Page:The Lives and Characters of the English Dramatick Poets.djvu/25

Rh in those Times. This Author lived in the Reign of King James I. and in the Title Page discovers himself to be one of his Majesty's Servants, and was, I believe, of the then Company of Actors, for I find his Name Printed in the Drama of Ben. Johnson's Alchymist, among the rest of the eminent Players of that Age; and indeed the Preface of his Play seems to intimate as much.

Gentleman of the Honourable Society of Lincolns-Inn, and the Author of a Comedy call'd,

The Spightful Sister; London, Printed in 4to. 1667. which I presume never was Acted, being Printed without Prologue, Epilogue, or Dedication, and with Mr. Langbain, I must acquit him entirely of being a Plagiary, either as to Characters or Language, and if it fall to any ones Chance to read it, and to observe my Lord Occas and Winifreds Characters, will easily allow that what he has writ is surely all his own. HIS Author was born in London, and tho' by Profession a Chyrurgeon, was infected by the Vicinity of the Wits with Poetry, and has left behind him Two Tragedies, dying about a Year and half ago, he lyes inter'd in St. Paul's Covent-Garden.

Henry the Second, with the Death of Rosamond, a Tragedy Acted at the Theatre Royal, by their Majesties Servants, London Printed 4to. 1693. This Play has not our Author's Name prefixt to it, but is dedicated by Mr. Mountfort to Sir ''Tho. Cook, Knight, Alderman and Sheriff of the City of London''. For the Plot consult Daniel, Stow, Speed, Sir Richard Baker, and the rest of the English Chronicles.

Sertorius, a Tragedy, Acted at the Theatre Royal by their Majesties Servants, and London, Printed 1679. 'tis Dedicated to Captain Richard Savage, and the Epilogue was writ by Mr. Ravenscroft. The Elder Corneil has writ on the same Subject. The Story is to be found in Plutarch's Life of Sertorius, Velleius Paterculus, l. 2. Florus, l. 2. c. 22. &c. Whatever the Fate of this Play was, his other had no ill Success, and may claim a Place of equal Rank with several celebrated Tragedies of this Age.

John