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A Gentleman of Wales, born at Aberna∣lies in the County of Caermarden, in the Year 1594. He was Bred up at the Free-School in Hereford; and at 16. Years of Age, sent to the University of Oxford, where he became a Member of Jesus Colledge. About March, in the
Year 1618. he travelled beyond Sea, being sent on Buisiness, by Sir Robert Mansel, where he visited the Low-Countries, and afterwards made a Tour thro' France, and Italy; as ap∣pears by the Letters he has publisht. In which the Reader may not only be inform'd of the Chief Occurences of those Times, but of our Author's several Imployments; as, His being sent by King James into Spain, for the Recovery of a Vessel of great va∣lue, seiz'd on by the Vice-Roy of Sardinia, under pretence of being laden with prohi∣bited Goods: His being chosen Fellow of Je∣sus Colledge, during his absence; His being Se∣cretary to the Lord Scroop, when he was Pre∣sident of the Councel in the North; His being Imploy'd about the Clerks of the Councel, &c.
Notwithstanding his various Employs, and multiplicity of Business, he found leisure to publish abundance of Books, to the number of Fourty-nine: Many of them were Translations out of French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Of which Nature is the Play, which occasions his mention in our Catalogue; viz.
Nuptials of Peleus and Thetis, consisting of a Masque, and a Comedy, or The Great Royal Ball acted in Paris, six times, by the King in person, the Duke of Anjou, the Duke of York, with divers other Noblemen. Also by the Princess Royal Henriette Marie, the Princess of Conty, &c. printed 4o. Lond. 1654. and dedi∣cated to the most Excellent and High Born Lady, the Lady Katherine Marchioness of Dor∣chester. The Masque was extracted from an
Italian Comedy, which the Author has made English, by a nearer adherence to the Original, than to the French Translation. For the Plot, 'tis founded on Ovid's Metamorphosis, lib. 11. See besides, Catulli Aurgonautica, sive Epitha∣lamium.
'Tis not to be expected that I should spare room to give an Account of our Authors Works in particular, they being so numerous: I shall therefore only mention some of the most Emi∣ment, and refer the Reader for further Satis∣faction to the perusal of a Catalogue of them, published with a former Edition of his Letters, printed 8o. Lond. 1655. His chief Pieces are, Dodona's Grove, a Book much priz'd, and trans∣lated into French 1652. His Letters, which were formerly in four distinct Volumes, and are reduc'd into one; amongst which are seve∣ral to Ben. Johnson, which speak their Inti∣macy. Besides these, he has writ a Book of the Precedency of Kings, printed Fol. Lond. 1664. Survey of the Seniorie of Venice. Fol. Lond. 1652. Life of Lewis the Thirteenth, and Cardinal Richelieu, Fol. Lond. 1646. Mor∣phandra, or The Queen of the Enchanted Island, a Poem in Fol. The Vote, a Poem Royal, in 4o, &c.
He died about the beginning of November, 1666. and was buried on the North-side of the Temple-Church, with this Inscription fix'd upon the Wall; Jacobus Howell Cambro-Bri∣tannus, Regius Historiographus, in Anglia pri∣mus; qui post varias peregrinationes, tandem na∣turae cursum peregit, Satur Annorum, & Famae,
domae, forisque huc usque erraticus, heic fixus 1666.