May, Thomas (1595-1650)

English writer. He wrote comedies and translated Lucan's Pharsalia 1627, which gained him the favour of Charles I, Virgil's Georgics 1628, and Martial's Epigrams 1629. His reputation as a prose writer rests on his History of the Long Parliament 1647, which purports to be impartial history but pleads the Parliamentary cause in the Civil War very skilfully.

May was born in Sussex and educated at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. He was admitted to Gray's Inn 1615, but being prevented by a speech defect from practising the law, devoted himself to literature. His first comedy was The Heire 1622, which was greatly praised by Thomas Carew; he followed this with another comedy and three classical tragedies, none of which were successful. In 1633 he was commissioned by the king to write two narrative poems, one on Henry II, the other on Edward III.