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"bus mendis quibus fcatebat fedulo purgata, et in ftudiofae ju"ventutis utilitatem in Anglicum tanta fide converfa, ut carmen

pro carmine, quoad Anglica lingua patiatur, pene redditum " videas, per Jafperum Heywodum Oxonienfem." The THYESTES, faid to be faithfully Englished by Iafper Heywood felow of Alfolne colledge in Oxenforde, was alfo first separately printed by Berthelette at London, in 1560*. He has added a scene to the fourth act, a foliloquy by Thyeftes, who bewails his own misfortunes, and implores vengeance on Atreus. In this scene, the fpeaker's application of all the torments of hell, to Atreus's unparalleled guilt of feafting on the bowels of his children, furnishes a fort of nauseous bombaft, which not only violates the laws of criticism, but provokes the abhorrence of our common fenfibilities. A few of the first lines are tolerable.

O kyng of Dytis dungeon darke, and gryfly ghost of hell,
That in the deepe and dreadfull denne of blackest Tartare dwell,
Where leane and pale Diseases lye, where Feare and Famyne are,
Where Discord ftandes with bleeding browes, where euery kinde
of care;

In 12mo. It is dedicated in verfe to fir John Mafon. Then follows in verse alfo, "The tranflatour to the booke." From the metrical Preface which next follows, I have cited many stanzas. See fupr. P. 273. This is a Vifion of the poet Seneca, containing 27 pages. In the course of this PREFACE, he laments a promifing youth juft dead, whom he means to compliment by faying, that he now "lyues "with Joue, another Ganymede." But he is happy that the father furvives, who feems to be fir John Mason. Among the old Roman poets he mentions Palingenius. After Seneca has delivered him the THYESTES to tranflate, he feels an unusual agitation, and implores Megaera to inspire him with tragic rage.

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a Mad.

Where

Where Furies fight on beds of fteele, and heares of crauling

fnakes,

Where Gorgon gremme, where Harpies are, and lothfom limbo

lakes,

Where most prodigious" vgly things the hollow hell doth hyde, If yet a monster more mishapt, &c.

In the TROAS, which was first faultily printed in or before 1560", afterwards reprinted in 1581 by Newton, he has taken greater liberties. At the end of the chorus after the first act, he has added about fixty verses of his own invention. In the beginning of the fecond act, he has added a new scene, in which he introduces the spectre of Achilles raised from hell, and demanding the facrifice of Polyxena. This fcene, which is in the octave stanza, has much of the air of one of the legends in the MIRROUR OF MAGISTRATES. To the chorus of this act, he has fubjoined three ftanzas. Inftead of tranflating the chorus of the third act, which abounds with the hard names of the antient geography, and which would both have puzzled the tranflator and tired the English reader, he has fubftituted a new ode. In his preface to the reader, from which he appears to be yet a fellow of All Souls college, he modeftly apologises for these licentious innovations, and hopes to be pardoned for his seeming arrogance, in attempting "to fet forth in English this present "piece of the flowre of all writers Seneca, among fo many fine "wittes, and towardly youth, with which England this day "florifheth *." Our tranflator Jasper Heywood has several poems extant in the Paradife of Daintie Deuifes, published in 1573. He was the fon of John Heywood, commonly called the epigrammatift, and born in London. In 1547, at twelve

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years of age, he was fent to Oxford, and in 1553 elected fellow of Merton college. But inheriting too large a fhare of his father's facetious and free difpofition, he fometimes in the early part of life indulged his feftive vein in extravagancies and indifcretions, for which being threatened with expulfion, he refigned his fellowship'. He exercifed the office of Chriftmasprince, or lord of mifrule, to the college and feems to have given offence, by fuffering the levities and jocularities of that character to mix with his life and general converfation". In the year 1558, he was recommended by cardinal Pole, as a polite scholar, an able difputant, and a steady catholic, to fir Thomas Pope founder of Trinity college in the fame university, to be put in nomination for a fellowship of that college, then just founded. But this fcheme did not take place. He was, however, appointed fellow of All Souls college the fame year. Difsatisfied with the change of the national religion, within four years he left England, and became a catholic priest and a Jesuit at Rome, in 1562. Soon afterwards he was placed in the theological chair at Dilling in Switzerland, which he held for seventeen years. At length returning to England, in the capacity of a popish miffionary, he was imprisoned, but released by the intereft of the earl of Warwick. For the deliverance from fo perilous a fituation, he complimented the earl in a copy of English verses, two of which, containing a most miserable paronomafy on his own name, almost bad enough to have condemned the writer to another imprisonment, are recorded in Harrington's Epigrams. At length he retired to Naples, where he died in 1597. He is faid to have been an accurate critic in the Hebrew language. His tranflation of the TROAS, not of Virgil as it

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seems, is mentioned in a copy of verfes by T. B. prefixed to the first edition, abovementioned, of Studley's AGAMEMNON. He was intimately connected abroad with the biographer Pitts, who has given him rather too partial a panegyric.

