tt i j3lOGPtx\PHIA DRAMATICA; OK, A COMPANION TO THE PLAYHOUSE : CONTAINING Historical and critical Memoirs, and original Anecdotes, OF BRITISH AND IRISH Dmmatic SSU'iler^, PROM THK COMMENCEMENT OF OUR THEATRICAL EXIITBITIONS ; AMONG V.'nOM ARE SOME OF THE MOST CELEBRATED ACTORS: ^N ALPHABETICAL ACCOUNT, AND CHnONOLOGICAL LISTS, OF THEIR WOUKS, THE DATES WHEN PKINTED, AND OBSEia ATIOKS ON TliEIR MERITS: TOGETHER WITH JN INTRODUCTORY VIEJV OF THE RISE /JND PROGRESS ErJTISH STAGE. ViRIGJN'ALLY COMPILED, TO THE YEAfl 17^4, BT DAVID ERSKINE BAKER. CONTINUED THENCE TO I /Si, BY ISAAC REED, F.A. S. And irought doivn to the End of No'vembir iSti, ivhh i-ery comideralif Additions and Impro'vementi tliioughou', by STEPHEN JONES. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. i.— PART H LONDON : PRINTED FOR LO^-GMA^^ HUKST, EEES, ORME, AND EKOWrT, T.PAYNE, G. AND W. NICOL, NICHOLS AND SON, SCATCHERD AND LETT2RMAN, J. BARKER, W. MILLER, R. H. EVANS, J. HARDING, J. FAULDER, AND GALE AND CURTIS. z Z0I4 pf2 S. Go.sNbLb, Pniucr, Little tiuecn ;»ticci, London. I. I N G Inchbald, Mrs Elizabeth, is the daughter of Mr. Simpson, a reputable fanner at Stjuingfield, near Bury St, Edmund's, in Suf- folk, who had a numerous family. Having lost lier father during her infancy, she was under the care of her mother, who, on her be- coming a widow, continued to occupy the farm, and brought up her children with all due atten- tion. Miss Simpson had an im- pediment in her speech, which prevented her from being much in company; for she was scarcely in- telligible to any one who was not well acquainted with her. During her solitary hours, she applied her- self to books ; and, anxious to be- come acquainted with the customs and manners of the world, of which she had read so much, she formed the resolution of visiting the me- fropolis ; aqd, finding that her in- tention was contrary to the wishes of her friends, she seized an op- portui.ity, early one morning in February \T7'l, of eloping from her family. She had previously packed up a few necessaries in a bandbox ; and, witli these, ran about two miles across some fields, and there waited wiih impa ence for the stage, which conveye > her X.O London. At Jiis time she was about 1(> year- ct age, and re- markable for beauty of features, and elegance of figure. Having often heard ner family speak of a distant relation who lived opposite Northumberl '!ui House, in the Strand, on her arrival in London £he took a hac'Uney- coach, and sought this a''>ylum but, on reach- ing the place, wss, to her gieat raor- voL. r. INC tification, told that her relation had retired from business, and was set- tled in Wales. — Her alarm at these unexpected tidings, and her evi- dent distress (it being near ten o'clock at night), moved the com- passion of the people of the house where she inquired, who, at her request, generously accommodated her with a lodging. This civility, however, awakened suspicion : she had read in novels the various modes of seduction which were practised in London, and appre- hended that she was in a dangerous house 3 this suspicion seemed con- firmed by the entrance of a cor- pulent old lady, whose appearance exactly corresponded with the de- scription she had read of a pro- curess While, therefore, they were Avhispering their pity for her youth, and extolling her beauty, she suddenly snatched up her band- box, and, without saying a word, rushed out of the house, leaving the people to stare at each other, and repent of their compassion. Much fatigued and alarmed, she knocked at a house, where she saw a bill announcing " lodgings " to be let, "pretending thatshewas a milliner's apprentice, whose mis- tress had unexpectedly a number of visitors from the country that occupied all her beds, and had therefore desn-ed her to seek a temporary accommodation. The veracity of her story was natu- rally doubted ; but she persisted in her tale, till, on turning about, to her great surprise and confusion, she perceived the identical trades- man, whose house . e had so pre- cipitai-ely le.i, listening attentively •*e e ^83 INC to her solemn assertion. Im- pelled by curiosity, and deter- mined on kno\vii;g who and what she was, this man had followed her to the present house. — Con- founded at this delection, she at- lempled another escape ; but the door was locked, and bhe was de- tained as an impostor. Sinoeriiy was all that she had now left ; and, with a flood of tears, she con- fessed her real situatiofi. But even now her truth was doubled, and the woman of the house desired a constable to be sent for ; but her son, a boy of twelve years of nge, riore humane than his mother, joined his tears with those of the poor stranger ; and by hi^ inter- cession she was dismissed, and left to wander the streets of London again. She now walked whither chance tlirected her, and exposed to all those insults which unprotected females must encounter. At two o'clock in tlie morning she found herself at Holborn Bridge j and, seeing the stage set off for York, which she understoDd was full, she entered the inn, pretended to be a disappointed passenger, and solicited a lodging. This scheme succeeded) though the landlady, much suspecling her character, look the precaution of locking the door where she slept. In vain she robC at her usual htjur ; for having tio bell, she could not apprize the family that she was up. She was therefore obliged to wait till noon ; when the landlady was pleased to liberate her, informing her that the York stage v.ould set out again that evening. This intelligence having been delivered with an air of suspicion which was very cut- ling to IVIiss Simp!-"on, she uiime- .diately took out all the money she had, to the last half-crown, and 3 INC absolutely paid for a journey which she did not intend to take. She now turned her thoughts oti a theatrical life ; and to Mr. Inch- bald, of Drury Lane theatre, whose name she remembered in the play- bills at Bury St. Edmund's, she resolved to apply for advice respect- ing an engagement. This gentle- man, with whom she had been hi- tl,erto unacquainted, but had fie- queniiyseen him in her own neigh- bourhood, introduced her to ano^ ther performer of Drury Lane, who had purchased a share in a country theatre, and who, struck with her beauty, gave her an immediate etigagernent, without any trial. He became also her uistr actor, and she imagined that in him she had found a friend j but one even- ing, while she was reciting a part, an altercation arose ; when her ma^^ter coolly intimated, that he meant to be repaid for the engage- ment be had given her with other services than those required for a theatre, and which if not ren- she retired from the stage. Her mother died in 17&6j and her brother, having been left executor, took upon himself the conduct of the farm. He, however, was kill- ed in a duel in 1795, aged forty=- two. Besides her dramatic pieces, which we shall presently enume- rate, ^':s. 1. has produced two cc 2 5SS 1 ^: G ^ove]s, -The ,Shnple Story, and Nature and Art, which are supe- rior to most modern productions of that kind. Her dramas are, ■ I. A Mogul Tale. Dr. Piece. 1/84. N. P. 2. Appearance is against them. F. 8vo. 1733. 3. I'll tell you u-hai. C. 8vo. 1786. 4. Widow's Fow. F. 8vo. l/SS. -5. ^// 07i G Summer's Day. C, 1787. N. P. .6. Animal Magnetism. F. 1/33. N.P. 7. T/^e CAiW q/" ;\a/Mre. D. P. &V-0. 1788. 8. Midnight Hour. C. 8vo. I7S8. 9. Such Things are. P. Svo. I78S. 10. Married Man. C. 8vo. 1789. 11. The Hue and Cry. F. 1791. N.P. 12. A'ifa:/ Door Neighbours.' C. Svo. 1791. 13. YoHH^ ilira and Old JFo- vien. F. 1792. N. P. 14. Every one has his Fault. C. Svo. 1793. . 15. The JFcddlng Day. C. 8vo. 1794. id. IFives as they were, end Maids as they are. C. Svo. 1797- 17. Lovers' Fuws. P. Svo. 1708.' - 18. fFise Man of the East. P. Svo. 1799- ■ 19. To Marry, or Not to Marry. C: Svo. 1805. • Mrs. Inchbald has lately super- intended the publication of two different Collections of English Plays, and one of Farces. To the former she pretixed Critical Re- marks, whiuh do credit to her taste and judgment. . .Ingeland, Thomas. This gen- tleman ia one of our oldest drama- tic writers J -having been a student I R E at Christ's College, in the univer* sity of Cambridge, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. He wrote one dramatic piece, which he himself styles a " prettie and merrie Inter- " lude." It is entitled 77/e Disobedient Child. Interl. 4to. B. L. .N. D. Ireland, "William Hen'ry. This writer is the son of the late Mr. Samuel Ireland, of jSTorfolk Street, well known by his pub- lications of A Picturesque Tour through Holland, &cc. Picturesque Fieu'S on the Rivers Thames and Medway, Graphic Ilbistrafions of Hogarth, &c. In 1796 he made his father the public dupe of an unparalleled literary imposition ; under the impression of which that gentleman published, in im- perial folio, price 4/. 4i. Miscel- laneous Papers and legal Instru- ments under the Hand and Seal of IFilliarn Shakspeare : Including the Tragedr/ of King Lear, and a smalt Fragnient of Hamlet , from the ori- ginal MSS. Never, certainly, was literary industry more laboriously, and at the same time more un- justifiabl}'^, employed. Whether the strange and abominable idea of immortalizing himself, which in- fluenced Eratostratus to tire the temple of Diana at Ephesus, bad operated on the mind of young Ireland, or not, we cannot be sup- posed to know ; but the under- taking of which we are about to speak will probably connect itself with the history of Shakspeare as long as British literature shall last.' The idea of forging the Shak- speare manuscripts seems to have been created in the mind of this, literary culprit (then not nineteen years of age) by Mr. Steevens's edition of Shakspeare. He had beard, perhaps, the names of Chat- terton and Rowley^ without being IRE cnpable of duly cnrjceiving the merits of the memorable circnra- stance connected with those names ; and he thought, that if he could imitate the signatures of Shak- spearc, exhibited in Mr. Steevens's edition, he might enrich his own pocketj and make excellent sport at the expense of our great bard, and some credulous antiquaries. By the help of a book published in Queen Elizabeth's reign, he tried his skill at imitating the man- ner of writing in those days ; and it' seems, by his own confession, that he was allowed to be dex- terous in these dangerous devices. His design on Shakspeare seemed remarkably well timed ; as he had heard that a gentleman at Clapton House had discovered some M3S. with Shakspeare's signature, and had just burned a large basket-full of them. He went to work im- mediately with peculiar ingenuity and art ; and when his project was ripe for execution, he came to his father with a tale, that " a grand " discovery had been accidentally " made at the house of a gentle- " man of considerable property. " That, among a quantity of fa- " mily papers, the contracts be- " tween Shakspeare, Lowin, and " Condell, and the lease granted " by him and Heminge to Michael " Fraser, had been found. That, " soon afterward, the deed of gift " to William Henry Ireland (de- " scribed as the friend of Shak- " speare, in consequence of having " saved his life on the Thames, " when in extreme danger of bc- *' ing drowned), and -also the deed <' of trust to John Heminge, had " been discovered. That, in pur- " suing his search, he had been " so fortunate as to find some " deeds, establishing, beyond all ♦r controversy, the liileofthisgen- IRS " tleman- to a considerable pro-- " perty : deeds of which the gen- " tleman was as ignorant as of " his having in his possession anv '•' of the MSS. of Shakspeare. " That in return for this service, " in addition to the remarkable " circumstance of the young man " bearing the same