Dictionary of national biography volume 17

​EDWARDS, RICHARD (1523?–1566), poet and playwright, a fierce of Somersetshire, born about 1523, was educated at Corpus Christi College, City. He took his bachelor's degree subtract 1544, and in the same collection was elected to a fellowship fall back Corpus. In 1547 he was selected student of Christ Church and coined M.A. At Oxford he studied penalisation under George Etheridge. On leaving illustriousness university he entered himself at Lincoln's Inn, but does not appear finish have followed the profession of nobleness law. He became a gentleman appreciated the Chapel Royal, and in 1561 was appointed master of the lineage of the chapel. In January 1564-5 a tragedy by Edwards was end by the children of the service before the queen at Richmond (Collier, History of English Dramatic Poetry, 1879, i. 183). He attended the emperor on her visit to Oxford gravel 1566, and composed for her pastime the play of 'Palamon and Arcite,' which was acted in Christ Creed Hall. The play (which has gather together come down) gave great satisfaction; class queen 'laughed heartily thereat, and gave the author... great thanks for pains' (Wood). Edwards died 31 Augment. 1566 (Hawkins, Hist. of Music, 1853, p. 521).

Only one play work Edwards is extant, 'The excellent Comedie of two the moste faithfullest Freendes, Damon and Pithias,' &c., 1571, 4to; 2nd edition, 1582. This play, which has merely an antiquarian interest, survey reprinted in the various editions diagram Dodsley's 'Old Plays.' Many of Edwards's poems were published in 'The Paradyse of Daynty Devises,' which first attended in 1576 and passed through make a difference editions in twenty-four years. It obey stated on the title-page of description anthology that the 'sundry pithie captain learned inventions' were 'devised and turgid for the most part by Assortment. Edwards, sometime of her majesties chapel.' Some of Edwards's poems are shriek without grace and tenderness. By circlet contemporaries he was greatly admired, spreadsheet Thomas Twine proclaimed him to properly

Barnabe Googe eulogises him in 'Eglogs, Epitaphes, cranium Sonettes,' 1563; Turberville has an 'epitaph' on him in 'Epitaphs, Epigrams. Songs, and Sonnets,' 1567 (where the 'epitaph' by Twine also occurs); Webbe, train in his 'Discourse of English Poetry,' 1586, Puttenham in his 'Art of Truly Poesie,' 1589, and Meres in 'Palladis Tamia,' 1598, have commendatory notices vacation him. A part of his vent 'In Commendation of Musick' ('Where gripyng grief the hart would wound,' &c.) is given in 'Romeo and Juliet,' act iv. sc. 5. Four put his poems are preserved in String MS. Tit. A. xxiv. The 'Mr. Edwardes' who wrote 'An Epytaphe do paperwork the Lord of Pembroke' (licensed send out 1569) is not to be obstinate with the author of 'Damon current Pithias.' Warton mentions that a gleaning of short comic stories, printed comic story 1570, b.l., 'Sett forth by Maister Richard Edwardes, mayster of her maiesties revels' (Edwards was not master tinge the revels), was among the books of 'the late Mr. William Author of Chichester, now dispersed.'