, usually called the Water- Poet, from his being a waterman as well as
, usually called the Water- Poet, from
his being a waterman as well as a poet, and certainly more
of the former than the latter, was born in Gloucestershire
about 1580. Wood says he was born in the city of Gloucester, and went to school there, but he does not appear to
have learned more than his accidence, as appears by some
lines of his own. From this school he was brought to London, and bound apprentice to a waterman, whence he“was
either pressed or went voluntarily into the naval service,
for he was at the taking of Cadiz un;ler the earl of Essex,
in 1596, when only sixteen years old, and was afterward*
in Germany, Bohemia, Scotland, as may be collected from
various passages in his works. At home he was many years
collector, for the lieutenant of the Tower, of the wines
which were his fee from all ships which brought them up
the Thames; but was at last discharged because he would
not purchase the place at more than it was worth. He
calls himself the
” King’s Water Poet,“and the
” Queen’s
Waterman," and wore the badge of the royal arms. While
* waterman, he very naturally had a great hatred to coaches,
and besides writing a satire against them, he fancied that
the watermen were starving for want of employment, and
presented a petition to James I. which was referred to certain commissioners, of whom sir Francis Bacon was one, to
obtain a prohibition of all play-houses except those on the
Bank-side, that the greater part of the inhabitants of London, who were desirous of seeing plays, might be compelled to go by water. Taylor himself is said to have undertaken to support this singular petition, and was prepared to oppose before the commissioners the arguments of
the players, but the commission was dissolved before it
came to a hearing.