name and arms " with the person who saved Shak- " speare's life, the gentleman had " promised him every thing rela- " tive to the subject, \vhich had " been, or should be, found, ei- " ther in to\vn or at his house in " the country. And, that at this " house the principal part of the " papers, together with a great "■ variety of books, cont.nining his " MS. notes, and three MS. plays, '•' with part of a fourth, had been " discovered." Upon this, he produced the MSS. which he had. forged, corresponding with this account ; and the lather became first the dupe of his son's artifice, and afterward the instrument of putting his vile impositions upon the public at large. The several MSS. among which was the tra- gedy of Fortigern, were exhibited by Mr. Ireland, sen, at his house in Norfolk Street. The pubhc mind became a good deal interest- ed; and many of the principal literati, among whom jwere Dr. Parr and Dr. V/arton, as well as a iiumerous set of gentlemen of liberal education, coming with cha- ritable minds, not excited by sus- picion, saw plausible marks of authenticity, and believed. Yet it was natural to inquire, who the gentleman was from whom these papers had been obtained. To this Z>Ir. Ireland answered, that, when application was made to the ori- ginal possessor for permission to print tJie papers, it had not been obtained but under the strongest c c 3 390 IRE injunction that his name should not pppear. In the mean time the plav of Vorligern was preparing for representation at Drury Lane tlieatre ; and the folio volume above mentioned made its appear- ance. Messrs. Malone, Steevens, and Boaden, however, with some few others, from the first pro- nounced the whole fo be a forgery ; and several pamphlets issued from the press relative to tl^fi subject. Mr. Malone, in particular, wrote a very pointed epistle to Lord Cbarleroont, in which he showed all the MSS. to be forgeries ; and the impression that his epistle made on the public mind was a leading step to the detection of the im- posture. On the 2d of April 1796, Fortigern was represented at Drury Lane to a most crowded and respectable audience. All the avenues leading to the theatre were filled at an early hour j and thou- sands were forced to return, who could not gain admittance into any part of the house. The following handbill (in the publication or cir- eulation of which the managers, we understand, had no concern) ■was dispersed among the multitude at the several doors : " A malevo- " lent and impotent attack on the " Shakspeare MSS. having ap- " peared on the eve of the repre- *' sentation of the play of Forligem, " evidently intended to injure the *' interest of the proprietor of the «' MSS. Mr. Ireland feels it im- " possible, within the short space " of time that intervenes between " the publishing and the repve- " sentation, to produce an answer *' tf) the most illiberal and un- *' founded assertions in Mr. Ma- *' lone's Itn/uiry j he is, therefore, *' induced to request, that the play •< of Fortigern may be heard with «' tljat candour tliat has ev«r dls- I R E " tinguished a British audience." This request was scrupulously at- , tended to ; and it was not until all patience was exhausted at the miserable attempts to imitate the style of our great poet, that his admirers, indignant at this endea- vour to injure his fair fame, showed any resentment against the gross imposition. In the fourth act, tb© opposition had increased to so great a height, that it was impossible to hear the performers ; on which Mr. Kemble came forward, and begged to remind the house, that the f;'te of the piece depended on their decision ; and that a candid hearing only could enable them to judge fairly of its merits. This address procured a temporary si- lence ; but the laughter-provoking incidents which followed set the audience in a general roar, which continued to the end of the piece. The prologue verij modestly named Shakspeare as the author of the play; but Mr. Whitfield was so much flurried on the occasion, that he was forced to read it from a paper. Mr. Barryraore attempted to announce a second representa- tion, but found it impossible to procure a hearing, and the inten- tion was abandoned. Soon after this, our author published a pam- phlet, entitled ^n authentic Ac- count of the Shaksperian Manu- scripts ; in which, with an unpa- ralleled confidence highly unbe- coming the occasion, he exultingly avowed himself the author of the silly imposition, and appeared to glory in the reflection of his having, in some measure, succeeded in his endeavours to deceive the public, more particularly as the fabrication had received the sanction of many learned doctors, as authentic and genuine. His father's credulity, the author says^ fii:5t induced him 39t I R E to try the experiment of writing with a kind of ink which, when dried by the fire, turned com- pletely brown. Finding the de- ception succeed, he set to work, and in the course of time pro- duced these voluminous papers. After telling the whole story with undaunted freedom, he says, *• Be- " fore I conclude, I shall sum up " this account, and am willing to " make affidavit to the following " declarations, as well as to the " whole of this narration : — First, " I solemnly declare, that my fa- " ther was perfectly unacquainted 'f with the whole affair, believing *' the papers most firmly the pro- " ductions of Shakspeare. Se- " condly, That I am myself both " the author and writer, and have " had no aid or assistance from ** any soul living J and that I should " never have gone so far, but that " the world praised the papers so " much, and thereby flattered my " vanity. Thirdly, That any pub- " lication which may appear, tend- " ing to prove the manuscripts " genuine, or to contradict what " is here stated, is false; this be- " ing the true account. Here, " then, I conclude, most sincerely " regretting any offence I may have " given the world, or any parti- " cular individual ; trusting, at the " same time, they will deem the " whole the act of a boy, without " any evil or bad intention ; but " hurried on, thoughtless of any *' danger that awaited to ensnare '' him. Should I attempt another " play, or any other stage-per- " formance, I shall hope the pub- " lie will lay aside all prejudice " my conduct may have deserved, " and grant me that kind indul- " gence which is the certain in- " mate of eyery Englishman's bo- " torn." I R W Our author has, besides some novels, and poems in imitation of the ancients, published, 1. Fortigtrn. Hist.T. 8vo.l79p. 2. Henry 11. Hist. Dr. Svo. 3. Mutius Sccm'ola. Hist. Dr. Svo. 1801. Irwin, Eyles, was born ai; Calcutta, in the East Indies, in the year I751. His father was from the kingdom of Ireland, of the family of the Irwins of Oran, in the county of Roscommon, who possessed a considerable property in that quarter. By the mother's side he is descended from Sir John Smith, Bart, of H:isly Hall, in the county of Essex, whose estate is still in the family. Mr. Irwin's father being led by inclination to go abroad, during his residence ia the East India Company's service married and died j and, among other children, left the gentleman of whom we are about to give a short account. He was sent to England at a tender age, to obtain that educa- tion which India was incapable of affording. For some years he was placed under the care of Mr. Rose, of Chiswick ; but the bent of his inclination leading him to follow the steps of his father, he was removed to a celebrated academ}' in London, toqualify himself for the line he had chosen. His destina- tion was in the civil service of the Company at Madras, where he arrived in the year 1 76", and suc- cessively tilled the ditTerent stations in that line. It was so early a.? 1771 'hat he wrote the poem of Si, Thomas's Alouni, as we find by the advertisement to that work ; and a short tim6 after, Bedukah, or. The Self-devutfd, an Indian pastoral, was produced, and both published in London i» 1774 C 6 4 592 I R W and 1776. But this calm in Mr. Irwin's life seems to have been disturbed in the year 1775^ by the revolution that took place in the government of Madras by the de- posal and imprisonment of Lord Pigot. Amcng the disinterested adherents of that unfortunate no- bleman, Mr. Iruin so eminently distinguished himself, by spirited remonstrances against the illegal sud .iniquitous proceedings of the successful faction, that he was sus- pended by an arbitrary act from the various offices he held, and was compelled to return to Europe to obtain redress at the fountain- head. The direct and short passage by Suez was at that time just opened anew, and curiosity, as well as speed, determined him tc pre- fer it. This was an opportunity Avbich Lord Pigot availed Wrriself of, to communicate his situation to the Directors of the East India Company ; and he accordingly in- trusted Mr. Irwin with a cor hden- tial dispatch. It would be need- less to touch on a journey v/hich has been given to the world by the author's own hand, and which, from its deserved success, is known to every one. But we may ob- serve what regards his poetical capacity, that it was during this journey that be wrote his Eastern Eclogues, which he published at the same time with his Travels, viz. J790. A Letter to Lord Pigot c.rme out previously thereto; and though the noble peer did not live to peruse this tribute of public spirit to injured virtue, it will serve to record our author's principle*, and his opinions oti that unfortu- iTate event. The delays and dan- gers of his journey were in all probability forgotten in the satis- faction which he received at Iwme by an honourable restoration to the I R W service of the Company, which took place previous to his arrival. But in the interval between his arrival in England and his second journey, a new colour was given to Mr. Irwin's life, by his marriage j-n 177s to Miss Brooke, the daugh- ter of a beneficed clergyman in the county of Longford. On his re- turn to Europe, being resolved to settle in the country where his family had so long resided, he made a visit to Ireland, and theie met with the object of his afi'ec- ticns. The situation in which Mr. Ir- win had left his affairs, by his sudden departure from India, for- bade him the life of repose and retirement which his matrimonial union led him to wish for. The urgency of his money-concerns obliged him to go once more abroad; and, what must have been a trying circumstance both to him and his lady, the general war which then raged, added to some family calls, were the means of depriving them of each other's company for some years. For greater security, and perhaps to gratify his thirst of knowledge, Mr. Irwin resolved to return to India by land, though by another route than he had tried before. It appears from the re- lation which he has lately given the world of that route, that he left England in October 1780, and was once more pitched on to be the bearer of confidential dis- patches to the Governments in India. In this second journey his Milse was not silent among the new scenes which opened to her view in the Archipelago and on the b:inks of the Tigris, as his Occasional Epistles to Mr. Hay lei/, published in 1783, sufficiently tes- tify. We know that Mr. Irwiij sirrived at Madras at a very iii^f 398 I R W I R W portnnt crisis, while the Carnatic was invadecHnS overrun by Hyder Ally, and the coast threatened by a French fleet, and while the pub- lic safety depended on the vigilance and ability of the new governor. Lord Macartney, On this occasion we may observe, tliat the appro- bation of the India Company, and of the public at large, has done justice to his Lordship's exertions and success ; and if the execution of an important trust, in the ma- nagement and control of all the re- venues to the