{\b Anthony Munday}.

{\b Date of Birth}.: 1553

{\b Date of Death}.: buried 10 August 1633

{\b Works}.

The Mirror of Mutability  (1579), The Pain of Pleasure  (1580), Zelauto  
(1580), Pallidino of England  (1588), Amadis de Gaule  (1589-95), John a Kent 
and John a Cumber  (1594), The Downfall of Robert, Earl of Huntingdon  (1601).

{\b Featured Works}.

'Beauty Sat Bathing by a Spring'.

{\b General Comment}.

Anthony Munday, dramatist, poet and ballad writer, was born in London, the son 
of a draper. In 1576 he was apprenticed to John Allde, a stationer, and it was 
during this time that he began to write verse. Having obtained an introduction 
to Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, Munday travelled the Continent learning 
languages. In 1578 he went to Rome as a Protestant investigator against 
Catholics. Having written several anti-Catholic pamphlets between 1581-2, he 
entered, in 1584, the service of the Earl of Oxford. He was directly involved 
in having several of his Catholic friends executed up until 1596. 

Whilst in the service of the Earl of Oxford it is probable that he acted with 
the royal players. He seriously embarked on writing as a career in 1584, 
having already produced  two poems and a prose romance, respectively The 
Mirror of Mutability  (1579), The Pain of Pleasure  (1580) and Zelauto  
(1580). His ballads and lyric poetry were published in England's Helican, his 
best known being 'Beauty Bathing'. He also translated popular romances such as 
Palladino of England  (1588) and Amadis de Gaule  (1589-95). His play, a 
romantic comedy, John a Kent and John a Cumber  (1594) was very popular along 
with another one about Robin Hood, The Downfall of Robert, Earl of Huntingdon  
(1601). He gained some notoriety when Ben Jonson satirised his plays in his 
The Case Is Altered . Around 1602 he ceased writing for the stage and began 
writing pageants for London, the last being in 1623. He married twice, and was 
one of the most popular and successful writers during his lifetime.