Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Shirley, John (1648-1679)
SHIRLEY, JOHN (1648–1679), author, son of John Shirley, bookseller, of London, was born in the parish of St. Botolph, Aldersgate, on 7 Aug. 1648. He matriculated from Trinity College, Oxford, on 17 March 1665, became a scholar in 1667, graduated B.A. on 18 Feb. 1668 and M.A. on 28 Nov. 1671, and in 1673 acted as terræ filius. Soon after he was elected a probationary fellow, but was expelled for immoral conduct before his term of probation had expired. He returned to London, and, having married the daughter of an innkeeper of Islington, made a livelihood by correcting for the press. He died at Islington on 28 Dec. 1679. He was the author of ‘The Life of the Valiant and Learned Sir Walt. Raleigh, Kt., with his Trial at Winchester,’ London, 1677, 8vo.
He has been identified with one John Shirley, M.D. (fl. 1678), who wrote: 1. ‘A short Compendium of Chirurgery,’ London, 1678, 8vo; 2nd edit. 1683. 2. ‘The Art of Rowling and Bolstring,’ London, 1682, 8vo; though the two are more probably distinct (Wood, Athenæ Oxon. ed. Bliss, iii. 1220).
A third John Shirley (fl. 1680–1702), miscellaneous writer, said, on very doubtful evidence, to be a son of James Shirley [q. v.], the dramatist (Hunter, Chorus Vatum, iii. 420), was the author of: 1. ‘An Abridgment of the History of Guy, Earl of Warwick,’ London, 1681, 4to, Brit. Mus. 2. ‘The History of Reynard the Fox; in heroic verse,’ London, 1681, 8vo. 3. ‘Ecclesiastical History Epitomised,’ London, 1682, 8vo. 4. ‘The Honour of Chivalry,’ London, 1683, 4to. 5. ‘The Illustrious History of Women,’ London, 1686, 12mo. 6. ‘A True Account of the Enterprise of the Confederate Princes against the Turks and Hungarian Rebels,’ London, 1686, 4to. 7. ‘The Accomplished Lady's Rich Closet of Rarities,’ London, 1687, 12mo. 8. ‘The Triumph of Wit,’ London, 1688, 8vo; 8th edit. 1724, 12mo. 9. ‘An Abridgment of the History of Amadis of Gaul,’ London, 1702, 12mo. 10. ‘Great Britain's Glory: an abridgment of the “History of King Arthur,”’ London, 4to.
[Lowndes's Bibl. Manual, ii. 2387; Gray's Index to Hazlitt; Foster's Alumni Oxon. 1500–1714.]