south of the Coleroon during the most distracted period of Lord:' Macartney's administra- tion, have a title to secondary praise, we may boldly clqim it for Mr. Irwin, who fulfilled the duties of a laborious and trying situation, to the satisfaction of the govern- ment and the improvement of the revenue. The country, we find, had been assigned by the Nabob of Arcot to his Lordship, for the payment of the troops and tha services of the war. That assign- ment being annulled by the Com- pany on the restoratio'.i of peace, and Lord Macartney leaving Ma- dras in May 17S5, ^Ir. Irwin only remained behind to close the ac- counts of his Superintendency j and in October of the same year embarked for Europe, to regain that health which continual busi- ness and fatigue had impaired, and to rejoin his family, from whom he had been some years separated. We should, however, observe, that state atlairs had not so totally en- grossed his mind as to make him forget the Muse; to which an Ode on the Death of Hyder Ally, and some occasional odes written du- ring that period, bear witness. In the dramatic walk we know of but one production of this geo- tieman ; viz. The Bedouins. C. O. 12mo^ 1802. J. JAG J. B, By these initials we find two pieces distinguished, which bear the titles of, ■ 1 , The Bashful Lovers. T. C. 2. Guy Earl of Warwick. T. H. iQGl. Jackman, Isaac, was the son of a clerk in the office of the Lord Mayor of Dublin ; and in that city he learned and practised for some years the profession of an attorney. He then came over to England, and endeavoured to mend his fortune, by a marriage with a lad^ possessed of a com- J A C fortable annuity for life. She did not live long, however, and at her death the annuity dropped. Mr. Jackman then commenced dra- n)atic writer. On the rupture be- tween Mr. Bate Dudley, and the proprietor of The Morning Post, Mr. Jackman was made editor of that paper, in which situation he remained for some time. He then visited Dubhn, and became editor of an Irish paper. His dramatic works are, 1. All the IForld's a Stage, f, 8vo. 1777, 394 J A C 2. The Milesian. C. O. 8vo. 1777. 3. Almirina. Mock Tr. N. P. (ascribed to him). 4. The Divorce. M. F. Svo. 1781. 5. Hero and Leander. Burletta. Svo. 1757. 6. Man of Parts. F. 12mo. 1795. Jackson, . A gentleman of tins name is, in the second vo- lume of Hughes's Lc/^eri, p. 190, said to be the translator of Jjax. T. from Sophocles. I'lnao. 1714. Jackson, John, son of the Rev. Mr. Jackson, vicar of Been- hara in Berkshire, was born in the year 1742. He showed an early attachment to literature, and was intended for the church ; to qua- lify himself for which, he received a suitable education. But a pas- sion for the stage led him to try his fortune that way at Edinburgh, where he made his first public ap- pearance, as Oroonoko, on the 9th of Jan. 1762. In this profession he persevered, and was for ten years mangger of the Theatre Royal in that city. Though pos- sessed of a good I'kerson and some judgment, he was, however, but an indifferent performer, owing to the disadvantages of a harsh voice and provincial accent. He produced the following plays : 1. The British Heroine. T. 1778. N.P. 2. Sir William Wallace, of El- krslie. T. 17SO, N. P. 3. Eldred. T. Svo, 1782. And in J 793 published, in one volume Svo. ^4 History of the Sfot- tish Stage, frem its first Estal-U^h- ment to the present Time. Printed at Edinburgh. Jackson, William, was born at Exeter iu May 1/30. His fa- J A C ther, an eminent grocer in that city, gave him a liberal education, with a view to one of the learned professions ; but the youth soon discovering a particular genius for music, he was induced to place him under the tuition of Mr. Travers, organist of the cathedral, with whom he remained two years. He then went to London (about the year 17-iS), and became the pupil of another gentleman of the name of Travers, at that time organist of the King's chapel, and St. Paul's, Covent Garden ; under v.liom having studied about two years, he returned to Exeter, where he for many years practised as a composer, performer, and teacher, with considerable profit and repu- tation. His compositions, chiefly vocal, are extremely numerous, and of extraordinary merit; but a detail of them would be quite out of place in this work, and, indeed, is little needed, for in the musical circles they are of great celebrity. In 1777 he succeeded Mr. Pachard Langdon as sub- chanter, organist, lay-vicar, and master of the choristers, in the cathedral of Exeter. In 1732 he rose into literary fame by the publication of Thirty Letters on vaAous Subjects, 2 vols. 12mo. which exhibited strong proofs of taste, learning, origi- nality, and genius. In 1791 he published Observations on the pre- sent State of Music in London ; which were followed in 1798 by The Four Jges, together with Essays on various Subjects. As a drama- tist he has produced only two trivial pieces ; viz. 1. Lycidas. M.E. Svo, 1 767. 2. The Metamorphosis. Q. O. 1783. N.P. Mr. Jackson died at Exeter July 12, 1803. 3^5 J A C J. G. or Jacob, Giles. By these initials Mr. Jacob has thought proper to distinguish himself in his Poetical Register, or Lives and Cha- racters of ike English Dramatic Poets, 8vo. 1723, vol. i. p. 3 IS. And, as no writer has given us any account of him but himself, we cannot pretend to offer to our readers any thing so satisfactory concerning him as the repetition of his own words. He is (says he, speaking in the third person) the son of a consider- able maltster of Romsey, in the county of Southampton, at which place he was born anno lCiS(5. His mother is of the family of the Thornburghs in Wilts, one of •whom was Bishop of Worcester in the reign of King Charles I. and two of them attended the royal exile. He was bred to the law under a very eminent attorney ; and has since been steward and se- cretary to the Honourable William Biathwayt, Esq. a celebrated cour- tier in the reign of King William, and who enjoyed great preferments in the state, in the late and present reign. He was author of two dramatic pieces, viz. 1. Love in a Uood. F. 12mo. 1714, 2. Soldier s last Stake. C, For the first of these, which, how- ever, was never acted, he apolo- gized that it was written in three or four days, and before the author was any ways acquainted with the stage, or poetical writings ; and as to the latter, he only infonus us that he had such a piece prepared for the stage. Mr. Jacob followed the profes- sion of the law, and wrote several books in that science, some of •which are still held in esteem, par- ticularly ills Law Dictionary : and JAG indeed works of compilement scen^ to have suited his talent rather than those of genius ; for it must be confessed that his Poetical Re- gister, notwithstanding some few errors in it, is by much the best book of the kind hitherto extant ; and yet so little merit had his own dramatic pieces, that, according to Whincop, Dr. Sewel, who wa« by no means remarkable for ill- nature, on reading his farce called Love in a IVood, wrote the follow- ing very severe lines iu the title- page : Parent of dulness ! genuine 9on of ni^ht • Torai eclipse, without one ray of light; Born when dull midnight balls for fune- rals chime, Just at the closing of the bellman's rhyme. Mr. Jacob died the 8th of May 1744. Jacob, Sir HiLDEBR.vND. This gentleman was descended from Sir John Jacob, of Bromley, one of the farmers of the customs, who was created a baronet January 11, l6o4; and was author of a volume of poems, and several separate publications, besides the followinf plays : 1 . The Fatal Constancy. T. 8vo. 1723. 2. The Nest of Plays ; consist- ing of three comedies, viz. Tlie Prodigal Reformed. The Happy Constancy. The Tryal of Conjugal Love. Svo. 1/38. Jago, Richard, was of Cor- nish extraction, and son of Richard Jago, rector of Beaudesert, in Warwickshire. He was born 1st October 1715, and received his education under the Rev. Mr. Crumpton, at Solihull, in the .same county, where he formed an ac- quaintance with Mr. Shenstone. From school he was sent to Uni» 396 J E F versity College, Oxford,- and took the degree of M. A. 9th July 1738. He had the year before taken or- ders ; and, in 1746, was instituted to the living of Harbury, to which was soon afterwards added that of Cbssterton. In 1754 he had the vicarage of Snitterfield given him, where he resided the remainder of his life. In 1/7' he was presented to the living of Kilmote, and died 8th of May 17SI, aged 65 years. J E K " ment, gained him much esteem." Though Mr. JetlVeys was called to the bar, he never practised the law 3 but after acting as secretary to Dr. Hartstonge, Bishop of Derry, at the latter end of Queen Anne's- and the beginuing ot King George the First's reign, spent most of the remainder of his life in the fami- lies of the last two Dukes of Chan- dos, his relations. He died on the l/th day of August 1755, aged 77 After his death, his poetical pieces ' years ; having written. were collected and printed 3 among which is, Adam ; or. The Fatal Disolc- dicricc. Orat. Svo. 1784. - James, C. translated from the French of Beaumarchais, Tarare. Op. Svo. 17S7. Jaques, Fraxcis. An author of the reign of King Charles I. of whom nothing is known but that he produced one piece, now in MS. late in the library of the Mar- quis of Lansdowne, called The Queen of Corsica. T. 1642. Jeffreys, George, was the son of Christopher Jeffreys, of Wel- dron, in Northamptonshire, and nephew to James Lord Chandos. He was born in the year 1678, was educated at Wcstininster school under Dr. Busby, and admitted of Trinity College, Cambridge, 10'p4, where he took the degrees in arts. Irt 1701 he was elected fellow of his college, and presided in the philosophy schools as moderator in 170(5. Pie was also sub-orator for Dr. AylofFe ; but not going into orders within eight years, as the statutes of Trinity College re- quire, he quitted his fellowship in 1709. In the words of one of his contemporaries (the master. Dr. Walker), " he performed his ex- '•' ercises in the college and uni- " versity with applause, which, " with . a genteel Jiiodest deport- An 1. Edwin. T. Svo. 1724. 2.Merope. T. Svo. I731. 