MARKHAM

markham, gervase (or jervis) (1568?-1637), english poet and miscellaneous writer, third son of sir robert markham of cotham, nottinghamshire, was born probably in 1568. he was a soldier of fortune in the low countries, and later was a captain under the earl of essex's command in ireland. he was acquainted with latin and several modern languages, and had an exhaustive practical acquaintance with the arts of forestry and agriculture. he was a noted horse-breeder, and is said to have imported the first arab. very little is known of the events of his life. the story of the murderous quarrel between gervase markham and sir john holles related in the _biographia britannica_ (s.v. holles) has been generally connected with him, but in the _dictionary of national biography_, sir clements r. markham, a descendant from the same family, refers it to another contemporary of the same name, whose monument is still to be seen in laneham church. gervase markham was buried at st giles's, cripplegate, london, on the 3rd of february 1637. he was a voluminous writer on many subjects, but he repeated himself considerably in his works, sometimes reprinting the same books under other titles. his booksellers procured a declaration from him in 1617 that he would produce no more on certain topics. markham's writings include: _the teares of the beloved_ (1600) and _marie magdalene's teares_ (1601) long and rather commonplace poems on the passion and resurrection of christ, both reprinted by dr a. b. grosart in the _miscellanies of the fuller worthies library_ (1871); _the most honorable tragedy of sir richard grinvile_ (1595), reprinted (1871) by professor e. arber, a prolix and euphuistic poem in eight-lined stanzas which was no doubt in tennyson's mind when he wrote his stirring ballad; _the poem of poems, or syon's muse_ (1595), dedicated to elizabeth, daughter of sir philip sidney; _devoreux, vertues teares_ (1597). _herod and antipater, a tragedy_ (1622) was written in conjunction with william sampson, and with henry machin he wrote a comedy called _the dumbe knight_ (1608). _a discourse of horsemanshippe_ (1593) was followed by other popular treatises on horsemanship and farriery. _honour in his perfection_ (1624) is in praise of the earls of oxford, southampton and essex, and the _souldier's accidence_ (1625) turns his military experiences to account. he edited juliana berners's _boke of saint albans_ under the title of _the gentleman's academie_ (1595), and produced numerous books on husbandry, many of which are catalogued in lowndes's _bibliographer's manual_ (bohn's ed., 1857-1864).