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He translated also the Batrachomyomachia;, finished Marlow's Translation of Musaus; and produced several original Poems, and some other translations*.

in the complete edition of the Iliad and Odyssey, and among them one to the Lady Arabella Stuart, who was sent to the Tower in 1611. [Vide D’Israeli Cur: of Lit: 2d Series, I. 256.] This sonnet confirms in some degree the literary reputation of this unhappy female, and has never been quoted. Prince Henry, who was one of Chapman's Patrons, commanded him to finish his translation of Homer, and to this circumstance the poet refers in the Corrolarium ad Principem annexed to his Euthymia Raptus, 1609, which was written in an interval of his great undertaking :

"Thus strooke I this abortive from my braine,
"Which with it lay in this unworthy paine :
"Yet since your Homer had his worthy hand
"In venturing this delay of your command
" To end his Iliades, deigne (great Prince of Men)
"To hold before it your great shielde, and then
"It may doe service worthy this delaie

"To your more worthy pleasure; and I maie
Regather the 'spers'd fragments of my spirits,

"And march with Homer through his deathless merits
"To your undying graces." C.

The following list of Chapman's Poems, &c. has been made from various authorities.

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(1.) "Exelavuxfos. The Shadow of Night: containing two poeticall 'hymnes." 1594. 4to.

(2.) "Ovid's Banquet of Sence. A coronet for his mistresse 'philosophie," &c. 1595. 4to.

(8.) "Hero and Leander. Begunne by Ch. Marlow, and finished "by George Chapman." 1606. 4to.

(4.) "Euthymia Raptus, or the Tears of Peace, with Interlocu"tions." 1609. 4to.

*(5.) "An Epicede, or Funeral Song, on the most disastrous Death "of the High-born Prince of Men, Henry, Prince of Wales." 1612.

4to.

(6.) "Andromeda Liberata, or the Nuptialls of Perseus and An"dromeda." 1614. 4to.

(7.) The Georgicks of Hesiod, by George Chapman ; translated elaborately out of the Greek containing doctrine of Husbandrie, Moralitie and Pietie; with a perpetuall Calendar of good and bad daies; not superstitious but necessary (as far as naturall causes compell) for all men to observe and difference in following their affaires. London, 1618. 4to.

(8.) Pro Vere Autumni lacrymæ, to the memorie of Sir Horatio Vere. 1622. 4to.

(9.) A justification of a strange action of Nero, &c. Also a just reproofe of a Romane small-Feast being the fifth satyre of Juvenall. 1629. 4to.

He is the Author of the following dramatick performances:

(1.) The Blind Beggar of Alexandria: A Comedy. Most pleasantly discoursing his variable humours in disguised shapes full of conceit and pleasure: sundry times publickly acted in London by the Right Honourable the Earl of Notingham, Lord High Admiral, his servants, 4to, 1598 *.

(2.) "A pleasant Comedy; intitled, An Humerous "Daye's Myrth. As it hath beene sundrie times publickley acted by the Right Honourable the Earl of Notingham, Lord High Admiral, his servants." 4to,

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1599.

(3.) All Fooles: a Comedy. Presented at the "Black Friers, and lately before his Majestie." 4to, 1605.

(4.)" Eastward Hoe. As it was play'd in the Black "Friers by the Children of her Majestie's Revels. "Made by George Chapman, Ben Jonson, and John "Marston." 4to, 1605.

(5.) The Gentleman Usher: A Comedy. 4to, 1606. (6.) "Monsieur D'Olive: A Comedie. As it was sundrie times acted by her Majestie's Children at the "Blacke Friers." 4to, 1606.

(7.) Bussy D'Ambois: A Tragedie. As it hath been "often presented at Paule's." 4to, 1607 +. 4to, 1608. 4to, 1646. 4to, 1657".

Mr. A. Chalmer's (Biogr. Dict. ix. 126.) also assigns to Chapman "a paraphrastic translation in verse of Petrarch's seven penitential Psalms." Ritson (Bibl. Poet. 157.) states that Chapman wrote "Noah's Flood" which is in fact the work of Drayton, though also erroneously given to Chapman in the Cat. Brit. Mus. Ritson likewise inserts No. 9. in the above list as two works when in fact they were only one.

C.

* The subsequent entry in Henslowe's account shews that this play was acted three years before it was printed.

"R. the 18 of febreary, 1595, at the blind beger of Alexandria, iii. l." C.

+ From Chalmers' Supp. Apol. 200, we find that "The tragedye "of Busye Damboise made by George Chapman," was entered on the Registers of the Stationers' Company, June 3d, 1607. O. G.

Mr. Dryden, in his Dedication to The Spanish Friar, says, “I

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(8.) Cæsar and Pompey: A Roman Tragedy; declaring their Warres. Out of whose events is evicted this Proposition, Only a just man is a Freeman. 4to, 1607. 4to, 1631.

(9 and 10.) The Conspiracie and Tragedie of "Charles, Duke of Byron, Marshall of France. Acted "lately, in two Plays, at the Black Friers." 4to, 1608. 4to, 1625.

