Edward Phillips (1630 – 1696) was a British author and poet. In 1676, he supplied an updated geographical and topographical supplement for the Bassett and Chiswell edition of John Speed's Theatre of Great Britain. He was born in London to Edward and Ann Phillips, who was the only sister of poet John Milton. His father died a year after Edward's birth. Edward would be educated by his poet uncle, and lived with him into his twenties. His education was in the classics, with Latin and Greek literature, but also included modern languages and mathematics. Edward matriculated at Magdalen college in Oxford in 1650 but left without a degree. He instead moved to London to seek work with booksellers. He would publish some few poems, and in 1656 published two novels. Between 1654 and 55 he edited some unpublished manuscripts of the poet William Drummond, to form the collection 'Poems by that most Famous Wit, William Drummond of Hawthornden.' He contributed a prose preface,and some commendatory verses. He produced in 1658 he published a work in lexicography, entitled 'A New World of Words, or a General Dictionary' which would be reproduced in seven editions despite accusations of plagiarism from Thomas Blount, and withering reviews from critics. During this storm, Phillips published a humorous volume, called ‘Mysteries of Love and Eloquence, or the Arts of Wooing and Complimenting as they are managed in the Spring Garden, Hide Park, and other eminent places.' Addressed 'To the youthful gentry,' the work supplied imaginary conversations for lovers, models of love letters, an art of logic, a rhyming dictionary, reprints of poems and songs, a description of a few parlour games, and a vocabulary of epithets. He followed this entertainment with editions of historical works. In 1663 he became a tutor to the son of diarist John Evelyn, and later to Philip, son of Philip Herbert, fifth earl. By the 1670s he had resumed his life as a hack, interspersed with poetic efforts; in 1676 he provided his update to the Speed atlas. In 1682 he issued a Latin dictionary drawn from his uncle's notes, which he had inherited. In 1694 he published a translation of Milton's 'Letters of State,' with a short but valuable memoir.



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