3. The Triumph of Trutht Oratorio. These three dramatic perform- ances are printed in a quarto vo- lume of Misccllmies, in Prose and Verse, published by subscription, by Mr. Jeffreys, in the year 1754. We suppose that a number of copies remained unsubscribed for, and fell into the hands of the book- sellers .several years after his de- cease ; for we have now lying be- fore us a copy with a title-page, dated 1767 ; yet not professing to be a new edition. Dr. Johnson, in his Life of Ad- dison, speaking oi Cato, says, " At " the publication, the wits seemed " proud to pay their attendance "■ with encomiastic verses. The '* best are from an unknown hand ; " which will perhaps lose some- " what of their praise, when the " author is known to be Jeffreys." We are wholly at a loss to know why Johnson should have spoken thus of our author (for the ver.ses were his), whose moral character could n.ever lessen the estimation of his poetry, because he was a man who conducted himself re- spectably through life, Jennens, Charles, a Non- conformist gentleman, of consi- derable fortune, at Gopsal, \^ 397 JEN Leicestershire, and was descended from a fainily which was aniong the many who have acquired ample for- tunes at Birminidiam, where Lhey were equally famous for industry and generosity. In his youth he was so remarkable for the number of his servants, the splendour of his equipages, and the profusion of his table, that from' this excess of pomp he acquired the- title of Solyman the Mapiifcent. Not long before his death, he impru- dently thrust his head into a nest of hornets, by an edition of Shak- speare ; which he began by pub- lishing- King Lear, in Svo. 17/0. He published Hamlet, in 17/2 ; and Olhello and Machetli, in 1773 5 and would have proceeded farther, but death prevented him. Julius CcBsar, which was in his litetime put to the press, was published in 17/4. His attempt, which was lame and impotent in- deed, being treated with contempt by the reigning editors, he wrote, or caused to be written by some of his numerous para^5ites, a pam- phlet against Dr. Johnson and Mr. Steevens, whom he suspected (perhaps justly enough) of having turned his commentatorial talents into ridicule. Th's doughty per- formance he is said to have had read aloud to him every day for at least a month after its publica- tion ; while he himself kept a constant eye on the newspapers, that he might receive the earliest intelligence of the moment at which these gentlemen should have hanged- or drowned themselves, in- consequence of his attack on their abilities and characters. That the two now deceased cri- tics, however, may escape the ac- cusation of having disturbed an unoffending old man in his harm- less amijsement^ it is- necessary to J E N add, . that hostilities were com- ipenced by himself; he having, in his preface and notes to King Lear, charged all his predecessors, by implication at least, with ncg- lig'^nce aad infidelity. So ena- moured was he of pomp, as has been before observed, that if his fransit were only from Great Or- niond Street, Bloomsbury, where he resided, to his printer's (Mr. Bovvyer), in Red Lion Passage, Fleet Street, he always travelled with four horses, and sometimes with as many servants behind his car- riage. In his progress up the paved court, a footman usually preceded him, to kick 6yster-shells and other impediments out of his way. The chief error of his life consisted in his perpetu.d associa- tion with a set of nsen every way inferior to himself. By these means he lost all opportunities oif improvement J but gained — .what he preferred to the highest gratifi- cations of wisdom — flattery in ex- cess. His name is recorded in this work on account of his having compiled the words of some of Handel's oratorios, and particular- ly those for The Messiah ) an easy task, as it was only a se- lection of Scripture verses. Hq died at Gopsal, Nov. 20, 1773; and his Shakspeare has been long since consigned to book-stalls and chandler's shops, Jen-ner, Ci^arles, was born in the year 1737, and educated at Pembroke Hall,Cambridge 3 where he took the degrees of B. A. 1757, M. A. 17(50, and obtained the Seaton prizes in the years I767 and 1769- He was rector of Cramford St. John, i:i Northamp- tonshire; and vicar of Claybrook, in Leicestershire : and died on the 1 1 th of May 1 774. See Bihliotk. 398 J E P Topograph. Brit. No. 51, p. /Q. He was the author ot' several poems and novels, and of the fol- lowing dramatic pieces : 1. Luanda. D.E. 12mo. 1/70. 2. The Alan of Family. Sent. Com. Svo. 1771 ; 12mo. 1/71, Dublin. An elegant monument was erected to his memory, in Clay- brook church, by a lady of very exalted rank ; on which is the fol- lowing epitaph : Here in the earth's cold bosom lies en- tomb'd A man, whose sense, by ev'ry virtue gracM, Made each harmonious Muse obey his lyre : N'or shall th' erasing hand of powerful Time Obliterate his name, dear to each tune- ful breast. And dearer still to 'oft humanity : For oft the sympathetic tear would start Unbidden from his eye. Another's woe He read, and felt it as his own. READER, It is not flattery, nor pride, that rais'd To his remams th s modest sione ; nor yet Did partial fondness trace these humble lines: But weeping friendship, taught by truth alone. To give, if possible, in future days, A faint idea to the race to come. That here reposeth all the mortal part Of one, who only liv'd to make his friends. And all the world, rej^ret he e'er should die. E. C . 1775. Jephson, Robert, having en- tered, early in life, into the military line, was advanced to the rank of captain in the 73d regimt-nt of foot, on the Irish establishment. When that regiment was reduced in the year I763, he was put on the half-pay list, on which he .ifti»r- wards continued. The study of •war did not totally engross Mr. Jepbson's attention ; the arts of peace, and the belles lettres, strong- J E P \y occup'hed his mind. He dis- played good natural parts, well improved by education ; he spoke pleasingly 5 his language was good, and he had a vein of satirical hu- mour, very agreeable to all but those against whom it was pointed. These qualifications recommended him to the attention of Lord Townsheud, who came to the go- vernment of Ireland in 176/, and wh(; made Captain Jephson master of the horse, and procured him a seat in the House uf Commons. The Captain, grateful for these fa- vours, constantly supported the measures of Government ) and strenuously defended the character of Lord Townshend, when it was openly attacked in the House-, after he had departed. February IJ, ^77-^> 'vvhen a great debate came on respecting a bill to relax the severity of the laws against the Papists, Captain Jephson took a conspicuous part, and made a very long and eloquent speecli in their favour, quitting on that occasion his usual satirical turn, which had obtained him the name of the Mor- tal Momus. But this restraint was not frequently used ; in a debate on removing the custom-house of Dublin (March 7, ^779), and in that on a motion for sending 4000 troops from Ireland to America, he indulged his talent for humour. Lord Townshend having left Ire- land, his- successor. Lord Har- CQurt, had not that taste for wit and humour which distinguished his predecessor, and made Captain Jephson so agreeable to him. The Captain, indeed, continued in his office, but did not seem to have countenance shown him in the Castle as before ; and on the gene- ral election, in 177t'j he was not returned to Parliament. However, Mr. Hugh Masscy being made a 399 J E P peer, the Lord Lieutennnt was convinced that Captain Jephson's talents would be useful ; and he was elected, in October 17/6, to fill Lord Massey's vacant seat of Old Leighlin, in the county of Carlow, a borough at the disposal of the Bishop of Leighlin and Ferns. However, Ciiptain Jeph- son did not distinguish himself so much in the House as formerly, but frequently gave his silent vote. Having applied his mind to dra- matic writing, he produced, 1. Braiianxa. T. Svo. 1/75. 2. The Law of Lomlardy. T. 8vo. 1779- 3. Count of Narlonne. T. Svo. 1781. 4. The Hotel. F. Svo. 17S3. 5. The Campaign.^CO. l/SJ. N. P. 6. Julia. T. Svo. 1/87. 7. Love and IVur. M.E. 1787. N. P. 8. Two Stn?igs to your Bow. F. Svo. 1791. 9- The Conspiracy. T. 8vo. 1796. Mr. Jephson, Mr. Courtenay, the Rev. Mr. Boroughs, and others equally well qualitied for the task, wrote a collection of essays during Lord Townshend's ever-raemor- able viceroyalty in Ireland, called The Bachelor, which completely .succeeded in pulling down, and turning into ridicule, the enemies to his government, and enriched the world with a collection, which, for genuine wit and humour, has rarely been equalled, perhaps ne- ver excelled. Mr. Jephson also published a poem, entitled Roman Portraits, 4to. 179-i; and, m the same year, a well-meant, well- timed, and well-executed satire on the French revolution, called The Confession of James Bapiisie Cuu- J E V ieau, 2 vols. I2mo. LTpon the whole, Mr. Jephson was a very userul labourer in the vineyard of literature ; and his productions show him to have been a man of taste, judgment, and good sense. He died at his house, Black Rock, near Dublin, May 31, 1803. Jermn'gham, ErnvAKD. Aa author now living. He is descend- ed from an ancient faniiiy in the county of Norfolk, at the head of which is his brother Sir William, who holds the rank of baronet. He received the first elements of education at the English college at Douay, and completed his studies under the Rev. Dr. Howard, at Paris. He returned to England in I7G2, and soon distinguished him- self by some compositions of tha elegiac kind, as, The Nunnery, The Magdalens, The Nun, II Latte, &c. which bear the marks of ster- ling merit. Three volumes of his poems are in the possession of the public, and he is also the author ot the following dramas : 1. Margaret of Anjou. Hist. Int. 1777. 2. The Siege of Berwick. T. Svo. I7y4. 3. The mich Heiress. C. Svo. 1795. 4. The Peckham Frolic. C. Svo. 1799- Jevon, Thomas, This author flourished in the reigns of Kin<^ Charles JL and King James 11° He was an actor and a dancing- master, and attained great emi- nence in both tho^e professions, especially the former, in which his general cast was that of low comedy. He did not, however, long enjoy the sun-hine o( popu- lar applause ; for he was taken etl" in the very prime of life, viz. at the age of thirty -six years, on tli« 400 J O D 20th of December l6S8, and was interred in Hampstead church- yard. He wrote one dramatic piece, which even in its original form met with success, but has since imdergone almost as many trans- formations as the Brcihmins of the East Indies fable their deity Vi^h- iiou to have passed through. It is entiiled The Devil of a JFife. F. 4to. 1 686. JoDRELi., Paul, was second son of the Solicitor General to the Prince of Wales, and is descended of a Norfolk family, seated at Bay- field, near Holt. Mr. Jodrell is M. A. and, we believe, fellow of St. John's College, and has pro- duced two dramatic pieces, viz. 1. u4 TFidow and no Widow. Dr. Piece. 1779j 8vo. l/SO. 2. Seeing is believing. Dr. Pro- verb. Svo. 17S6. Jodrell, Sir Richard Paul, Knt. and M. D. brother of the foregoing, was several years ago Physician Extraordinary to the Nabob of Arcot. He figured ori- ginally as a classical scholar and poet, and published Illustrations of Euripides, Svo. 1/81, Sec. The Knight and Friars, an historic tale from Heywood's Tvva.iy.noy, 4lo. 1785. He afterwards pub- lished, 1 . The Persian Heroine. T. 4to. and Svo. 1/86. 2. IFho's afraid? F. 3. The BGarding-school Miss, C. 4. One and AIL F. 5. TheH)isguise. C. 6. The Musico. F. 7- The Bulse. Dr. Piece. The last six are printed in a collection, entitled Select Dramatic Pieces, some of which have leen acted in provincial Theatres, others J 0 H written for private Performance and Country Amusement. 