fhe lay languifhing on her death-bed. After the decease of that princefs, he being a bigotted Roman Catholic, and finding the proteftant intereft was like to prevail under the patronage of the renowned Queen Elizabeth, he facrificed the enjoyment of living in his own country, to that of his religion: For he entered into a voluntary exile, and fettled at Mechlin in Brabant. The Play called the Four P's being a new and and merry interlude of a Palmer, Pardoner, Poticary, and Pedler--printed in an old English character in quarto, has in the title page the pictures of four men in old-fashioned habits, wrought off, from a wooden cut. He has likewife writ the following interludes. Between John the Husband and Tib the Wife. Between the Pardoner and the Fryer, the Curate and neighbouring Pratt. Play of Gentleness and Nobility, in two parts. This author alfo wrote a dialogue, containing the number in effect of all the proverbs in the English tongue, compact in a matter concerning two manner of marriages. London 1547, and 1598, in two parts in quarto, all writ in old English verfe, and printed in an English character. Three hundred epigrams upon three hundred proverbs, in old English character. A fourth hundred of epigrams, printed in quarto, London 1598. A fifth hundred of epigrams, printed in quarto, London 1598. The Spider and Fly. A Parable of the Spider and Fly, London 1556, in a pretty thick quarto, all in in old English verfe. Before the title is the picture of John Heywood at full length, printed from a wooden cut, with a fur gown on, almoft reprefenting the fashion of that, belonging to a master of arts, but the bottom of the fleeves reach no lower than his knees; on his head is a round cap, his chin and lips are clofe fhaved, and hath a dagger hanging to his girdle. § Dr. Fuller mentions a book writ by our author, entitled Monumenta Literaria, which are faid to Non tam labore, condita, quam Lepore condita : The author of English poetry, fpeaking of feveral of our old English bards, fays thus of our poet. "John Heywood for the mirth and quickness of "conceit, more than any good learning that was "in him, came to be well rewarded by the king. That the reader may judge of his epigrams, to which certainly the writer juft mentioned alludes, I fhall prefent him with one writ by him on himfelf. Art thou Heywood, with thy mad merry wit? Yes fir, I take merry mirth, a golden gift. Yea many plays, few good works in my days. Art thou Heywood, that hath made men merry long? Yea, and will, if I be made merry among. now? Yes, Sir, help me to it now, I beseech you. § Weed ubi fupra. Worthies of London, p. 221.7 He He died at Mechlin, in the year 1565, and was buried there, leaving behind him feveral children, to whom he had given liberal education, one of whom is Jafper, who afterwards made a confiderable figure, and became a noted Jefuit. 900:00000:000 D GEORGE FERRARS, Efcended of an ancient family feated in Hertfordshire, was born there in a village not far from St. Alban's about the year 1510 t. He was a lawyer, a historian, and a poet; he received his education at the univerfity of Oxford, but of what college he was Wood himfelf has not been able to discover; he removed from thence to Lincolns'-Inn, where, by a diligent application to the law, he made confiderable progrefs in his profeffion, and by the patronage of that great minifter Cromwell Earl of Effex, who was himself a man of astonishing abilities, he foon made a figure at the bar. He was the menial fervant of King Henry VIII. ‡ and difcharged his truft both in time of war and peace with great honour and gallantry, and fhared that monarch's favour in a very confiderable degree, who made him a grant in his own country, as an evidence of his affection for him. This grant of the King's happened in the year 1535; and yet in feven years afterwards, either thro' want of ceconomy, or by a boundless confidence in his friends, he reduced his affairs to a very indifferent fituation, From manufcript note on the art of poetry. Biog. Brit. p. 1922. which, perhaps, might be the reason, why he procured himself to be chofen Member for the Borough of Plymouth in the county of Devon, ‡ in the Par. liament fummoned the thirty-third year of that King's reign, During the Seffions he had the misfortune to be arrested by an officer belonging to the Sheriffs of London, and carried to the counter, then in Bread-ftreet. No fooner had the House of Commons got notice of this infult offered to one of their Members, than they immediately enacted a settled rule, which from that accident took place, with respect to privilege, and ever fince that time the Members of the House have been exempt from arrefts for debt. His Majefty likewife refented the affront offered to his fervant, and with the concurrence of the Parliament proceeded very feverely against the Sheriffs. Hollinfhed in his chronicle, vol 2. p. 955, gives a very full account of it. Sir Thomas Moils, knight, then Speaker of the House, gave a special order to the Serjeant of the Parliament to repair to the Compter, and there demand the delivery of the prifoner. But notwithstanding this high authority, the officers in the city refused to obey the command, and after many altercations, they abfolutely refifted the Serjeant, upon which a fray enfued within the Compter-gates, between Ferrars and the officers, not without mutual hurt, fo that the Serjeant was driven to defend himself with his mace of arms, and had the crown of it broken with warding off a stroke; the Sheriffs of London fo far from appealing, fomented the quarrel, and with infolent language refused to deliver their prifoner: Upon which the Serjeant, thus abused, returned to the House and related what had happened. This circumftance fo exafperated the Burgeffes, that they all rofe and went into the Upper Houfe, and declared they would tranfact no Willis notitia Parliam, vol 2. p. 295. more more business till their Member was restored to them. They then commanded their Serjeant again to go to the Compter with his mace, and make a fecond demand by their authority.- -The Sheriffs hearing that the Upper Houfe had concerned themselves in it, and being afraid of their refentment, reftored the prisoner before the Serjeant had time to return to the Compter; but this did not fatisfy the Burgeffes, they fummoned the Sheriffs before them, together with one White, who in contempt of their dignity had taken out a writ against Ferrars, and as a punishment for their infolence, they were fent to the Tower; and ever fince that period, the power and privilege of the Commons have been on the increase. * Ferrars continued in high favour with Henry during the remainder of his reign, and feems to have ftood upon good terms with Somerfet Lord Protector in the beginning of Edward VI. fince it appears that he attended the Protector in quality of one of the Commiffioners of the Army, in his expedition into Scotland in 1548, which, perhaps, might be owing to his being about the perfon of Prince Edward in his father's life-time. Another inftance of this happened about four years afterwards, at a very critical juncture, for when the unfortunate Duke of Somerfet lay under sentence of death, and it was observed that the people murmured and often gave teftimonies of difcontent, and that the King himself was very uneafy, those about him ftudied every method to quiet and amuse the one, to entertain and divert the other . In order to this, at the entrance of Christmas holidays, Mr. Ferrars was proclaimed Lord Mifrule, that is a kind of Prince of sports and pastimes, which office he discharged Patten's Journal of the Scotch expedition. p. 13. for |