The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland | Page 8

Erasmus-like, have hung between."

It is probable that this bitterness against our brethren of North-Britain,
chiefly sprang from Mr. Cleveland's resentment of the Scots Army
delivering up the King to the Parliament.
Footnotes: [text mark missing]. Wood fasti Oxon. p. 274. 1. Winst.
Lives of the Poets 2. Winst. Lives of the Poets.
* * * * *

Dr. BARTEN HOLYDAY,
Son of Thomas Holyday, a taylor, was born at All Saints parish, within
the city of Oxford, about the latter end of Queen Elizabeth's reign; he
was entered early into Christ Church, in the time of Dr, Ravis, his
relation and patron, by whom he was chosen student, and having taken
his degrees of batchelor and master of arts, he became archdeacon of
Oxfordshire. In 1615, he entered into holy orders[1], and was in a short
time taken notice of as an eloquent or rather popular preacher, by which
he had two benefices confered on him both in the diocese of Oxford.
In the year 1618 he went as chaplain to Sir Francis Stewart, when he
accompanied to Spain the Count Gundamore, after he had continued
several Years at our court as embassador, in which journey Holyday
behaved in a facetious and pleasant manner, which ingratiated him in
the favour of Gundamore[2].
Afterwards our author became chaplain to King Charles I. and
succeeded Dr. Bridges in the archdeaconry of Oxon, before the year
1626. In 1642 he was by virtue of the letters of the said King, created,
with several others, Dr. of divinity. When the rebellion broke out, he
sheltered himself near Oxford; but when he saw the royal party decline
so much that their cause was desperate, he began to tamper with the
prevailing power; and upon Oliver Cromwell's being raised to the
Protectorship, he so far coincided with the Usurper's interests, as to
undergo the examination of the Friers, in order to be inducted into the
rectory of Shilton in Berks, in the place of one Thomas Lawrence,

ejected on account of his being non compos mentis. For which act he
was much blamed and censured by his ancient friends the clergy, who
adhered to the King, and who rather chose to live in poverty during the
usurpation, than by a mean compliance with the times, betray the
interest of the church, and the cause of their exiled sovereign.
After the King's restoration he quitted the living he held under
Cromwell, and returned to Eisley near Oxon, to live on his
archdeaconry; and had he not acted a temporizing part it was said he
might have been raised to a see, or some rich deanery. His poetry
however, got him a name in those days, and he stood very fair for
preferment; and his philosophy discovered in his book de Anima, and
well languaged sermons, (says Wood) speaks him eminent in his
generation, and shew him to have traced the rough parts, as well as the
pleasant paths of poetry.
His works are,
1. Three Sermons, on the Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension of our
Saviour, Lond. 1626.
2. Two Sermons at Paul's Cross.
3. A Sermon on the Nature of Faith.
4. Motives to a godly Life, in Ten Sermons, Oxon, 1657.
5. Four Sermons against Disloyalty, Oxon, 1661.
Technogamia; or the Marriage of Arts, a Comedy, acted publicly in
Christ's Church Hall, with no great applause 1617. But the Wits of
those times being willing to distinguish themselves before the King,
were resolved, with leave, to act the same comedy at Woodstock,
whereupon (says Wood) the author making some foolish alterations in
it, it was accordingly acted on Sunday night the 26th of August 1621,
but it being too grave for the King, and too scholastic for the Audience,
or as some said, that the actors in order to remove their timidity, had
taken too much wine before, they began, his Majesty after two acts

offered several times to withdraw; at length being persuaded by some
of those who were near to him, to have patience till it was ended, lest
the young men should be discouraged, he sat it out, tho' much against
his will; upon which these Verses were made by a certain scholar;
At Christ Church Marriage done before the King Lest that those Mates
should want an offering, The King himself did offer; what I pray? He
offered twice or thrice to go away.
6. Survey of the World in Ten Books, a Poem, Oxon, 1661, which was
judged by Scholars to be an inconsiderable piece, and by some not to
be his. But being published just before his death, it was taken for a
posthumous work, which had been composed by him in his younger
Days[3].
He translated out of Latin into English the Satires of Persius, Oxon.
1616, in apologizing for