He had a wonderful sagacity in the
understanding of men, and could discover whether an ambassadour's
message was reall or feigned; and his Majesty King James made great
use of this talent of his. Mr. Touars, an ingenious gentleman, who
understood painting well, and did travell beyond sea to buy rare
pieces for his lordship, had a pension of lOOli. per annum. Mr.
Richard Gibson, the dwarfe, whose marriage Mr. Edm. Waller hath
celebrated in his po?ms, sc. the Marriage of the Dwarfs, a great
master in miniture, hath a pension of an hundred pounds per annum.
Mr. Philip Massinger, author of severall good playes, was a servant to
his lordship, and had a pension of twenty or thirty pounds per annum,
which was payed to his wife after his decease. She lived at Cardiffe,
in Glamorganshire. There were others also had pensions, that I have
forgot.
[Arthur Massinger, the father of the poet, was attached to the
establishment of the Earl of Pembroke; and Gifford, in his Life of
Massinger, seems inclined to think that Philip was born at Wilton. He
was baptized in St. Thomas's Church, Salisbury, 24 Nov. 1583. His
biographers have all been ignorant of the fact above recorded by
Aubrey. A brief memoir of the life of Massinger will be found in
Hatcher's History of Salisbury, p. 619.- J. B.]
William (third) and Philip (third) earles were gallant, noble persons,
and handsome; they espoused not learning, but were addicted to field
sports and hospitality.
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