This reverend Doctor was born at _Ewel_ in _Surrey_; a witty Poet in his youth, witness his _Iter Boreale_, and other _facetious Poems_, which were the effects of his juvenal fancy; He was also one of those celebrated Wits, which with Mr. _Benjamin Johnson_, Mr. _Whitaker_, Sir _Joh. Harrington_, Dr. _Donne_, Mr. _Drayton_, Mr. _Davis_, whom I mentioned before, and several others, wrote those mock commendatory Verses on _Coriats Crudities_; which, because the Book is scarce, and very few have seen it, I shall give you them as they are recited in the Book.
I do not wonder, _Coriat_, that thou hast Over the _Alps_, through _France_, and _Savoy_, past, Parcht on thy skin, and founder'd in thy feet, Faint, thirsty, lousie, and didst live to see't. Tho' these are _Roman_ sufferings, and do show What Creatures back thou hadst, could carry so; All I admire is thy return, and how Thy slender pasterns could thee bear, when now Thy observations with thy brain ingendred, Have stufft thy massy and volumnious head With Mountains, Abbeys, Churches, Synagogues, Preputial Offals, and _Dutch_ Dialogues: A burthen far more grievous than the weight Of Wine or Sleep, more vexing then the freight Of Fruit and Oysters, which lade many a pate, And send folks crying home from _Billings-gate_. No more shall man with Mortar on his head Set forward towards _Rome_: no, Thou art bred A terror to all Footmen, and to Porters, And all Lay-men that will turn _Jews_ Exhorters, To fly their conquer'd trade: Proud _England_ then Embrace this luggage, which the man of men Hath landed here, and change thy Welladay Into some home-spun welcome Roundelay. Send of this stuff thy Territories thorough, To _Ireland_, _Wales_, and _Scottish Edenborough_; There let this Book be read and understood, Where is no theme, nor writer half so good.
He from a Student in, became Dean of _Christchurch_, then Bishop of _Oxford_, being of a courteous carriage, and no destructive nature to any who offended him, counting himself plentifully repaired with a Jest upon him. He afterwards was advanced Bishop of _Norwich_, where he died _Anno_ 1635.
This _renowned Poet_, whose Fame surmounts all the Elogies which the most learned Pen can bestow upon him, was born in the City of _Westminster_, his Mother living there in _Harts-horn-lane_, near _Charing-cross_, where she married a _Bricklayer_ for her second Husband. He was first bred in a private School in St. _Martin's_-Church, then in _Westminster_-School, under the learned Mr. _Cambden_, as he himself intimates in one of his Epigrams.