HENRY GLAPTHORN.

Henry Glapthorn was one well deserving of the English, being one of the chiefest Dramatick Writers of this Age; deservingly commendable not so much for the quantity as the quality of his Plays; being his Hollander, Ladies Priviledge, and Wit in a Constable, Comedies; his Argalus and Parthenia, a Pastoral; and Alberus Wailestein, a Tragedy; in which Tragedy these Lines are much commended.

  This Law the Heavens inviolably keep,
  Their Justice well may slumber, but ne’er sleep,

* * * * *

JOHN DAVIS of Hereford.

In the writing of this Mans Life, we shall make use of Dr. Fuller in his England’s Worthies, who saith, that he was the greatest Master of the Pen that England in his Age beheld; for,

    1. Fast writing; so incredible his expedition.

    2. Fair writing; some minutes consultation being required to
    decide whether his Lines were written or printed.

    3. Close writing; a Mystery which to do well, few attain
    unto.

    4. Various writing; Secretary, Roman, Court and
    Text.

The Poetical Fiction of Briareus the Giant, who had an hundred hands, found a Moral in him, who could so cunningly and copiously disguise his aforesaid elemental hands, that by mixing, he could make them appear an hundred; and if not so many sorts, so many degrees of writing.  He had also many pretty excursions into Poetry, and could flourish Matters as well as Letters, with his Fancy as well as with his Pen.  Take a taste of his Abilities in those Verses of his before Coriat’s Crudities, being called the Odcombian Banquet, wherein the whole Club of Wits in that Age joyned together, to write Mock-commendatory Verses in Praise-dispraise of his Book.

If Art that oft the Learn’d hath stammer’d, In one Iron Head-piece (yet no Hammer-Lead) May (joyn’d with Nature) hit Fame on the Cocks-comb, Then ’tis that Head-piece that is crown’d with Odcomb For he, hard Head (and hard, sith like a Whet-stone) It gives Wits edge, and draws them too like Jet-stone) Is Caput Mundi for a world of School-tricks, And is not ignorant in the learned’st—­tricks H’hath seen much more than much, I assure ye, And will see New-Troy, Bethlem, and Old-Jury Meanwhile (to give a taste of his first travel, With streams of Rhetorick that get golden Gravel) He tells how he to Venice once did wander; From whence he came more witty than a Gander:  Whereby he makes relations of such wonders, That Truth therein doth lighten, while Art thunders, All Tongues fled to him that at Babel swerved, Left they for want of warm months might have starved,