Howell, Thomas

(fl. 1568)

   Born in Dunster in Somerset, when he was employed in the household of the Earl of Shrewsbury, he published The Arbor of Amitie, Wherein Is Comprised Pleasant Poems and Pretie Poesies, Set Foorth by Thomas Howell, Gentleman (1568). Newe Sonets and Pretie was licensed for publication in 1567-1568. Several of his poems are addressed to John Keeper (a Somerset man), and some of Keeper's own poems are included among Howell's Newe Sonets. Some of his poems: "Admonition to His Friend," "All of Greene Lawrell," "All of Greene Willow," "Another Way," "Being Burdened to Fayne His Good Will," "Being Charged with Finenesse, He Answereth Thus," "The Best Natures, Soonest Abused," "The Lover Deceived Writes to His Lady," "The Rose," "Where Abilitie Fayleth, Wyll Suffyceth."

   Sources: A Child's Treasury of Verse. Eleanor Doan, ed. Zondervan Corporation, 1977. Dictionary of National Biography. Electronic Edition 1.1. Oxford University Press, 1997. Elizabethan Lyrics. Norman Ault, ed. William Sloane Associates, 1949. English Poetry: Author Search. ChadwyckHealey Ltd., 1995 (http://www.lib.utexas.edu:8080/search/epoetry/author.html). Great Books Online (www.bartleby.com). Howell's Devises by Thomas Howell. Oxford University Press, 1906. Poems One Line and Longer. William Cole, ed. Grossman, 1973. The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry. 11th ed. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry, Columbia University Press, 2005 (http://www.columbiagrangers.org). The Oxford Companion to English Literature. 6th edition. Margaret Drabble, ed. Oxford University Press, 2000.