Chapter XVIII: Introduction

William Habington, the son of Thomas Habington,[264] of Hendlip, in the county of Worcester, Esq., was born at the seat of his father, on the 4th, or, as others say, the 5th, of November 1605.[265] He received his education at St Omers and Paris, and at the former of these places was earnestly solicited to become one of the order of the Jesuits. On his return from Paris, being then at man's estate, he was instructed at home in matters of history by his father, and became an accomplished gentleman. He married Lucia, daughter of William Lord Powis, and is charged by Wood with running with the times, and being not unknown to Oliver Cromwell. He died the 30th of November 1654, and was buried in the vault at Hendlip, by the bodies of his father and grandfather.

Besides the play now republished, he was the author of--

1. Poems, under the title of "Castara," 4º, 1634; 12º, 1635, 1640.[266] They are divided into three parts, each under a different title, suitable to the subject: the first, written when he was suitor to his wife, is ushered in by a character of a mistress, written in prose: the second contains verses written to her after marriage; after which is a character of a friend, before several funeral elegies: and the third consists of Divine Poems, preceded by the portrait of a holy man.[267]

2. "Observations upon History." 8º, 1641.

3. "History of Edward IV., King of England," fº, 1640, written and published at the desire of King Charles I.[268]

Wood observes that the MSS. which our author and his father left[269] were then in the hands of the former's son, and might be made useful for the public, if in the possession of any other person.[270]

FOOTNOTES:

[264] This Thomas Habington was born 26th October 1560, and married Mary, the sister of Lord Mounteagle, the lady who is supposed to have written that letter to her brother which occasioned the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot. For harbouring Garnet and Alchorne, two Popish priests, he is said to have been condemned to die, but by the intercession of Lord Mounteagle he was reprieved and pardoned. He lived many years afterwards, not dying until the 8th of October 1647, at the advanced age of eighty-seven years. Wood says he surveyed the county of Worcester, and made a collection of most of its antiquities. He also translated "The Epistle of Gildas, the most ancient British author," 12º, 1638, and had a considerable hand in the "History of Edward IV.," published by his son.

[265] In a poem on p. 104 of his "Castara," 1640, Habington claims alliance with several noble families--

"Now I resolve, in triumph of my verse,
To bring great _Talbot_ from that foreign herse
Which yet doth to her fright his dust enclose:
Then to sing _Herbert_, who so glorious rose
With the fourth Edward, that his faith doth shine
Yet in the faith of noble _Pembroke's_ line.
Sometimes my swelling spirits I prepare
To speak the mighty _Percy_, nearest heir
In merits, as in blood, to Charles the Great:
Then _Derby's_ worth and greatness to repeat;
Or _Morley's_ honour, or _Mounteagle's_ fame,
Whose valour lives eterniz'd in his name:
But while I think to sing those _of my blood_,
And my _Castaras_," &c.

--_Collier._

[266] Mr Park, in a MS. note to a copy of these poems, in 1640, observes, "The first and second parts of these poems were printed in 1634, 4º; again (with additions) in 1635, 12º; and the third part was added in 1640. He is said to have entitled his collection "Castara" in compliment to his mistress, Lucia, daughter of Lord Powis, who became his wife." This is evident from a poem on p. 102 of the edition of 1640, addressed to Lord Powis, where he speaks of his daughter as Castara.--_Collier._

[267] Phillips, speaking of Habington ("Theatrum Poetarum," 1675), says "that he may be ranked with those who deserve neither the highest nor the lowest seat in the theatre of fame." Mr Park is of opinion "that this character of him is rather below par; for he appears (as an amatory poet) to have possessed a superior degree of unaffected tenderness and delicacy of sentiment to either Carew or Waller, with an elegance of versification very seldom inferior to his more famed contemporaries." Perhaps Habington's "amiable piety," rendered him a peculiar favourite with Mr Park.--_Collier._

[268] Phillips, in his "Theatrum Poetarum," complains that this work is written in a style "better becoming a poetical than a historical subject."--_Collier._ [In "Jonsonus Virbius," verses to the memory of Ben Jonson, 1638, is a poem by W. Abington.]

[269] The collections he made of the antiquities, &c., of Worcestershire, formed the foundation of Dr Nash's history of that county.--_Collier._

[270] The following is from "Wit's Recreations," 1640--

+"To Mr. William Habington, on his 'Castara,' a Poem.+

Thy Muse is chaste, and thy Castara too;
'Tis strange at Court: and thou hadst power to woo
And to obtain what others were denied,
The fair Castara for thy virtuous bride.
Enjoy what you dare wish, and may there be
Fair issues branch from both to honour thee."

--_Gilchrist._

THE PROLOGUE AT COURT.

Had not obedience o'errul'd the Author's fear
And judgment too, this humble piece had ne'er
Approach'd so high a majesty: not writ
By the exact and subtle rules of wit,
Ambitious for the splendour of this night,
But fashion'd up in haste for 's own delight.
This by my lord[271] with as much zeal as e'er
Warm'd the most loyal heart, is offer'd here,
To make this night your pleasure, although we,
Who are the actors, fear 'twill rather be
Your patience; and if any mirth, we may
Sadly suspect, 'twill rise quite the wrong way.
But you have mercy, sir; and from your eye,
Bright madam, never yet did lightning fly;
But vital beams of favour, such as give
A growth to all who can deserve to live.
Why should the author tremble then, or we
Distress our hopes, and such tormentors be
Of our own thoughts? since in those happy times
We live, when mercy's greater than the crimes.

FOOTNOTES:

[271] Meaning, most likely, the Earl of Pembroke, at whose instance the play was represented before the King and Queen at court.--_Collier._

THE PROLOGUE AT THE FRIARS.

Ere we begin, that no man may repent
Two shillings and his time, the Author sent
The prologue with the errors of his play,
That, who will, may take his money and away.
First for the plot, it's no way intricate
By cross deceits in love, nor so high in state,
That we might have given out in our playbill,
This day's "The Prince," writ by Nick Machiavil.
The language too is easy, such as fell
Unstudied from his pen: not like a spell
Big with mysterious words, such as enchant
The half-witted, and confound the ignorant.
Then what must needs afflict the amorist,
No virgin here in breeches casts a mist
Before her lover's eyes: no ladies tell,
How their blood boils, how high their veins do swell.
But, what is worse, no bawdy mirth is here
(The wit of bottle-ale and double-beer),
To make the wife of citizen protest,
And country-justice swear 'twas a good jest.
Now, sirs, you have the errors of his wit:
Like or dislike, at your own perils be't.

THE ACTOR'S NAMES.

+The Queen of Arragon.+
+Decastro+, _General of the Forces of Arragon, in love with the queen_.
+Ossuna+, _friend to Decastro_.
+Florentio+, _General of the Forces of Castile, enamoured of the queen_.
+Velasco+, _a great commander under Florentio_.
+Ascanio+, _the King of Castile disguised_.
+Lerma+, _a nobleman privy to his disguise_.
+Oniate+, _a sober courtier_.
+Sanmartino+, _a half-witted lord_.
+Browfildora+, _dwarf to Sanmartino_.

+Floriana+, _wife to Sanmartino_.
+Cleantha+, _a witty court-lady_.

+Captain.+
+Servants.+
_Several +Soldiers+._

THE QUEEN OF ARRAGON.[272]