The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume I.Cibber, Theophilus
General
The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume I.
Cibber, Theophilus
Poets, English -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Poets, Irish -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
Lamentations on Elizabeth Queen of Henry VII, 1503.
Verses on the Book of Fortune.
Dialogue concerning Heresies.
Supplication of Souls, writ in answer to a book called the
Supplication of Beggars.
A Confutation of Tindal's Answer to More's Dialogues, printed 1533.
The Debellation of Salem and Bizance, 1533.
In answer to another book of Tindal's.
Treatise on the Passion of Chrift.
----Godly Meditation.
------Devout Prayer.
Letters while in the Tower, all printed 1557.
Progymnasmata.
Responsio ad Convitia Martini Lutheri, 1523.
Quod pro Fide Mors fugienda non est, written in the Tower 1534.
Precationes ex Psalmis.
* * * * *
HENRY HOWARD, Earl of SURRY
Was son of Thomas, duke of Norfolk, and Elizabeth, daughter of Edward,
duke of Buckingham. The father of our author held the highest places
under King Henry VIII, and had so faithfully and bravely served him,
that the nobility grew jealous of his influence, and by their united
efforts produced his ruin. After many excellent services in France, he
was constituted Lord Treasurer, and made General of the King's whole
army design'd to march against the Scots: At the battle of Flodden,
in which the Scots were routed and their Sovereign slain, the earl of
Surry remarkably distinguished himself; he commanded under his father,
and as soon as the jealousy of the Peers had fastened upon the one,
they took care that the other should not escape. He was the first
nobleman (says Camden) that illustrated his high birth with the beauty
of learning; he was acknowledged by all, to be the gallantest man,
the politest lover, and the most compleat gentleman of his time. He
received his education at Windsor with a natural son of Henry VIII,
and became first eminent for his devotion to the beautiful Geraldine,
Maid of Honour to Queen Catherine; the first inspired him with poetry,
and that poetry has conferred immortality on her: So transported was
he with his passion, that he made a tour to the most elegant courts
in Europe, to maintain her peerless beauty against all opposers,
and every where made good his challenge with honour. In his way
to Florence, he touched at the emperor's court, where he became
acquainted with the learned Cornelius Agrippa, so famous for magic,
who shewed him the image of his Geraldine in a glass, sick, weeping on
her bed, and melting into devotion for the absence of her lord; upon
sight of this he wrote the following passionate sonnet, which for
the smoothness of the verse, the tenderness of expression, and the
heartfelt sentiments might do honour to the politest, easiest, most
passionate poet in our own times.
All soul, no earthly flesh, why dost thou fade?
All gold; no earthly dross, why look'st thou
pale?
Sickness how darest thou one so fair invade?
Too base infirmity to work her bale.
Heaven be distempered since she grieved
pines,
Never be dry, these my sad plaintive lines.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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