Metaphysical & Cavalier

Thomas Bancroft

fl. 1633–1658

Thomas Bancroft (fl. 1633–1658) was an English epigrammatist and verse satirist. Little is securely recorded of his life; his poems are addressed to gentry and neighbours of the English Midlands, and he published two books of epigrams and epitaphs in London in 1639.

Two Bookes of Epigrammes, and Epitaphs was dedicated to Sir Charles Shirley, Baronet, and William Davenport, Esquire, and printed by I. Okes for Matthew Walbancke. The first book is largely satirical and occasional, mixing portraits of types and named acquaintances with epitaphs; the second turns often to scriptural and devotional themes. A later volume, Time's out of Tune, appeared in 1658.

Poems (438)

To Sir CHARLES SHIRLEY, Baronet (THis verse, (whose Author was so neare you bred))
To the Reader
To the same (Though Epigrammes be but a curter kind)
To his Booke
On the Spheares
On severall Countries
On cracking of Nuts
A drunken brabler
An Epitaph on his Father and Mother, buried neare together in Swarston Church
To Iame Shirley
The Usurer
An Epitaph on Mistris Anne Knyveton
Another on the same (Gentle Friends, with teares forbeare)
To Thomas Pegge Gentleman
To an Eunuch
An Epitaph on Master Henry Hopkinson
To Ben. Ionson
To the same (Let Ignorance with Envy chat)
To Oliver Cookerill
To Caspar the Foote-man
To Godfrey Froggat
On humane bodies
An Epitaph on George Siddon of the Bull-head in Bosworth
To Thomas May of Sutton-Cheney, Gentleman
On Maltworme
To Sampson Baker
To Thomas Dixie, Gentleman
To Amorer
To Sir IOHN HARPVR
To the same (You have a Genius pleas'd with Verse, (I heare))
To William Bottome
A tricke for your Learning
To Tom Dizzy
To a Red-ey'd Conjurer
To Sir Andrew Knyveton, in his Travaile
To the same at his Returne (Welcome to us, as is the Morning lay)
An Epitaph on Mistresse Gray, Grandmother to Sir Andrew Kniveton
On Gentry
Gluttons and Lechers
The Life of Man
To Master Farnaby
To old Sir Iohn Harpur of Swarston, deceased
On Martiall Boggard
To Master Pestell of Packinton
An Epitaph on Mistresse Anne Roberts of Naylston
To Dabbler
Ingrossers
An Epitaph on Alexander Hill
To a Detractour
An Epitaph on William Holorenshaw, the Mathematician
To Briskape the Gallant
On a French Knight, and Mistris Wolsley
To the Slanderer, Stinks
To Sir Gilbert Knyveton. ANAGRAMME. Turne to be Kingly
To a Musitian, on his hurt finger
An Epitaph on Captaine Knyveton
The brevity of Mans life
To Mistris Dorothy Harpur, (now the Lady Fitzherbert.) ANAGRAMME. Pure Hart I hoord
To Mr. William Roberts watch-maker
An Epitaph on the King of Sweden
To William Iernegan, Gent. Anagramme. I value my Learning
To Captayne Roberts
To Trent
To Swarston
On Pillard with his Periwig
To Grace-dieu
On Poets
Our Grandames infirmities
Of Warre
On Scheltco, the Astrologer
To Iohn Fretchvile Esquire
The New World
On Sir Philip Sidney
To Charnwood
On a Woman
On the same (Woman was once a Ribbe, (as Truth hath said))
On the motion of the Starres
On Gluttony and Lechery
To the Honorable Esquire, IOHN MANNOVRS of HADDON
To our Queene MARIE
To Vicar Blunder
On Iohn the Warrener, falne in love with Ioane the Net-worker
To the Lord Uerulam
To Nathaniel Carpenter, on his Geography
To a Tell-tale
To Baull, the Cryer
To our King CHARLES
On deafe Ioan, the Ale-wife
Copernicus his opinion
To our Prince CHARLES
To Sir THOMAS OVER BURY, on his Wife
To Zounds the Swaggerer
To the same (What Gulfe's within thee, that thou swallow'st so?)
A point of hard fortune
To George Slanders, on his Marriage
To Th. Ch. Esquire
To Shakespeare
To the same (Thou hast so us'd thy Pen, (or shooke thy Speare))
To Aston Cokaine, Esquire
The World
On Blinkes, a pretender to Poetry
To William Coke Esquire
An Epitaph on Mris. Hope Alford
Peace and Warre
An adumbration of Mans life
Dulman to Ignoramus
Ignoramus his reply
To Sir Iohn Fitzherbert of Narbury
An Epitaph on Foxe the Tinker
On Pride
The Miller to the King
On Captayne Milward, lying dead upon Trent banke
On the same (For thy deaths sake (noble friend))
To Iohn Milward Esquire
