John Constable

, Son of Roger Constable by Isabel his Wife, was born in London, Educated in Grammaticals under William Lilye, in Academicals in an antient Hostle sometimes called Byham, afterwards corruptly Bohem, Hall, opposite to Merton Coll. Church, under the tuition, as I conceive, of Mr. John Plaisted the chief Moderator thereof. About the time that he had taken the Degree of Master of Arts, which was in 1515. (7. Hen. 8) he left the University, being then accounted an excellent Poet and Rhetorician, and had some preferment conferred upon him, but what, I know not. He hath written and published.

Querela Veritatis. The beginning of which is Destinavimus tibi hunc nostrum, &c. Joh. Bradford, the Protestant Martyr, wrote a Book Entit. The complaint of Verity, &c. Lond. 1559. in oct. Whether in imitation of the former, I know not.

Epigrammata. Lond. 1520. qu. which Book of Epigrams I have seen in the Bodleian Library, given thereunto by that curious collector of Books, Democritus Junior. Other things, as I conceive he hath written, but of what Subject I cannot yet tell; nor can I say any more of John Constable, only this, that one of both his Names, who was Doctor of Decrees, fourth Son of Sir [•] Rob. Constable of Flamburgh in Yorkshire Knight, and Residentiary of the Church of Lincoln, became Dean of the said Church, in the Year 1514. who dying 15. Jul. 1528. recommended his Body to be buried in the Cathedral Church of our Lady of Lincoln, near to the Corps of George Fitz-Hugh sometimes Dean thereof, who was buried in the Body of the said Church:Clar. 1520. What relation our Author Jo. Constable the Poet (who was in great renown among learned Men in Fifteen hundred and twenty) had to John Constable the Dean, I cannot yet find. In the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, lived one Henry Constable. a noted English Poet, not unfitly ranked with Sir Edw. Dyer Chancellor of the most noble Order of the Garter, a poetical Writer, and of good esteem in the said Queens time, as living in the 39 Year of her Reign. The said Henry Constable, who had spent some time among the Oxonian Muses, was a great Master of the English Tongue; and there was no Gentleman of our Nation, had a more pure, quick, and higher delivery of conceit than he; witness among all others, that Sonnet of his before the poetical Translation called The Furies, made by King James the First of England, while he was King of the Scots. He hath also several Sonnets extant, written to Sir Phil. Sidney; some of which are set before the Apology for Poetry, written by the said Knight.