Page:The Lives and Characters of the English Dramatick Poets.djvu/200

178 His Prolifick Lady has again gratified the Town with a Play, call'd

The Deceiver Deceiv'd, a Comedy, as 'tis now acted by his Majesty's Servants, at the Theatre in Little Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, 4to. 1698. and dedicated to Sir Robert Marsham, Knight and Baronet. This Play and The Impostor Cheated, are on the same Bottom, built on a little printed Story of the same Subject. I think the Scene where the Blind Man's Wife makes Love before his Face, is better manag'd in Mr. Powel's Play, than here, tho' in general, this is the better Play.

Queen Catharine; or, The Ruines of Love, a Tragedy, 4to. 1698. acted at the Theatre in Little Lincoln's-Inn-Fields; and dedicated to the Honourable Mrs. Cook of Norfolk. For the Plot consult Baker, Speed, Stow, in the Lives of Edward the Fourth, and Henry the Sixth. LL that I know of this Author, is but on Report; which is, that he was a Jesuit, and writ a Play, call'd,

The Traytor, which he put into Mr. Shirley's Hands, and by his means it was acted. It was reviv'd in 1692. and dedicated by the Anonymous Reviver to the Earl of Clincarty. Tho' I cannot, with the Reviver, say 'tis the best Tragedy this Age has produc'd, because it is far from being so; yet this I can justly say, That the Character of Sciarrah is very well drawn, and distinguish'd throughout the Play; and so is that of Lorenzo. As for the Plot, 'tis very irregular, and consists of various Actions; tho' the Poet's Design seems to aim at a very good Moral. The strange Humour that has too long reign'd in our English Poets, misled the Author, I suppose, to the Choice of such barbarous and bloody Murders, to fill up his Play; which however frequent and tollerable in Italy, have nothing to do here. Murther is too great a Crime to see voluntarily committed on our Stage; the Law punishes it with Ignominy, tho' the Poet has nothing to do with it, I mean by Right. This Play has gone for Shirley's. NE Play of this Author's has been accidentally omitted in its proper Place, viz.

The Vertuoso, a Comedy, 4to. 1679. acted at the Duke's Theatre; and dedicated to the late Duke of Newcastle. This Play, for the great Variety of Characters, &c. has always found Success, and is accounted one of the best Plays this Author writ. His one Play was by Accident overseen in its proper Place, and therefore inserted here: The