William Rowland

Son of Griffin Rowland of the City of Worcester, was born there, became either a Batler or Sojournour of Exeter Coll. in the beginning of the year 1627, aged 17 years, took the degrees in Arts, holy Orders and was made either a Reader or Curate of S. Margarets Church in the City of Westminster. In the time of the rebellion when he saw the Church of England declining, he changed his Religion for that of Rome, and went to Paris, where by the name of Rolandus Palingenius he made a shift to get a livelyhood by his mendicant scribbles, his lepid veine, and art of Poetry among the English Gentlemen, and other Grandies of France. He hath written,

Varia Poemata. Mostly in Lat. some in English and some in French, to which he would somtimes make additions of copies to them, on new Patrons, as they came to his knowledg, just as Payne Fisher afterwards did, to shark money from those who delighted to see their names in print. This Will. Rowland who wrot himself in the title of his Poems Gul. Rolandus Poeta Regius, was a boon Droll, a jolly companion and was generally called Doctor, having had that degree confer [•] d on him, (as I have heard) at Paris. At length retiring for health sake to a village called Vambre near to that great City, he having brought his body into a consumption by too much lifting, ended his days there in sixteen hundred fifty and nine,1659. or thereabouts. I have seen a Book intit. Legenda lignea, &c. containing a character of some hopeful Saints revolted to the Church of Rome. Lond. 1653. oct. In which book p. 172, &c. you may see a full, if not too smart, character of this Will. Rowland, but whether all is true that is said of him there, (for the Book is full of scurrilities) may be justly question’d. Since I wrot this, I find one Will. Rowland Master of Arts (and Dr. of Physick as he writes himself) to have translated into English (besides several books of Physick that he hath written) A Treatise of spirits and wind offending mans body. Lond. 1668. qu. Written by Dr. Jo. Fienus; but the translation being by him dedicated to the vertuosi of the Royal Society, first founded 1660, I cannot take him to be the same with the former.