8vo. 1787. Johns, William, was the son of Nicholas Johns, of Matherne, in Monmouthshire. He becanVe a chorister of All Souls College, Oxford, in]MichaelmasTerm l663, at the age of nineteen j^ears, or thereabouts, but left the univer- sity without a degree. He after- wards became schoolmaster of Evesham, in Worcestershire, where he continued several years with great approbation. He at last took orders, and was living in l6Ql minister of a church near the afore- said place. He wrote The Traytor to himself; or, Man's Heart his greatest Enemy. Mor. Int. 4to. 1678. Johnson, • . Whether this gentleman is either of those of the same name hereafter mentioned we are unable to say. It is, however, subjoined in the Gentleman's Ma- gazine, May 1735, to a translation of the following play from Vol- taire, published in that month, viz. Zara. T. Svo. 1735. Johnson, Charles, was ori- ginally bred to the law, and was a member of the Middle Temple j but being a great admirer of the Muses, and finding in himself a strong propensity to dramatic writ- ing, he quitted the studious labour of the one, for the more spirited amusements of the other} and, by contracting an intimacy wiih Mr. Wilks, found means, through that gentleman's interest, to get his plays on the stage without much difficulty. Some of them met with very good success; and by being a constant frequenter of those grand rendezvous of the wits of that time. Will's and Button's Coffee-houses^ he, by a polite and 401 J O H njodest behaviour, formed so ex- tensive an acquaintance and inti- macy, as constantly ensured him great emoluments on his benelit- nighl ; by which means, being a man of economy, he was enabled to subsist very genteelly. He at length married a young widow, with a tolerable fortune; on which he set up a tavern in Bow Street, Covent Garden, but quitted busi- ness at his wife's deatli, and lived privately on an easy competence which he had saved. He was born in 1070. His first play was acted in 1702, and his latest is dated in 1/33 j but he did not die till March 11, 1748. As a dra- matic writer, he is far from de- serving to be placed in the lowest class ; for though his plots are seldom original, yet he has given them so many additions of his own, and has clothed the designs of others in so pleasing a dress, that a great share of the merit they possess ought to be attributed to him. The language of his come- dies, which are greatly superior to his tragedies, is easy, and the dialogue natural and sprightly ; and one of them, viz. The Coun- try Lasses, continued, until a few years past, on the list of acting plays. Though he was a man of a very inoffensive behaviour in general, yet he imprudently, by a few lines ii] the prolog'ie to The Sultaness, drew on him5::;lf the resentment of Ivlr. pope, who has immortalized him in The Dunciad; and in one of the notes to the poem is quoted from another piece, called The Characters of the Times, the fol- lowing account of our author : " Charles Johnson, famous for " writing a play every year, and " being at Button's Coffee-house " every day. He had probably vol.. I. J O H " thriven better in his vocation, " had he been a small matter " leaner J he may be justly called " a martyr to obesity, and be said " to have fallen a victim to the " rotundity of his parts." We do not repeat this quotation by any means with a view to re- flect on Mr. Johnson ; but think, on the contrar}^ that it should ra- ther turn to his honour ; since that man's character must be extremely unexceptionable, on whom his enemies can fix no greater impu- tation than the defects of his per- son ; but rather to point out how low resentment may sometimes plunge even the most brilliant geniuses, when it can lead them to encourage scurrility without wit, and mere personal reflection with- out even the shadow of humour. Neither is the assertion that he wrote '' a play every year" a truth ; as it will appear, that from the first (in 1702) to the last (in 1733) he was occupied thirty-one years in writing nineteen plays. But Pope would sometimes sacrifice truth to point. Pope, indeed, has affected to disclaim the nnles on The Dunciad ; in a letter to Aaron Hill, he says, " I am weary of " telling a great truth ; wh^ch is, " that I am not the author of " them." This is, however, a sorr)- and unmanlv excuse; he must have consented to (he writ- ing of those notes ; he must have read and approved them ; and his suffering them to make a pirt of his works was giving them the most complete sanction. The dramatic pieces which this author produced, notwithstand- ing he appears to have quitted writing for the stage for some years before his death, are nume- rous, and will be seen in the fol» lowing list : 402 T. -410. J O H 1. The Gentleman Cully. C.4to. 4702. 2. Fortune in her JFits. C. 4to. 1705. 3. Love and Lilerty 1709. 4. The Force of Friendship. T. 5. Love in a Chest. F. 4to. 1710. These two are printed to- gether. 6. The Wife's Relief; or, The Husband's Cure. C. 4to. 1712. 7. The Successful Pirate. Play. 4to. 1713. 8. The Generous Husband; or. The Coffee-house Politician. C.4to. N. D.^[1713] 9. The Victim. T. J2mo. 1714. 10. The Country Lasses ; or, The Custom of the Manor. C. 12mo. 1715, 1 J . The Cobler of Preston. F. 8vo. 1716. 12. The Sultaness. T. Svo. 1 7 1 7 . 13. The Masquerade. C. &vo. N.D. [1719-] 14. Love in a Forest. C. Svo. 1723. 15. The Female Fortuneteller. C. Svo. 1726. 16. The Fillage Opera. Svo. 1729. 17. 18, 1732. 19. Ccelia; or. The Perjured Lover. P. Svo. 1733. JoHNSoN,HENRy. Thescnames are put to one translation from the French. The person to whom they belonged, it is believed, was a gentleman of Berkhimpstead, in Hertfordshire, who, in the early period of his life, had resided some tiraeatBuenos Ayres,in ihe service of the Soqth Sea Company. He was a man of fortune, and died in the year 170O, having published Romulus. T. translated from La Mottc, Svo. 1724. Medea. T. Svo. 1731. The Ephesian Matron. J O H Mr. Johnson was elected F.SA, Aug. 31,1720; and in 1730 com- municated an account ol the body of a pigmy, found in Peru, with 400,000 dollars. Johnson', Samuel. This gen- tleman, though namesake to the next mentioned writer, must not be confuuiKJed with him. He was the author of the following dra- matic pieces ; one of which, at the time of its first appearance, greatly attracted the notice of the public, viz. 1. Hurlothrumlo ; or. The Su- pernatural. Svo. J7-9- 2. Cheshire Comics. C. 1730. N.P. 3. The Blazing Cornet; The Mad Lovers ; or. The Beauties of the Poets. Play. Svo. 1732. 4. AIL Alive and Merry. C. 1737. N.P. 5. A Fool made Wise. Op. Com. 1/41. N.P. Q. Sir John Falstaff" in Mas- querade. F. 1741. N. P. Three of these pieces were re- presented at the theatre in the Haymarket ; but the first, in par- ticular, took an amazing run } owing to the whimsical madness and extravagance which ran through the whole piece, and its author, who himself performed a piincipal character in it called 1-ord Flame ; into which he had thrown such a mixture of fine thoughts and unmtelligible fustian, that no one could possibly under- stand what he was aiming at ; and if at any time this ur.intelligible- ness was objected to him as a fault in his piece, his constant reply- was, tliat the fault did not lie in that, but in the audience, who did not take the proper method for attaining a knowledge of his mean- ing; that no one could possibly un- derstand an author perfectly, unless 403 J O H .he examined his works in the same situation and state of mind as they were written ; and there- fore, as he him«elf never sate down to write without a fiddle in his hand, it was impossible for any to comprehend the sense of what he wrote without an instrument of the very same kind to quicken their understandings. But, in or- der in some measure to remedy this deficit-ncy in the audience, he used to act his part of Lord Flame in a manner equally extravagant with the rest of theaffair ; viz. with a violin in his hand, which he oc- casionally played upon, and some- times walking in high stilts. His dress on this occasion was such as he commonly wore, viz. a suit of black velvet, with a long white flowing periwig. It is said, that Sir Robert Walpole promoted the success of his piece as far as lay in his power, making it serve to di- vert the attention of the public from some state designs of his own, which were at that time ready to be put into execution. Soon after the exhibition of this whimsical drama, was formed a meeting, called the Hurlothrumbo Society. A list of its members was printed, with a frontispiece representing the monster described in the first lines of Horace's Art of Poetry. Mr. Johnson was a native of Che- shire, and was bred to und follow- ed the profession of a dancing- master ; yet, from what has been •)Ove related, it is apparent that he must have been infected with a strong tincture of insanity ; in consequence of which, it is pro- bable, that not many persons would be willing to intrust their children in his hands j yet, as his madness did not take any danger- j o rt ous or mischievous turn^ and as it was accompanied with flights of wit and humour that rendered him, though an extraordinary, yet, far from a disagreeable companion, his acquaintance was sought by most of the gentlemen of fortune in that country, at whose houses he used to reside alternately for a considerable time, in such manner as to render the pursuit of business unnecessary to him. He lived long after he quitted writing for the stage ; as that original oddity which the world ran mad in ad- miration of, only because they did not understand it, at length grew tiresome, and became as univer- sally decried as at first it had been universally followed. The fol- lowing humorous anecdote may serve to give the reader some idea of Mr. Johnson's general turn, and uncoii,cerned manner. Our author having been invited to pass some months at the coun- try-house of a gentleman who had a great regard for him, but whom he had never visited before, he accepted the invitation, and was for some time tn^ted with the utmost hospitality and kindness. But at length, having shown in some of his expressions and actions that wild and unaccountable ex- travagance and oddity which runs through his compositions, the lady of the house, who happened to en- joy but a very indifferent state of health, which rendered her hip- pish and low-spirited, and being moreover naturally of a timorous disposition, began to be extremely alarmed at his behaviour, and ap- prehensive that at some time or other he might do mischief either to himself or others. On this she repeatedly remonstrated to her hus- band, entreating him to find some o D 2 404 J O H means of getting rid of Mr, John- son. The gentleman, however, who was better acquainted with Johnson's nnanner, and therefore under no such apprehensions, was unwSUing to proceed to an act of so much seeming inhospitality, as the forbidding his house to a per- son whom he had himself invited to it, and therefore declined so doing for some time; till at length, on the continued solicitations of his lady, whom he found he could not make easy on any other terms, he commissioned a mutual friend to both to break the affair to Mr. Johnson. This being done with all the tenderness imaginable, and the true reason assigned by way of vindication of the gentleman him- self, Mv. Johnson, with great cool- ness, and a gaiety of temper pecu- liar to himself, replied, that he ivas most perfectly persuaded of Mr. 's regard/or him, arid should ever retain the most grateful sense nf the civilities he had received from him } that he also maintained the highest respect for his lady j and thought it his duty, ly every means in hi<; pnwer, to contrilute to the restoration of her peace of mind (winch it appeared that he had been the innocent cause of disturhit;gj j that he, therefore, might give her the strongest assurances from him, together with his compliments, that he never would again trouble her house whilst living ; but, as a testi- monial of his sincere esteem, she might depend on it that, after his death, he should consider her as the very first person to whom, on a visit back to this world, he should think himself under an obligation to pay his respects. This message being delivered to the lady, who, we have before observed, was of an hypochondriac complexion, thre\y her intp stijl greater appre-^ J O H hensions than before ; and, fear- ing that he would be as good as his word, entreated the gentleman to go back to Mr. Johnson, and beg from he)" that he would con- tinue where he was, or at least favour them with his company as often as possible; for that, with all his wildness, she had much rather see him alive than dead. Johnson, at his death, of which we have not discovered the da»e, left behind h\m a tragedy, never printed, entitled Fompcy the Great, of which only the two following lines occur to memory. Some character in the piece, speaking of a sieve made use of in the infernal regions, says, •' Antl all the little sou's " Diop thiough the riddle-holes." As a writer he stands in the same predicament as in his personal character; his works have mad- ness in them, but at the same time it is evidently the madness of a man of great abilities. In his Hurlothrumio, more particularly, there are some beauties, in the