Page:The Lives and Characters of the English Dramatick Poets.djvu/65

Rh Ev'ning's Love, or The Mock Astrologer, a Comedy, 4to. 1671. Acted at the Theatre Royal. Almost wholly made up out of Corneilles le feint Astrologue; Molliers depetit Amoreux; and Les Precieuses Ridicules; Quinault's L'Amant Indiscret; some hints too from Shakespear, Petronius Arbiter, and the main Plot on Calderon's El Astrologo fingido: But to be a little particular, Aurelia's Affectation in her Speech from Les Precieuses Ridicules; Scene between Alonzo and Lopez, p. 39. is from Mollieres de petit Amoreux, Act 2. Scene 6. Camilla's begging a Boon of Don Melchor, from the same; the Love-Quarrel betwixt Jacinta and Wild Blood, and Mascal and Beatrix, from the same Play, Act 4. Scene 3, 4. Aurelias falling into Alonzos Arms, from L'Amant indiscret, Act 5. Scene 4.

Kind Keeper, or, Mr. Limberham, a Comedy 4to. 1680. Acted at the Duke's Theatre. Mrs. Faintlies discovery of Love All in the Chest; See pt. 1. Cynthio Giraldi, dec. 3. N. 3. Mrs. Brainsick's pricking and pickling him. See a Novel, call'd, The Triumph of Love over Fortune.

King Arthur, or The British Worthy, a Tragedy, Acted at the Theatre in Dorset-Garden, 1691. and Dedicated to the Marquess of Halifax. This Play is writ more for the sake of the Singing part and Machines, than for any Excellence of a Dramatick Piece; for in it shines none of Mr. Dryden's great Genius, the Incidents being all extravagant, many of them Childish; the Inchanted wood, as well as the rest of the Wonders of Osmond's Art, he entirely owes to Tasso; where Rinaldo performs what Arthur does here. I shall not presume to expose any of the Faults of this great Man in this particular piece, he having suffered so much under the Hands of my Predecessor in this undertaking. The fabulous Story of this King Arthur, you may read in Geffery of Monmouth, and in the Preface of a late famous Poem, that bears his Name, as well as in the first Volume of Mr. Tyrrell's History of England.

Indian Emperor; or, The Conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards, being the sequel of the Indian Queen, a Tragi-Comedy, 4to. 1670. Acted at the Theatre Royal. For the true Story consult Lopez de Gamara, ''Hist. general de las Incas & de Conquista de Mexico, de Bry. Americæ, pars'' 9. l. 7. Ogilby's America, Chap.3. Sect. 10. ''Mariana de Reb. Hisp. lib''. 26. cap. 3. Sir Paul Ricaut's Hist of Inca's.

Love Triumphant, or Nature will Prevail, a Tragi-Comedy, Acted at the Theatre Royal by their Majesties Servants, 4to. 1694. Dedicated to the Right Honourable James Earl of Salisbury, &c. In the Epistle Mr. Dryden informs us, That it is the last he intends for the Theatre. I take this Play to be Founded on the Story of the King and no King of Fletcher, at least on the Corrections of the Fable of that Play made by Mr. Rymer, in his Reflections on the Tragedies of the first Age. Tho' this Play had not that Success which most