John Lydgate was born in a Village of the same name, not far off St. Edmondsbury, a Village (saith Cambden) though small, yet in this respect not to be passed over in silence, because it brought into the World John Lydgate the Monk, whose Wit may seem to have been framed and fashioned by the very Muses themselves: so brightly reshine in his English Verses, all the pleasant graces and elegancy of Speech, according to that Age. After some time spent in our English Universities, he travelled through France and Italy, improving his time to his great accomplishment, in learning the Languages and Arts; Erat autem non solum elegans Poeta, & Rhetor disertus, verum etiam Mathematicus expertus, Philosophus acutus, & Theologus non contemnendus: he was not only an elegant Poet, and an eloquent Rhetorician, but also an expert Mathematician, an acute Philosopher, and no mean Divine, saith Pitseus. After his return, he became Tutor to many Noblemens Sons, and both in Prose and Poetry was the best Author of his Age, for if Chaucer's Coin were of greater Weight for deeper Learning, Lydgate's was of a more refined Stantard for purer Language; so that one might mistake him for a modern Writer. But because none can so well describe him as himself, take an Essay of his Verses, out of his Life and Death of Hector, pag. 316 and 317.

Now if you would know further of him, hear him in his Prologue to the Story of Thebes, a Tale (as his Fiction is) which (or some other) he was constrained to tell, at the command of mine Host of the Tabard in Southwark, whom he found in Canterbury, with the rest of the Pilgrims which went to visit Saint Thomas shrine.

This Story was first written in Latine by Geoffry Chaucer, and translated by Lydgate into English Verse, but of the Prologue of his own making, so much as concerns himself, thus:

But I have digressed too far: To return therefore unto Lydgate. Scripsit partim Anglice, partim Latine; partim Prosa, partim Versu Libros numero plures, eruditione politissimos. He writ (saith my Author) partly English, partly Latine; partly in Prose, and partly in Verse, many exquisite learned Books, saith Pitseus, which are mentioned by him and Bale, as also in the latter end of Chaucer's Works; the last Edition, amongst which are Eglogues, Odes, Satyrs, and other Poems. He flourished in the Reign of Henry the Sixth, and departed this world (aged about 60 years) circiter An. 1440. and was buried in his own Convent at Bury, with this Epitaph,

John Harding, our Famous English Chronologer, was born (saith Bale) in the Northern parts, and most likely in Yorkshire, being an Esquire of an eminent Parentage. He was a man equally addicted to Arms and Arts, spending his Youth in the one, and his Age in the other: His first Military Employment was under Robert Umfreuil, Governor of Roxborough-Castle, where he did good Service against the Scots. Afterwards he followed the Standard of King Edward the Fourth, to whom he valiantly and faithfully adhered, not only in the Sun-shine of his Prosperity, but also in his deepest Distress.

But what endeared him the most to his Favour, and was indeed the Masterpiece of his Service, was his adventuring into Scotland; a desperate Attempt, and performed not without the manifest hazarding of his Life; where he so cunningly demeaned himself, and insinuated himself so far into their Favour, as he got a sight of their Records and Original Letters; a Copy of which he brought with him to England, and presented the same to King Edward the Fourth: Out of these he collected a History of the several Submissions, and sacred Oaths of Fealty openly taken from the time of King Athelstane, by the Kings of Scotland; to the Kings of England, for the Crown of Scotland; a Work which was afterwards made much use of by the English; although the Scotch Historians stickle with might and main, that such Homage was performed only for the County of Cumberland, and some parcel of Land their Kings had in England South of Tweed.

Now as his Prose was very useful, so was his Poetry as much delightful; writing a Chronicle of our English Kings from Brute to King Edward the Fourth, and that in English Verse; for which he was accounted one cf the chiefest Poets of his time; being so exactly done, that by it Dr. Fuller adjudges him to have drunk as deep a draught of Helicon as any in his Age: And another saying, that by the fame he deservedly claimed a Seat amongst the chiefest of the Poetical Writers.

But to give you the better view of his Poetical Abilities, I shall present you with some of his Chronicle-Verse, concerning the sumptuous Houshold kept by King Richard the Second, cap. 193.

This our Poet Harding was living Anno 1461. being then very aged; and is judged to have survived not long after.

