302. T. Bastard, in his "Chrestoleros, Seven Bookes of Epigrams," 1598, has the following, addressed Ad Johannem Dauis, in which he speaks of Heywood and his reputation in this department—
"Yf witt may make a Poet, as I gesse,
Heywood with auncient Poets may I compare.
But thou in word and deed hast made him lesse
In his owne witt, hauing yet learning spare
The goate doth hunt the grasse, the wolfe the goat
The lyon hunts the wolfe by proofe we see;
Heywood sang others downe, but thy sweete note,
Dauis, hath sang him downe, and I would thee.
Then be not mou'de, nor count it such a sinn,
To will in thee what thou hast done in him."
The subsequent Ad Lectorem is to the same effect—
"Reader, if Heywood liued now againe,
Whome time of life, hath not of praise bereaued;
If he would write, I could expresse his vaine:
Thus would he write, or else I am deceiued."
Sir J. Harington quotes one of Heywood's Epigrams in the Notes to B. 38 of his Translation of "Orlando Furioso;" and Thomas Wilson, in his "Rhetorique," 1553, speaks of Heywood's "Proverbs," adding that his "paynes in that behalfe are worthye of immortall prayse." In Barnaby Googe's "Husbandry," "our English Martiall, John Heywood," is quoted regarding Essex Cheese. It would not be difficult to add several other authors who quote or applaud him.—Collier.
303. "Athen. Oxon.," vol. 1, p. 149.
304. "But to step backe to my teske (though everie place I step to, yeeldes me sweeter discourse) what thinke you by Haywood, that scaped hanging with his mirth; the king being graciously and (as I thinke) truly perswaded, that a man that wrate so pleasant and harmlesse verses, could not have any harm full conceit against his proceedings, and so by the honest motion of a gentleman of his chamber saved him from the jerke of the six-string'd whip." (Harington's "Metamorphosis of Ajax," 1596, p. 25).
305. "Athen. Oxon.," vol. 1, p. 149.
306. The subsequent anecdote is given by Puttenham in his "Arte of English Poesie," 1589, p. 230:—
"The like hapned on a time at the Duke of Northumberlandes bourd, where merry John Heywood was allowed to sit at the tables 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 graces 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 those cuppes serve as good a man as your selfe?' Heywood readily replied, 'Yes, if it please your grace; but I would haue 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 reuers 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 cup should alwayes be standing by him."