These Twelve several Treatises he bound together, calling them Church-yard's Chips, and dedicated them to Sir Christopher Hatton. He also wrote the Falls of Shore's Wife and of Cardinal Wolsey; which are inserted into the Book of the Mirrour for Magistrates. Thus, like a stone, did he trundle about, but never gather'd any Moss, dying but poor, as may be seen by his Epitaph in Mr. Cambden's Remains, which runs thus;
Come Alecto, lend me thy Torch,
To find a Church-yard in a Church-porch:
Poverty and Poetry his Tomb doth enclose,
Wherefore good Neighbours be merry in prose.
His death, according to the most probable conjecture, may be presumed about the eleventh year of the Queen's Reign, Anno Dom. 1570.
JOHN HIGGINS.
John Higgins was one of the chief of them who compiled the History of the Mirrour of Magistrates, associated with Mr. Baldwin, Mr. Ferrers, Thomas Churchyard, and several others, of which Book Sir Philip Sidney thus writes in his Defence of Poesie, I account the Mirrour of Magistrates meetly furnished of beautiful parts. These Commendations coming from so worthy a person, our Higgins having so principal a share therein, deserves a principal part of the praise. And how well his deservings were, take an essay of his Poetry in his induction to the Book.
When Summer sweet with all her pleasures past,