His acquaintance with Challoner is also alluded to by Aubrey who says[5], "that his translation of Lucan's excellent poem, made him in love with the republique." Aubrey adds, he was-- "A handsome man, debauched, and lodged in the little square by Cannon Row, as you go through the alley." Clarendon concludes his notice of May by observing that-- "Shortly after the publication of his parliamentary history he died, miserable and neglected, and deserves to be forgotten." The fact is, he was found dead in his bed in Nov. 1650; but that he was "neglected" is not altogether correct. At any rate, he was honoured with a public funeral, a marble monument, and a laudatory epitaph in Westminster Abbey,--short-lived dignities! for, at the Restoration, the memorial of his fame was torn down, whilst his body was exhumed, and, after being treated with much ignominy, hurled into a large pit in St. Margaret's churchyard adjoining.--Besides the works above noticed, May also wrote _The Description of Henry II._, in verse, with _A Short Survey of the Changes of his Reign_, and _The Single and Comparative Character of Henry and Richard his Sons_, in prose. Nor was that of Lucan his only translation, for he rendered into English verse _Virgil's Georgics_ and _Selected Epigrams of Martial_. He was also the author of five dramas, two of which are given in Dodsley's _Old Plays_. A now forgotten critic, Henry Headley, B.A., of Norwich, observes concerning his historical poetics, that May-- "Has caught no small portion of the energy and declamatory spirit which characterises the Roman poet, whom, as he translated, he insensibly made his model. His battle pieces," our critic continues, "highly merit being brought forward to notice; they possess the requisites, in a remarkable degree, for interesting the feelings of an Englishman. While in accuracy they vie with a gazette, they are managed with such dexterity, as to busy the mind with unceasing agitation, with scenes highly diversified and impassioned by striking character, minute incident, and alarming situation."[6] In confirmation of the general propriety and justness of these remarks, I would refer to the description of "The Den of the Vices" (H. II. b. i.), and to the accounts of "The Death of Rosamond" (H. II. b. v.), "The Battle of Cressy" (E. III. b. iii.), and "The Capture of Mortimer" (E. III. b. i.). These pieces can only be thus vindicated, being much too long for extracting; but I think a republication of the entire poems would be an acceptable boon to the public. COWGILL. [Footnote 1: _The Life of Edward, Earl of Clarendon, &c._, Oxf. 1827.] [Footnote 2: The same.] [Footnote 3: Southey calls May "the very able competitor of D'Avenant," and describes him as "a man so honourably known by his translation of Lucan, and his Supplement to that poet, that it were to be wished he were remembered for nothing else."--_Biog. Sketches._]