Page:Cousins's Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature.djvu/430

418 (q.v.) the honour of being the first real successor of Chaucer, and also of introducing the sonnet into England. In addition to his sonnets, which are in a more correct form than those of Surrey, W. wrote many beautiful lyrics; in fact he may be regarded as the reviver of the lyrical spirit in English poetry which, making its appearance in the 13th century, had fallen into abeyance. In the anthology known as Tottel's Miscellany, first pub. in 1557, 96 pieces by W. appear along with 40 by Surrey, and others by different hands. W. has less smoothness and sweetness than Surrey, but his form of the sonnet was much more difficult as well as more correct than that invented by the latter, and afterwards adopted by Shakespeare, and his lyrical gift is more marked.  Author:William Wycherley (1640?-1716).—Dramatist, was b. at Clive, near Shrewsbury, where his f. had an estate. He was at the Inner Temple in 1659, and at Oxf. in 1660. Part of his youth had been spent in France, where he became a Roman Catholic, but at the Restoration he returned to Protestantism. He wrote four comedies, Love in a Wood, The Gentleman Dancing Master, The Country Wife, and The Plain Dealer, all produced in the reign of Charles II., and nothing of consequence afterwards, a vol. of poems doing little to add to his reputation. About 1679 he m. the widowed Countess of Drogheda, who d. in 1681, and he entered into a second marriage eleven days before his death. In his later years he formed a friendship with Pope, then a boy of 16. W. was one of the founders of the Comedy of Manners. The merit of his plays lies in smart and witty dialogue rather than in construction. The Plain Dealer, his best, is founded upon Molière's Misanthrope. His plays are notoriously coarse.  Author:Andrew of Wyntoun (1350?-1420?).—Chronicler, was a canon of St. Andrews, who became Prior of St. Serf's island in Loch Leven. His work, entitled The Orygynale Cronykil, begins with the creation of angels and men and comes down to 1406. It is poetic in form though rarely so in substance, and is of considerable historical value in its later parts and as regards the see of St. Andrews.  Author:Thomas Yalden (1670-1736).—Poet, s. of an exciseman at Oxf., and ed. at Magdalen Coll., entered the Church, in which he obtained various preferments. He was the author of a considerable number of poems, including a Hymn to Darkness, Pindaric Odes, and translations from the classics.  Author:Edmund Hodgson Yates (1831-1894).—Novelist and dramatist, b. at Edin., held for some years an appointment in the General Post Office. He did much journalistic work, mainly as a dramatic writer, and wrote many dramatic pieces and some novels, including Running the Gauntlet and The Black Sheep. He was perhaps best known as ed. of The World society journal.  Author:Charlotte Mary Yonge (1823-1901).—Novelist, only dau. of a landed gentleman of Hampshire, was b. near Winchester, and in her girlhood came under the influence of Keble, who was a near neighbour. She began writing in 1848, and pub. during her long life about 100 works, chiefly novels, interesting and 