on evidences drawn from _The Shadow of Night_ and
_Alphonsus Emperor of Germany_, respectively, that he served in one of
Sir F. Vere's campaigns in the Netherlands, and that he travelled in
Germany. _The Shadow of Night_, consisting of two "poeticall hymnes"
appeared in 1594, and is his first extant work. It was followed in 1595
by _Ovid's Banquet of Sence_, _The Amorous Zodiac_, and other poems.
These early compositions, while containing fine passages, are obscure
and crabbed in style.[v-1] In 1598 appeared Marlowe's fragmentary _Hero
and Leander_ with Chapman's continuation. By this year he had
established his position as a playwright, for Meres in his _Palladis
Tamia_ praises him both as a writer of tragedy and of comedy. We know
from Henslowe's _Diary_ that his earliest extant comedy _The Blinde
Begger of Alexandria_ was produced on February 12, 1596, and that for
the next two or three years he was working busily for this enterprising
manager. _An Humerous dayes Myrth_ (pr. 1599), and _All Fooles_ (pr.
1605) under the earlier title of _The World Runs on Wheels_,[vi-1] were
composed during this period.

Meanwhile he had begun the work with which his name is most closely
linked, his translation of Homer. The first instalment, entitled _Seaven
Bookes of the Iliades of Homere, Prince of Poets_, was published in
1598, and was dedicated to the Earl of Essex. After the Earl's execution
Chapman found a yet more powerful patron, for, as we learn from the
letters printed recently in _The Athenaeum_ (cf. _Bibliography_, sec.
III), he was appointed about 1604 "sewer (i. e. cupbearer) in ordinary,"
to Prince Henry, eldest son of James I. The Prince encouraged him to
proceed with his translation, and about 1609 appeared the first twelve
books of the _Iliad_ (including the seven formerly published) with a
fine "Epistle Dedicatory," to "the high-born Prince of men, Henry." In
1611 the version of the _Iliad_ was completed, and that of the _Odyssey_
was, at Prince Henry's desire, now taken in hand. But the untimely death
of the Prince, on November 6th, 1612, dashed all Chapman's hopes of
receiving the anticipated reward of his labours. According to a petition
which he addressed to the Privy Council, the Prince had promised him on
the conclusion of his translation L300, and "uppon his deathbed a good
pension during my life." Not only were both of these withheld, but he
was deprived of his post of "sewer" by Prince Charles. Nevertheles