acquaintance, as Drayton himself expresses it;
but however, it may be gathered from his works, that his most early
dependance was upon another patron, namely, Sir Henry Goodere of
Polesworth, in his own county, to whom he has been grateful for a
great part of his education, and by whom he was recommended to the
patronage of the countess of Bedford: it is no less plain from many
of his dedications to Sir Walter Ashton, that he was for many years
supported by him, and accommodated with such supplies as afforded him
leisure to finish some of his most elaborate compositions; and the
author of the Biographia Britannica has told us, 'that it has been
alledged, that he was by the interest of the same gentleman with Sir
Roger Ashton, one of the Bedchamber to King James in his minority,
made in some measure ministerial to an intercourse of correspondence
between the young King of of Scots and Queen Elizabeth:' but as
no authority is produced to prove this, it is probably without
foundation, as poets have seldom inclination, activity or steadiness
to manage any state affairs, particularly a point of so delicate a
nature.

Our author certainly had fair prospects, from his services, or other
testimonies of early attachment to the King's interest, of some
preferment, besides he had written Sonnets, in praise of the King as
a poet. Thus we see Drayton descending to servile flattery to promote
his interest, and praising a man as a poet contrary to his own
judgment, because he was a King who was as devoid of poetry as
courage.

He welcomed his Majesty to his British dominions with a congratulatory
poem printed in 4to, 1603. The same year he was chosen by Sir Walter
Aston one of the esquires who attended him, when he was with others
created knight of the Bath at the coronation of his Majesty. It no
where appears, that ever our author printed those poems in praise of
his Majesty; and the ungrateful reception they met, as well as the
disagreeable experience of the universal degeneracy at court, so
different from that of the Maiden Reign, might extinguish all hope of
raising himself there.

In the year 1613 he published the first part of his Poly-olbion. It
is a chorographical description of the rivers, mountains, forests,
castles; &c. in this Island, intermixed with the remarkable
antiquities, rarities, commodities, &c. This part is addressed to
Prince Henry, the promising son of James I. by whose encouragement it
was written. He ha