This _John Heywood_ was one of the first writers of _English_ Plays, contemporary with the Authors of _Gammar Gurton's Needle_, and _Tom Tyler and his Wife_, as may appear by the Titles of his Interludes; _viz._ The Play of Love; Play of the Weather; Play between _Johan_ the Husband, and _Tib_ his Wife; Play between the Pardoner and the Fryer, and the Curate and Neighbour _Prat_; Play of Gentleness and Nobility, in two parts. Besides these he wrote two Comedies, the _Pinner of Wakefield_, and _Philotas_ _Scotch_. There was of this Name, in King _Henry_ the Eighth's Reign, an Epigramatist, _who_, saith the Author of the Art of _English_ Poetry, _for the mirth and quickness of his conceits, more than any good learning was in him, came to be well benefited by the King._
_Thomas Heywood_ was a greater Benefactor to the Stage than his Namesake, _John Heywood_, aforesaid, he having (as you may read in an Epistle to a Play of his, called, _The English Travellers_) had an entire hand, or at least a main finger in the writing of 220 of them. And no doubt but he took great pains therein, for it is said, that he not only Acted himself almost every day, but also wrote each day a Sheet; and that he might lose no time, many of his Plays were composed in the Tavern, on the back-side of Tavern Bills; which may be an occasion that so many of them are lost, for of those 220. mentioned before, we find but 25. of them Printed, _viz. The Brazen Age_; _Challenge for Beauty_; _The_ English _Travellers_; _The first and second part of_ Edward _the Fourth_; _The first and second part of Queen_ Elizabeth's _Troubles_; _Fair Maid of the West, first and second part_; _Fortune by Land and Sea_; _Fair Maid of the Exchange_; _Maidenhead well lost_; _Royal King and Loyal Subject_; _Woman kill'd with kindess_; _Wise Woman of_ Hogsdon, Comedies. _Four_ London _Prentices_; _The Golden Age_; _The Iron Age, first and second part_; Robert _Earl of_ Huntington's _downfal_ Robert _Earl of_ Huntington's _death_; _The Silver Age_; _Dutchess of_ Suffolk, Histories; _And Loves Mistress_, a Mask. And, as if the Name of _Heywood_ were destinated to the Stage, there was also one _Jasper Heywood_, who wrote three Tragedies, namely, _Hercules Furiens_, _Thyestes_, and _Troas_. Also, in my time I knew one _Matthew Heywood_; who wrote a Comedy, called _The Changling_, that should have been acted at _Audley-end_ House, but, by I know not what accident was prevented.