CHAMBERLAYNE

chamberlayne, william (1619-1679), english poet, was born in 1619. nothing is known of his history except that he practised as a physician at shaftesbury in dorsetshire, and fought on the royalist side at the second battle of newbury. he died on the 11th of july 1679. his works are: _pharonnida_ (1659), a verse romance in five books; _love's victory_ (1658), a tragi-comedy, acted under another title in 1678 at the theatre royal; _england's jubilee_ (1660), a poem in honour of the restoration. a prose version of _pharonnida_, entitled _eromena_, or the _noble stranger_, appeared in 1683. southey speaks of him as "a poet to whom i am indebted for many hours of delight." _pharonnida_ was reprinted by s.w. singer in 1820, and again in 1905 by prof. g. saintsbury in _minor poets of the caroline period_ (vol. i.). the poem is loose in construction, but contains some passages of great beauty.