HEYWOOD, Tito tt.‘s ( c.1575-c.16.10 ) celebrated English dramatist and general writer, born in Lincolnshire. He seems to have studied Cambridge. Ity 1596 he was apparently writing fur the stage, and two years later he was engaged by Philip llenslowe as an actor.
Heywood wit: 11 most prolific writer. In 1633 he claimed to have had "an entire band, or at the least a main linger." in 220 play,. career was nut of these plays only twenty four are extant. TN,• best of them is a domestic dratin? entitled .1 Woman it jilt d with performed ill 1603. This play brings its close to the heart of English middle••lass life. Some what similar to it IS Thu English Truedler (16:3:3). Representative of his work in low life is The Ironiari of Ilogstlon (1133s). There are three admirable comedies of adventure: 77in t'aptir: s, The Fair Mail/ the West, rind •or tune ha Lund and .sea, his 220 plays,
Heywood wrote many pageants. triumphs. elegies, a long heroic poem entitled Troia Britannic°, it universal •hroniele history (1609); it n ,Ipoiogy for I dors (1612; reprinted for the Shake spearean Society, 1/141 .Vine hooks of Ilistorn Concerning Women (16241: 'I'lte Bier arrhy of the Messed ..ingcls (16351; and much else, Ile also ntade translations from Sallust, Lucian. Erasmus. and others. He died about 10.10. Consult : ltrantatir Works, ed. by l'ear son (II sots.. Loudon, 1S74); l'homas lIcyreotol, a selection from his plays, ed. by .1..k. Symonds and .\. W. Verity. "Alermaid Series" (London, Old EnfiliRli ed. try Ballen, vol. iv. (London, 1'395); and \Van], llistory of Inglish. Dromatir J,iteratlrre (New York. 1S99),