John Vicars

John Vicars Poems

John Vicars Biography

John Vicars (1582, London-12 April 1652, Christ's Hospital, Greyfriars, London) was an English contemporary biographer, poet and polemicist of the English Civil War. His best known work is English Worthies or England's Worthies, whose full title is England's Worthies under whom all the Civil and Bloudy Warres since Anno 1642 to Anno 1647 are related. Descended from a Cumberland family, he was educated at Christ's Hospital and Queen's College, Oxford (though it is unknown if he graduated from the latter). He then left Oxford to return to Christ's Hospital as its Usher, a post he then held until his death. During the War itself he favoured Presbyterianism and opposed the Independents. He survived the war and died in 1652.)

The Best Poem Of John Vicars

The Translator

True Imitation of mens worthy Deedes
From Loue of them (as I suppose) proceedes
Yet many-times Ambitious Emulation!
May in such Actions staine True Imitation.
But vnto me, Loue was the Golden-Spurre,
If otherwise, I might iust shame incurre
For what I should I could not; what I could
I heere haue done, though farre from what I would.
Thy wit therefore braue Epigramatist,
To prayse condignely, in me can't consist.
Yet that I may not Enuious bee deem'd,
Not caring though I be a Foole esteem'd.
Some thus I Prayse, and thus their praise doe write,
I'le none Disprayse, most vndone passe my might.
Excuse heerein (kind Sir) what's Mis-committed,
And pardon mee, if ought be Ill-omitted.

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