Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 31.djvu/121

 of these plays, or parts of plays, has a separate title-page dated 1663 or 1664. Three of them (Nos. 1, 2, and 8) were, as has been seen, acted before the civil war, and there is no record of a performance of any of the others. Few of them, indeed, seem to have been intended for the stage, those that are in two parts consisting, as Genest observes, of plays in ten acts divided into halves, the first part bringing with it nothing in the shape of a dénouement of action. The ‘Parson's Wedding’ is outspoken enough for Wycherley, and verbose enough for the Duchess of Newcastle. It has wit of a sort, and Congreve has condescended to adopt some of its jokes. According to Langbaine, its intrigue of ‘Careless and Wild circumventing the Lady Wild and Mrs. Pleasance into marriage is an incident in several plays, as “Ram Alley,” “Antiquary,” &c., but in none so well managed as in this play.’ Killigrew's other comic pieces are less flagrantly indecent, but also less amusing. In his serious pieces Killigrew is seen to no great advantage. Genest affirms that the ‘Pilgrim’ is a good tragedy, which, with judicious alterations, might have been made fit for representation. Portions of it are indeed written with some vigour, but poetry and imagination are absent, and the excisions that would fit it for performance would have to be numerous. Of the second part of ‘Cicilia and Clorinda’ Langbaine says that the first scene between Amadeo, Lucius, and Manlius ‘seems copied from the characters of Aglatidas, Artabes, and Megabises in the “Grand Cyrus:” see “The History of Aglatidas and Amestris,” pt. i. bk. iii.’ In affirming that ornaments in ‘Thomaso’ are taken from the ‘Captain’ by Fletcher, and that a character and some words are copied from Jonson's ‘Fox,’ Langbaine acquits Killigrew of the intention to conceal his theft, and adds that ‘if every poet that borrows knew as well as Mr. Killigrew how to dispose of it, 't would certainly be very excusable.’ In Moseley's edition of William Cartwright's ‘Poems,’ 1651, are lines of somewhat turgid praise dedicated to ‘Mr. Thomas Killigrew on his two playes, the “Prisoners” and “Claracilla.”’ Killigrew's separate plays are dedicated mostly to ladies of rank. The opinion generally entertained of Killigrew is expressed in two lines of Denham—

Manuscripts relating to Killigrew are in various collections. The most important of these, ‘An Account of T. Killigrew's Residence at Venice,’ with many documents in his handwriting, 1649, is in the British Museum (Add. MS. 20032). Other papers relating to his residence in Venice are among the Clarendon MSS. in the Bodleian Library. Killigrew's abstract of title to the playhouse, Drury Lane, from 14th Charles II to 1684, is in the Addit. MS. 20726, f. 1, British Museum. Suggestions for alterations in ‘Julius Cæsar,’ signed T. Killigrew, are in Add. MS. 22629, art. 41. Numerous indentures and agreements concerning Drury Lane Theatre also exist in manuscript, and ‘Mr. Thomas Killigrew's Letters of his Travels,’ in the manuscripts of Trinity College, Dublin, seem to call for publication.

 KILLIGREW, THOMAS, the younger (1657–1719), dramatist, son of [q. v.], by his second wife, Charlotte de Hesse, was born in February 1657 (Miscell. Genealog. et Herald. new ser. i. 370). He fought a duel, according to Luttrell's ‘Brief Relation,’ on 31 Jan. 1692, and was subsequently gentleman of the bedchamber to George II when Prince of Wales. He is the author of ‘Chit Chat, a Comedy in five acts. As it is acted at the Theatre Royal, in Drury Lane, by his Majesties servants. Written by Mr. Killigrew, Lond., Printed for Bernard Lintot,’ 8vo, no date (1719). It is dedicated to the Duke of Argyll, and is a pleasant, gossipping, happily named piece, with very little plot, as the author acknowledges in the prologue, but some moderately felicitous dialogue. It was played at Drury Lane 14 Feb. 1719, with Wilks, Booth, Cibber, Mrs. Thurmond, Mrs. Porter, and Mrs. Oldfield in the principal parts. Thanks to the zeal of the Duke of Argyll and other friends of the author, it kept the stage eleven nights, and brought its author no less than 1,000l., which, however, he did not live to enjoy, since he died a few months afterwards, and was buried at Kensington 21 July 1719. His play went through two editions in 1719. ‘Miscellanea Aurea, or the Golden Medley,’ London, printed for A. Bettesworth, 1720, contains ‘The Fable of Aumilius and the Statue of Venus,’ which is signed T. 