SECTION XLIL. JOHN HEYWOOD, commonly called the epigrammatist, was beloved and rewarded by Henry the Eighth for his buffooneries*. At leaving the university, he commenced author, and was countenanced by sir Thomas More for his facetious disposition. To his talents of jocularity in conversation, he joined a skill in music, both vocal and instrumental. His merriments were so irresistible, that they moved even the rigid muscles of queen Maryt; and her sullen solemnity was not proof against * [From having been termed civis Londinensis by Bale, he has been considered as a native of London by Pitts, Fuller, Wood, Tanner, and by the editors of the New Biog. Dict. in 1798. Langbaine, and after him Gildon, conveyed the information that he had lived at North Mims, Herts; and Mr. Reed has followed up this report in Biog. Dram. by saying he was born there. That North Mims had been the place of his residence, if not of his nativity, may be deduced from the following lines in Thalias Banquet1620,by Hen. Peacham. I thinke the place' that gave me first my birth, The genius had of epigram and mirth; There famous More did his Utopia write, And there came Heywoods Epigrams to light. PARK.] + [Heywood evinced his attachment to this princess long before her ascent to the throne, as appears from a copy of verses preserved in Harl. MS. 1703, entitled, "A Description of a most noble Ladye, advewed by John Heywoode presently; who advertisinge her yeares as face, saith of her thus in much elo- Give place ye ladyes all, bee gone, early miscellany, and has been inserted by Mr. Warton at p. 332, with high com'mendation of the unsuspected writer. Two ballads by Heywood printed in 1554 and 1557 are preserved in the archives of the Society of Antiquaries. The former was written on the marriage of Philip and Mary; the latter, on the traitorous taking of Scarborough castle. Both have been reprinted in vol. ii. of a Supplement to the Harleian Miscellany.-PArk.] "North Mimmes in Herts, neere to Saint Albans." Sir Thomas More must have had a seat in that neighbourhood, says Dr. Berkenhout. His admiration of Heywood's repartees is noticed in Dod's Church History, vol. i. p. 369. his songs, his rhymes, and his jests*. He is said to have been often invited to exercise his arts of entertainment and pleasantry in her presence, and to have had the honour to be constantly admitted into her privy-chamber for this purpose. Notwithstanding his professional dissipation, Heywood appears to have lived comfortably under the smiles of royal patronage. What the FAIRY QUEEN could not procure for Spenser from the penurious Elisabeth and her precise ministers, Heywood gained by puns and conceits. His comedies, most of which appeared before the year 1534, are destitute of plot, humour, or character, and give us no very high opinion of the festivity of this agreeable companion. They consist of low incident, and the language of ribaldry. But perfection must not be expected before its time. He is called our first writer of comedies. But those who say this, speak without determinate ideas, and confound comedies with moralities and interludes. We will allow, that he is among the first of our dramatists who drove the Bible from the stage, and introduced representations of familiar life and popular manners. These are the titles of his plays. The PLAY called the four P's, being a new and a very mery ENTERLUDE OF A PALMer, a ParDONER, A POTYCARY, AND A PEDLAR, printed at London in [* One of these is preserved in Cotton MS. Jul. F. x. "When Queene Mary tolde Heywoode that the priestes must forego their wives, he merrily answered: Then your grace must allow them lemmans, for the clergie cannot live without sauce. Another is recorded by Puttenham in his Arte of English Poesie, 1589. "At the Duke of Northumberland's bourd, merry John Heywood was allowed to sit at the table's end. The duke had a very noble and honorable mynde alwayes to pay his debts well, and when he lacked money, would not stick to sell the greatest part of his plate so had he done few dayes before. Heywood being loth to call for his drinke so oft as he was dry, turned his eye toward the cupbord and sayd, 'I finde great misse of your grace's standing cups: the duke thinking he had spoken it of some knowledge that his plate was lately sold, said somewhat sharply, Why, sir, will not these cups serve as good a man as your selfe?' Heywood readily replied, Yes, if it please your grace: but I would have one of them stand still at myne elbow full of drinke, that I might not be driven to trouble your men so often to call for it,' This pleasant and speedy turn of the former wordes holpe all the matter againe, whereupon the duke became very pleasaunt and dranke a bolle of wine to Heywood, and bid a cuppe should alwayes be standing by him." p. 231. Pitts has related an extraordinary instance of his death-bed waggery, which seems to vie in merriment with the scaffold jests of Sir Thomas More in articulo mortis.