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SIR JOHN SUCKLING
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| 9. | l. 12. | Townsend] See Carew's Poems in Muses' Library, p. 104, and Mr. Vincent's note. Lord Herbert of Cherbury mentions, as his companion abroad in 1608, 'Mr. Aurelian Townsend, a gentleman that spoke the languages of French, Italian, and Spanish in great perfection.' |
| l. 13. | Digby] Sir Kenelm Digby, 1603-65, 'a gentleman absolute in all numbers' (Jonson, Eupheme, 1633); called by a competent scholar 'the Mirandula of his age' (Aubrey, loc. cit., i. 225). See Howell to Sir Thomas Lake, 3 July, 1629, on translations of Martial, x. 47, submitted to Digby's judgment (Epp. Ho-El., i., § 5, No. 25). | |
| Shillingsworth] In spite of Hazlitt's opinion to the contrary, it is probable that William Chillingworth, 'the most intimate and beloved favourite' of Falkland (Aubrey, loc. cit., i. 151), takes his place here with so many of Falkland's circle among the 'wits of the town.' Hobbes bore testimony to his wit (ibid., i. 370, 173): his epitaph at Chichester, by Archdeacon Whitby, reckons him as 'omni Literarum genere celeberrimus.' | ||
| l. 15. | Lucan's translator] Thomas May, 1595-1650, famous for his History of the Parliament of England, 1647. His translation of the Pharsalia appeared in 1627, and was followed in 1630 by an original continuation of the poem to the death of Julius Caesar, and, in 1640, by a Latin version of the same, highly praised by Clarendon. Mr. Fleay (Biograph. Chron. Eng. Drama, ii. 84) attributes to him, on doubtful grounds, the famous tragedy of Nero. He certainly wrote plays in early life, and published other translations and historical poems. His reputation with his contemporaries was doubtful: 'A handsome man, debaucht ad omnia' (Aubrey, ii. 56). This judgment, passed at second-hand, was qualified by Aubrey in a later note. Wood, however, added charges of atheism. Marvell, Tom May's Death, calls him 'Most servile wit, and mercenary pen. Polydore, Lucan, Alan, Vandal, Goth, Malignant poet and historian both.' Clarendon speaks on the whole in his favour. |