Robert Fabian was born and bred in London as witnesseth Bale and Pits; becoming one of the Rulers thereof, being chosen Sheriff, Anno 1493. He spent his time which he had spare from publick Employments, for the benefit of posterity; writing two large Chronicles: the one from Brute to the Death of King Henry the Second; the other, from the First of King Richard, to the Death of Henry the Seventh. He was (saith my Author) of a merry disposition, and used to entertain his Guests as well with good Discourse as good Victuals: He bent his Mind much to the Study of Poetry; which according to those times, passed for currant. Take a touch of his Abilities in the Prologue to the second Volume of his Chronicle of England and France.

These Verses were made for the Honour of London; which he calleth Ryme Dogerel, and at the latter end thereof, excuseth himself to the Reader in these words:

Sir John Suckling, a prime Wit of his Age, in the Contest betwixt the Poets for the Lawrel, maketh Apollo to adjudge it to an Alderman of London; in these words;

But had the Scene of this Competition been laid a hundred and fifty years ago, and the same remitted to the Umpirage of Apollo, in sober sadness he would have given the Lawrel to this our Alderman.

He died at London, Anno 1511, and was buried at St. Michael's Church in Cornhil, with this Epitaph;

Dr. Fuller observeth, That none hath worse Poetry than Poets on their Monuments; certainly there is no Rule without Exceptions; he himself instancing to the contrary in his England's Worthies, by Mr. Drayton's Epitaph, and several others.

John Skelton, the Poet Laureat in his Age, tho' now accounted only a Rhymer, is supposed to have been born in Norfolke, there being an ancient Family of that Name therein; and to make it the more probable, he himself was Beneficed therein at Dis in that County. That he was Learned, we need go no further than to Erasmus for a Testimony; who, in his Letter to King Henry the Eighth, stileth him, Britanicarum Literarum Lumen & Decus. Indeed he had Scholarship enough, and Wit too much: Ejus Sermo (saith Pitz.) salsus in mordacem, risus in opprobrium, jocus in amaritudinem. Whoso reads him, will find he hath a miserable, loose, rambling Style, and galloping measure of Verse: yet were good poets so scarce in his Age, that he had the good fortune to be chosen Poet Laureat, as he stiles himself in his Works, The Kings Orator, and Poet Laureat.

His chief Works, as many as can be collected, and that out of an old Printed Book, are these; Philip Sparrow, Speak Parrot, The Death of King Edward the Fourth, A Treatise of the Scots, Ware the Hawk, The Tunning of Elianer Rumpkin: In many of which, following the humor of the ancientest of our Modern Poets, he takes a Poetical Liberty of being Satyrical upon the Clergy, as brought him under the Lash of Cardinal Woolsey, who so persecuted him, that he was forced to take Sanctuary at Westminster, where Abbot Islip used him with much respect. In this Restraint he died, June 21, 1529. and was buried in St. Margaret's Chappel, with this Epitaph;

We must not forget, how being charg'd by some on his Death-bed for begetting many Children on a Concubine which he kept, he protested, that in his Conscience he kept her in the notion of a Wife, though such his cowardliness, that he would rather confess Adultery, than own Marriage, the most punishable at that time.

To this John Scelton, we shall next present you with the Life of his Contemporary and great Antagonist William Lillie, born at Odiham, a great Market-Town in Hantshire; who to better his knowledge, in his youth travelled to the City of Jerusalem, where having satisfied his curiosity in beholding those sacred places where on our Saviour trode when he was upon the Earth; he returned homewards, making some stay at Rhodes, to study Greek. Hence he went to Rome, where he heard John Sulpitius and Pomponius Sabinus, great Masters of Latine in those days. At his return home, Doctor John Collet had new builded a fair School at the East-end of St. Paul's, for 153 poor mens Children, to be taught free in the same School; for which he appointed a Master, an Usher, and a Chaplain, with large Stipends for ever; committing the oversight thereof to the Masters, Wardens and Assistants of the Mercers in London, because he was Son to Henry Collet Mercer, sometime Major; leaving for the Maintenance thereof, Lands to the yearly value of 120l. or better; making this William Lilly first Master thereof; which Place he commendably discharg'd for 15 years. During which time he made his Latine Grammar, the Oracle of Free Schools of England, and other Grammatical Works. He is said also by Bale, to have written Epigrams, and other Poetry of various Subjects in various Latine Verse, though scarce any of them (unless it be his Grammar) now extant, only Mr. Stow makes mention of an Epitaph made by him, and graven on a fair Tomb, in the midst of the Chancel of St. Paul's in London containing these Words;