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EXTRACTS.

SKETCHES OF EMINENT PERSONS.

The following sketches of likenesses and characters of various eminent persons in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries are extracted from different parts of Aubrey's Lives, (recently printed from the originals in the Bodleian and Ashmolean Libraries, Oxford). They are interesting as being given by a writer contemporary with, and the friend of the greater part of them :

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Sir WALTER RALEIGH.-He was a tall, handsome, bold had a most remarkable aspect-an exceeding high forehead, long faced, and sour eie lidded, a kind of piggie-eie; but withall, that awefulness and ascendency in his aspect over other mortals, that as K. Charles I. said of the Lord Strafford, he was a person that a Prince would rather be afraid than ashamed of. At an obscure tavern in Drury-Lane (a bayliff's) is a good picture of this worthy, and also of others of his time, taken upon some execution, I suppose, formerly. But the best is at Mr. Raleigh's, at Dowaton (an originall) where he is in a white satin doublet, all embroidered with rich pearles, and a mighty rich chaine of great pearles about his neck. The old servants have told me, that the pearles were near as big as the painted ones. I heard my cousin Witney say that he saw him in the Tower. He had a velvet cap laced, and a rich gowne and trunke hose.

Sir PHILIP SIDNEY is described as being not only of an excellent wit, but extremely beautiful. He much resembled his sister, says our author, but his haire was not red, but a little inclining, viz.—a darke amber colour. If I were to find a fault in it, methinks 'twas not masculine enough. My great uncle Browne remembered him, and sayd that he was wont to take is

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table book out of his pocket and write down his notions as they came into his head, when he was writing his Arcadia, as he was hunting on our pleasant plaines (in Wiltshire).

SPENCER, Mr. Beeston says, was a little man, wore short haire, little band, and little cuffs. When he brought Sir Philip Sidney his Faerie Queen, Sir Philip was busy at his study, and his servant delivering Mr. Spencer's booke, he lay'd it by, thinking it might be such kind of stuff as he was frequently troubled with. Mr. Spencer staid so long that his patience was wearied, and he went his way discontented, and never intended to come again. When Sir Philip perused it, he was so exceedingly delighted that he was extremely sorry he was gone, and where to send for him he knew not. After much inquiry he learned his lodging, and sent him so handsome a present, that from this time there was a great friendship between them to Sir Philip's dying day. Lately taking down the wainscot of his chamber, at Sir Erasmus Dreyden's, they found abundance of cards, with stanzas of the Faerie Queen written on them.

Dr. WILLIAM HARVEY, (author of that great discovery, the circulation of the blood). He was not tall, but of the lowest stature; round faced, olivaster (like wainscott) complexion; little eie, round, very black, full of spirit. His haire was black as a raven, but quite white 20 years before he died.

Sir JOHN DENHAM's eie was a kind of light goose grey, not big; but it had a strange piercingness, not as to shining and glory, but (like a Momus) when he conversed with you, he look't into your very thought. He was of the tallest, but a little incurvetting at his shoulders, not very robust; his hair was but thin and flaxen, with a moist curl. His gaite was slow, and was rather a stalking (he had long legges).

Sir JOHN SUCKLING was of the middle stature and slight strength, brisquie round eie, reddish-faced and red nose (ill liver), his head not very big, his hayre a kind of sand-colour; his beard turn'd up naturally; so that he had a brisk and graceful look.

BEN JONSON.-Aubrey says he first acted and wrote but both ill, at the Green Curtain, a kind of nursery

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and play-house, somewhere in the suburbs, towards Shoreditch or Clerkenwell; and that he afterwards undertook again to write plays, and hit it admirably well, particularly Every Man in his Humour, which was his first good one. This play-house, according to Mr. Malone, was called "The Theatre," a term of distinction which makes him conjecture that it was the first regular play-house built near the metropolis. It stood in the Curtain Road, Shoreditch, and acquired its name of the curtain, from the custom of hanging it up as a sign, a striped (qnery, green ?) curtain, while performing.Jonson is said by the above writer (Aubrey) to have killed Mr. Marlow, the poet, on Bunhill, coming from the Green Curtain play-house. He adds the following curious information, as to Jonson's person and habit.— "He was, or rather had been, of a fair and clear skin, with one eye lower than t'other, like Clun, the player, his habit very plain. I have heard Mr. Lacy, the player, say that he was wont to weare a coate like a coachman's coate, with slits under the arm pitts. would many times exceed in drinke; Canarie was his beloved liquor; then he would tumble home to bed, and when he had thoroughly perspired, then to studie. I have seen his studyeing chaire, which was of straw, such as old women used, and as Aulus Gellius was drawn in. Long since, in King James's time, I have heard my unkle Danvers say (who knew him) that he lived without Temple Barre, at a comb-maker's shop. In his latter time he lived at Westminster, in the house under which you passe as you go out of the church-yard into the old palace, where he dyed. He lies buried in the north aisle in the path of square stone, (the rest is lozenge), opposite to the scutcheon of Robertus de Ros, with this inscription only on him, (in a pavement square) blew marble, about 15 inches, O Rare Ben Jonson,' which was done at the charge of Jack Young, afterwards knighted, who, walking there when the grave was covering, gave the fellow eighteen pence to cut it. The following grace was a grace made by him extempore, before King James :—

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"Our King and Queen the Lord God blesse,
The paltzgrave, and the Lady Besse,

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