In a letter from Southey to his friend Bedford, dated Nov. 11, 1821
(_Life and Correspondence_, vol. v. p. 99.), he desires him to inform
Gifford that
"In a volume of tracts at Lowther, of Charles I.'s time, I found
a life of Sejanus by P.M., by which initials some hand,
apparently as old as the book, had written Philip Massinger. I
did not read the tract, being too keenly in pursuit of other
game; but I believe it had a covert aim at Buckingham. I have
not his Massinger, and, therefore, do not know whether he is
aware that this was ever ascribed to that author; if he is not,
he will be interested in the circumstance, and may think it
worthy of further inquiry."
As others may be led by this hint to enter on such an inquiry, I would
suggest that it may save much trouble if they first satisfy themselves
that the _Life of Sejanus_ by P. Mathieu may not have been the tract
which fell in Southey's way. It is to be found in a volume entitled
"_Unhappy Prosperity_, expressed in the History of Ælius Selanus
and Philippa the _Catanian_, with observations upon the fall of
Sejanus. Lastly, Certain Considerations upon the life and
Services of _Monsieur_ Villeroy, translated out of the original
[French] by _S'r T. H._[_awkins_], _second edition_, 12'o.
London, 1639."
This was just eleven years after Buckingham met his fate at the hands of
Felton. How long the interval between the first and this, the second
edition, may have been, I cannot tell. Nor do I know enough of the
politics of the time to determine whether anything can be inferred from
the fact that the translation is dedicated to William Earl of Salisbury,
or to warrant me in saying that these illustrations of the fate of royal
favourites may have been brought before the English public with any view
to the case of George Villiers. A passage, however, in Mathieu's
dedication of the original "to the king," seems to render it not
improbable, certainly not inapplicable:
"You (Sir) shall therein [in this history] behold, that _a
prince ought to be very carefull to conserve his authority
entire. Great ones_ [court favourites] _here may learne_, it is
not good to play with the generous {216} Lyon though he suffer
it, and that _favours are precipices for such as abuse them_."
Having referred to this work of Mathieu's, I shall feel obliged to any
of your correspondents who will favour me with a notice of it, or of the
author.
Balliolensis.
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