington castle, close to Maidstone.

Archbishop PARKER+ verfified the Pfalms, which was finished 1557. There is a copy in the Bodleian library, which, in an antient handwriting, is attributed to JOHN KEEPER, and Warton doubts whether this is not the only authority Wood had, for the place he has given this perfon in his " Athenæ."

ROBERT CROWLEY,† was a confiderable contributor to the metrical theology of this period.' He was a fellow of Magdalen college, Oxford, in 1542; and in the reign of Edw. VI. commenced printer and preacher in London.

CHRISTOPHER TYE,† a doctor of Mufic at Cambridge in 1545, turned into verfe the firft fourteen chapters of the Acts of the Apostles, which were printed by William Serres in 1553. These were fung for a time in the royal chapel of Edw. VI. but they never became popular. The impropriety of the defign and the impo

* Warton, III, p. 181, + See before p. 63.

tency

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