THOMAS PRESTO N.

"Thomas Prefton, the author of Cambifes "King of Perfia, a Tragi-comedy."

This obfcure writer ought to have found an earlier place in this compilation, had he not been overlooked. He was Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, and afterwards LL. D. and Mafter of Trinity Hall. In 1564, at the entertainment of Q. Elizabeth at their University, he acted so well in the tragedy of Dido, a Latin play by John Ritwife, as to obtain a penfion of 201. a year from her Majefty.*

"

"Thomas Kid, a writer that seems to have been of pretty good efteem for verfifying in

Biog. Dram. I. p. 301.

"for

"former times, being quoted amongst some of "the more fam'd poets, as Spenfer, Drayton, "Daniel, Lodge, &c. with whom he was either "cotemporary or not much later. There is particularly remembered his tragedy Cor"nelia."

The circumftances of this author's life are wholly unknown. He feems, like the generality of poets, to have been poor, and probably died about 1594, or 1595. The compiler of the Biographia Dramatica fays, he was the conftant object of ridicule amongst his cotemporaries and immediate fucceffors. The tragedy of Cornelia was printed in 1584, and is reprinted in Dodfley's Collection of Old Plays. He also wrote "The Spanish Tragedy, or Hieronimo is mad again, 4to. 1603. But acted probably before 1590. This is alio in Dodf. Coll. He is conjectured to have been the author of " Solyman and Perfeda," a Trag. 4to. 1599.†

THOMAS STORER.

"Thomas Storer, one of the writers of Queen

I. p. 276. Biog, Dram, I. p. 276.

"Elizabeth's time, of those paftoral Airs and Madrigals, of which we have a Collection in a book called England's Helicon."

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He was fon of John Storer, a Londoner, and elected student of Chrift-Church, Oxford, about 1587, and became A. M. when he had the fame of excellent poetical talents, which were not only exhibited in verfes before the books of many members of the University, but in his poem entitled "the Life and Death of Thomas Wolfey, Cardinal; divided into three parts; his afpiring; triumph; and death. Lond. 1599, in 10 fheets in 4to. He is particularly commended by his friend Charles Fitzgeffrey* for this work. He also obtained great credit from those little poems already mentioned, which afterwards found their way into "England's Helicon." He died in the parish of St. Michael Bafinghaugh, London, in Nov. 1604, and had his memory celebrated by many copies of verfes on his death.+

* In Affanis, &c. Oxon. 1601, lib. I. + Wood's Ath, I. p. 326, 327.

THOMAS

THOMAS WATSON.

"Thomas Watfon, a cotemporary imitator "of Sir Philip Sidny, together with Bartholmew Young, Doctor Lodge, and feveral "others, in that paftoral ftrain of poetry, in "fonnets and madrigals already mentioned."

He was a native of London, and educated at Oxford, where he applied all his ftudies to poetry and romance, in which he obtained an honourable name. Hence he returned to the metropolis, where he ftudied the law. He wrote I. a Latin Eclogue on the Death of Sir Francis Walfingham. Lond. 1590, 4to. in two fheets. II. Amintæ Gaudia, in hexameter verfes. Lond. 1592. 4to. III. 'Exaтoμrabia, or the Paffionate Century of Love. Lond. 4to. It confifts of 100 copies of Love-verfes.-Of this and the following works of Watson, I fhall give the ingenious account of T. P. [in whom I think I recognize a most accomplished poet, and accurate biographer] published in the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. lxviii. p. 668, for August 1798.—“ These amatory poems of Watfon, which led Mr. Steevens to pronounce him an older and much more

elegant

elegant Sonnetteer than Shakespeare, are "di"vided into two parts, whereof the first expref"feth the author's fufferance in love; the lat"ter his long Farewell to Love and all his "Tyrannie compofed," the title adds, " by "Thomas Watfon, gentleman, and published "at the request of certaine gentlemen his very "Frendes."-No date, but entered on the Stationers books in 1581, under the title of " Watfon's Paffions, manifefting the true Frenzy of Love." Among the Harleian MSS. in the British Museum is a prefentation copy of the fame work with the following diverfity of title: "A Looking-Glaffe for Loovers: wherein are "conteyned two fortes of amorous paffions; "the one expreffing the trewe eftate and per

turbations of hym that is overgon with love; "the other a flatt defyance to Love and all his "Lawes." This copy contains 78 fonnets, a latin epilogue, and an introductory poem " Authoris ad libellum fuum Protrepticon." Twentytwo fonnets are added in the printed copy, which is dedicated to Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxenford, and has commendatory verfes by G. Buck, T. Acheley, C. Downhalus, M. Roydon, and G. Peele. A quatorzain of the author's thus begins;

"My little booke, goe hye thee hence away,

Whose price (God knows) will countervaile no parte

Of paines I tooke to make thee what thou arte,"