Thomas Newton, the publisher of all the ten tragedies of Seneca in English, in one volume, as I have already remarked, in 1581', himself added only one to these verfions of Studley, Nevile, Nuce, and Jafper Heywood. This is the THEBAIS, probably not written by Seneca, as it fo effentially differs in the catastrophe from his OEDIPUS. Nor is it likely the fame poet should have compofed two tragedies on the fame subject, even with a variation of incidents. It is without the chorus and a fifth act. Newton appears to have made his translation in 1581, and perhaps with a view only of completing the collection. He is more profaic than most of his fellow-labourers, and feems to have paid the chief attention to perfpicuity and fidelity. In the general EPISTLE DEDICATORY to fir Thomas Henneage, prefixed to the volume, he says, "I durft not haue geuen the ad"uenture to approch your presence, vpoh truft of any fingula

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rity, that in this Booke hath vnfkilfully dropped out of myne "owne penne, but that I hoped the perfection of others artifi"ciall workmanship that haue trauayled herein, as well as my"felfe, fhould fomewhat couer my nakedneffe, and purchase my pardon.Theirs I knowe to be deliuered with fingular dexterity: myne, I confeffe to be an vnflidge [unfledged] "nestling, vnable to flye; an vnnatural abortion, and an vn

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perfect embryon: neyther throughlye laboured at Aristophanes "and Cleanthes candle, neither yet exactly waighed in Crito*laus his precise ballaunce. Yet this I dare faye, I haue deli"uered myne authors meaning with as much perfpicuity as fo

With these initials, there is a piece prefixed to Gafcoigne's poems, 1579.

There is a receipt from Marth for "Seneca's Tragedies in Englifhe." Jul. 2. $581. REGISTR. STATION. B. fol. 181.

b. The English verfion feems to have produced an edition of the original for Man and Brome, Sept. 6. 1585. Ibid. fol. 205.

b.

"meane

"meane a scholar, out of so meane a stoare, in fo fmal a time, "and vpon so short a warning, was well able to performe, &c."

Of Thomas Newton, a flender contributor to this volume, yet perhaps the chief inftrument of bringing about a general tranflation of Seneca, and otherwise deserving well of the literature of this period, fome notices feem neceffary. The first letter of his English THEBAIS is a large capital D. Within it is a fhield exhibiting a fable Lion rampant, croffed in argent on the shoulder, and a half moon argent in the dexter corner, I fuppofe his armorial bearing. In a copartment, towards the head, and under the femicircle, of the letter, are his initials, T. N. He was descended from a refpectable family in Cheshire, and was sent while very young, about thirteen years of age, to Trinity college in Oxford". Soon afterwards he went to Queen's college in Cambridge; but returned within a very few years to Oxford, where he was readmitted into Trinity college'. He quickly became famous for the pure elegance of his Latin poetry. Of this he has left a fpecimen in his ILLUSTRIA ALIQUOT AN

* Dated." From Butley in Chesthyre "the 24. of Aprill. 1581."

I am informed by a manufcript note of Oldys, that Richard Robinson tranflated the THEBAIS. Of this I know no more, but R. Robinfon was a large writer both in verfe and profe. Some of his pieces I have already mentioned. He wrote alfo "CHRISMAS RECREATIONS of hiftories "and moralizations aplied for our folace "and confolacions," licenced to T. Eaft, Dec. 5, 1576. REGISTR. STATION. B. fol. 136. b. And, in 1569, is entered to Binneman, "The ruefull tragedy of He

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midos, &c. by Richard Robinson." REGISTR. A. fol. 190. a. And, to T. Dawfon in 1579, Aug. 26, "The Vineyard "of Vertue a booke gathered by R. Ro"binfon." REGISTR. B. fol. 163. a. He was a citizen of London. The reader recollects his English GESTA ROMANO

RUM, in 1577. He wrote alfo "The "avncient order, focietie, and vnitie lau. "dable, of PRINCE ARTHURE, and his "knightly armory of the ROUND TA"BLE. With a threefold assertion, &c. "Tranflated and collected by R. R." Lond. for J. Wolfe, 1583. Bl. Lett. 4to. This work is in metre, and the armorial bearings of the knights are in verfe. Prefixed is a poem by Churchyard, in praise of the Bow. His tranflation of Leland's ASSERTIO ARTHURI (Bl. Lett. 4to.) is entered to J. Wolfe, Jun. 6, 1582. REGISTR. STATION. B. fol. 189. b. I find, licenced to R. James in 1565, " A boke intituled "of very pleafaunte fonnettes and storyes "in myter [metre] by Clement Robynson." REGISTR. B. fol. 141. a.

REGISTR. ibid. i Ibid.

GLORUM

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