midst of numberless absurdities, that would do honour even to our first-rate geniuses. In proof of which we shall present our readers with a few quotations from that drama, which may prove by no means unentertaining; not only as specimens of his manner of writ- ing, but as they are in themselves truly worth preserving; and that the book itself, being extremely scarce, and moreover, from the general idea formed of it, hardly considered as worth looking into, the greater part of them may possibly be unacquainted with that piece. Without regard to order, therefore, the following sentimenta are selected from it^ 405 J O H " Piide is the serpent's egg, *' laid in the hearts of all, but " hatched by none but fools." " Conscience is an intellectual " caul that covers the heart, up- " on which all the faculties sport " in terror, like boys that dance " upon the ice." " You are the most covetous " man in the universe j you give *' what you have away to the poor, " that you may enjoy it all your- " self j and when your time is to " die, you 'II not leave a farthing f behind you to fling away." " He that lives in pleasure runs "■ up a score, and he that is af- *' flicted is paying debts," " A coquet is a whore in the " soul, a harlot for the devil." " Oh ! v/ho shall deliver me " from the contagion of mortals ! " Of my lambs, that innocently " sport all round me, of theili I "■ will learn humility, and depise " your arrogance : my dog, that " scouts upon the plain, I will *' compare him with you, and blush " for you. He loves more, and is " constant, a fervent friend, will " fight till death for his master, " rises not up against him when he " smites him ; he is grateful, he " flatters not, and to your shame " has more compassion ; for with *' his tongue he will heal the wound '' of the oppressed. Ye rationals, *' learn of brutes, they teach me to *' abhor mankind." Sementory's sentiments of hap- piness in love are ingenious. " Of " all happiness (says she) that is the *' most sweet, that is the nearest to " us J riches lie in the purse, love " in the heart ; never marry for *' honour or title ; fame is always " at a distance; the n)an I love is "near. What is fame? A word; " that word is wind, the humming " of a bee ; but when I sleep by J d rt " the man I love, no wind can " come to me." The scene between Urbandenny and Puny the miser, contains the following very just remarks on avarice and upstart gentility. The miser is in alarm on a rebellion being raised in the city, and ex- claims to himself thus : '' Oh ! " these rogues are coming, they'll " rob me, take my plate, and break " my windows ; O ! sweet hea- " ven, forgive me all my ill-dreamt " visionary lewdness. If they " come, I shall never prfrchase " Kemp's estate, and buy a coat " of arms and a patent for my son. Enter Urbandenny. " Udan. So, Old Gaddecar, " you 're at prayers ; cry aloud, " thy deity is deaf, with your " squinting soul that kens both "earth and heaven; fling your " bags into the elements, then " will you look straight upright. " Begone, what hast thou to do in " this world } what dost thou " mean ? " Puny. I mean to be the root " of a family, " Urban. If the root be avarice, " what will the body, branches, " leaves, and fruit be ? twenty " generations must pass away be- " fore thy seed can be refined so " far as to produce a gentleman. "■ Puny. Is not gold a gentle- " man ; a person of quality .?•- " What makes a gentleman ? " Urban. Education, honour, and '•■ generosity ; add to a fine gentle- " man, love, resolution, taste : a " person of quality has all these " perfections, and is discerning ; " with a sublime thirst in the soul ; " a longing to reward merit ; fer- "" vent to serve the meanest, and, " punctual to his word; his blood " is double and treble refined; he's " full of heaven 3 a sun-fire 3 ^ D D 3 409 J O H J O H " light that quenches all the flame *' of nature. " Puny, Cannot a new-born *' gentleman have all these per- •' fections ? " Urban. No ; your upstarts are " huge and tall, converse with a " prince of the air, and their " nostrils are full of the devil." Dologodelmo's curse on Hurlo- thrurabo is perhaps equal to any thing of the kind in our own or any other language. It is as follows : " May Heaven pour down upon •'him the bitter blessing, the honey " curse, the gilded pill that satis- *' fies desire and infects the mind ; " give him riches, and make him ** love them ; then will he be ab- *' horred of men, the spirits, the " angels, and the gods ; may a " proud sign appear in his face, " that he may be a tavern for " devils to riot and banquet in; let " him pamper nature, feed high " to destroy his taste, so blind all *' the beauties of the mind ; then " will his hungry pleasure devour " up all the eternal treasure of his " soul." We shall close this set of quota- tions with part of a speech of Lord Flame's, which, being the most ex- travagant character in the whole piece, will show how much ori- ginality and inventive imagination this writer possessed, even in his wildest flights. It is part of a de- scription of the next w^orld, where, after he has given some general account of the state of spirits there, he thus proceeds : *' Queen Elizabeth is in her hut " selling of fry'd fritters; Pompey " and Alexander carry charcoal to " feed her fires; the Great Mogul, " the Czar, the grim Bashaw, the ** Emperor, the Grand Turk, and ♦' Caesar, are scrambling for the •* drops of the pan ; and, as they " were wont, are scuffling for tri- " fles, till it raises their inextin- " guishable rage to loggerheads." On the present occasion, how- ever, Mr. Baker, the original compiler of this work, was mis- taken. The last speech he has quoted can boast of little origina- lity or invention; being only a copy from Epistemon's Vision of Heli and the Elysian Fields, uitk the various occupations of many great personages there, in the se- cond book and thirtieth chapter of Rabelais's History of Pantagruel. Johnson, Samuel. This ex- cellent writer, who is no less the glory of the present age and na- tion, than he will be the admira- tion of all succeeding ones, was the son of a bookseller at Litchfield, in the county of Stafford, where he was born, September 18, l/Op. He was entered of Pembroke Col- lege, Oxford, on the 29th October 1728 ; but left the university ia 1731, without taking any degree; and as his father, who died in the'- month of December of that year, had sufi^ered great misfortunes in trade, he was driven out a com- moner of nature, having not only a profession, but the means of subsistence, to seek. At length, in March J 732, he accepted an invitation to the office of under- master of a free-school at Market Bosworth, in Leicestershire; but not knowing, as he said, whether it was not more disagreeable for him to teach, than for- boys to learn the grammar rules, and being likewise disgusted at the treatment which he received from the patron of the school, he relinquished it in a few months. Being thus again without any fixed employment, and with very little money in his pocket, he translated Lobo's Voy^ age to Jhyssinia, for the trifling 407 J O H sum, it is said, of five guineas, which he received from a book- seller in Birmingham : this was the first attempt which he made to procure assistance by means of his pen, and it must have held forth very little encouragement to his commencing author by pro- fcs.sion. In 1/35, being then in his 26th year, he married jSIrs. Porter, a mercer's widow in Birmingham ; whose age was almost double his, who had never been very captiva- ting, and whose fortune amounted to hardly 800/. — He now set up a private academy, near his native city j but this undertaking did not succeed ; he kept his academy only a year and a half 3 during which time he wrote a great part of his tragedy of Irene; which being read to a Mr, Walmsley, register of the preroga- tive court of Litchfield, he thought so highly of Johnson's abilities, that he advised him to finish it, and produce it on the stage. Flattered, it may be supposed, with these en- comiums, he set out some time in the year 1/37 with his pupil David Garrick for London, leaving Mrs, Johnson to take care of the house, and the wreck of her fortune. How he spent his time upon his first coming to London is not parti- cularly known ; his tragedy was re- fused by the managers of that day ; and for some years TheGenlleman's Magazine seems to have been his principal resource for employment and support. Mrs. Johnson, who went to London soon after her hus- band, now lived sometimes in one place, and sometimes in another : but Johnson himself was oftener to be found at St. John's Gate, where The Gentleman s Magazine was published, than in his own lodg- ings. It was there he became ac- quainted with Savage, with whom J O H he contracted a very close friend^ ship; and such were their extreme necessities, that they often wan- dered whole nights in the streets, for want of money to procure them a lodging. In 1744 he pub- lished the life of his unfortunate companion ; a work which, had he never written any thing else, would have placed him very hio-h in the rank of authors. At London again our author ap- pears to have met with disappoint- ments which disgusted him with the town ; for, in August 1737, we find him desirous of returning again into his native country, to take upon himself the office of master of a charity-school in his neighbourhood, then vacant, the salary of which was sixty pounds a year. But the statutes of the school requiring the person who should be elected to be a Master of Arts, this attempt seems to have been frustrated. Having con- ceived the design of one of the noblest and most useful, though at the same time the most laborious works that could be possibly un- dertaken, viz. a complete Gram- mar and Dictionary of our hither- to unsettled language ; he drew up a plan of the said design, in a letter to the Right Honourable the Earl of Chesterfield; which, beinc published, gave the strongest proof, in its own composition, to how great a degree of grammatical per- fection and classical elegance tha English tongue was capable of be- ing brought. The execution of this plan cost him the labour of many years ; but the manner ia which it was at last executed made ample amends for all the expecta- tions of the public, in regard to it, for so long a time ; and the ho- nours paid him on the occasion of icr publication by several of the x> s 4 408 J O H foreign academies, particularly by the Academia della Crusca, leave all encomium on the work in this place entirely superfluous. Du- ring some intervals of recess, ne- cessar)' to the fatigue of this stu- pendous undertaking, Mr. Johnson published London, a poem, and many other pieces, which are ex- cellent in thei: kind: among which The Rambler, a series of periodi- cal essays, which came out twice a week for two years successively, stood in the foremost rank. In the course of so great a number of these papers as this long period demanded, those which the un- dertaker of them was favoured with by others, were inconsiderable; and yet, on the whole, the pro- duct of this single genius, thus perpetually employed, proved at least equal, if not superior, to that of the club of first-rate wits who were concerned in tho>e ce- lebrated works The Spectator and Taller. Dr. Johnson's style in prose is nervous and classically correct ; in verse his numbers are harmonious and musical, yet bold and poignant, and on the whole approach nearer to !Mr. Pope's manner of versification than those of any other writer j and though he has favoured the world with but little in absolute verse (for all his prose is poetry) ; yet that little, like diamonds of the first water, will ever be held in the highest estimation ; while gems of larger bulk, with