Anthony Stafford

an Esquires son, was born of an antient and noble Family in Northamptonshire, being descended from those of his name living at Blatherwicke in that County, entred a Gentleman Commoner of Oriel Coll. in 1608, and in that of his age 17, where by the help of a careful Tutour, but more by his natural parts, he obtained the name of a good scholar, became well read in antient history, Poets and other authors. What stay he made in that house, I cannot yet tell, or whether he took the degree of Bach. of Arts according to the usual course. Sure I am that in 1609 he was permitted to study in the publick library, purposely to advance his learning, having then a design to publish certain matters, and in 1623, just after the Act, he was actually created M. of Arts as a person adorned with all kind of literature. His works are these.

His Niobe, dissolved into a Nilus: or, his age drown’d in her own tears, &c. Lond. 1611 and 12. in tw.

Meditations and resolutions, moral, divine, and political. cent. 1. Lond. 1612. in tw.

Life and death of that great Cynick Diogenes, whom Lucretius stiles Canis coelestis, the heavenly dog, &c. Lond. 1615. in tw.

The guide of honour: or, the ballance wherein she may weigh her actions &c. Lond. 1634 in tw. written by the author in foreigne parts.

The female glory: or, the life of the Virgin Mary.—pr. at Lond. with cuts 1635 in oct. This little book, pen’d in a flourishing stile, was in another impression intit. The President of female perfection: or, the life &c. But the said book being esteemed egregiously scandalous among the Puritans, who look’d upon it as purposely publish’d to encourage the papists, Hen. Burton Minister of Friday street in London, did pretend to discover in his Sermon entit. For God and the King ((a))((a)) Pag. 123.124.125. several extravagant and popish passages therein, and advised the people to beware of it. “For which, and nothing else (as W. Prynne tells ((b))((b)) In his book intit. Canterburies Doome &c. p. 217. us) he was brought into the Starr-chamber, and there censured. But on the contrary this popish book of Staffords (as he calls it) with many scandalous passages in it were by the Archbishops special direction, professedly justified, both by Dr. Heylyn in his Moderate answer to Mr. Burton ((c))((c)) pag. 123.124., and by Christoph. Dow in his ((d))((d)) p. 51.54. Innovations justly charged, and this book neither called in nor corrected, so audaciously popish was he grown, in this particular, among many others, &c.” See more in Canterburies Doome, p. 215.216.217. Our Author Stafford hath also written,

A just apology or vindication of a book intit. The female glory, from the false and malevolent aspersions cast upon it by Hen. Burton of late deservedly censured in the Starr-chamber &c.—Whether this book was ever published I know not: I once saw it in a quarto MS. in the library of Dr. Tho. Barlow, given to him by Sir Joh. Birkenhead.

Honour and virtue, triumphing over the grave, exemplified in a fair devout life and death, adorned with the surviving perfections of Henry Lord Stafford, lately deceased: which honour in him ended with as great lustre as the sun sets in a serene sky, &c. Lond. 1640. qu. At the end of which are divers Elegies upon the death of the said Lord, mostly written by Oxford men, especially those of S. Johns Coll. Our author A. Stafford, who was Kinsman to the said Lord, Clar. 1641. hath also translated from Latine into English The oration of Justus Lipsius against Calumny. Lond. 1612. oct. What other things he hath written or translated I know not, nor any thing else of him, only that he died, as I have been informed, in the time of the Civil Wars.