Microcosmography Part 30

FOOTNOTES:

[DS] With a very curious and rare frontispiece.

x.x.xvii. _Fifty-five[DT] Enigmatical Characters, all very exactly drawn to the Life, from several Persons, Humours, Dispositions. Pleasant and full of Delight. By R. F. Esq.; London: Printed for William Crook, at the sign of the Three Bibles on Fleet-bridge. 1665[DU]._"

[8vo. pp. 135, t.i.tle, index, &c. not numbered, 11 more.]

Richard Flecknoe, the author of these characters, is more known from having his name affixed to one of the severest satires ever written by Dryden, than from any excellence of his own as a poet or dramatic writer.

Mr. Reed conceives him to have been a Jesuit, and Pope terms him an Irish priest. Langbaine says, that "his acquaintance with the n.o.bility was more than with the muses, and he had a greater propensity to rhyming, than a genius to poetry." As a proof of the former a.s.sertion the Duke of Newcastle prefixed two copies of verses to his characters, in which he calls Flecknoe "his worthy friend," and says:

"Flecknoe, thy characters are so full of wit And fancy, as each word is throng'd with it.

Each line's a volume, and who reads would swear Whole libraries were in each character.

Nor arrows in a quiver stuck, nor yet Lights in the starry skies are thicker set, Nor quills upon the armed porcupine, Than wit and fancy in this work of thine.

W. Newcastle."

To confirm the latter, requires only the perusal of his verses, which were published in 1653, under the t.i.tle of _Miscellania_. Besides these, he wrote five[DV] dramatic pieces, the t.i.tles of which may be found in the _Biographia Dramatica_; a collection of _Epigrams_, 8vo. 1670; _Ten Years Travels in Europe.--A short Discourse of the English Stage_, affixed to _Love's Dominion_, 8vo. 1654; _The Idea of his Highness Oliver, late Lord Protector, &c._ 8vo. 1659. &c. &c.[DW]

"CHARACTER OF A VALIANT MAN."--(page 61.)

"He is onely a man; your coward and rash being but tame and savage beasts.

His courage is still the same, and drink cannot make him more valiant, nor danger lesse. His valour is enough to leaven whole armies, he is an army himself worth an army of other men. His sword is not alwayes out like children's daggers, but he is alwayes last in beginning quarrels, though first in ending them. He holds honour (though delicate as chrystall) yet not so slight and brittle to be broak and crackt with every touch; therefore (though most wary of it,) is not querilous nor punctilious. He is never troubled with pa.s.sion, as knowing no degree beyond clear courage, and is alwayes valiant, but never furious. He is the more gentle i' th'

chamber, more fierce he's in the field, holding boast (the coward's valour,) and cruelty (the beast's,) unworthy a valiant man. He is only coward in this, that he dares not do an unhandsome action. In fine, he can onely be evercome by discourtesie, and has but one deffect--he cannot talk much--to recompence which he dos the more."

FOOTNOTES:

[DT] I omit to particularize these characters, as many of the t.i.tles are extremely long--"of a lady of excellent conversation. Of one that is the foyle of good conversation." &c. &c.

[DU] Mr. Reed possessed a copy, dated in 1658. See his _Catalogue_, No.

2098.

[DV] Langbaine notices a prologue intended for a play, called _The Physician against his Will_, which he thinks was never published. A MS.

note in my copy of the _Dramatic Poets_, says it was printed in 1712.

[DW] The Bodleian library contains "_The Affections of a pious Soule, unto our Saviour-Christ. Expressed in a mixed treatise of verse and prose. By Richard Flecknoe._" 8vo. 1640. This I can scarcely consent to give to _Mac_ Flecknoe, as in the address "To the Town Reader," the author informs us that, "ashamed of the many idle hours he has spent, and to avoid the expence of more, he has retired from the town"--and we are certain that _Mac_ resided there long after.

x.x.xviii. _The Character of a Coffee-house, with the symptoms of a Town-witt. With Allowance. April 11, 1673. London, Printed for Jonathan Edwin, at the Three Roses in Ludgate-street, 1673._

[Folio, reprinted in the _Harleian Miscellany_, with an answer to it, vol.

vi. 429-433.]

x.x.xix. _Essays of Love and Marriage: Being Letters written by two Gentlemen, one dissuading from Love, the other an Answer thereunto. With some Characters, and other Pa.s.sages of Wit._

---- _Si quando gravabere curis, Haec lege, pro moestae medicamine mentis habeto._

_London, Printed for H. Brome, at the Gun in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1673._

[12mo. pp. 103, t.i.tle, &c. 4 more.]

xl. _The Character of a Fanatick. By a Person of Quality. London. 1675._

[4to. pp. 8. Reprinted in the _Harleian Miscellany_, vii. 596.]

xli. _Character of a Towne Gallant } of a Towne Miss } of an honest drunken Curr } of a pilfering Taylor } of an Exchange Wench } of a Sollicitor } 1675.

of a Scold } of an ill Husband } of a Dutchman } of a p.a.w.nbroker } of a Tally Man_ }

[4to. See _Sale Catalogue_ of George Steevens, Esq. 8vo. London, 1800, page 66, No. 1110.]

xlii. _A Whip for a Jockey: or, a Character of an Horse-courser. 1677.

London, Printed for R. H. 1677._

[8vo. pp. 29.]

xliii. _Four for a Penny, or Poor Robin's Character of an unconscionable p.a.w.nbroker, and Ear-mark of an oppressing Tally-man; with a friendly Description of a b.u.m-bailey, and his merciless setting cur, or follower.

With Allowance. London, Printed for L. C. 1678._

[4to. reprinted in the _Harleian Miscellany_, vol. iv. p. 141.]

xliv. _Character of an ugly Woman: or, a Hue and Cry after Beauty_, in prose, written (by the Duke of Buckingham) in 1678. See Lord Orford's _Royal and n.o.ble Authors_, by Park, iii. 309.

xlv. _Character of a disbanded Courtier. Ingenium Galbae male habitat.

1681._