(11.)" May Day: A Witty Comedie. Divers times "acted at the Blacke Fryers." 4to, 1611.

(12.) "The Widdowe's Tears: A Comedie. As it often presented in the Blacke and White Friers." 4to, 1612.

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(13.) "The Revenge of Bussy D'Ambois: A Trage"die. As it hath been often presented at the private "Play-house in the White Friers." 4to, 1613.

(14.) "The memorable Masque of the two honour"able Houses, or Innes of Court, the Middle Temple, "and Lyncolne's Inne. As it was performed before the "King at Whitehall on Shrove-Munday at Night, "being the 15th of Febr. 1613, at the princely celebra"tion of the most royall Nuptials of the Palsgrave, and "his thrice gratious Princesse Elizabeth, &c." 4to. No date."

(15.) Two Wise Men, and all the rest Fools: or, A

"have sometimes wondered in the reading what was become of "those glaring colours which amaz'd me in Bussy D'Amboys upon "the Theatre: but when I had taken up what I suppos'd a fallen "star, I found I had been cozen'd with a jelly: nothing but a cold "dull mass, which glitter'd no longer than it was shooting. A "dwarfish thought dress'd up in gigantick words, repetition in "abundance, looseness of expression, and gross hyperboles ; the "sense of one line expanded prodigiously into ten: and to sum up all, uncorrect English, and a hideous mingle of false poetry and "true nonsense; or at best a scantling of wit which lay gasping for "life, and groaning beneath a heap of rubbish. A famous modern "Poet used to sacrifice every year a Statius to Virgil's Manes; " and I have indignation enough to burn a D'Amboys annually to "the memory of Jonson."

It appears from Dugdale's Origines Juridiciales, that the expence of this Masque, to the Society of Lincoln's Inn, amounted to the sum of 1086l. 8s. 11d.

Comical Moral, censuring the Follies of that age; divers times acted. 4to, 1619.

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(16.) The Tragedy of Alphonsus, Emperour of Germany. As it hath been very often acted (with great applause) at the private house in Black Friers, by his late Majestie's servants." 4to, 1654.

(17.) Revenge for Honour: A Tragedy. 4to, 1654. 4to, 1659.*

Chapman also joined with Shirley in the composition of two Plays, viz. The Ball; and Chabot, Admiral of France.

* The three following dramatic pieces have been also attributed to Chapman, on the authority of Henslowe. We have no further knowledge of them than what his accounts supply.

"Jan. 1597-8. The World runs upon Wheels, by G. Chapman. June 1598. The Will of a Woman, by George Chapman.

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man.

Sep. 1598. The Fountain of New Fashions, by George Chap

Henslowe's evidence is by no means to be implicitly trusted as his ignorance often led him to commit the grossest blunders. The books of the Stationers' Company, under date of June 29, 1660, state that Chapman was the author of two other plays, called "Fatal Love, a French Tragedy," and "The Tragedy of a York"shire Gentlewoman and her Son." "The Second Maiden's "Tragedy," MSS. has also been assigned to him. C.

ΤΟ

My long lov'd and honourable Friend, Sir THOMAS WALSINGHAM, Knight.*

"Should I expose to every common eye The least allow'd birth of my shaken brain, And not entitle it particularly

To your acceptance, I were worse than vain.
And though I am most loth to pass your sight
With any such light mark of vanity,

Being mark'd with age for aims of greater weight,
And drown'd in dark death-ushering melanch'ly;
Yet least by others stealth it be imprest
Without my passport, patch'd with other's wit.

This dedication by Chapman to his patron is now for the first time inserted, the copies of All Fools seen and used by Mr. Reed being without it. Whether it was inserted in a few impressions in 1605, and afterwards cancelled, does not appear, though it seems probable that it was so, because in the dedication of his Byron's Conspiracy and Tragedy, 1608, to the same distinguished individual Chapman apologizes for previous neglect, and apparent ingratitude to his patron," in dispensing with his right in his other impressions." It was found in a copy in the possession of Mr. Rodd, of Great Newport Street. Although there were clearly not two editions of All Fools in 1605, yet there are some curious variations in the impressions of that year; for instance, in sign. G 3. two speeches, by Valerio and Gostanzo, are confounded in one copy and separated in another. Valerio exclaims :

"Father say not so."

And Gostanzo replies ironically :—

Nay, she's thy own, here, rise, fool, take her to thee, "Live with her still: I know thou 'count'st thyself.

Happy in soul only in winning her :" &c.

This is as it should stand, and as it is now printed, but the whole in one copy, dated 1605, is assigned to Valerio, which confuses the sense of the scene.

Again, in the very last line of the Epilogue, in one copy is a parenthesis left blank, on which Mr. Steevens has truly observed, that it was probably intended to be supplied by the word fools, to rhime with "stools" in the preceding line. In the copy of the play belonging to Mr. Rodd, this blank is omitted. C.