[Fuller and Wood give the following account of this lord chancellor, who is more popularly known by his knightly title of sir Christopher Hatton, having never been raised to the peerage. He was born at Holdenby in Northamptonshire, of a family rather ancient than wealthy, yet of no mean estate. He was entered a gentleman commoner of St. Mary's hall in Oxford, but went without a degree to the Inner Temple, where, says Fuller 2, he rather took a bait than made a meal; or, in less quaint phraseology, he studied it more as a gentleman than one who intended to raise himself by that profession 3. He came afterwards to the court at a masque, when queen Elizabeth first took notice of him 4, loving him well for his handsome dancing, better for his proper person, and best • Worthies of Northamptonshire, p. 285. * See Biographical Mirror, vol. i. p. 138. • During a sickness of Hatton in 1573, from which he was hardly expected to recover, queen Elizabeth went to see him almost every day. See Lodge's Illustr. vol. ii. p. 101. Gray has humorously celebrated this accomplishment in Hatton, and has forcibly depicted the coutume of his age: Full oft within the spacious walls, When he had fifty winters o'er him, The seal and maces danc'd before him : of all for his great abilities. He became successively one of the queen's gentlemen-pensioners, gentleman of the privy-chamber, captain of the guard, a knight of the garter, vice-chamberlain of the queen's household, one of the privy council, chancellor of Oxford, high steward of the university of Cambridge, and lord chancellor of England. His advancement to this high office seems to have created an invidious jealousy among the men of law; for hereupon it was, says Fuller, that some sullen sergeants at the first refused to plead before him, until partly by his power, but more by his prudence, he had convinced them of their errors and his abilities. Like other characters of eminence, he had to encounter the slanders which distinction is sure to excite. From his zeal for the discipline of the church of England, he was said to be popishly affected. One reported, that he always had been in animo Catholicus; and another, that he was of such credit and favour at Rome, as if he was the greatest papist in His bushy beard, and shoe-strings green, Though Pope and Spaniard could not trouble it. 6 Harvey, in one of his pamphlets against Nash, terms sir Christopher Hatton wise. Pierce's Supererogation, 1593. ' In 1584, he received a grant of the isle of Purbeck. Lord Burleigh's Diary. 8 * Peter Ribadeneira, in App. ad N. Sanderum de Schism. Anglic. England. These reports seem to have arisen from his humane persuasion, that in cases of religious difference, men should not be burned, or hanged, or quartered. Sir Robert Naunton farther insinuates that he was a mere vegetable of the court, which sprung up at night and sunk again at his noon 3: but the ingenuous Camden declares he was a person (to say nothing of him but what he truly deserved) eminent for his piety towards God, his fidelity to his country, his untainted integrity, and unparalleled charity; one also (which is not the least part of his character) who was always ready to support and encourage learning, &c. • Camd. in Brit. com. Northamp. Sir John Harington describes him as "a man taught vyrtue, framed to wisdom, raysed to honor, by the queen's speciall grace and choyce;" and recites the following example of his politic prudence: when some embassadors lay at his house, (knowing how much the meaner sort love to see high play) while he himself entertained part of his guests with grave discourse or solemn music, he caused some of his friends to play at cards with one thousand pounds of his money in gold, rating it at their own pleasures at one shilling in the pound, or as themselves agreed on, that the sums played might seem great, the show bountiful, and the substance not unsupportable. Nugæ Antiquæ, i. 211. Sir Christopher appears to have been a patron of Churchyard, the court poet, for to him were dedicated his Chips in 1575, and Choice in 1579; and the noted Dr. Dee addressed his Rare Memorials of Navigation, in 1577, "to the discrete and singular favourer of all good artes and sciences, Mr. Chr. Hatton." Fuller adds, that the queen having rigorously de manded the payment of some arrears, which sir Christopher did not hope to have remitted, but did only. desire to be forborne, and failing in his expectation, it went to his heart, and cast him into a mortal disease. The queen afterwards endeavouring to recover him, brought (as some say) cordial broths unto him with her own hands; but all would not do. He died November 205, 1591, at the age of fifty-one, and was buried under a stately monument in the quire of St. Paul's. Soon after, says Wood, came out a little book of verses made on his death, by several hands, entitled Musarum Plangores. Beside the productions mentioned by lord Orford, Mr. Warton thinks he was undoubtedly the writer of "the fourth act in the tragedy of Tancred and Gismund;" which bears at the end, Composuit Ch. Hat. The play was the joint production of five students of the Inner Temple, and was acted at that society before the queen in 1568, but not printed till 15927. As the original drama is of singular rarity, the following extract from it may gratify the curious, though reprinted in the 2d edition of Dodsley's Collection of old Plays. It is the chorus which concludes act iv. 5 So says Wood; but, according to lord Burleigh's Diary, Sept. 20. Hist. of E. P. vol. iii. p. 376. 7 It was founded on a story in Boccace, which is related by Dryden in his Fables under the title of Sigismunda and Guiscardo. Mrs. Centlivre took the same story for the basis of her tragedy called The cruel Gift. Biog. Dram. vol. ii. p. 363. CHORUS I. Who doth not know the fruits of Paris love, Nor understand the end of Helen's joy; He may behold the fatall overthrow Of Priam's house, and of the towne of Troy : All these, too dearly bought their loves with bloud. CHORUS II. But he in vertue that his lady serves, |