Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 57.djvu/93

 vi. 487; Tanner's Bibl. Brit.-Hib. 1748, p. 713; Cramer's Frisinga Sacra, 1775, p. 224; Budinzsky's Universität Paris, 1876, p. 177; Coxe's Cat. MSS. in Coll. Aulisque Oxon.; Cat. MSS. Bibl. Nationale. Diderot has an inaccurate account of Simon in his Œuvres, xix. 361.] 

TOURNEUR, TURNOUR, or TURNER, CYRIL (1575?–1626), dramatist, born about 1575, was probably a near relative and possibly the son of Captain Richard Turnor or Turner. Richard Turnor had been in the service of the Cecils, and when, in compliance with Queen Elizabeth's agreement with the Dutch, Brill and Flushing were taken over by the English as ‘cautionary towns’ in 1585, Turnor was made water bailiff of Brill, a post of considerable responsibility, under the governor, Sir (afterwards first Earl of Exeter) [q. v.], eldest son of the great Lord Burghley. His salary was 8s. a day, and he is spoken of from time to time in the Cecil correspondence as a trustworthy man. In addition to the Cecils he cultivated the patronage of Essex, and there is extant an interesting letter from him to Essex, written in 1595, and expressing a wish that Essex were with the English troops, who only needed a dashing leader. By July 1596 Richard Turnor had risen to be lieutenant-governor, and in the following August he is mentioned as ‘Turnor, lieutenant of Brill.’ The post of acting-governor was given in September 1598 to Sir Francis Vere, who had been a captain of horse at Brill at the commencement of the English occupation. Turnor is not mentioned in the list of Vere's officers or lieutenants, and, as his claims can hardly have been overlooked, it is plausible to assume that he either died or was superannuated between 1596 and 1598.

Cyril Tourneur's literary work shows him to have possessed practical information about soldiering in the Low Countries, and to have counted upon some interest with Essex, with the Vere family, and with the Cecils. Subsequently he obtained employment in the Low Countries. All this confirms the conjecture that he was nearly akin to Richard Turnor, lieutenant of the Brill.

Tourneur's early life was mainly spent in literary work, but it was only as a dramatist that he showed distinct fitness for the literary vocation. In 1600 appeared his obscure satirical allegory, ‘The Transformed Metamorphosis’ (printed by Valentine Sims, at the White Swan, London, 4to); it is dedicated to Sir [q. v.], a soldier who had served under Essex and in company with Sir Francis Vere at the sacking of Cadiz in 1596. The only plausible explanation of its enigmatic drift (the grotesque style of which seems to be alluded to in John Taylor's ‘Mad Fashions, Odd Fashions, All Out of Fashions, or the Emblems of these distracted Times,’ 1642, line 4) is that ‘Mavortio’ is intended for Essex, whose Irish exploits are indicated by the hero's achievements on behalf of ‘Delta.’ Tourneur's next non-dramatic work (licensed on 14 Oct. 1609) was ‘A Funerall Poeme. Vpon the Death of the Most Worthie and True Sovldier Sir Francis Vere Knight, Captain of Portsmouth and Lt. Governour of his Majesties Cautionarie Towne of Briell in Holland’ (for Eleazar Edgar, London, 4to). The panegyric, which shows a practised literary hand, consists of twenty-two pages, signed at the end ‘Cyril Tourneur.’ He emphasises Vere's exploits at Nieuport and Ostend (some details of the famous siege of 1601–4 are given in ‘The Atheist's Tragedie,’ act ii. sc. i.), quotes from Roger Williams's ‘Briefe Discourse of Warre’ (p. 58), and refers to Vere's manuscript ‘Commentaries’ (not published until 1657).

About the same time there is good reason to believe that Tourneur was responsible for another panegyric, which, if brought home to him, would serve to confirm the theory of his connection with the Cecil family. In a catalogue of Lord Mostyn's manuscripts at Mostyn Hall (No. 262 folio, second treatise), appears ‘The Character of Robert, Earle of Salisburye, Lord High Treasurer of England … written by Mr. Sevill Turneur and dedicated to the most understandinge and most worthie Ladie, the Ladie Theodosia Cecill … [wife of her first cousin, Sir Edward Cecil]’ (Hist. MSS. Comm. 4th Rep. App. p. 361). This treatise, probably written on Lord Salisbury's death in 1612, has not hitherto been ascribed to the dramatist; but as the three letters Cir and Sev are almost indistinguishable in the script of the period, the presumption that the (most uncommon) name ‘Sevill’ is a misreading for Cirill is exceptionally strong.

Less distinctive than his previous efforts of like kind is ‘A Griefe on the Death of Prince Henrie. Expressed in a Broken Elegie, according to the nature of such a sorrow. By Cyril Tourneur’ (London, printed for William Welbie, 1613). Tourneur's is the first of ‘Three Elegies,’ the other two being by John Webster and Thomas Heywood (cf., Progresses of James I, ii. 507; , Restituta, iv. 173).

But Cyril Tourneur is only really memorable on account of two plays. The first to be published (in 1607) was ‘The Revenger's Tragædie. As it hath been sundry times