Thomas Newton

, the eldest Son of Edw. Netwon of Butley in the Parish of Presbury in Cheshire (descended originally from the Newtons of Newtons) by Alice his Wife, was born in that County, educated in Grammaticals under John Brownswerd, (whom I have mentioned under the year 1589.) sent while very young to Oxon, but making little stay there, he went to Cambridge, where he setled in Queens coll. and became so much renowned for his Latine Poetry, that he was numbred by Scholars of his time among the most noted Poets in that Language. Afterwards taking Oxon in his way, (where he continued for some time,) he retired to his own Country, taught School at Macclesfield, or near it, with good success, practiced Physick, and was encouraged in his undertakings by Robert Earl of Essex. At length being benificed at Ilford in Essex, taught School there also, as it seems, and continued at that place to the time of his death. This person hath written several things, and translated more, the titles of which, such that have come to my hands, you shall have, tho’ he is rather to be numbred among the writers of Cambridge than of Oxon.

A notable History of the Saracens, &c. drawn out of August. Curio, in 3 books. Lond. 1575. qu.

A summary or brief Chronicle of the Saracens and Turks, continued from the birth of Mahomet, to an. 1575.—Printed with the former book.

Approved Medicines and cordial Precepts, with the Nature and Symptoms, &c. Lond. 1580. oct.

Illustrium aliquot Anglorum Encomia. Lond. 1589. qu. At the end of Jo. Letands Encomia, Trophaea, &c.

Atropoion Delion: Or, the death of Delia, with the tears of her Funeral. A poetical excusive discourse of our late Elizabeth. Lond. 1603. qu.

A pleasant new History: Or, a fragrant Posie made of three flowers, Rosa, Rosalynd, and Rosemary. Lond. 1604. He also viewed and corrected Embryon relimatum, written by Joh. Stanbridge, and was author, as a certain (m)(m) Edw. Phillips in his Theatrum Poetanum, or collect. of Poets, &c. Lond. 1675. oct. p. 182. among the modern Poets. writer saith, of two Tragedies, viz. of the first and second parts of Tamerline the great Scythian Emperor, but false. For in Tho. Newtons time the said two parts were performed by Christop. Marlo, sometimes a Student in Cambridge; afterwards, first an actor on the stage, then, (as Shakespeare, whose contemporary he was,) a maker of Plays, tho’ inferior both in fancy and merit. This Marlo, by the way it must be known, was author (besides the said two Tragedies) of (1) The rich Jew of Malta. Trag. published at Lond. by Tho. Heywood. (2) The tragical History of the life and death of Dr. Jo. Faustus, several times printed. (3) Lusts dominion, &c. Trag. Lond. 1661. oct. then published by Franc. Kirkman, Junior, a Bookseller, and a great Trader in Plays. From which Tragedy was another stolen, or at least the better part, intit. Abdelazer, or the Mores revenge. Lond. 1677. published under the name of Mistriss Aphora Behn. (4) Trag. of K. Ed. 2. (5) Trag. of Dido Qu. of Carthage. In the composure of which Tom Nash joyned with him. But in the end, so it was, that this Marlo giving too large a swing to his own wit, and suffering his lust to have the full reins, fell to that outrage and extremity, as Jodelle a French tragical Poet did, (being an Epicure and an Atheist,) that he denied God and his Son Christ, and not only in word blasphemed the Trinity, but also (as ’twas credibly (n)(n) See in Tho. Beards Theatre of Gods Judgments, lib. 1. chap. 23. reported) wrote divers discourses against it, affirming Our Saviour to be a deceiver, and Moses to be conjurer: The holy Bible also to contain only vain and idle stories, and all religion but a device of policy. But see the end of this person, which was noted by all, especially the Precisian. For so it fell out, that he being deeply in love with a certain Woman, had for his Rival a bawdy serving man, one rather fit to be a Pimp, than an ingenious Amoretto as Marlo conceived himself to be. Whereupon Marlo taking it to be an high affront, rush’d in upon, to stab, him, with his dagger: But the serving man being very quick, so avoided the stroke, that with all catching hold of Marlo’s wrist, he stab’d his own dagger into his own head, in such sort, that notwithstanding all the means of surgery that could be wrought, he shortly after died of his wound, before the year 1593. Some time before his death he had began and made a considerable progess in the Poem called Hero and Leander, which was afterwards finished by George Chapman, who fell short (as ’tis said) of the spirit and invention of Marlo in the performance thereof. It was printed at Lond. 1606. in qu. and whether before that time, I know not. But all this I speak by the by. Our author Tho. Newton, whom and his works I am further to mention, hath also translated from Latine into English. (1) A direction for the health of magistrates and students, namely, such as be in the consistent age, or near thereunto. Lond. 1574. in tw. written by Gul. Gratarolus. (2) Commentary or exposition upon the two Epistles general of S. Peter and that of S. Jude; gathered out of the lectures and preachings of Dr. Martin Luther by Anonymus. Lond. 1581. qu. (3) Touchstone of Complexions, containing most easie rules, and ready tokens, whereby every man may know as well the exact state, habit, disposition and constitution of his body outwardly, as also the inclinations, &c. of the mind inwardly. Lond. 1581. oct. written by Levinus Lemnius. (4) Third Tragedy of L. Ann. Seneca, ent it. Thebais. Lond. 1581. qu. in old verse, and printed in an English character. Note that the fourth, seventh, eight (o)(o) The eighth Trag. called Agamemnon was first of all published by the said [〈◊〉] at Lond. 1566. [〈◊〉] tw. and tenth Tragedys, of the said author, were in the like manner translated by John Studley of Trin. coll. in Cambridge, a noted Poet in Qu. Elizabeth’s time. The fifth called Oedipus was translated by Alex. Nevill of Cambridge, the same person I mean, who was author of Kettus, sive de furoribus Norfolciensium, &c. lib. 1. an. 1582. The 9th Trag. was translated by Tho. Nuce, contemporary with Studley and Nevill, and three more by Jasp. Heywood, as I have told you elsewhere. (5) Of christian friendship, &c. with an invective against Dice-play and other prophane games. Lond. 1586. oct. written by Lamb. Danaeus. (6) Tryal and examination of a mans own self, &c. Lond. 1587. tw. by Andr. Hiperius. (7) Herbal of the Bible, containing a plain and familiar exposition of such similitudes, parables, &c. that are borrowed and taken from Herbs, Plants, &c. Lond. 1587. oct. by Levinus Lemnius. These are all the translations, as I conceive, that Tho. Newton hath made. At length having otten a considerable estate by his endeavours, concluded his last day at Little Ilford in Essex in the month of May in sixteen hundred and seven, and was buried in the Church belonging to that Village, 1607 leaving behind him a Son named Abell, and a Legacy to the parishioners of the said place to buy ornaments for their Church.