Thomas Peyton (poet) facts for kids

Thomas Peyton (born 1595, died 1626) was an English poet. He lived during a time when England was changing a lot, and he wrote poems about important stories and ideas.

Life of Thomas Peyton

Thomas Peyton was born in a town called Royston, in Cambridgeshire, England. His father was also named Thomas Peyton.

In 1613, when he was about 18 years old, Thomas Peyton started studying at Lincoln's Inn. This was a special place in London where people learned to become lawyers. It was a bit like a university for law students.

Historians believe he might have been part of a well-known family called Peyton from Isleham. However, his name isn't clearly listed in their family records.

Thomas Peyton's Writings

Thomas Peyton is best known for his long poem called The Glasse of Time. He published the first part of this poem in London in 1620.

The Glasse of Time: Part One

The first part of his poem was titled The Glasse of Time in the First Age. It began with special verses written for important people of his time, like King James, Prince Charles, and a famous thinker named Francis Bacon.

This poem had 168 sections, called stanzas. It was written in a style called heroic verse, which was common for long, serious poems back then. The poem told the story from the Bible about the Fall of Man, which is about how humans first disobeyed God.

Peyton also included ideas from ancient Greek and Roman stories in his poem. He also wrote about religious topics that were important at the time. He showed that he was against a group called the Puritans, who had very strict religious beliefs.

The Glasse of Time: Part Two

In 1623, Thomas Peyton continued his work with the second part of the poem, called The Glasse of Time in the Second Age. In this part, he continued the Bible story up to the point where Noah and his family entered the ark before the great flood.