less intrinsic worth, are scarcely looked upon. When Mr. Pope had read his Lo?idon, and received no satisfactory answer to repeated inquiries concerning its author, his observation was, " It cannot belong before my cu- " riosity will be gratified ; the *' writer of this poem will soon be " deterre," In shorty while the J O H name of Juvenal shall be remem" bered, this gentleman's improved imitations of him, in his two satires, entitled London and The Vanity of Human Wishes, must be read with delight. His imagination was araazinglyextensive, and his know- ledge of men and manners un- bounded ; as Kiny be plainly traced in hib Eastern stories in The Ram- bler, in which he has not only sup- ported to the utmost the sublimi'iy of the Eastern maimer of expres- sion, but evf n greatly excelled any of the oriental writers in the fer- tility of his invention, the conduct of his plots, and the justice and strength of his sentiments. His capital work of that kind, how- ever, is a novel, entitled Rasselas, Prince ofJlysslnia, too well known and universally read to need any comment here, and in which, as he does at present, so he probably ever will, stand without an equal. Our author indeed was formed to sustain the character of an ex- alted moralist ; and never was known to descend from himself till he became a political writer. When talents designed for the sup- port oi religion and truth are pro- stituted to the defence of royal and ministerial errors, who is not ready to exclaim with Pistol — Then did the sun on dunghill shine ! On the 14th of March 17.52, The Rambler was terminated; and on the 17th of the same month his wife died, whom he laqpented as long as he lived. Soon after The Rambler v/as concluded. Dr. Hawkesworth projected The Ad' venturer, upon asiiiiilar plan; and the papers with the signature T. which are confessedly the most splendid in the whole collection, are now known to have been the production of Johnson, who re- ceived for each the sum of two 409 J O H J O H guineas. On the 15th of April 1/58, he began a new periodical paper, entitled The Idler, which came out every Saturdny, in a weekly newspaper, and was con- tinued till the 5th of April 1760. In Januaiy 1/59, his mother died, at the great age of QO ; soon after- wards he wrote his Rasselas , Prince of Abyssinia, that with the profits he might defray the expense of his ipother's funeral. Having been, early in 1/62, re- presented to the King as a very learned man without any certain provision. His Majesty was pleased to grant him a pension of three hundred pounds a year j which, if it diminished his distress, increas- ed his indolence ; for he constant- ly avowed that he had no other motive for writing than to gain money. Solitude indeed was his aversion ; and in order to avoid it as much as possible. Sir Joshua Reynolds and he instituted, in 1764, a club which existed long without a name, but was after- wards known by the title of the Literary Club. It consisted of some of the most enlightened men of the age, who met once every week, at seven o'clock, at the Turk's Head, in Gerard Street, Soho. In 1765 Johnson was intro- duced into the family of the famous brewer, Mr. Thrale ; and in Oc- tober of this year he published his edition of Shakspeare. In 1767 he was honoured by a private con- versation with the King ; and two years afterwards, upon the esta- blishment of the Royal Academy, was nominated Professor of An- cient Literature ; an office merely honorary, and conferred on him at the recommendation of his friend the president. In 1773 he visited, with Mr. Boswell, some of the Hebrides, or western islands of Scotland, and published an account of his jour- ney, in a volume which oftended many persons, by the violent at- tack which it made on the authen- ticity of the poems attributed to Ossian. In 1774 he addressed a pamphlet to the electors of Great Britain, entitled The Patriot. In 177^ he published Taxation no Tyranny ; in answer to the reso- lutions and address of the Ameri- can Congress. In I765 Trinity College, Dublin, had created him LL. D. by diploma ; and he now received the same honour from the university of Oxford. In 1777 he was induced to exercise that humanity, which in him was obe- dient to every call : Dr. William Dodd, a clergyman under sentence of death for forgery, found means to interest Johnson in his behalf, and procured from him two of the most energetic compositions of the kind ever seen ; the one, a petition from himself to the King ; the other, a like address from his wife to the Queen : these petitions failed of success. His last undertaking. The Lives of the /'oe/^, would alone have been sufficient to immortalize his name among his countrymen. The ex- cellence of this work is powerful enough to extinguish even the in- dignation which his political tenets (so frequently incorporated with his critical remarks) may sometimes have excited in those of an oppo- site way of thinking. About the middle of June 1783, his constitution sustaiiied a severer shock than it had ever before felt, by a stroke of the palsy, so sudden and so violent, that it rendered him for a short time speechless. As usual, his recourse binder this affliction was to piety 3 he tried to 410 J O H repeat the Lord's Prayer first in English, then in Latin, and after- wards in Greek ; bitt succeeded only in the last attempt. From this alarming attack he recovered •with wonderful quickness, but it left behind it some presages of an hydropic affection ; and he was soon afterwards seized with a spas- modic asthma of such violence, that he was confined to the house in great pain ; while his dropsy increased, notwithstanding all the efforts of the most distinguished physicians in London and Edin- burgh : he had, however, such an interval of ease as enabled him, in the summer of 1"S4, to visit his friends at Litchfield, Oxford, and Ashbourne in Derbyshire. His constant dread of death was so great, that it astonished all who had access to know the piety of his mind and the virtues of his life. This, however, was the case only while death was approaching from some distance. From the time he was certain it was near, all his fears were calmed ; and he died on the 13th of December 17S4, full of resignation, strengthened by faith, and joyful in hope. He was buried in Westminster Abbey on the 20th. Dr. Johnson wrote only one dramatic piece, the success of which was not equal to its merit ; owing entirely to his having too strictly adhered to the Aristotelian rules of the drama to render his piece agreeable to the taste of our theatrical audiences, who look for little more than plot and incident, without paying any great regard either to character, language, or sentiment ; it was performed at Drury LaneTheatre, and is entitled, Irene. Trag. 8vo. 1/49. It would, however, be the highest injustice, after bestowing JON these undeniable encomiums on his genius, were we not to observe, that nothing but that genius could possibly exceed the extent of his eru'iition ; and it would be adding a greater injury to his still more valuable qualities, were we to stop here ; since, together with the ablest head, he'-eems to have been possessed of the very best heart. Every line, every sentiment, that issued from his pen, tended to the great ct-ntre of all his view«, the promotion of virtue, religion, and humanity J nt)r were his actions less pointed toward the same great end. Benevolence, charity, and piety, were the most striking fea- tures in his character ; and while his writings point out to us what a good man ought to be, his own conduct set us an example of what he is. Johnstone, James, a major in the army, we believe, who produced The Disbanded Officer. C. 8vo. 1786. Jones, Henry. This author was d native of Ireland, being born at Drogheda, in the county of Meathj in that kingdom. He was bred a bricklayer; but, having a natural inclination for the Muses, pursued his devotions to them even during the labours of his mere mechanical avocations, and composing a line of brick and a line of verse alternately, his walls and poems rose in growth toge- ther ; but which of his labours will be most durable, time alone must determine. His turn, as'is most generally the case with mean poets, or bards of humble origin, was panegyric. This procured him some friends ; and, in theyear 1 7^5, when the Earl of Chesterfield went over to Ireland as Lord Lieutenant, Mr. Jones was recommended to the 411 JON notice of that nobleman, who was not more remarkable for his own shining talents and brilliancy of parts, than for his zealous and generous patronage of genius in whatever person or whatever rank he might chance to meet with it. His Excellency, deliglited with the discovery of this mechanic Muse, not only favoured hitn with his own notice and generous munificence, but also thought proper to trans- plant this opening flower into a warmer and more thriving climate. He brought him with him to Eng- land, recomniended him to many of the nobility there, and not only by his influence and interest pro- cured him a large subscription for the publishing a collection of his poems, but it is said even took on himself the alteration and correc- tion of his tragedy^ and also the care of prevailing on the mana- gers of Coveut Garden Theatre to bring it on the stage. This noble- man also recommended him in the warmest manner to the late Mr. CoUey Gibber, whose friendly and humane disposition induced him to show him a thousand acts of friend- ship; and even made strong etibrts, by his interest at court, to have secured to him the succession of the laurel after his death. With these favourable prospects, it might have been expected that ISh. Jones would have passed through life with so much decency as to have ensured his own happi- ness, and done credit to the par- tiality of his friends ; but this was not the case. " His temper," says one who seems to have known him, •' was, in consequence of the do- " minion of his passions, uncertain " and Capricious; easily engaged, " and easily disgusted : and as eco- '* nomy was a virtue which could " never be taken into his cata- J O N " logue, he appeared lo think " hims 'If born ralher (o be sup- " ported by others, than under a "■ duty to secure to himself the " profits which his writings and " the munificence of his patrons " from time to time affbrded." After experiencing many re- verses of fortune, which an over- bearing spirit and an imprudence in regard to pecuniary concerns consequently drew on him, he died in great want, in April 1770, in a garret belonging to the muster of the Bedford Goff^ee-hoiise, by whose charity he had been some time supported ; leaving an example to those of superior capacities and attainments, who, despising the common maxims of life, often feel the want of not pursuing them when it is too late. Of the play of Mr. Jones's, which we have before mentioned, the title is, The Earl of Essex. T. 8vo. 1^53, Our opinion of Mr. Jones's merit as a dramatic writer may be seen in our account of this play in the second volume of the present work. His poetical worth in his other writings was certainly not in itself contemptible, yet was fdv from being of the first-rate kind. In short, it was pretty nearly on a par with that of another rustic-bred bard of the last century, to whom the royal favour having given a sanction, it became a fashion to admire his writings ; though the greatest value that either that gen- tleman's poems, or those of our author, possessed to call them into notice, above hundreds of the humbler inhabitants of Parna;>sus, was their being produced by ge- niuses entirely unculiivated ; so that the wonder was tint, bowmen of a poetical turn should produce such verses as theirs, but how 412 JON JON any wrses at all should be the pro- duce of a thatcher or a bricklayer. fMr. Baker seems here to have forgotten, that Ben Jonson was a brother of the trowel.] He also left a tragedy unfinish- ed, called The Cave of Idra; which falling into the hands of Dr. Hiffernan, he enlarged it to five acts, and brought it out under the title of The Heroine of the Cave. It is believed, that another play of his remains in MS. called Harold. T. Jones, Henrv, a shoemaker, who wrote Lucy. D. P. or Masque. 