THE LIFE OF SIR EDWARD SHERBURNE. BY MR. CHALMERS. THIS poet descended from an ancient family of the same name at Stanyhurst in Lancashire. His grandfather, Henry, appears to have belonged, but in what capacity is not known, to Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and settled in that city, where Edward the father of our poet was born. This Edward went afterwards to London, and became secretary to the first East India company, that established by queen Elizabeth's charter, and in 1613 obtained a reversionary grant of the office of clerk of the ordnance. He was afterwards knighted by Charles I'. He married Frances, the second daughter of John Stanley, of Roydon Hall, in Essex, esq. and resided in Goldsmiths' Rents, near Redcross-street, Cripplegate. His son, the poet, was born here September 18, 1618, and educated by the celebrated Thomas Farnaby, who then taught a school in Goldsmiths' Rents. On his removal to Sevenoaks, in Kent, in 1636, young Sherburne was educated privately under the care of Mr. Charles Aleyn, the poetical historian of the batt es of Cressy and Poictiers, who had been one of Farnaby's ushers. On the death of Aleyn in 1640, his pupil being intended for the army, was sent to complete his education abroad, and had travelled in France and part of Italy, when his father's illness obliged him to return. After his father's death in 1641, he succeeded to the clerkship of his majesty's ordnance, the reversion of which had been procured for him in 1638; but the rebellion prevented his retaining it long. Being a Roman catholic, and firmly attached to the king, he was ejected by a warrant of the house of lords in April or May, 1642, and harassed by a long and expensive confinement in the custody of the usher of the black rod. On his release, he determined to follow the fortunes of his royal master, who made him commissary general of the artillery, in which post he witnessed the battle of Edge-hill, and afterwards attended the king at Oxford, where he was created Master of Arts, December 20, 1642. Here he took such opportunities as his office permitted of pursuing his studies, and did not leave Oxford until June, 1646, when it was surrendered to the parliamentary forces. He then went to London, and was entertained by a near relation, John Povey, esq. at his chambers in the Middle Temple. Being Gent, Mag. LXVI. p. 462. C. plundered of all his property, and what is ever most dear to a man of learning, his The peace of the country being now re-established, he appears to have applied him- During the commotions excited by the popish plot, attempts were made to remove 3 2 Father of the learned Thomas Stanley, esq. Phillips dedicated his Theatrum Poetarum to Stanley Gent. Mag. ubi supra. p. 462-3. C. was the principal person concerned in drawing up the "Rules, Orders and Instructions" given to the office of ordnance in 1683, which with very few alterations, have been confirmed at the beginning of every reign since, and are those by which the office is now governed. To these scanty notices, may be added his acquaintance with Dr. Bentley, which was occasioned by that learned critic's announcing an intention of publishing a new edition of Manilius. Sir Edward, who had formerly translated the first book of that poet into English verse, took this opportunity of sending to Bentley his collection of editions and papers belonging to Gaspar Gevartius who had also intended an edition of Manilius, but was prevented by death*. The writer of his life in the Biographia Britannica, concludes it with lamenting the misfortune of Anthony Wood's carrying on his history no longer than the year 1700, and thus leaving it doubtful when sir Edward Sherburne died: but this is one of the many instances of carelessness which occur in those latter volumes of the Biographia that were principally intrusted to Dr. Nichols. Collier, whose dictionary is in less reputation than it deserves, and which contains many curious facts not easily to be found elsewhere, ascertains Sherburne's death from an epitaph which he wrote for himself. He died in Nov. 4, 1702, and was interred on the 8th in the chapel belonging to the Tower of London. In Sherburne's poems considerable genius may be discovered, but impeded by the prevailing taste of his age for strained metaphors and allusions. Poetical lovers then thought no compliments too extravagant, and ransacked the remotest and apparently most barren sources for what were considered as striking thoughts, but which appear to us unnatural, if not ridiculous. He appears to have derived most of his reputation from his translations. He was a man of classical learning and a critic, and frequently conveys the sense of his author with considerable spirit, although his versification is in general flat and inharmonious'. In his sacred poems he seems to rise to a fervency and elegance which indicate a superior inspiration. 4 Biog. Brit. old edit. vol. ii. p. 744. note S. C. 'Some of them are omitted in the present edition, as are his learned notes on Coluthus. C. NOBILISSIMO AMICISSIMO CANDIDISSIMOQUE PECTORI THOME STANLEIO, ARMIGERO, ΜΟΥΣΑΓΗΤΗ PRAESTANTISSIMO QUO NULLUS MIHI CARIOR MEORUM, QUEM PLURIS FACIUNT NOVEM SORORES QUAM CUNCTOS ALIOS; HÆC QVALIACVNQVE, NON TAM MATERIE VARIA, QUAM MACULIS VARIEGATA POEMAT A, (MAXIMÆ INTIMÆQVE, HEV MINIMVM AMICITIÆ PIGNUS!) DICATA, DEDICATA VOLUI EDWARDVS SHERBØRNE. |