Page:The Lives and Characters of the English Dramatick Poets.djvu/110

90 found his Two Livings, and Advancement to a Canon of Christ-Church, as also Archdeacon of Chichester. He died Decemb. 6. 1672. and was buried on the North side of the Cathedral of Christ-Church, where is to be seen a short Epitaph on a Marble Stone, placed over his Grave by his Executors, Dr. South and Dr. Lamphire. He gave by his Will 500 l. towards re-building of St. Paul's, and to Cassington, and Pyrton, near Watlington, (of which Places he was Vicar) 100 l. each. He writ and published the two following Plays:

The Amorous War, a Tragi-Comedy, 4''to. Oxon, 1658, also printed fol. and 8vo''.

The City Match, a Comedy, 4''to. Oxon'', 1658. printed also Fol. and 8vo. This Comedy was acted before their Majesties at White-Hall, and divers times afterwards at Black Fryars, with great Applause.

These two Plays are usually bound together.

This Author published divers other Books; as part of Lucian's Dialogues, Eng. Fol. divers Sermons, 4to. and a Poem on the Victory over the Dutch, 1665, &c.

His Lady has very happily distinguish'd her self from the rest of her Sex, and gives us a living Proof of what we might reasonably expect from Womankind, if they had the Benefit of those artificial Improvements of Learning the Men have, when by the meer Force of Nature they so much excel. Rules indeed are but the Leading-strings to support and carry the Weaker, and more unobserving Heads, and which those of a strong Genius and Penetration will have no need of, since a just Consideration of Nature will conduct them with more Ease and Success. Of this our present Authress is an evident Proof, for in the Two Plays she has already published, we find no part of Art wanting, but what is the Mechanick Part, and by much the least valuable. There is a Force and a Fire in her Tragedy, that is the Soul that gives it Life, and for want of which, most of our Modern Tragedies are heavy, languid, unmoving, and dull. In her Comedy there is an easy Freedom of adding, which confesses a Conversation in the Authress no less genteel and entertaining. This Lady was born in the Isle of Jersey, her Father, Sir Roger Manley, being then Governor of it; a Gentleman of a double Merit, both the Gown, and the Sword claiming no small share in his Glory, and the Republick of

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