Next to Sir Philip Sidney, we shall add his great Friend and Associate, Sir Fulk Grevil, Lord Brook, one very eminent both for Arts and Arms; to which the genius of that time did mightily invite active Spirits. This Noble Person, for the great love he bore to Sir Philip Sidney, wrote his Life. He wrote several other Works both in Prose and Verse, some of which were Dramatick, as his Tragedies of Alaham, Mustapha, and Marcus Tallius Cicero, and others, commonly of a Political Subject; amongst which, a Posthume Work, not publish'd till within a few years, being a two-fold Treatise, the first of Monarchy, the second of Religion, in all which is observable a close mysterious and sententious way of Writing, without much regard to Elegancy of Stile, or smoothness of Verse. Another Posthume Book is also fathered upon him; namely, The Five Years of King James, or the Condition of the State of England, and the Relation it had to other Provinces, Printed in the Year 1643. But of this last Work many people are doubtful.
Now for his Abilities in the Exercise of Arms, take this instance: At such time when the French Ambassadours came over into England, to Negotiate a Marriage between the Duke of Anjou, and Queen Elizabeth, for their better entertainment, Solemn Justs were proclaimed, where the Earl of Arundel, Frederick Lord Windsor, Sir Philip Sidney, and he, were chief Challengers against all comers; in which Challenge he behaved himself so gallantly, that he won the reputation of a most valiant Knight.
Thus you see, that though Ease be the Nurse of Poesie, the Muses are also Companions to Mars, as may be exemplified in the Lives of the Earl of Surrey, Sir Philip Sidney, and this Sir Falk Grevil.
I shall only add a word or two of his death, Which was as sad as lamentable. He kept a discontented servant, who conceiving his deserts, not soon or well enough rewarded, wounded him mortally; and then (to save the Law a labour) killed himself. Verifying therein the observation, That there is none who never so much despiseth his own life, but yet is master of another mans.
This ingenious Gentleman, (in whose person shined all true Vertue and high Nobility) as he was a great friend to learning himself, so was he a great favourer of learning in others, witness his liberality to Mr. Speed the Chronologer, when finding his wide Soul was stuffed with too narrow an Occupation, gave it enlargement, as the said Author doth ingeniously confess in his description of Warwickshire, Whose Merits (saith he) to me-ward, I do acknowledge, in setting this hand free from the daily employments of a Manual Trade, and giving it full liberty thus to express the inclination of my mind, himself being the Procurer of my present Estate.
He lieth interred in Warwick Church, under a Monument of Black and White Marble, wherein he is styled, Servant to Queen Elizabeth, Counsellor to King James, and Friend to Sir Philp Sidney. He died Anno 16—. without Issue, save only those of his Brain, which will make his Name to live, when others Issue they may fail them.
Mr. EDMOND SPENSER.
This our Famous Poet, Mr. Edmond Spenser, was born in the City of London, and brought up in Pembroke-Hall in Cambridge; where he became a most excellent Scholar, but especially very happy in English Poetry, as his learned, elaborate Works do declare, which whoso shall peruse with a judicious eye, will find to have in them the very height of Poetick fancy, and though some blame his Writings for the many Chaucerisms used by him, yet to the Learned they are known not to be blemishes, but rather beauties to his Book; which, notwithstanding, (saith a learned Writer) had been more salable, if more conformed to our modern language.
His first flight in Poetry, as not thinking himself fully fledged, was in that Book of his, called The Shepherds Kalendar, applying an old Name to a new Book; It being of Eclogues fitted to each Month in the Year: of which Work hear what that worthy Knight, Sir Philip Sidney writes, whose judgment in such cases is counted infallible: The Shepherds Kalendar (saith he) hath much Poetry in his Eclogues, indeed worthy the reading, if I be not deceived; That same framing his Stile to an old rustick Language, I dare not allow, since neither Theocritus in Greek, Virgil in Latine, nor Sanazara in Italian did effect it. Afterwards he translated the Gnat, a little fragment of Virgil's excellency. Then he translated Bellay his Ruins of Rome; His most unfortunate Work was that of Mother Hubbard's Tale, giving therein offence to one in authority, who afterwards stuck on his skirts. But his main Book, and which indeed I think Envy its self cannot carp at, was his Fairy Queen, a Work of such an ingenious composure as will last as long as time endures.