Sir John Harington (1560-1612) was an ambitious courtier who spent much of his life seeking favor at Queen Elizabeth's Court. He relied on his sharp wit and lively descriptive writing to attract attention, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. His work includes numerous epigrams, the first English translation of Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, a tract on an improved toilet that also served as a metaphor on Elizabethan life, and a political treatise on Ireland.

Harington was born at Kelston near Bath on August 4, 1560. His father, also named John, had served under Sir Thomas Seymour, high admiral of the fleet of Edward IV. When Seymour was accused of treason, the senior Harington was imprisoned in the tower along with his commander. His lot improved greatly when he became the confidential under treasurer to Henry VIII, the position in which he served at the time of Harington's birth. Harington...