The lives of the most famous English poets, or, The honour of Parnassus in a brief essay of the works and writings of above two hundred of them, from the time of K. William the Conqueror to the reign of His present Majesty, King James II / written by William Winstanley, author of The English worthies ...

JOHN HIGGINS.

JOhn Higgins was one of the chief of them who compiled the History of the Mirrour of Ma∣gistrates, associated with Mr. Baldwin, Mr. Ferrers, Thomas Churchyard, and several others, of which Book Sir Philip Sidney thus writes in his Defence of Poesie, I account the Mirrour of Magistrates meetly furnished of beautiful parts. These Commendations coming from so worthy a person, our Higgins ha∣ving so principal a share therein, deserves a prin∣cipal part of the praise. And how well his deser∣vings were, take an essay of his Poetry in his in∣duction to the Book.

When Summer sweet with all her pleasures past, And leaves began to leave the shady tree, The Winter cold encreased on full fast, And time of year to sadness moved me: For moisty blasts not half so mirthful be, As sweet Aurora brings in Spring-time fair, Our joys they dim as Winter damps the air.

The Nights began to grow to length apace, Sir Phoebus to th' Antartique 'gan to fare: From Libra's lance, to the Crab he took his race Beneath the Line, to lend of light a share. For then with us the days more darkish are, More short, cold, moist, and stormy, cloudy, clit, For sadness more than mirths or pleasures fit.

Devising then what Books were best to read, Both for that time, and sentence grave also, For conference of friend to stand in stead, When I my faithful friend was parted fro; I gat me strait the Printers shops unto, To seek some Work of price I surely ment, That might alone my careful mind content.

And then he declareth how there he found the first part of this Mirrour for Magistrates, which yet took beginning from the time of King Richard the Second; But he knowing many Examples of famous persons before William the Conquerour, which were wholly omitted, he set upon the Work, and beginning from Brute, continued it to Aurelius Bassianus Caracalla Emperour of Rome, about the year of Christ 209. shewing in his Writings a great deal of Wisdom and Learning. He flourished about the beginning of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth.