n from the Parliament, about June 10, 1641; yet he was not deemed
so by the officers of the army, because no patent was enrolled to
justify it, nor any mention of it made in the docquet books belonging
to the clerk of the crown in Chancery, where all Patents are taken
notice of which pass the Great Seal. Sir Aston was esteemed by some a
good poet, and was acknowledged by all a great lover of the polite
arts; he was addicted to extravagance; for he wasted all he had,
which, though he suffered in the civil wars, he was under no necessity
of doing from any other motive but profusion.

Amongst our author's other poetical productions, he has written three
plays and a masque, which are in print, which we shall give in the
same order with Mr. Langbaine.

1. A Masque, presented at Bretbie in Derbyshire, on Twelfth-Night
1639. This Entertainment was presented before the Right Honourable
Philip, first Earl of Chesterfield, and his Countess, two of their
sons acting in it.

2. The Obstinate Lady, a Comedy, printed in 8vo. London 1650.
Langbaine observes, that Sir Aston's Obstinate Lady, seems to be a
cousin Jerman to Massinger's Very Woman, as appears by comparing the
characters.

3. The Tragedy of Ovid, printed in 8vo. 1669. 'I know not (says Mr.
Langbaine) why the author calls this Ovid's Tragedy, except that he
lays the scene in Tomos, and makes him fall down dead with grief, at
the news he received from Rome, in sight of the audience, otherwise he
has not much business on the stage, and the play ought rather to have
taken the name of Bassane's Jealousy, and the dismal Effects thereof,
the Murder of his new Bride Clorina, and his Friend Pyrontus.'

4. Trapolin creduto Principe, or Trapolin supposed a Prince, an
Italian Tragi-Comedy, printed in 8vo. London 1658. The design of this
play is taken from one he saw acted at Venice, during his abode in
that city; it has been since altered by Mr. Tate, and acted at the
Theatre in Dorset-Garden; it is now acted under the title of Duke and
No Duke.

He has written besides his plays,

What he calls a Chain of Golden Poems, embellished with Mirth, Wit,
and Eloquence. Another title put to these runs thus: Choice Poems of
several sorts; Epigrams in three Books. He translated into English an
Italian Romance, called Dianea, printed at London 1654.

Sir Aston died at Derby, upon the breaking of the great Frost in
February 1683, and his body being conveyed to Polesworth in
Warwickshir