plained their ideas more clearly and familiar.. profe, or more harmoniously and beautifully in verfe. There is a peculiar happincis in his fimilies being introduced more to illuftrate than adorn, which renders them as ufeful as entertaining, and diftinguishes them from any other author.

In quality of a lawyer Sir John produced the following pieces:

1. A difcovery of the true caufes why Ireland was never entirely fubdued until his Majefty's happy reign; printed in 4to. London 1612, dedicated to the King with this Latin verfe only.

Principis eft virtus maxima noffe fuos.

2. A declaration of our fovereign lord the King, concerning the title of his Majelty's fon Charles, the prince and duke of Cornwall; London 1614.

His principal performance as a poet, is a Poem on tire Original, Nature, and Immortality of the Soul, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth. It was republished by Nahum Tate, 1714, addreffed to the Earl of Dorfet and Middlefex, who was a great admirer of our poet, and the editor gives it a very julk and advantageous character. Without doubt it is the Nofce Teipfum fo much admired by King James, printed 1519, and 1622, mentioned by Wood; to which were added by the fame hand :

Hymns of Aftrea in acroftic verfe; and Orchestra, or a poem expreffing the antiquity and excellency of dancing, in a dialogue between Penelope and one of her Woers, containing 131 ftanzas unfinished. Mr. Wood mentions alfo epigrams, and a tranflation of feveral of King David's Pfalms, written by Sir John Davies, but never published. VOL. I. No 3. I

Nofce

NOSCE TEIPSUM.

Why did my parents fend me to the schools, That I, with knowledge might enrich my mind, Since the defire to know first made men fools And did corrupt the root of all mankind.

For when God's hand, had written in the hearts,
Of our first parents all the rules of good,
So that their skill infus'd, furpafs'd all arts,
That ever were before or fince the flood.

And when their reason's eye was sharp and clear,
And (as an eagle can behold the fun)
Cou'd have approach'd th' eternal light as near,
As th' intellectual Angels could have done.

Even then, to them the fpirit of lyes fuggefts, That they were blind because they saw not ill; And breath'd into their incorrupted breasts

A curious wish, which did corrupt their will.

000

A

THOMAS GOFF.

Gentleman who flourished in the reign of King James I. He was born in Effex, towards the latter end of Queen Elizabeth's reign, about the year 1592. In his youth he was fent to Weftminster-fchool, and at the age of eighteen, he was entered ftudent of Christ's-college in Oxford *. Being an industrious scholar, says Langbaine, he ar

*Langbaine's Lives of the Poets, 223.

rived to be a good poet, a skilful orator, and an excellent preacher. In the year 1623 he was made batchelor of divinity, and preferred to a living in Surry called Eaft-Clanden: there he married a wife who proved as great a plague to him as a fhrew could be; fhe was a true Xantippe to our ecclefiaftical Socrates, and gave him daily opportunities of puting his patience to the proof; and it is believed by fome, that this domestic scourge fhortened his days. He was buried at his own parish church at Clanden, the 27th of July, 1627. He writ feveral pieces on different fubjects, amongst which are reckoned five plays.

Careless Shepherdefs, a Tragi-comedy, acted before the King and Queen at Salisbury-court with great applaufe. Printed in 4to, 1656, with an Alphabetical Catalogue of all fuch plays as ever were to that time published.

2. Courageous Turk, or Amurath I. a Tragedy, afted by the ftudents of Chrift-church in Oxford, printed in 8vo, London 1656. For the plot confult Knolles's Hiftory of the Turks.

3. Oreftes, a Tragedy, acted by the ftudents of Chrift's-church in Oxford, printed in 8vo, London 1656.

4. Raging Turk, or Bajazet II. a tragedy acted by the ftudents in Christ's-church in Oxford, printed in 8vo. London 1656. This play was writen with the two foregoing tragedies, when the author was mafter of arts, and student of Christ's-church, but not printed till after his decease.

5. Selinus, Emperor of the Turks, a Tragedy, printed in 4to, London 1638. This play in all probability was never exhibited, because it is not divided into acts. The author calls this the first part; and in his conclufion, as he ftiles it, or epilogue, he promises a fecond part, faying,

I 2

If

>

If this first part, gentles, do like you weli;
The fecond part fhall greater murders tell.

The plot is founded on the Turkish history in the reign of Selinus I.

6

not

Mr. Philips and Mr. Winftanley have afcribed a comedy to this author, called Cupid's Whirligig, tho' Democritus and Heraclitus were more different in their temper, than his genius was oppofite to comedy, befides the true author was one Mr. E. S. who in his dedicatory epistle says, "That being long pregnant with defire to bring forth fomething, and being afterwards brought to bed, had chote his friend Mr. Robert Hayman to be godfather, not doubting but his child would be well maintained, feeing he could not live above 6 an hour with him ; and therefore he entreated him when he was dead, that he might be buried deep enough in his good opinion, and that he might deferve this epitaph;

6

"Here lies the child that was born in mirth, Against the strict rules of child-birth ;

66

And to be quit, I gave him to my friend,
Who laught him to death, and that was his end."

The reafon of my making this digreffion, is to fhew, that fuch ridiculous unmeaning mirth, is not. likely to have fallen from Mr. Goff, as he was a grave man, and nothing but what was manly droped from his pen. In the latter part of his life he forfook the ftage for the pulpit, and instead of plays writ fermons, fome of which appeared in print in the year 1627. To thefe works may be added his Latin funeral oration, at the divinity school, at the obfequies of Sir Henry Saville, printed in 4to, Oxon 1622; another in Chrift'schurch

church cathedral, at the funeral of Dr. Goodwin, canon of that church, printed in London 1627.

Sir FULK GREVILLE, Lord
BROOKE,

SPRI

PRUNG from an honourable family in Warwickshire; he was educated both at Oxford and Cambridge, and introduced to court by an uncle in the fervice of Queen Elizabeth, who received him into her favour, which he had the happiness to preferve uninterupted to her death. At the coronation of James I. he was created Knight of the Bath, and foon after obtained a grant of the ruinous caftle of Warwick. He was next appointed fub-treasurer, chancellor of the Exchequer, and privy counsellor, and then advanced to the degree of a baron, by the title of lord Brooke of Beauchamps-court, and one of the lords of the bed-chamber to his Majefty, This noble author was the friend of Sir Philip Sidney, than which a greater compliment cannot be bestowed. As he was a poet and a man of wit he was held in the highest eftcem in that courtly age; but he added to genius, a gallantry of spirit, and was as fine a foldier as a writer. Winftanley gives an inftance of his prowefs in arms. "At the time (fays he) when the French ámbaf"fador came over to England to negotiate a mar

66

riage between the duke of Anjou, and Qucen "Elizabeth, for the better entertainment of the "court, folemn jufts were proclaimed, where the "Earl of Arundel, Frederick lord Windfor, Sir Philip

"Sidney,