Gervafe MARKHAM.

A Gentleman who flourisht under the Reigns. of Queen Elizabeth, King James, and King Charles the Firft: for the later of whom he took up Arms, in the time of the Rebellion: being honour'd by His Majefty with a Captain's Commiffion. He was the Son of Robert Markham of Cotham, in the County of Nottingham Efq; and was eminently Famous for his numerous Volumes of Husbandry, and Horfemanship: befides what he has writ on Rural Recreations, and Military Difcipline. He underflood the Practick as well as the Theory of the Art of War: and was esteem'd a good Scholar, and an excellent Linguift, underftanding perfectly the French, Italian, and Spanish Languages, from all which he collected Notes of Husbandry. In the enumeration of his Works the Reader will be fatisfied of his excellent Parts and Abilities: and that he was tàm Marti quàm Mercurio, vers'd in the Employments of War and Peace: and One piece of Dramatick Poetry which he has publifht, will fhew that he Sacrific'd to Apollo, and the Mufes, as well as to Mars and Pallas. This Play is extant under the Title of

Herod and Antipater, a Tragedy printed 4o. Lond. 1622. where, or when this Play was acted the imperfection of my Copy hinders my information. For the Foundation 'tis built on Hiftory. See Jofephus Ant. Fud. Lib. 14, 15, 16, & 17. Torniel, Salian, Spondanus, Baronii Ann. &c

I

I fhall now mention his Works, and first those which treat of Horfemanship, which have made him Famous all over England. Of thefe he has writ A Difcourfe of Horsemanship, printed 4o. without Date, and dedicated to Prince Henry Eldeft Son to King James the Firft. Cure of all Difeafes incident to Horfes, 40. 1610. English Farriar, 4°. 1649. Mafterpiece, 4°. 1662. Faithful Farriar, 8°. 1667. Perfect Horfeman, 120. 1671. For Husbandry he publifht Liebault's Le Maifon Ruftique, or The Country Farm, Fol. Lond. 1616. This Treatife (which was at firft tranflated by Mr. Richard Surflet, a Phyfitian) our Author enlarg'd with feveral Additions from the French Books of Serres and Vinet, the Spanish of Albiterio, and the Italian of Grilli, and others. The Art of Husbandry, first tranflated from the Latine of Conr. Heresbachius, by Barnaby Googe, he revis'd and augmented, 40, 1631. He writ befides, Farewel to Husbandry, 4o. 1620. Way to get Wealth, wherein is compris'd his Country Contentments, printed 4o. 1668. To this I may add Hungers Prevention, or his Art of Fowling, 8°. His Epitome, 120. &c. In Milí tary Difcipline, he has publifht The Souldiers Accidence, and Grammar, 4°. 1635. Befides these the second part of the First Book of The English Arcadia is faid to be writ by him: infomuch that he may be accounted if not Unus in Omnibus, at least a Benefactor to the Publick, by thofe Works he left behind him, which will (without doubt) eternife his Memory.

Chriftopher Marloe.

An Author that was Cotemporary with the Incomparable Shakespear, and One who trod the Stage with Applaufe both from Queen Elizabeth, and King James. Nor was he accounted a lefs Excellent Poet by the Judicious Johnson and Heywood his Fellow Actor, stiles him, the Best of Poets. In what esteem he was in his time may be gathered from part of a Copy of Verfes writ in that Age, call'd a Cenfure of the Poets, where he is thus Characteriz❜d.

Next Marlow bathed in the Thefpian Springs,
Had in him thofe brave Sublunary things,
That your First-Poets had; his Raptures were
All Air and Fire, which made his Verfes clear;
For that fine Madness ftill he did retain,
Which rightly fhould poffefs a Poet's Brain.

His Genius inclin'd him wholly to Tragedy, and he has obliged the world with Seven Plays of this kind, of his own Compofure, befides One, in which he join'd with Nafb, call'd Dido Queen of Carthage, which I never faw. Of the others take the following Account.

Dr. Fauftus his Tragical Hiftory, printed 4*. Lond. 1661. There is an old Edition which I never faw, but this is printed with new Additions of feveral Scenes. The Plot, or the Foundation of this Play, may be read in feveral Authors, as Camerarei Hor. Subcifiv. Cent. 1. Wierus de Praftigiis Dæmonum, Lib. 2. Cap. 4. Lonicerus, &c.

Ed

Edward the Second, a Tragedy printed 4°. Lond. I know not the Date, or the Stage where this Play was acted, thro' the defect of my Title-page. For the Plot confult the Hiftorians, that have writ on those Times, as Ranulphus Higden, Walfingham, Math. Weftminfter. Efpecially thofe that have more particularly writ his Life, as Thomas de la More. Sr. Fr. Hubert, &c.

Few of Malta, a Tragedy play'd before the King and Queen, in her Majefties Theatre, at Whitehall, and by her Majefties Servants at the Cockpit, printed 4°. Lond. 1633. (after the Author's Decease) and dedicated (by Mr. Tho mas Heywood the Publisher) To his Worthy Friend Mr. Thomas Hammon of Gray's-Inn. This Play was in much efteem, in those days the Jew's Part being play'd by Mr. Edward Allen, that Ornament both to Black-friars Stage, and to his Profeffion; to the One on Account of of his excellent Action, to the Other of his exemplary Piety in founding Dulwich Hofpital in Surrey. What Opinion Mr. Heywood had of the Author and Actor, may be feen by the beginning of his Prologue spoke at the Cock-pit.

We know not how our Play may pass this Stage,
But by the beft of Poets in that Age
The Malta Jew had being, and was made:
And He, then by the best of Actors play'd:
In Hero and Leander, (e) one did gain
A lafting Memory in Tamberlain,

* Marloe.

* Allen. (c) A Poem.

This

Y 4

This Jew, with others many: th' other wan
The Attribute of peerless; being a Man
Whom we may rank with (doing no one wrong)
Proteus for Shapes, and Rofcius for a Tongue.

Luft's Dominion, or The Lafcivious Queen, a Tragedy publifht by Mr.Kirkman 8°. Lond. 1661. and dedicated to his worthily honour'd Friend William Carpenter Efquire. This Play was alter'd by Mrs. Behn, and acted under the Title of Abdelazer, or The Moor's Revenge.

Mallacre of Paris, with the Death of the Duke of Guife; a Tragedy, play'd by the Right Honourable the Lord Admiral's Servants, printed octavo Lond. This Play is not divided into Acts; it begins with that fatal Marriage between the King of Navarre and Marguerite de Valois, Sifter to King Charles the Ninth, the Occafion of the Maffacre; and ends with the Death of Henry the Third of France. For the Plot, fee the Writers of thofe times, in the Reigns of thefe two Kings, Ch. IX. and Henry III. Thuanus, Davila, Pierre Matthieu, Dupleix, Mezeray, &c.

Tamburlain the Great, or The Scythian Shepherd, a Tragedy in two parts; fundry times acted by the Lord Admiral's Servants, printed in an old Black-Letter octavo Lond. 1593. Had I not Mr. Heywood's Word for it, In the foremention'd Prologue, I fhould not believe this Play to be his; it being true, what an ingenious Author faid (d), That whoever was the Author, he might ev'n keep it to himself, fecure from Pla

(d) Sander's Freface to Tamerlane,