— PARK.] a Wood, ATH. Oxon. i, 150, quarto*, without date or name of the printer, but probably from the press of Berthelette or Rastell. The PLAY of LOVE. The PLAY of the WEATHER, or a new and a very mery ENTERLUDE of all maner of WEATHERS, printed in quarto by William Rastell, 1533, and again by Robert Wyer. A mery PLAY betweene the PARDONER and the FRERE, the CURATE, and neybour PRATTE, in quarto, by William Rastell, dated the fifth day of April, 1533. The PLAY of Genteelnes and Nobilitie, in two parts, at London, without date. The PINNER of Wakefield, a COMEDIE. Philotas Scotch, a COMEDIE. A mery PLAY betweene JOHAN the husband, TYв the wife, and syr JOHAN the preeste, by William Rastell, in quarto, 1533. His EPIGRAMS, six hundred in number, are probably some of his jokes versified+; and perhaps were often extemporaneous sallies, made and repeated in company. Wit and humour are ever found in proportion to the progress of politeness. The miserable drolleries and the contemptible quibbles, with which these little pieces are pointed, indicate the great want of refinements; not only in the composition but in the conversation of † [Langbaine expressed a confident belief that Philotas and the Pindar of Wakefield were not Heywood's compositions, and Mr. Reed fully coincided in the same belief.-PARK.] See three hundred Epigrammes on three hundred Proverbes. Pr. "If every man mend one," London, without date, but certainly before 1553. Again, 1577. -1587.-1598. The first hundred Epigrammes. Pr. "Ryme without reason. Lond. 1566.-1577.-1587. 4to. fourth hundred of Epigrammes, Lond. without date. Again, 1577.-1587.1597. 4to. Pr. PROL. "Ryme without reason, and reason. The fifth and sixth hundredth of Epigrammes. Pr. "Were The it as perillous to deal cards as play." Lond. 1566.-1577.-1587.-1597.4to. See JOHN HEYWOODES WOORKES, Anno domini 1576. Imprinted at London in Fleete-streate, etc. by Thomas Marshe. In quarto. The colophon has 1577. This edition is not mentioned by Ames. [The earliest edition I have seen was dated 1562, and this included the six centuries of Epigrammes, and both parts of the dialogue on proverbs.-PARK.] [Gabriel Harvey in a note on Speght's Chaucer, (penes Bp. Percy) says that some of Heywood's epigrams are supposed to be conceits and devices of pleasant Sir Thomas More.-PARK.] S[Heath well observed in his first Century of Epigrams, 1610, that Heywood the old English epigrammatist Had wit at will, and art was all he mist! But now adaies we of the modern frie Have art and labour with wits penurie. Puttenham had some time before remarked with critical discrimination, that "Heywood came to be well benefited for our ancestors. This is a specimen, on a piece of humour of Wolsey's Fool, A saying of PATCH my lord Cardinal's FOOLE* Maister Sexton, a person of unknowen witte, As he at my lord Cardinal's boord did sitte, e Greedily raught at a goblet of wine : Drinke none, sayd my lord, for that sore leg of thyne: The following is rather a humorous tale than an epigram, yet with an epigrammatic turn. Although that Foxes have been seene there seelde, Yet was there lately in Finsbery Feelde1 A Foxe sate in sight of certaine people, Nodding, and blissing, staring on Poules steeple. But the Weathercocks wit is not so weake To lacke winde-the winde is ever in his beake. For lacke of winde that Weathercocke will not die." Who hath ever heard, at any season, And while she preysed the Foxes wit so, Which if I may get, this tale is made goode, It is mery in hall, when beardes wagge all. Not to wag their beardes in brauling or threating: Wyfe, the meaning hereof differth not two pinnes, Between wagginge of mens beards and womens chins.t On the fashion of wearing Verdingales, or farthingales. Alas! poore verdingales must lie in the street, Our author was educated at Broadgate-hall in Oxford, so called from an uncommonly wide gate or entrance, and since |