A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 12Dodsley, Robert
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 12
Dodsley, Robert
English drama
[109] [This forms part of a somewhat thick volume, containing the
author's poems and plays, with his portrait by Lombart, and an
extraordinarily long series of introductory verses.] Among them
are verses by a number of men of little note; but this can hardly
be said of the contributions of Jasper Mayne, James Howell, Sir R.
Stapylton, H. Vaughan (Silurist), Alexander Brome, and Izaak Walton.
M. Lluellin has also added an ode to the collection; and another poem
on Cartwright is to be found in his, "Men, Miracles, and other Poems,"
1646.--_Collier._
INTRODUCTION
William Cartwright was, according to Lloyd,[110] born the 16th of
August 1615, though Wood[111] says he was born at Northway, near
Tewksbury, Gloucestershire, in September 1611, and christened on the
26th of the same month. There is as much difference between these two
writers, with respect to his father, as there is concerning the time of
his birth. Lloyd says he was the son of Thomas Cartwright of Burford,
in Oxfordshire. Wood asserts that his father's name was William
Cartwright, one who had dissipated a fair inheritance, and was at last
reduced to keep an inn at Cirencester. These contradictory accounts are
totally irreconcilable. Wood's, however, is probably the true one.[112]
That author says that Cartwright received part of his education under
Mr William Top, master of the Free School at Cirencester; was from
thence sent to Westminster, where he completed his education under Mr
Lambert Osbaldiston; and in the year 1628[113] was chosen a student of
Christ Church in Oxford, and placed under the care of Mr Terrent. He
took his several degrees of Bachelor and Master of Arts--the latter in
1635; and afterwards entering into holy orders, became, as Wood[114]
expresses it, "the most florid and seraphical preacher in the
University." In October 1642, Bishop Duppa conferred on him the place
of Succentor in the Church of Salisbury; and on the 12th of April 1643,
he was admitted junior proctor of the University. He died the 29th of
November following of a malignant fever, universally lamented by every
person who knew him, even by his sovereign, who showed him particular
marks of his respect.[115] He was buried at the upper end of the south
aisle, adjoining to the choir of the cathedral of Christ Church. "He
was," says Langbaine, "extremely remarkable both for his outward and
inward endowments, his body being as handsome as his soul. He was an
expert linguist, understanding not only Greek and Latin, but French
and Italian, as perfectly as his mother tongue. He was an excellent
orator, and yet an admirable poet, a quality which Cicero, with all
his pains, could not attain to. Nor was Aristotle less known to him
than Cicero and Virgil; and those who heard his metaphysical lectures
gave him the preference to all his predecessors, the present Bishop of
Lincoln (Dr Barlow) excepted. His sermons were as much admired as his
other composures; and one fitly applied to our author that saying of
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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