GOSSON, STEPHEN, a native of Kent, was born in 1554. In 1572 he was entered at Christchurch, Oxford, where he took his Bachelor's degree, and then removed to London. He was there a family tutor, and wrote three plays—s tragedy called Catiline's Con spiracies,' a comedy called ' Captain Mario,' and 'Praise at Parting,' a moral play. These plays were never printed, and would now be quite unknown but for the remorseful mention which the author himself afterwards made of them. Ile was but twenty-five years old when he published one of the most curious, and the second in order of time, of the Puritanical tracts inveighing against plays and stage-playing. This was The Scheele of Abuse, conteining a plesaunt invective against Poets, Pipers, Plaiers, 'esters, and aueh like Caterpillers of a Commonwealth,' 1579-87. This pamphlet, more scurrilous than either pleasant or logical, was reprinted by the Shakspere Society in 1841. It was followed in the same year by Gosson's miscellaneous volume, called ' The Ephemerides of Maio ' (reprinted in 15S6), one part of which, ' A Short Apologia of the Schoole of Abuse against Poets, Pipers, Players, and their Excusers,' was directed against Thomas Lodge's ' Reply to Stephen Gosson touching Plays.' Both of these
works of Gosson were dedicated to Sir Philip Sidney, who, Recording to Spenser, scorned the writer for his labour. lie took up the argu ment again, with violent personal abuse of Lodge, in his Plays confuted in Five Actions, published in 1581 or 1582, aud dedicated to Sir Francis Welslugham. Another work of Gosson is the 'Pleasant Quippes for Upstart Newfangled Gentlewomen,' printed 1595, and again in 1596; a versified composition containing some hard satirical hits, but no poetry. His only other known effusions are versos prefixed to three works of his day, and a sermon called The Trumpet of War,' which was printed in 1598. Gosson had then taken orders, and was parson of Great Wigborough in Essex. In 1600 ho was instituted to the rectory of St. Botolph, Bishopsg,ate ; and it is a curious feet that there exists a letter of his dated in 1616, in which, with expressions of respect, he recommends to Edward Alleyn the player three poor people for admission to Dulwich Hospital. Goeson held the rectory of St. Botolph at his death, which took plaice in his parish on the 13th of February 1623.