author Borde was esteemed a noted poet, a witty and ingenious person, and an excellent Physician of his time; and that he is reported by some to have been, not only Physician to King Henry 8th, but also a Member of the College of Physicians at London, to whom he dedicated his

Breviarie of Health. 4to. 1552.

A Merie Jest of a Man that was called Howleglas, and of many marveylous Thinges and Jests that he dyd in his lyfe. 4to. With a rude Title-page, representing two mean people, one of whom is a Peasant, holding a pitchfork in his hand, addressing a Prince with a crown on his head and a sceptre in his hand. Printed by Wyllyam Copland.

An imperfect copy was in the Duke of Roxburghe's collection, and sold for 147. 58. and is now, I believe, in Mr. Heber's possession.

Mr. Beloe, in his Anecdotes of Literature, vol. i. p. 407, &c. has enumerated the marveylous things and jests of this Mister Howleglass, from the table of contents, of a perfect copy in the Garrick Collection; and has a specimen at length of how this Howleglas cheated some milk-maids of their cream; as also a Dialogue between Howleglas and a Scholar."

66

It should seem that this Howleglas was a sort of Lazarillo or Scapin, and that the book is a translation from the Dutch language, wherein he is named Ulenspiegle.

Percy, in his "Essay on the Origin of the English Stage," &c. Relics, vol. i. p. 126, quotes this old novel to show how our ancient mysteries were represented in their most simple form.

"It is well known," says Percy," that Dramatic Poetry in this and most other nations of Europe owes its origin, or at least its revival, to those religious shows, which in the dark ages were usually exhibited on the more solemn festivals. At those times they were wont to represent in the Churches the lives and miracles of the Saints, or some of the more important stories of Scripture. And as the most mysterious subjects were frequently chosen, such as the Incarnation, Passion, and Resurrection of Christ, &c. these exhibitions acquired the general name of Mysteries. At first they were probably a kind of dumb shews, intermingled, it may be, with a few short speeches; at length they grew into a regular series of connected Dialogues, formally divided into acts and scenes. Specimens of these in their most improved state (being at best but poor artless compositions) may be seen among Dodsley's Old Plays, and in the Harleian Miscellany." How they were exhibited in their most simple form, we may learn from a “" A merye Jest of a man that was called Howleglas," whose waggish tricks are the subject of the book at the head of the present article. After many adventures, he comes to live with a Priest, who makes him his Parish Clerk. This Priest is described as keeping a Leman, or Concubine, who had but one eye, to whom Howleglas owed a grudge, for revealing his rogueries to his master. The story thus proceeds: "And than in the meane season, while Howle

glas was Parysh Clarke, at Easter they should play the resur"rection of our Lorde: and for because than the men wer not

learned, nor could not read, the Priest toke his Leman, and "put her in the grave for an Aungell: and this seing, Howleglas toke to hym iij of the symplest persons that were in the towne, that played the iij Maries; and the Person (i. e. Par

And than the And when the

"son or Rector) played Christe, with a baner in his hand. "Than saide Howleglas to the symple persons, When the 66 Aungell asketh you whome you seke, you may saye, the Par"son's Leman with one iye. Than it fortuned that the tyme was come that they must playe; and the Aungel asked them "whom they sought, and then sayd they, as Howleglas had "shewed and lerned them afore, and than answered thay, "We seke the Priest's Leman with one iye.' "Prieste might heare that he was mocked. "Priest's Leman herd that, she arose out of the grave, and "would have smyten with her fist Howleglas upon the cheke, "but she missed him and smote one of the symple persons "that played one of the thre Maries; and he gave her another; “and than toke she him by the heare (hair); and that seing "his wyfe came running hastely to smite the Priest's Leman; "and than the Priest seing this, caste down hys baner, and "went to help his woman, so that the one gave the other sore "strokes, and made great noyse in the churche. And than

Howleglas seyng them lyinge together by the eares in the "bodi of the churche, went his way out of the village, and ss came no more there."

Heywood (John.) A Parable of the Spider and Flie. 4to. Lond. 1556.

Pearson, 1788, 21: 13s. 6d.; Gordon, 97. 98.; Stewart's, 1814, 107. 10s.; Townley, 167. 168.; G. Nassau, Esq. 1824, (the last leaf a reprint in fac simile,) 27. 12s. 6d.

Heywood's (John) Woorkes, containing the Spider and the Flie, His Dialogues on English Proverbes, and his 600 Epigrammes. 4to. 1562.

Mason, 37. 13s. 6d.; Farmer, 57. 10s.; Devonshire Duplicates, 1815, 77.; Duke of Roxburghe, 217.

Another Edition. 4to. 1576. Sold at Mr. Strettell's sale in 1820 for 77. 17s. 6d.

Heywood's (John) Dialogue on English Proverbes. 4to. First edition. 1546.

Duke of Roxburghe, 1812, 47. 10s.

Heywood's largest and most laboured work is the Spider and Flie, which forms a pretty thick quarto in old English verse, printed in the black letter; and at the beginning of each of the 77 chapters of which the Parable consists, appears the figure of the Author, either standing or sitting before a table, with a book on it, near a window hung with cobwebs, flies, and spiders. By way of frontispiece is a wooden print of the Author at full length, and probably in the habit he usually wore, for he is dressed in a fur gown, resembling that of a Master of Arts. He has a round cap on his head, and a dagger hanging to his girdle; his chin and lips appear close shaven.

Hollinshed, in his Chronicle, says of Heywood, that in his Book of the Spider and Flie," he dealeth so profoundlie, and beyond all measure of skill, that neither he himself that made it, neither anie one that readeth it, can reach unto the mean"ing thereof."

Speaking of the Author of the "Spider and Flie," who was also a Dramatic Writer, and a list of whose plays may be found in Reed and Jones's Biographia Dramatica, Mr Warton says,

"that he was one of the very first* Dramatic Writers that our "island produced. He drew the Bible from the stage, and "introduced representations of familiar life and popular man"ners."

John Heywood, according to Isaac Reed's account, and which is extracted almost verbatim from Wood's Athena, was born at North Mims, near St. Alban's, in Hertfordshire, and was educated at Oxford; but the sprightliness of his disposition not being well adapted to the sedentary life of an academician, he went back to his native place, which being in the neighbourhood of the great Sir Thomas More, he presently contracted an intimacy with that great Mæcenas of wit and genius, who introduced him to the knowledge and patronage of the Princess Mary. Heywood's ready wit and aptness for jest and repartee, together with the possession of great skill both in vocal and instrumental music, rendered him a favourite with Henry VIII. who frequently rewarded him very highly.† On the accession of Edward VI. he still continued in favor, though the Author of The Art of English Poetry says it was " for "the mirth and quickness of conceit, more than any good "learning that was in him."

He continued a great favorite with Queen Mary after she came to the throne, and even till her death, after which, eing a bigoted Roman Catholic, he became apprehensive that some of the severities which had been practised on the Protes

* Anthony Wood, in his Athena Oxoniensis, does not subscribe to this opinion.

Granger, in his Biographical Hist. of England, says, "I have somewhere seen John Heywood mentioned as Jester to King Henry VIII.” vol. i. p. 170.