SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.
A55
meetings of letters. Two or three brawnr fel- lows in a comer, with mere ink and elbow- ^liease, do more harm than a hundred systematic divines. Their ngly printing letters, that look like so many rotten teeth, how oft hare they been pnlled out by the public tooth-drawer; and yet these rascally operators of the press hare got a. trick to fasten them again in a few minutes, that they grow as lirm a set, and as cutting and Udkative, as ever. Oh, printing! how hast thou disturbed the peace of mankind! Lead, when moulded into bullets, is not so mortal as when founded into letters! There was a mistake sure in the story of Cadmus, for the serpent's teeth which he sowed, were nothing else but the letters which he invented. The first essay that was made towards this art, was in nngle characters upon iron, wherewith of old they stigmatized slaves and remarkable offenders; but a bulky Dutchman diverted quite from its original in- sUttttion, and contrived these innumerable syn- tegems of alphabets. One would have thought in reason, that a Dutchman at least, might have contented himself only with the wine-press."
1678, Died, Marchhont Nebdham, the fpreat patrurch of newspaper writers; a man, says D'Israeli, of versatile talents and more versa- tile politics; a bold adventurer, and most suc- cessful, beoiuse the most profligate of his tribe. From college he came to London : was an usher in Merchant Taylors' school; then an under clerk in Gray's Inn; at length studied physic, «nd practisea chemistry; and finally he was a captain; and in the words of honest Anthony Wood, "siding with the rout and scum of the people, he made them weekly sport by all that was noble, in his intelligence, railed Jfereuriut Srilaimieut, wherein his endeavours were to 'sacrifice the fame of some lord, or any person of 4}uality, and of the king himself, to the beast with many heads." He soon became popular, and was known under the name of Captain Needham of Gray's Inn; and whatever he now wrote was deemed oracular. But whether from a slight imprisonment for aspersing Charles I., or some pique with his own party, ne requested an audience on his knees with the king, recon- ciled himself to his nuyesty, and showed him- self a violent royalist in his Mereurius Pragmati- cm, and galled the Presbyterians with his wit and quips. Some time after, when the popular party prevailed, he was still further enlightened, and was got over by president Bradshaw, as easily as by Charles I. Our mercurial writer became once more a virulent Presbyterian, and lashed the royalists outrageously in his Mercuri- iu Politiau; at length, on the return of Charles II., being now conscious, says our friend Antho- ny, that he might be in danger of the halter, once more he is said to have ned into Holland, wuting for an act of oblivion. For money given to an nungry courtier, Needham obtained his piardon under the great seal. He latterly prac- tised as a physician among his party, but lived universally hated by the royalists, and now only committed harmless treasons with the college of
physicians, on whom he poured all that gall and vinegar which the government had suppressed from flowing througn its natural channel.
He was born at Burford, in Oxfordshire, in 1620, and educated at All Souls' college, Oxford.
An account of Marchmont Needham, with a list of his publications, will be found in Wood's AtJtm. Oxtm.
1678. Died, Ricbabo Head, a bookseller of London, and author of several low works.* He was the son of an Irish ecclesiastic, who suffered in the dreadful massacre which took place in that kingdom in the year 1641. Mrs. Head and her son came to England, when being sent to school, he was fitted for the university, and through the interest of some of his Uither'g friends forwarded to Oxford, where he com- pleted his studies, in the same college in which his iather had been formerly elevated. His mother's income being but slender. Head was takeu from the university before he had acquired any degree, and apprenticed to a book- seller. Having accomplished his time, he mar- ried, and set up in busmess for himself; but his passion for gaming, shortly after, obliged him to relinquish business, wnen be retired for a period into Ireland, and there wrote his comedy of Hie et Ubiqve; when having ac- quired a little money, he commenced business, and was again unsuccessful, upon which he had recourse to his pen for subsistence, and produced several works, the whole being more or less tinc- tured by indecency. The following character ot Richard Head is to be found in Dr. William King's works. ■ " He was of a lively genius, and had a coniiiderabls knowledge in the scenes of low life and debauchery; he was the author of Hie et Ubique, or the Humoun of Didilin, a comedy, printed in 1663, by which he acquired much reputation, and iit several other pieces, particularly Nvga VemUet, which would have
- Hie el VUquei or M« Hwmomn of DmUin. A Comedy
bT Rlchanl Head : acted privatelr with general applaiue. IMS. 4to. A cop7 sold at Rhodes' sale for ige.
Tht EngUik Rogue, deaciibed In the LVt of Mentam Latroon, a Wittf Bstrtnagani* 4 parts, in s Tole. 9to. IIMI-Igso. Witb portraits and cuts. Complete copies of this work are of rare occuxrence, and when foond, gene- ralljr produce a Urge sum. It sold for jffs 8s. bat it caa be purchased at the present dajr for about half that sum.
ProteuM Hedevtimi i or the mrt of Wheedling, or Inebm. atioft, obtoitted bf Oetteral ComtmmtUm, and aetratUd from tlu Beetral Humoun, ImeUnoHoiu, and Paetioni o^ both Sem, reepeeting their teveral Aga, and euiUng emek Prafeaion or Occupation. Collected and Methodized by the Author of the First Fait of the Knglish Bogue, TRichard Head.]
Thy credit wary keep, tls quickly gone, B'liig got by many actions, lost by one.
London : printed by W. D., and are to be sold at the sign of the Ship, St. Mary-Axe, and by most booksdiers, 1675. Sva (pp, sis. Title and Epistle to the Reader, 8 leaves.)
The Canting Aeademg, or VUlanitt dtteovered. Load. 1(174. Svo. With a frontispiece. 8<dd at Nassau's sale for^s as.
Nugm Venaleei or, a Complaleant Companion: Mmg New Jeete, domeetie and foreign. Built, Rhodomontadoo, Plecuant Koeelt and MIocellaniet. Lond. 187s. Ilmo. 168I. Ilmo. ifisd. ISmo. third edition, with a portrait. Sold at Lloyd's sale for igi 10s. Fourth ediUon, with additions, 1687. lamo.
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