Sir John frequenting often the Lady Robert’s House, his Wives Mother, where they used to go to dinner extraordinary late, a Child of his being there then, said Grace, which was that of the Primmer, Thou givest them Meat in due season; Hold, said Sir John to the Child, you ought not to lie unto God, for here we never have our Meat in due season.  This Jest he afterwards turned into an Epigram, directing it to his Wife, and concluding it thus: 

  Now if your Mother angry be for this,
  Then you must reconcile us with a kiss.

A Posthume Book of his came forth, as an addition to Bishop Godwin’s Catalogue of Bishops, wherein (saith Dr. Fuller) besides mistakes, some tart reflections in Uxaratos Episcopos, might well have been spared.  In a word (saith he) he was a Poet in all things, save in his wealth, leaving a fair Estate to a learned and religious Son, and died about the middle of the Reign of King James.

* * * * *

JOHN HEYWOOD.

This John Heywood was one of the first writers of English Plays, contemporary with the Authors of Gammar Gurton’s Needle, and Tom Tyler and his Wife, as may appear by the Titles of his Interludes; viz. The Play of Love; Play of the Weather; Play between Johan the Husband, and Tib his Wife; Play between the Pardoner and the Fryer, and the Curate and Neighbour Prat; Play of Gentleness and Nobility, in two parts.  Besides these he wrote two Comedies, the Pinner of Wakefield, and Philotas Scotch.  There was of this Name, in King Henry the Eighth’s Reign, an Epigramatist, who, saith the Author of the Art of English Poetry, for the mirth and quickness of his conceits, more than any good learning was in him, came to be well benefited by the King.

* * * * *

THOMAS HEYWOOD.

Thomas Heywood was a greater Benefactor to the Stage than his Namesake, John Heywood, aforesaid, he having (as you may read in an Epistle to a Play of his, called, The English Travellers) had an entire hand, or at least a main finger in the writing of 220 of them.  And no doubt but he took great pains therein, for it is said, that he not only Acted himself almost every day, but also wrote each day a Sheet; and that he might lose no time, many of his Plays were composed in the Tavern, on the back-side of Tavern Bills; which may be an occasion that so many of them are lost, for of those 220. mentioned before, we find but 25. of them Printed, viz.  The Brazen Age; Challenge for Beauty; The English Travellers; The first and second part of Edward the Fourth; The first and second part of Queen Elizabeth’s Troubles; Fair Maid of the West, first and second part;