John Birkenhead

son of Randall Birkenhead of Northwych in Cheshire Sadler, was born there, became a Servitour of Oriel Coll. under the tuition of Humphrey Lloyd (afterwards B. of Bangor) in the beginning of the year 1632 aged 17 years; where continuing till he was Bach. of Arts, became Amanuensis to Dr Laud Archbishop of Cant, who taking a liking to him for his ingenuity, did by his Diploma make him Master of Arts, an. 1639 and by his letters commendatory thereupon, was elected Probationer-Fellow of Alls. Coll. in the year following. After the rebellion broke out, and the King and his Court hid setled themselves in Oxford, this our author Mr. Birkenhead was appointed to write the Mercurii Aulici; which being very pleasing to the Loyal party, his Majesty recommended him to the Electors, that they would chuse him Moral Philosophy Reader: which being accordingly done, he continued in that office, with little profit from it, t [•] ll 1648, at which time he was not only turn’d out thence, but from his fellowship. Afterwards he retired to London, suffered several imprisonments for his Majesties cause, lived by his wits in helping young Gentlemen out at dead lifts in making Poems, Songs, and Epistles, on, and to, their respective Mistresses, as also in translating and writing several little things, and other petite Employments. After his Majesties restauration he was by vertue of his letters sent to the University, actually created Doctor of the Civil Law, and in 1661 he was elected a Burges for Wilton to serve in that Parliament which began at Westminster on the 8. of May the same year. In 1662 Nov. 14 he received the honour of Knighthood from his Majesty, King Charles the Second and in Jan. 1663 he was constituted one of the Masters of Requests in the place of Sir Rich. Fanshaw when he went Embassador into Spain,) he being then also Master of the Faculties, and a member of the Royall Society. A certain ((a))((a)) The author of A Seasonable argument to perswade all the grand Juries to petition for a new Parliament, &c. Printed 1677. qu p. 19. Anonymus tells us that this Sir Joh. Birkenhead was a poor Alehouse-keepers son, and that he got by lying (or buffooning) at court, to be one of the Masters of Requests and Faculty Office, and in boons at Court 3000 l. The truth is had he not been given too much to bantring, which is now taken up by vain and idle people, he might have passed for a good wit. And had he also expressed himself grateful and respectful to those that had been his benifactors in the time of his necessity, which he did not, but rather slight them, (shewing thereby the baseness of his spirit) he might have passed for a friend and a loving companion. He hath written,

Mercurius Aulicus: communicating the intelligence and affairs of the Court (at Oxon) to the rest of the Kingdom—The first of these was published on the first of Jan. 1642 and were carried on till about the end of 1645; after which time they were published but now and then. They were printed weekly in one sheet, somtimes in more, in quarto, and contain a great deal of wit and buffoonry. Mercurius Britanicus pen’d by Foul-mouth’d Nedham, no more his equal than a Dwarf to a Gyant, or the goodness of his cause to that of the Kings, tells us that ((b))((b)) In Merc. Britan. nu. 16. the penning of these Mercurii Aulici was the act of many, viz. Birkenhead the Scribe, Secretary Nicholas the informer, and George Digby the contriver. Also that an assesment of wits was laid upon every Coll, and paid weekly for the communion of this thing called Mercurius Aulicus. But let this lyer say what he will, all that were then in Oxford knew well enough that John Birkenhead began, and carried them on, and in his absence P. Heylyn supplied his place and wrote many of them.

News from Pembroke and Montgomery: Or Oxford Manchester’d, &c.—Printed in 1648 in one sh. in qu. ’Tis a faigned speech, as spoken by Philip Earl of Pembroke in the Convocation house at Oxon. 12. Apr. 1648 when he came to visit and undoe the University, as Edward Earl of Manchester had done that of Cambridg, while he was Chancellor thereof. Tis exceeding waggish, and much imitating he way of speaking of Pembroke.

Paules Churchyard. Libri Theologici, Politici, Historici, nundinis Paulinis (una cum templo) prostant venales, &c. Printed in 3 several sheets in qu. an. 1649. These Pamphlets contain feigned titles of books and Acts of Parliaments, and several questions; all reflecting on the reformers and men of those times.

The four-legg’d Quaker. A ballad to the tune of the dog and elders maid. Lond. 1659. in 3. columes on one side of a sh. of paper. Such another almost you may see in Sir Joh. Denhams Poems and translations.

The Assembly man. (or the character of an Assembly man) written 1647. Lond. 1662/3 in three sheets in qu. The Copy of it was taken from the author by those who said they could not rob, because all was theirs. so exciz’d what they liked not, and so mangled and reformed it that twas no character of an Assembly, but of themselves. At length after it had slept several years, the author publish’d it to avoid false copies. It is also reprinted in a book entit. Wit and Loyaltie revived in a collection of some smart Satyres in verse and prose on the late times. Lond. 1682. qu. said to be written by Abr. Cowley, Sir Joh. Birkenhend and Hudibras alias Sam. Butler. He hath also several scatter’d copies of verses and translations extant, to which are vocal compositions set by Hen. Lawes, as (1) Anacreons Ode, called The Lute, Englished (from Greek) and to be sung by a Bass alone. (2) An anniversary on the nuptials of John Earl of Bridgwater, 22. Jul. 1652. He hath also extant A Poem on his staying in London after the Act of banishment for Cavaliers, and another called The Jolt, made upon the Protectors (Cromwell) being thrown out of the Coach seat or box of his own Coach, at what time for recreation sake, who would needs, forsooth, drive the Coach himself in Hyde Park, drawn by six great German horses, sent him, as a present, by the Count of Oldenburgh, while his Secretary John Thurloe sate in the Coach, in July 1654 He the said Sir Jo. Birkenhead died within the Precincts of Whitehall, on the 4. of Dec. or thereabouts in sixteen hundred seventy and nine,1679. and was buried on the sixth day of the same month near to the School door in the Church-yard of S. Martin in the fields within the City of Westminster, leaving then behind him a choice Collection of Pamphlets, which came into the hands of his Executors Sir Rich. Mason and Sir Muddiford Bramston. See more of him in Rob. Waring among these writers, an. 1658. p. 143. Besides this Joh. Birkenhead, was another of both his names a Divine, who published a Sermon in 1644. on Rom. 13.5. in qu.