To Doctor Donne
The foure Elements
On a good Phisitian over-match't with an ill wife
On Nell Lusty
On Celestiall bodies
Death, a sure friend
A Cure for Impatience
On the same (Who would be patient, waite he at the Poole)
To I. P. an old Fencer
Time alters all things
To Gilbert Knyveton, Gentleman
On Sleepe
To Hugh the Cryer
A good wits dyet
To the same (Knighthood's come on thee (as a man should throw)
To Doctor Butler, in his last sicknesse
To the Lord Sillysense
To Captaine Iames, after his intended discovery of the North-west passages
On the Searchers of the North-west passage
Loves Remedy
The Pulpets complaynt of a Diabolicall Lyer
The Lyer
Naked Love
On Nuptiall love
On Church-bells
Evacuation of the foure humours
On the Kings Iester
To cracking Iohn
To Humphrey Okeover, Esquire
To Robert Lincolne, Gentleman
On Thomas Draper, Gentleman
To T. R
To Sir Henry Merry deceased
On old Trudge the Termer
Christmas in a Consumption
On the Ocean
An Epitaph on Walter Merry, Gent
On old Sharke
The greatest Clerkes, not the wisest men
On Tobacco taking
Maides and Wives
The prayse of Poverty
To William Lilly
On Excessive drinking
On Carnall mirth
To a young and wealthy wanton
The Aegyptian Isthmus
The Prodigall, on himselfe
To old Canker, a wicked Gardener
To Iohn Ford, the Poet
To his Brother Iohn Bancroft deceased
The penitent Prodigall, to his loose-bodied Mistresses
On Lust
To Iustice Much-ill
A Prince and a Parasite
Of Man
Of the Aethiopian Mountaine, Amara
Mans gradation
To Envy
On Greene-wit Gosling
Hope of preferment
Loves Motion
To Plots, a pretender to the Mathematicks
To Mr. Henry Mellor, the first Major of Darby
To Innocent Heartlesse, on his Imperious Wise
On Hypocrites in friendship
To Sir Iohn Curzon
To a lying Victualler
To Mistresse Mutable
To a Giglot, with her greene sicknesse
To Iohn Gell, Esquire
On Wood of Kent, that prodigious Gormund
Money, a fruitfull commodity
The English, too like the French
An Acrostick to Mistris Elizabeth Corbet
To Tumbrell Gullygut
On Pot-valiant Champions
On Ioane Easie
The Roman Eagle
To Nath. Bate, Gentleman
On Pickwell the Miller
To Iohn Whiteall, Gentleman
To Canary Birds
To Master Thomas Lightwood
To Mammons bond-slaves
A tryall of right
To the same (Thou rayl'st at Rome, and dost her friends oppose)
Of carnall pleasure
To Francis Quarles
To the Honourable Matron, the Lady GRACE CAVENDISH
An Epitaph on Mistris Anne Port
To the Lady Maunsfield, now the Countesse of New-Castle. AN AGRAMME. All Fame liveth in Deeds
To his Muse
To the Flower of Youngsters, Rose Verney
To Sir Charles Shirley, Baronet (COuld I but coyne you in my minde, you should)
To William Davenport, Esquire
On Theologicall Vertue
Sinne, like a Serpent
On Drunkennesse
On Devotion
Gods Bounty
On Lazarus in Abrahams Bosome
Mocking's Catching
The body and the soule
Percolation of Waters
Faith and Love
Of Nature
David and Goliah. Christ and Sathan
The fall of Angells
Strong encouragement
Of Mortification
To penitent Magdalen
A beame of comfort
An unfruitfull Reader
Sects in Religion
To London in time of Pestilence
The Arke and Dagon
On Palestine
The motion of sinne
Marke the end
Nebuchadnezzars Image moraliz'd
An old sute
Our Saviours first Miracle applyed
Pride, not unpunished
Good Workes
Heaven and Earth
The soules twylight
To Princes
Eminent Examples
Poverties priviledge
A Boaster
To Pride
On Iosephs Cloake
On Nebuchadnezzar, Deposed
Death of Tyrants
Gods Image
Of Divine Precepts
Of Repentance
On Worldlings
On the same (Rich Worldlings are poore Snakes, sustain'd alone)
Prosperity perilous
Affliction profitable
On the same (The higher that the Deluge rose)
Paine before pleasure
Of Riches
Ioseph in Prisan, to Pharaoh's Butler at liberty
On Tobias his Fish
The Devills child, the Devills lucke
On Avarice
A false World?
Of Religion
On Saint Stephen stoned
Pride and Humility
Divine Wisedome
Ignorance, the Divels foole
Of Mahomets Religion
On Iacobs wrestling
On the same (Iacob went halting, that he might not fly)
Mans life in the lapse
Of the Pillar of Salt, the remainder of Lots Wife
