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 ...

GEORGE SANDYS, Esquire.

THis worthy Gentleman was youngest Son of Edwin Sandys Arch-Bishop of York, and born at Bishops Throp in that County. He having good Education, proved a most Accomplished Gentle∣man, and addicting his mind to Travel, went as far as the Sepulcher at Jerusalem; the rarities whereof, as also those of Aegypt, Greece, and the remote parts of Italy: He hath given so lively a Description, as may spare others Pains in going thi∣ther to behold them; none either before or after him having more lively and truly described them. He was not like to many of our English Travel∣lers, who with their Breath Suck in the vices of other Nations, and instead of improving their Knowledge, return knowing in nothing but what they were ignorant of, or else with Tom. Co∣riat take notice only of Trifles and Toyes, such Travellers as he in his most excellent▪ Book takes notice of, the one sayes he

Do Toyes divulge—

The other carried on in the latter part of the Distick.

—Still add to what they hear, And of a Mole-hill do a Mountain rear.

But his Travels were not only painful, but pro∣fitable, living piously, and by that means having

the blessing of God attending on his endeavours, making a holy use of his viewing those sacred places which he saw at Jerusalem; Take an in∣stance upon his sight of that place where the three wise men of the East offered their Oblations to our Saviour.

Three Kings to th' King of Kings three gifts did bring, Gold, Incense, Myrrh, as Man, as God, as King; Three holy gifts be likewise given by thee To Christ, even such as acceptable be; For Myrhah, Tears; for Frankincense impart Submissive Prayers; for pure Gold, a pure Heart.

He most elegantly translated Ovid his Metamor∣phosis into English Verse, so that as the Soul of Aristotle was said to have transmigured into Tho∣mas Aquinas, so might Ovid's Genius be said to have passed into Mr. Sandys, rendring it to the full heighth, line for line with the Latin, together with most excellent Annotations upon each Fable. But his Genius directed him most to divine sub∣jects, writing a Paraphrase on the Book of Job, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Canticles, &c. as also a di∣vine Tragedy on Christs Passion. He lived to be a very aged man, having a youthful Soul in a de∣cayed Body, and died about the year 1641.