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2. The Queen of Arragon, a Tragi-Comedy, which play he fhewed, to Philip Earl of Pembroke, who having a high opinion of it, caufed it to be acted at court, and afterwards to be published, the contrary to the author's inclination.

3. Obfervations on Hiftory, Lond. 1641, 8vo. 4. Hiftory of Edward IV. Lond. 1640, in a thin folio, written and published at the defire of King Charles I. which in the opinion of fome critics of that age, was too florid for hiftory, and fell fhort of that calm dignity which is peculiar to a good hiftorian, and which in our nation has never been more happily attained than by the great Earl of Clarendon and Bishop Burnet. During the civil war, Mr. Habington, according to Wood, temporized with thofe in power, and was not unknown to Oliver Cromwell; but there is no account of his being raifed to any preferment during the Protector's government. He died the 30th of November, 1654.

We shall prefent the readers with the prologue to the Queen of Arragon, acted at Black-Fryars, as a fpecimen of this author's poetry...

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Ere we begin that no man may repent, pr
Two fhillings, and his time, the author sent
The prologue, with the errors of his play,
That who will, may take his money and away.
Firft for the plot, 'tis no way intricate
By crofs deceits in love, nor fo high in ftate,
That we might have given out in our play bill
This day's the Prince, writ by Nick Machiavil, i
The language too is eafy, fuch as fell

Unftudied from his pen; not like a spello not
Big with myfterious words, fuch as inchant
The half-witted, and confound the ignorant.
Then, what must needs, afflict the amourist,
No virgin here, in breeches cafts a mist

Before

Before her lover's eyes; no ladies tell

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How their blood boils, how high their veins der
fwell.
But what is worse no baudy mirth is here;
(The wit of bottle-ale, and double beer)
To make the wife of citizen protest,
And country justice fwear 'twas a good jest.
Now, Sirs, you have the errors of his wit,
Like, or diflike, at your own perils be't.

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FRANCIS GOLDSMITH.

AS the fon of Francis Goldfmith, of St. Giles in the Fields in Middlefex, Efq; was educa.. ted under Dr. Nicholas Grey, in Merchant-Taylor's School, became a gentleman commoner in Pembroke-College in the beginning of 1629, was foon after tranflated to St. John's College, and after he had taken a degree in arts, to Grey'sInn, where he ftudied the common law feveral years, but other learning more. Mr. Langbaine fays, that he could recover no other memoirs of this gentleman, but that he lived in the reign of King Charles the Firft, and obliged the World with a tranflation of a play out of Latin called,

Sophompaneas, or the Hiftory of Jofeph, with Annotations, a Tragedy, printed 4to. Lond. 1640, and dedicated to the Right Hon. Henry Lord Marquis of Dorchefter. This Drama was written by the admirable Hugo Grotius, published by him at Amfterdam 1635, and dedicated to Vollius, Profeffor of Hiftory and Civil Arts in

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Wood Athen, Oxon. v. 2. p. 194.

Amfterdam

Amfterdam. He ftiles it a Tragedy, notwithstanding it ends fuccessfully, and quotes for his authority in fo doing, Æfchilus, Euripides, and even Voffius, in his own Art of Poetry. Some make it aQueftion, whether it be lawful to found a dramatic Poem on any facred fubject, and fome people of tender confciences have murmured against this Play, and another of the fame caft called Chrift's Paffion; but let us hear the opinion of Voffius himself, prefixed to this Play. I am of opinion, (fays he) it is "better to chufe another argument than facred. "For it agrees not with the majesty of facred things, to be made a play and a fable. It is alfo, a work of very dangerous confequence, to mingle human inventions with things facred; because "the poet adds uncertainties of his own, fometimes "falfities; which is not only to play with holy

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things, but also to graft in men's minds opini-"ons, now and then falfe. Thefe things have "place, efpecially when we bring in God, or "Chrift fpeaking, or treating of the myfteries of religion. I will allow more where the history is taken out of the facred fcriptures; but yet in the nature of the argument is civil, as the ac"tion of David flying from his fon Abfolom; or of Jofeph fold by his brethren, advanced by Pharaoh to the government of Egypt, and that dignity adored by, and made known unto his brethren. Of which argument is Sophompaneas, "written by Hugo Grotius, embaffador from the Queen of Sweden to the King of France; which "tragedy, I fuppofe, may be fet for a pattern to

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him, that would handle an argument from the "holy fcriptures." This is the opinion of Voffius, and with him all muft agree who admire the truly admirable Samfon Agoniftes of Milton.

As we have frequently mentioned Grotius, the fhort account of fo great a man, which is inferted in Langbaine, will not be unpleafing to the reader.

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Hugo

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Hugo Grotius, fays he, was an honour to his country he was born in the year 1583, and "will be famous to pofterity, in regard of those "many excellent pieces he has published. In "fome of his writings he defended Armini"anifm, for which he fuffered imprisonment in "the caftle of Louverstein, in the year 1618; at "which time his affociate Barnevelt loft his head on the fame account. Afterwards Grotius escap "ed out of prison, by means of Maria Reigerberg " his wife, and fled into Flanders; and thence into France, where he was kindly received by Lewis "XIII. He died at Roftock in Mecclebourg, Sept. 1, 1645. His life is written at large by Melchoir Adamus, in Latin.

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As to our outhor's tranflation, which is in heroic verse, it is much commended by verfes from four of his friends.

He alfo tranflated Grotius's confolatory oration. to his father, with epitaphs; and also his Catechifm into English verfe.

Mr. Goldsmith died at Afhton in Northamptone, in September 1655, and was buried there, ling behind him an only daughter named Katherine, afterwards the wife of Sir Henry Da

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JOHN CLEVELAND,

AS the son of a vicar of Hinkley, in Leicesterfhire, where he was born, and received his grammatical education, under one Mr. Richard Vines, a zealous Puritan. After he had compleated his school education, he was fent to Chrift's-College in Cambridge, and in a fhort time diftinguifhing himself for his knowledge of the Latin tongue, and for Oratory, he was preferred to a fellowship in St. John'sCollege, in the faid univerfity. He continued there about nine years, and made during that time fome fuccefsful attempts in poetry. At length, upon the eruption of the civil war, he was the first who efpoused the Royal caufe in verfe, against the Prefbyterians, who perfecuted him in their turn with more folid severity; for he was ejected, ar foon as the reins of power were in their hands. Fuller beftows upon our author the moft 1 h panegy He (fays he) a general artist, pure latinift, an exquifite orator, and what was his mafter-piece, an eminent poet. Dr. Fuller thus characterizes him, but as Cleveland has not left remains behind him fufficient to convey to pofterity so high an idea of his merit, it may be fuppofed that the Doctor fpoke thus in his favour, meerly on account of their agreement in political principles. He addreffed an oration, fays Winftanley, to Charles I. who was fo well pleafed with it, that he fent for him, and gave him his hand d to kifs, with great expreffions of kindness. When Oliver Cromwell

Wood fafti Oxon. p. 274.

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