the world; and of whom I have always had a great esteem, as a man, who besides his eminent parts, learning, and knowledge, hath been always looked upon as a man of probity, and of a life free from scandal." MAY. THOMAS MAY, poet and historian, was descended of an ancient family at Mayfield, in Sussex, and born in 1595. Having received his juvenile education near home, he afterwards entered at Sidney College, Cambridge, where he proceeded batchelor of arts in 1612. About three years after, he became a member of Gray's Inn; and was soon introduced to the acquaintance of some of the principal courtiers and wits of his time-as sir Kenelm Digby, sir Richard Fanshaw, sir John Suckling, sir Aston Cokaine, Thomas Carew, Endymion Porter, Ben Jonson, and others of higher quality: for he was countenanced by Charles and his queen. He subsequently conceived a disgust at the court, however, probably from a disappoint ment in his expectation of being successor to Ben Jonson as poet-laureat, William d'Avenant being appointed in his stead. We afterwards find him in the republican army commanded by Fairfax, and in the post of a secretaryship under the parliament. He died in 1650. 1. May first appeared, in a literary character, as a poet and dramatist. He also translated Virgil's Georgics, with annotations; as likewise, "Select Epigrams of Martial." But his most important translation was that of "Lucan's Pharsalia," with a "Continuation" of that poem, in English and Latin, to the death of Julius Cæsar. ་ 2. By his majesty's command, he wrote a metrical history of "The Reign of Henry the Second;" to which he added in prose, "The Description of Henry II. with a short Survey of the Changes of his Reign." Also, “The single and comparative Characters of Henry and Richard, his Sons." 3. But his most considerable work is "The History of the Parliament of England;" which may be considered rather as a brief history of the "Civil Wars" which arose during its sitting. He represents this work as a task im posed upon him, and which he undertook with reluctance. "For (says he) I wished more than life, that for the public's sake, my theme could rather have been the prosperity of these nations, the honour and happiness of the king, and such a blessed condition of both, as might have reached all the ends for which government was first ordained in the world." The full title is, "The History of the Parliament of England, which began November 3, 1640, with a short and necessary View of some precedent Years: written by Thomas May, Esq. secretary for the parliament; published by authority;" folio, 1647. To this first edition is prefixed a preface (never reprinted) in which the following passage deserves transcription, as it explains the situation of the author at the commencement of the civil wars, as likewise his means of information. That (says he) which of all other is most likely to be differently related, is concerning the actions of war and soldiery; and in the time of this war it is a thing of extraordinary difficulty, I might say, of im possibility, for those of one party to be truly informed of all the councils, or very performances and actions of commanders and soldiers on the other side. How much valour the English nation on both sides have been guilty of in this unnatural war, the world must needs know in the general fame: but for particulars, how much worth, virtue, and courage, some particular lords, gentlemen, and others have shewed, unless both sides do write, will never perfectly be known. My residence (continues he) hath been, during these wars, in the quarters, and under the protection of the parliament; and whatsoever is briefly related of the soldiery, being towards the end of the book, is according to that light which I discerned there. For whatsoever I have missed concerning the other party, I can make no other apology than such as Meteranus doth in the preface of his History, de Belg. Tumultibus; whose words are, Quod plura de reformatorum et patria defensorum quam de partis adverse rebus gestis exposuerim; mirum haud quaquàm est, quoniam plus commerci et familiaritatis mihi cum ipsis, et major indagandi opportunitas fuit: Si pars adversa idem tali probitate præstiterit et ediderit; Posteritas gesta omnia legere, et liquido cognoscere magno cum fructu poterit. In like manner I may aver, (says he, to give his own translation,) that if, in this discourse, more particulars are set down, concerning the actions of those men who defended the parliament, than of them that warred against it; it was because my conversation gave me more light on that side; to whom, as I have endeavoured to |