He was born in Dublin, in the year 1615[1]; but was brought over from
thence very young, on his father's being made one of the barons of the
Exchequer in England 1617.

He received his education, in grammar learning, in London; and in
Michaelmas term 1631 he was entered a gentleman commoner in Trinity
College, Oxford, being then 16 years of age; where, as Wood expresses
it, 'being looked upon as a slow dreaming young man, and more addicted
to gaming than study, they could never imagine he could ever enrich the
world with the issue of his brain, as he afterwards did.'

He remained three years at the university, and having been examined
at the public schools, for the degree of bachelor of arts, he entered
himself in Lincoln's-Inn, where he was generally thought to
apply himself pretty closely to the study of the common law. But
notwithstanding his application to study, and all the efforts he was
capable of making, such was his propensity to gaining, that he was
often stript of all his money; and his father severely chiding him, and
threatening to abandon him if he did not reform, he wrote a little essay
against that vice, and presented it to his father, to convince him of
his resolution against it[2]. But no sooner did his father die, than
being unrestrained by paternal authority, he reassumed the practice, and
soon squandered away several thousand pounds.

In the latter end of the year 1641 he published a tragedy called the
Sophy, which was greatly admired, and gave Mr. Waller occasion to say
of our author, 'That he broke out like the Irish rebellion, threescore
thousand strong, when no body was aware, nor in the Ieast expected it.'
Soon after this he was pricked for high sheriff for the county of Surry,
and made governor of Farnham-Castle for the King; but not being well