Who was the author of a thin 4to. volume with the above title, printed
for Tho. Thorpe, 1616? The contents are, "The Praise of K. Richard the
Third--The French Poetes--Nothing--That it is good to be in Debt."
The late Mr. Yarnold has a MS. copy of the "Praise of K. Richard," to
which was prefixed the following dedication:--
"TO THE HONOURABLE SIR HENRY NEVILL, KNIGHTE."
"I am bolde to adventure to your honors viewe this small portion
of my privatt labors, as an earnest peny of my love, beinge a
mere Paradoxe in prayse of a most blame-worthie and condemned
Prince, Kinge Richard the Third; who albeit I shold guilde with
farre better termes of eloquence then I have don, and freate
myself to deathe in pursuite of his commendations, yet his
disgrace beinge so publicke, and the worlde so opinionate of his
misdoings, as I shold not be able so farre to justifie him as
they to condemne him. Yet that they may see what may be saide,
and to shew how farre they haue mispraysed his vertues, this
following Treatise shall make manyfest. Your honour may peruse
and censure yt at your best leisure, and though yt be not trickt
up wth elegance of phrase, yet may it satisfye a right curious
judgmente, yf the reasons be considered as they ought. But,
howsoever, yf you please to accepte it, I shall thinke my labors
well bestowed; who, both in this and what ells may, devote
myself to your honour, and rest,
"Your honours most affectionat servant,
"HEN. W."
The praise of Nothing is very well versified from the Latin of Passerat,
whose verses Dr. Johnson thought worthy of a place in his _Life of Lord
Rochester_. Besides Rochester's seventeen stanzas "Upon Nothing," there
appears to have been another copy of verses on this fertile subject; for
Flecknoe, in his _Epigrams of All Sorts_, 1671, has "Somewhat to Mr.
J.A. on his excellent poem of Nothing." Is _anything_ known of this
_Nothing_?