upon him, when he was himfelf, (for his laft plays were but his dotages) he was the moft learned and judicious writer any theatre ever had; that he was a moft fevere judge of himself as well as others; that we cannot fay he wanted wit, but rather that he was frugal of it; that in his works there is little to be retrenched, or altered; but that humour was his chief province.*

GEORGE CHAPMAN:

"George Chapman, a poetical writer, flourish. "ing in the reigns of Q. Elizabeth and K.

James, in that repute for his tranflations both "of Homer and Hefiod, and what he wrote of "his own proper genius, that he is thought not "the meanest of English poets of that time, "and particularly for his Dramatic writings,

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as his Blind Beggar of Alexandria; All"Fools; the Gentleman-Ufher; May Day; "the Widow's Tears; Mounfieur D'Olive; a Day's Mirth, Eaftward-Hoe, Comedies;

* Cibber's Lives, 1. p. 241, 242.

"

Buffy

Buffy D'Amboys; Cæfar and Pompey, Tra' gedies."

He was born 1557, but of what family is not known, unless according to Wood's conjecture, he was allied to thofe feated at Stone-Caftle, near Dartford in Kent.* In 1574, he was fent to the University, but whether Oxford or Cainbridge, is uncertain: at any rate he spent fome time at Oxford, where he was observed to excel more in the Latin and Greek tongues, than in logic or philofophy. On his removal to the metropolis, he affociated with all the eminent poets his cotemporaries, and was patronized by Sir Thomas Walfingham, and intimate with his fon Thomas. He probably acquired fome appointment in the court of James I. where untimely death, and unexpected difgrace, quickly deprived him of his liberal patrons, Prince Henry and Carr. When the focieties of Lincoln's Inn and the Middle Temple in 1613, had refolved to exhibit a splendid mafque at Whitehall, in honour of the nuptials of the Palgrave and the Princess Elizabeth, Chapman was employed for the poetry, and Inigo Jones for the

Robert Chapman, of London, Merchant-Adventurer, bought Stone-Caftle, the latter end of Henry VIII's reign, and died 1574. Thomas Chapman, his fon, left a daughter and fole heir, Anne, mirried to William Carew, of London, Efq. who, through her obtained Stone-Castle, and died 1588 His grandfon, Henry Carew, was owner 1656. Hafied's Kent..

machinery.

machinery. It is not clear, whether Dryden's refolution to burn annually one copy of Chapman's best Tragedy, Buffy D'Amboife, to the memory of Jonfon, was a cenfure or a compliment.* He says, however, that this play pleafed only in the reprefentation, like a star, that glitters, while it fhoots. The manes of Jonfon perhaps required fome reconciliatory rites: for Jonfon being delivered from Shakespeare, began unexpectedly to be difturbed at the rifing reputation of a new theatric rival. Wood fays, that Chapman "was a perfon of a most reverend afpect, religious and temperate, qualities rarely meeting in a poet;" the truth is, he does not seem to have mingled in the diffipations and indifcretions, which then marked his profeffion. He died at the age of 77, in 1634, and was buried on the fouth fide of St. Giles's church, in the Fields. A monument was erected over his grave by Inigo Jones, which was destroyed with the old church. There was an intimate friendship between Chapman and this celebrated reftorer of Grecian palaces. Chapman's Musæus, not that begun by Marlow, but published in 1616, has a dedication to Jones, in which he is addreffed as the most skilful and ingenious ar chitect that England had yet feen

Preface to the Spanish Friar. Warton's Hift Poet, III. p. 447, 448. Ibid.

His first play was, the Blind Beggar of Alexandria, a Comedy, 1598, 4to. As to his tranf

lation of Homer, he began Shield of Achilles, in 1596.

with printing the This was followed

by seven books of the Iliad, the fame year. Fif teen books were printed in 1600. At length appeared without date, an entire tranflation of the Iliad, under the following title, "The Iliads "of Homer, Prince of Poets. Never before "in any language truly tranflated. With a

comment upon fome of his chief places: "done according to the Greeke, by George

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Chapman. At London, printed for Na"thaniel Butter." It is dedicated in English heroics to Prince Henry. This circumstance proves, that the book was printed at least after the year 1603, in which James 1. acceded to the throne. Then follows an anagram on the name of his gracious Mecænas Prince Henry, and a Sonnet to the fole Empreffe of Beautie Queen Anne.

"In a metrical addrefs to the reader, he remarks, but with little truth, that the English abounding in confonant monofyllables, is eminently adapted to rhythmical poetry. The doctrine that an allegorical fenfe was hid under the narrative of epic poetry had not yet ceafed; and he here promises a poem on the mysteries he had newly discovered in Homer. In the preface he declares, that the laft twelve books were tranflated

lated in fifteen weeks; yet with the advice of his learned and valued friends, Mafter Robert Hews, and Master Harriots. It is certain, that the whole performance betrays the negligence of hafte. He pays his acknowledgments to his "most ancient, learned, and right noble friend "Mafter Richard Stapelton, the firft moft de"fertful mover in the frame of our Homer." He endeavours to obviate a popular objection, perhaps not totally groundless, that he confulted the profe Latin verfion, more than the Greek original. He fays, fenfibly enough, "it "is the part of every knowing and judicious in"terpreter, not to follow the number and order "of words, but the material things themselves, "and fentences to weigh diligently; and to "clothe and adorne them with words, and fuch "a ftile and form of oration, as are most apt "for the language into which they are con"verted." The danger lies in too lavish an application of this fort of cloathing, that it may not disguise what it fhould only adorn. I do not say, that this is Chapman's fault: but he has by no means represented the dignity and

He was the publisher of a poetical Mifcellany, in 1593, entitled "The Phoenix Neft, built up with most rare and refined workes of "noble men, woorthy knights, gallant gentlemen, masters of art, and "brave fchollars. Full of varietie, excellent invention, and fingular "delight, &c. Sett forth by R. S. of the Inner Temple, Gent." Lond. 1593, 4to. He has a copy of verfes prefixed to Greene's Mamillia, 1593."

fimplicity