WILLIAM HABINGTON,


Son of Thomas Habington, Esq; was born at Hendlip in Worcestershire,
on the 4th of November 1605, and received his education at St. Omers
and Paris, where he was earnestly pressed to take upon him the habit
of a Jesuit; but that sort of life not suiting with his genius, he
excused himself and left them[1]. After his return from Paris, he was
instructed by his father in history, and other useful branches of
literature, and became, says Wood, a very accomplished gentleman. This
author has written,

1. Poems, 1683, in 8vo. under the title of Castara: they are divided
into three parts under different titles, suitable to their subject.
The first, which was written when he was courting his wife, Lucia, the
beautiful daughter of William Lord Powis, is introduced by a
character, written in prose, of a mistress. The second are copies to
her after marriage, by the character of a wife; after which is a
character of a friend, before several funeral elegies. The third part
consists of divine poems, some of which are paraphrases on several
texts out of Job, and the book of psalms.

2. The Queen of Arragon, a Tragi-Comedy, which play he shewed to
Philip Earl of Pembroke, who having a high opinion of it, caused it to
be acted at court, and afterwards to be published, the contrary to the
author's inclination.