HEYWOOD, THOMAS, was a well-known dramatist who lived in the reigns of Elizabeth, James I., and Charles I., though, like many of hie contemporaries, the dates of his birth and death are unknown. He has been compared to tho Spaniard Lope de Vega for fertility, and in his preface to the ' English Travellers' has himself acknowledged that there are two hundred and twenty plays in which he had "either an entire hand, or at least a main finger." The practice of two or more authors uniting to form one play was very common among our old dramatists [Cnerma, HENRY). Of all these pieces about twenty-four are left, of which A Woman killed with Kindness,' published in Dodaley's ' Collection; is much admired.
HEZEKIAll, King of Judah, was the son of Ahaz, and was born Re. 751. At the age of twenty-five be succeeded his father, and the events of his reign are recorded in the Second Book of Kings, in the Second Book of Chronicles, and in Isaiah. He abolished the idolatry practised by his father, even breaking to pieces "the brazen serpent that Moses had made," which had become an object of worship. lie purified the temple, restored the Levites to their functions, invited the tribes of Israel to attend the passover, and did all ho could to re-establish the worship of the true Clod. In temporal affairs he displayed a like energy; he threw off the Assyrian yoke to which his father had submitted himself in order to obtain the assistance of Tielath-Pileser against Rezin king of Syria, who however had taken tribute from Ahaz, and "distressed him but strengthened him not." Ilezekiah soon after his accession carried on a successful war against the Philistines, but in the fourth year of his reign, Shalmaneser (also known as Sargon), the successor of Tiglath.Pileser, attacked Hoshea, king of Israel, captured most of his towns, took Samaria after a long siege, and carried away the ten tribes into captivity. Hezekiah was probably alarmed at this approach of the Assyrian power, and seems to have sought the assistance of Tirhakah, king of Upper Egypt. In the fourteenth year of his reign the fears of Hezekiah were realised, Sennachcrib invaded Judtea with a large army; and though there is no account in the Scriptures of any battle with the Egyptians, yet the expressions in 2 Kings, chap xviii , that trusting to Egypt was leaning on a bruised reed, and the passage in Isaiah (chap. xxvii.) of Tirhakah
having come forth to war, renders it probable that a battle did occur ; and this is confirmed by the discoveries made by Mr. Layard in that part of the ruins of Nineveh now called Koyunjik, where a record has been found in the palace, supposed to have been built by himself, of six years of Sennachcrib'e reign. This record consists of an inscription in the cuneiform character on a series of colossal bulls. The inscription has been translated by Dr. Ilineks of Dublin, aud by Sir 11. C. Ilawlineon. The variations are not material, and the record almost entirely agrees with the Scriptures. This record states that the Egyptians were defeated; it then relates the submission of Heze. kiah, and the carrying away of 30 talents of gold and 800 of silver (in 2 Rings it is said 300), the treasures of his palace, aud his sons and daughters. There is also a distinct account of the taking of Lachish, and a representation of the suppliant messengers of Hezekiah ; but it does not claim the taking of Jerusalem, and there is no allusion to the destruction of the Assyrian army by the plague,—the angel of the Lord who "smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand," after which Sennachcrib returned and dwelt in Babylon. Herodotus has related also the failure of Sennacherib, but as his information was from an Egyptian source it takes a peculiar colouring. lie says Sennacherib, invading Egypt, was attacked in the night by myriads of field-mice, which ate the bow-stringe, quivers, straps of shields, &c., so that his soldiers fled in great disorder. The Scriptures relate that be wee killed by his sons. This is not found in the record, but he was succeeded by Esarhaddon several years after his return from Judtea. The next events in the life of liezekiah were the going back of the shadow on the dial of Ahaz, as a proof of the Lord's compliance with hie prayer for life; and the exhibiting of the treasures of the kingdom to the ambassador of Merodach-Baladau, king of Babylon, for which Isaiah predicted that all should be carried away to that city. liezekiah died after a reign of tweet) -nine years, and was succeeded by his son Manasseh.