Page:The Lives and Characters of the English Dramatick Poets.djvu/199

Rh Lawfulness and Unlawfulness of Plays; lately written (as the Title says) in French, by the Learned Father Caffara, Divinity Professor at Paris. Sent in a Letter to the Author, by a Divine of the Church of England.

Europe's Revels for the Peace, and his Majesty's happy Return, a Musical Interlude, 4to. 1697. perform'd at the Theatre in Little Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, by his Majesty's Servants, at the King's Return after the Conclusion of the Peace; with a Panegyrical Poem, spoken there, on the same Occasion. The Musick set by Mr. Eccles. Dedicated to Sir Theodore Janssen. His Lady (accidentally omitted by the Printer) was that Sister to Sir Philip Sidney, to whom he dedicates his fam'd Arcadia; she was the only Woman, almost, that had the Generosity to be a true Patroness to Poetry; for such she was to Mr. Samuel Daniel, who had been her Tutor, we have had many Pretenders to the Muses of that Sex, but I do not remember that I have read of any one, that having Power, did ever exert it in the Encouragement and Patronage of any particular Poet, or Poetry in general. 'Tis true indeed, the Catalogue of Men that have done it, is far from being numerous, tho' this may be said of them, which cannot of our little Politicians, That they have been the greatest Men of their Age, and perhaps of any Age. She publish'd one Play, which Mr. Langbain could never procure a Sight of; it is entituled,

Antonius; or, The Tragedy of Anthony; 8vo. 1695. This is a Translation out of French; tho' it was very well for a Lady of those times, but in nothing so desirable, as Mr. Langbain seems to make it, only because the Work of a Person of Quality; for he has always a furious Tender for Quality. Gentleman, as we find by the Epistle Dedicatory, that had his Education in Ireland; he has given us a Play, call'd,

The Revengeful Queen, a Tragedy, as it was acted at the Theatre Royal, by his Majesty's Servants, 1698. The Story, he tells you, is taken from the fourth or fifth Page of Machiavel's History of Florence; and he seems sensible, that the Characters of Alboino, and Rosamund are not agreeable to the present Taste of the Town; and that Sir William D'Avenant has writ a Play on the same Subject.

Mary