Matthew Taubman

seems to have been a keen observer of party politics during the troublous period of the popish plot, and made his first appearance as a rhymester with ‘An Heroic Poem to his Royal Highness the Duke of York on his return from Scotland. With some choice Songs and Medleyes on the Times’ (London, 1682, folio), with the musical notes of most of the songs. The duke is apostrophised affectionately as ‘Old Jemmy’ and ‘Royal Jemmy.’ A similar vein of familiar loyalty marks his second volume called ‘Loyal Poems and Satyrs upon the Times since the beginning of the Salamanca Plot, written by several hands collected by M. Taubman’ (London, 1685, 8vo). The songs in this medley are directed chiefly against plot fabricators, ‘whigs and trimmers.’

Taubman succeeded Thomas Jordan [q. v.] as laureate of the lord mayor's show in 1685, when he produced ‘London's Annual Triumph’ (lord mayor, Sir R. Jeffreys), and received a fee of 10l. for his lucubration (London, 4to; Bodleian and Guildhall libraries). Next year his ‘London's Yearly Jubilee’ graced the inauguration of Sir John Peake (London, 1686, 4to; Brit. Mus.; Guildhall Library). His ‘London's Triumph, or the Goldsmiths Jubilee,’ ushered in Sir John Shorter of that company (London, 1687, 4to; Brit. Mus.; Bodleian, and Guildhall). On this occasion James II dined with the lord mayor, accompanied by Prince George of Denmark and other distinguished personages, including the pope's nuncio. Taubman had some specially obsequious verses for the occasion, pronouncing the loss of the city's charter to be more than compensated by the king's indulgence. ‘London's Anniversary Festival,’ for the mayoralty of Sir John Chapman, embodied the bard's gratitude ‘to the son of the martyr, who restor'd us the charter’ (London, 1688, 4to; Bodleian and Brit. Mus.). Next year, with a versatility worthy of his successor, Elkanah Settle, Taubman adapted his eulogies to the ears of the new sovereigns in ‘London's Great Jubilee’ (London, 1689, 4to; Brit. Mus. and Guildhall). This pageant was revived on 9 Nov. 1761, and it was reprinted in ‘Somers Tracts’ (1751, iii.). Taubman probably died in 1690, in which year there is no trace of the usual festivity. In 1691 the pageant was the work of Settle. Taubman was much inferior to his predecessor, Thomas Jordan, and was probably the least and the dullest of all the city laureates.