feems, 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 versions of Studley, Nevile, Nuce, and Jafper Heywood. This is the THE BAIS, probably not written by Seneca, as it fo effentially differs in the catastrophe from his OEDIPUS. Nor is it likely the same poet fhould have composed 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 fays, "I durft not haue geuen the ad"uenture to approch your presence, vpon trust of any fingula 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"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. f There is a receipt from Marth for "Seneca's Tragedies in Englifhe." Jul. 2. 1581. 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. 66 meane "meane a scholar, out of so meane a ftoare, in so smal 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 translation of Seneca, and otherwise deferving well of the literature of this period, some notices feem neceffary. The first letter of his English THEBAIS is a large capital D. Within it is a shield exhibiting a fable Lion rampant, croffed in argent on the shoulder, and a half moon argent in the dexter corner, I suppose 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 Chesshyre "the 24. of Aprill. 1581." I am informed by a manuscript note of Oldys, that Richard Robinson tranflated the THEBAIS. Of this I know no more, but R. Robinson was a large writer both in verfe and profe. Some of his pieces I have already mentioned. He wrote alfo "CHRISMAS RECREATIONS of histories "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"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 66 "BLE. RUM, in 1577. He wrote alfo "The "avncient order, focietie, and vnitie lau"dable, of PRINCE ARTHURE, and his knightly armory of the ROUND TAWith a threefold affertion, &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 verse. 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. GLORUM GLORUM ENCOMIA, published at London in 1589 *. He is perhaps the first Englishman that wrote Latin elegiacs with a claffical clearness and terfeness after Leland, the plan of whose ENCOMIA and TROPHÆA he feems to have followed in this little work'. Most of the learned and ingenious men of that age, appear to have courted the favours of this polite and popular encomiast. His chief patron was the unfortunate Robert earl of Effex. I have often incidentally mentioned fome of Newton's recommendatory verses, both in English and Latin, prefixed to cotemporary books, according to the mode of that age. One of his earliest philological publications is a NOTABLE HISTORIE OF THE SARACENS, digefted from Curio, in three books, printed at London in 1575 m. I unavoidably anticipate in remarking here, that he wrote a poem on the death of queen Elifabeth, called "ATROPOION DELION," or, "the Death of "Delia with the Tears of her funeral. A poetical excufive dif"course of our late Eliza. By T. N. G. Lond. 1603"." The next year he published a flowery romance, "A plefant new history, "or a fragrant pofie made of three flowers Rofa, Rofalynd, and "Rosemary, London, 1604°." Philips, in his THEATRUM POETARUM, attributes to Newton, a tragedy in two parts, called TAMBURLAIN THE GREAT, OR THE SCYTHIAN SHEPHERD. But this play, printed at London in 1593, was written by Christopher Marloe". He seems to have been a partisan of the puritans, from his pamphlet of CHRISTIAN FRIENDSHIP, with an Invective against dice-play and other profane games, printed at London, 1586. For fome time our author practised physic, and, in * His mafter John Brunfwerd, at Macclesfield-school, in Cheshire, was no bad Latin poet. See his PROGYMNASMATA ALQUOT POEMATA, Lond. 1590. 4to. See Newton's ENCOм. p. 128.131. Brunfwerd died in 1589, and his epitaph, made by his fcholar Newton, yet remains in the chancel of the church of Macclesfield. Alpha poetarum, coryphæus grammati corum, Flos adav, hac fepelitur humo. I Lond. 1589. 4to. Reprinted by Hearne, Oxon. 1715. 8vo. In quarto. With a SUMMARY annexed on the fame subject. "In quarto. For W. Johnes. See Heywood's Prologue to Marlow's In octavo. From the Latin of Lamb. Danæus. the the character of that profeffion, wrote or tranflated many medical tracts. The first of these, on a curious fubject, A direction for the health of magiftrates and students, from Gratarolus, appeared in 1574. At length taking orders, he first taught school at Macclesfield in Cheshire, and afterwards at Little Ilford in Effex, where he was beneficed. In this department, and in 1596, he published a correct edition of Stanbridge's Latin Profody'. In the general character of an author, he was a voluminous and a laborious writer. He died at Little Ilford, and was interred in his church, in 1607. From a long and habitual course of ftudious and induftrious pursuits he had acquired a confiderable fortune, a portion of which he bequeathed in charitable legacies. It is remarkable, that Shakespeare has borrowed nothing from the English Seneca. Perhaps a copy might not fall in his way. Shakespeare was only a reader by accident. Hollinshed and translated Italian novels fupplied most of his plots or stories. His ftorehouse of learned history was North's Plutarch. The only poetical fable of antiquity, which he has worked into a play, is TROILUS. But this he borrowed from the romance of Troy. Modern fiction and English history were his principal resources. These perhaps were more fuitable to his tafte: at least he found that they produced the most popular fubjects. Shakespeare was above the bondage of the claffics. I must not forget to remark here, that, according to Ames, among the copies of Henry Denham recited in the register of the Company of Stationers, that printer, is faid, on the eighth of January, in 1583, among other books, to have yielded into the hands and difpofitions of the mafter, wardens, and affistants, of "Vocabula magiftri Stanbrigii ab in"finitis quibus fcatebant mendis repur gata, obfervata interim (quoad ejus fieri "potuit) carminis ratione, et meliufcule "etiam correcta, ftudio et induftria Tho"mae Newtoni Ceftrefhyrii. Edinb. ex VOL. III. "cud. R. Waldegrave." I know not if this edition, which is in octavo, is the firft. See our author's ENCOм. p. 128. Our author published one or two transla tions on theological fubjects. 3 D • I find nothing of this in REGISTER. B. that that fraternity, "Two or three of Seneca his tragedies Thefe, if printed after 1581, cannot be new impreffions of any fingle plays of Seneca, of those published in Newton's edition of all the ten tragedies. Among Hatton's manufcripts in the Bodleian library at Oxford", there is a long translation from the HERCULES OETAEUS of Seneca, by queen Elifabeth. It is remarkable that it is blank verse, a measure which her majefty perhaps adopted from GORDOBUC; and which therefore proves it to have been done after the year 1561. It has, however, no other recommendation but its royalty. They are mentioned by Ames, with thefe pieces, viz. "Pafquin in a traunce. "The hoppe gardein. Ovid's metamor"phofis. The courtier. Cefar's commen"taries in English. Ovid's epiftles. Image "of idleneffe. Flower of frendship. Schole "of vertue. Gardener's laborynth. De"mofthene's orations." I take this opportunity of acknowledging my great obligations to that very refpectable fociety, who in the moft liberal manner have in dulged me with a free and unreserved examination of their original records: particularly to the kind affiftance and atten. tion of one of its members, Mr. Lockyer Davies, Bookfeller in Holbourn. MSS. MUS, BODL. 55. 12. [Olim HYPER. BODL.] It begins, "What harminge hurle of Fortune's arme, &c." SECT. |