Richard Martin

, Son of Will. Martin, (by Anne his Wife, Daughter of Rich. Parker of Sussex,) fourth Son of Rich. Martin of the City of Exeter, second Son of Will. Martin of Athelhampton in the Parish of Puddletowne in Dorsetshire, Knight, was born at Ottert [•] n in Devonshire, became a Commoner of Broadgates hall (now Pembroke coll.) in Michaelmas Term 1585. aged 15. and not in Trinity coll. as I have formerly by a mistake told (m)(m) In Hist. [〈◊〉] Univ. Oxon. lib. 2. p. 296. a. you,) where by natural parts, and some industry, he proved in short time a noted disputant. But he leaving the said honse before he was honoured with a degree, went to the Middle Temple, where, after he had continued in the state of Inner Barrester for some years, was elected a Burgess to serve in Parliament 1601. was constituted Lent-Reader of the said Temple, 13. Jac. 1. and upon the death of Sir Anth. Benn was made Recorder of the City of London, in Sept. 1618. Which place he enjoying but little more than a month, was succeeded therein by Sir Rob. Heath. There was no person in his time more celebrated for ingenuity than R. Martin, none more admired by Selden, Serjeant Hoskins, Ben. Johnson, &c. than he; the last of which dedicated his Comedy to him called The Poetaster. K. James was much delighted with his facetiousness, and had so great respect for him, that he commended him to the Citizens of London to be their Recorder. He was worthily characterized; by the vertuous and learned Men of his time, to be, Princeps (n)(n) By which he is to be understood, that he had been Prince D’amour of the Middl [•] [•] emple in the time of Christmas. amorum, Principum amor, legum lingua, lexque dicendi, Anglorum alumnus, Praeco Virginiae ac Parens, &c. Magnae orbis os, orbis minoris corculum, Bono suorum natus, extinctus suo, &c. He was a plausible Linguist, and eminent for several Speeches spoken in Parliaments, for his Poems also and witty discourses. All that I have seen of his are,

Speech and Discourses in one or more Parliaments in the latter end of Q. Elizab.

Speeches delivered to the King, in the name of the Sheriffs of London and Middlesex. Lond. 1603. 1643. qu.

Various Poems.—He died to the great grief of all learned and good men, on the last day of Octob. in sixteen hundred and eighteen, 1618 and was buried in the Church belonging to the Temples. Over his grave, was soon after a neat Alabaster Monument erected, with the Effigies of the Defunct kneeling in his Gown, with 4 verses engraven thereon, under him, made by his dear Friend Serjeant Hoskins before-mentioned; a copy of which you may see (o)(o) See Orig. Jurid. by Sir W. Dugdale, in his discourse of the Temples. elsewhere. This Monument was repaired in 1683. when the Choire and Isles adjoyning, belonging to the Temple Church, were new-wainscoted and furnished with seats. He gave by Will to the Church of Otterton, where he received his first breath, 5 l. and to the Church of Culliton-Raleigh in Devon, where his House and Seat was 5 l.