Of a Carnalist
Seths Pillars
Of Drunkards
Worldly pleasure
Not too fast
To an Epicure
Ill enough at the best
Solace in solitude
No truth in the World
Comfort in selfe conquest
An Ocean of Wine
Christs rising and setting
To the Heavenly Host, exulting at our Saviours Birth
Of the beatificall Vision
To Herod, Murtherer of the Innocents
Patient and prudent
To the blessed Virgin at her purification
On Mary Magdalen, weeping &c
To Iordan, wherein Christ was baptized
Flesh to dust
Comfort in calamity
Of Heaven
To a serpentine Sychophant
A generall benefit
The power of prayer
An invitation to happinesse
Evill Objects, infectious
Peter, at the transfiguration
The Covetous, to sublime contemplators
Of the Wedding Ring
Pharaohs Daughter, finding yong Moses in the Water
To ambitious favourites
On the skales that fell from Pauls eyes
On Iezabell, to Ladies
Iphtah, meeting his Daughter after Victory
The worlds entertainement
Iohn Baptists Head
Christ Crucified
An upstroke to his soule
On our Saviours Crosse
Of the terrours at the Death of our Saviour
On the Spunge filled with Vinegar
The anguish of Conscience
Man unnaturally revengefull
Our Saviours Parentage
Faith a fast friend
Sinnes attendants
Of silence
Belly, cease thy grumbling
True Knowledge
The Soules Center
Against prophane jesting
On Iudges. To Sir Tho. Mitward
Now, or never
Winke not at great faults
Gold like straw
On the healing of a crooked woeman
Against our Fashion-mongers
A sight of our Saviour
A Cure for the Kings evill
Temptation of the flesh
Davids Harpe out of Tune, after its Masters decease
A consort of Starres
On the same (Like Tobies Dogge's a guilty Conscience)
To a busie headed, idle-handed Zelot
The necessity of Respiration
An offer of love to our new-borne Saviour
On a seared Conscience: to a damnable Swearer
A flocke of Fooles
A flight of cares
Light enough in the Scriptures
Our Kingdomes happinesse
Hard hearts, to be broken
David dancing, Michol mocking
David to Michol
A devillish uproare
Lust and Pride
Fond delights to be relinquisht
Of Death
Diffusion of goodnesse
Of the same (Sweet vertue, like the humid morne, doth give)
Meditation of mortality
No peace without piety
Workes of Charity
To Lavolt, a fauourite
Birds of prey, hardly reclaimed
Of incineration
Of the same (Let not fraile red and white delude thine eye)
Of the externall sences
The duty of meditation
A troublesome world
Of concord
Of Regeneration
Of Divine contemplation
Israels Shepheard upon the mountaines
Generall disobedience
To Asia
Of abstinence
Holy violence
Away prophane
Of the Starre, and the stable, upon our Saviours Birth-day
Double Victory
Of humane life
Of solitude
Of Traitors
Of Bablers
The Objects of reproofe
The fall of fortitude
Preparation for the Sacrament
Keepe within compasse
Earth to earth
The worme of Conscience
Of tongues
Good preachers, Gods favourites
Gods feare, with true fortitude
Of zealous alacrity
Poore and rich
Of Prayers
A Crowne for constancy
The Divels temptation
Avoid Sathan
Of perseverance in piety
To Fewlove, a turbulent Church-man
Of Hypocrisie
The choice of a wife
Of Confession
The blood of our Lord
Wisedome without measure
On bad Patrons
Portions for Gods Children
Heaven hardly entred
To a vaine Babbler
Spirituall bondage
A happy Convert
To an Apostate
Celestiall comfort
On the ten Lepers in the Evangely
To Luke Warme
On old Simeon
To a Communicant
To a Pharisaicall boaster
Who first, for a winding-sheete
Wormes meate
Keepe off your Hatts
Comfort in the Crosse
Heavenly endowments
An intricate Receptacle
On Truth
Adams honourable interrement
Treasures of Devotion
On St. Thomas the Apostle
The place of Christs Nativity
On the Star that watched over our Saviour
The Forge of devotion
On our Saviour, wounded in the side
To an Atheisticall scoffer
To the same (Thou question'st me of Hell with hot desire)
On Cocke-fighting. To Master William Latkins
Of Whoores, and their Masters
Gods garden
Of Grace
Mans dignity, and danger
Of the blessed Trinity
To William Davenpore Esquire

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