8vo. N. D. Jones, Capt. Jenkin. This gentleman is the author of a dra- matic piece, entitled The Philanthropist. P. 8vo. 1801. Capt. Jones was also author of Pros and Cons for Cupid and Hy- men ; Holly Horses ; and a novel in 4 volumes, called Unfortunate Amours ; with Biographic Sketches cf some noted and eccentric Cha- racters, &c. Jones, John. Of this author we find no further mention than that he lived in the reign of Charles I. and wrote one very in- different play, entitled Jdrasta. ' T. C. 4to. l635. Jones, Lindesius. A person of this name published The Authors. Dr. Sat. 8vo, 1755. Jones, T. Of this gentleman we only know that he is author of, 1. Phantoms. F. 8vo. 1803. 2. Corifined hi Fain. F. 8vo. 1805. We believe, however, that he was not the Jones. T; who wrote The Sons. T. 8vo. 1809. Jones, Sir William, Knt. was son of Mr. William Joi:ies, an eminent m.athematician, con- temporary with Newton, and was born in London, Sept. 23, 1/46. In 1764, after a previous educa- tion at Harrow, he was entered of University College, Oxford, where, to classical pursuits, he added the study of the Persic and Arabic languages ; also the Spanish, Ita- lian, and Portuguese. At the age of nineteen he became tutor to Lord Althorpe, now Earl Spencer ; and during his residence at Wim- bledon, in tliat noble family, he read the greater part of the Old Testament in Hebrew. In IjSg he made the tour of France ; and about the same time undertook, at the request of the King of Den- mark, to translate The History of Nadir Shah from Persian into French. In 17/0 he entered on the study of the law at the Tem- ple ; but continued his application to oriental learning and general literature. In 17/4 he published his Commentaries on Asiatic Poetry, dedicated to the university of Ox- ford. In 1779 appeared his trans- lation of the Speeches of Isceus, from the Greek, with notes ; and the year following, Aii Inquiry into the legal Mode of suppressing Riots, occasioned by the disgrace- ful scenes which happened that year in the metropolis. In 1793 he obtained the appointment of a Judge of the supreme court at Calcutta J a situation which had been the object of his anxious wishes. The honour of knight- hood was on this occasion con- ferred on him J and he soon after married Anna Maria Shipley, daughter of the Bishop of St. Asaph. In April of that year he embarked for India, and on the voyage projected the establishment 413 JON of a society in Bengal, for the purpose of illustrating oriental an- tiqu.ties and literature. The vo- lumci of its transactions are ines- timable, and are enriched by se- veral valuable productions from his pen. As Judge, he was inde- fatigable and impartial. He studied the native laws of the country, and became so versed in the Sanscrit and the codes of the Brahmins, as to gain the admiration of the most learned men in that country. This excellent man died in India April 27, 179-i. His works were col- lected and published in 6 vols.4to. 1799 ; and his Life, written by Sir John Shore (Lord Teignmouth) in 1 vol. 4to. in 1804. A beautiful monument has been erected to his memory in St. Paul's cathedral by the East India Company. Unlike many other eminent li- terary characters of the age. Sir William was a sincere and pious Christian; instead of labouring, by his writings, to propagate tlie doctrines of intidelity, as has been a favourite practice with some modern philosophers of reputation, he was desirous to lend the Scrip- tures his utmost support ; and, in one of his latest annual discourses to the Asiatic Society, he has done more to give validity to the Mosaic history of the creation than the researclies of any contemporary writer. The following epitaph, written by and for himself, is equally admirable for its truth and its elegance : Heie was deposited The mortal part of a man Who feared GOD, but not death ; And maintained indtpendence, But souaht not riches ; Who thought none below him But the base and unjust ; JCone above him but the wise and virtuous; Who loved his parents, kindred, friends, and country : Apd having devoted his life te iheir seryice, JON And the i^nprovement of his mind. Resigned it calmly, Giving glory to his Creator, Wishing peace on earth. And good-will to all his creatures. On the — day of — , In the year of our blessed Redeemer — . He owes his station in the pre- sent work to the following piece: Sacontala. An Indian Drama. 4to. 1790. JoNsoN, Benjamin, one of the most considerable dramatic poets of the seventeenth cen- tury, whether we consider the number or the merit of his pro- ductions, was born at Westmin- ster June 11, 1574, and was edu- cated at the public school there, under the great Camden. He was descended from a Scots family j and his father, who lost his estate under Queen Mary, dying before our poet was born, and his mother marrying a bricklayer for her se- cond husband, Ben was taken from school to work at his father-in- law's trade. Not being captivated with this employment, he wenl into the Low Countries, and dis- tinguished himself in a military capacity. On his return to England he entered himself at St. John's Col- lege, Cambridge ; but how long he continued there we are not in- formed. On his quitting the uni- versity he applied to the stage for a maintenance, and became a member of an obscure company, which performed at the Curtain hi Shoreditch. At the same time he turned his thoughts to compo- sition 3 but is generally supposed to have been unsuccessful in his first attempts. His performances as an actor met with little more applause > and, to complete his misery, be had the misfortune in a duel to kill his opponent, for which he wms committed to prison j 414 JON but how long he remained there, or by what methods he obtained his libert)', we have no account. It was, however, while in custody for this offence that he was made a convert to the church of Rome, in whose communion he steadily per- sisted for twelve years. It is supposed, that about this time he became acquainted witii Shakspeare ; who, according to tradition, assisted him in some of his dramatic attempts, and con- siderably promoted his interest, though he could not by means of it secure himself from the virulence of our author's pen. For many years from this period, Ben pro- duced some piece annually, for the most part with applause, and esta- blished his reputation with the public as one of the supports of the English stage. In iol3 he was in France; but the^ occasion of his going, and the stay he mace, are alike uncertain. In idlQ he went to Oxford, re- sided some time at Christchurch College, and in July iQlQ was created M. A. in a full hoase of convocation. On the death of Samuel Daniel, in October, the same year, he succeeded to the vacant laurel ; the salary of which was then one hundred marks per annum j but on our author's ap- plication in 1630, it was aug- mented to the annual sum of one hundred pounds and a tierce of Spanish wine. As we do not find Jonson's eco- nomical virtues any where record- ed, it is the less to be wondered at, that quickly after we learn that be was \ery poor and sick, lodg- ing in an obscure alley ; on which occasion it was, that King Charles, being prevailed on in his favour, sent him ten guineas; which Ben receiving, said, " His Majesty has JON " sent me ten guineas, because I " am poor, and live in an alley: " go and tell him that his soul lives " in an alley." In justice, however, to the me- mory of Charles, it should be ob- served, that this story was proba- bly formed from the cynical ness of Ben Jonson's temper, rather than from any real fact ; as it is certain that the King once bestowed a bounty of one hundred pounds on him, which is acknowledged in an epigram written on the occasion. He died of the palsy Aug. l6, 1637, aged 63 years, and was bu- ried in Westminster Abbey. His dramatic compositions are very nuinerous, and are here set down according to the times in which they were originally per- formed : 1. Every Man in his Humi^r. C. 1598. 4to. 1601. 2. Every Man out of his Humour. C. S. 1599. 4to. 1600. 3. Cynthia's Revels; or. The Fountain nf Self-love. C. S. I6OO, 4to. 4. Poetaster ; or. His Arraign- ment. C. S. 1601. 4to. 1602. 5. Sejanus, his Fall. T. 1(503. 4to. 1605. 6. Part of King James's Enter- tainment in passing to his Corona- tion. 1603. 4to. 7. A particular Entertainment of the Queen and Priiice at Allhorpe, 25 June 1603. 4to. S. A private Entertainment of the King and Queen, on May-day in the Morning, at Sir IViUiam Cornical- lis's House at Highgate. l604. 9. Folpone , or," The Fox. C. 1605. 10. The Queen's Masque nf Black- ness. 1605. 1 1 . The Entertainment of the two Kings of Great Britain and Den- mark, at Theobalds, July 24, lOo(>. 415 JON 12. Hyviencea; or, The Solemni- tifs of' a Mascjue and Barriers at Court, on the Marriage of tJie Earl of Essex and Lady Frances, second Daughter to the Earl of SuU'olk. 16Q(5. 4to. 13. An Entertainment of King James and Queen Anne at Theo- balds, 22dof May 160/ . 14. The Queen's Masc/ue of Beauty, presented at JVIiitehall on the Sunday Night ajler Tictlfth- night. 1608. 15. A Masque with Xuplial Songs at Lord Viscount Haddington sAIar- riage at Court, on Shrove Tuesday at Night. 160S. 16. The Masque of Queenes, celebrated at TVIiitehall, Feb. 2, i6og. 17- Epicame ; or. The Silent IFoman. C. iGOQ. 4to. 18. The Case is altered. C. lOOQ. [This had been acted before 1599-3 1 9- The Speeches at PrinceHenrfs Barriers. N. D. 20. Oheron the Fairy Prince. !M. N.D. 21. The Alchymist. C. l6lO. 4to. 22. Love f reed frojn Ignorance and Folly. M. N. D. 23. Love restored. M. N.D. 24. A Challenge at Tttt at a Mar- riage. M. N. D. 25. Catiline, his Conspiracy. T. i(5ll. 4to. 2(3. The Lish Masque at Court. N.D. 27. Mercury vindicated from the Afchenmts at Court. M. N. D. 28. Bartholomew Fair. C. l6l4, 29. The Golden Age restor'd. M. 1615. 30. Christmas, his Masque. I616. 31. The Devil is an Ass. C. 1616. 32. A Masque at Lord Hays's, for the Entertainment of Monsieur JON le Baron de Tour, Ambassador Ex- traordinary from the French King, Feb. 22, 1617. 33. The Fi^ion of Delight. M. 1017. 34. Pleasure reconciled to Virtue. M. 1619. 35. For the Honour of Wides. M. N. D. 3(5. Neivs from the new JVorld discovered in the Moon. M. 1620. 37. The metamorphosed Gipsies. M. 1621. 38. The Masque of Augurs, with the several Anti-masques prese?ited on Twelflh-jught, l6'21. 39. Time vindicated to himself and to his Honours ; M. presented Twelfth-night, l623. 40. Neptune s Triumph for the Beturn of Albion ; M. presented on Twelfth-night, 1(524. 41. Pan's Anniversary ; or, The Shepherd's Holyday. M. l625. 42. The Staple of News. C. l625. 43. The Masque of Owls at Ke- nelworth, 1(526. 44. The Fortunate Isles, and their Union. M. I626. 45. The New Inn ; or, The Light Heart. C. I629. 8vo. l631. 46. Love's Triumph through CaU lipo/is. M. 1630'. 47. Chloridia; or. Bites to Chlo- ris and her Nymphs. M. 1 630. 48. The King's Entertainment at IVelbeck, in Nottinghamshire, at his going to Scotland, 1633. 49. Love's IVelcorne : The King and Queen s Entertainment at Bol- sover, at the Earl of Neivcastle'Sf the 30th of July l634. 50. Magnetick Lady 3 or, HU' Tjiours reconciled. C. 51. -<^ Tale of a Tub. C. 52. The Sad Shepherd; or, A Tale of Rol^n Hood. Past. Uq- finished. 53. Mortimer's Fall. T. Un- finished. 4l6 J O N The last four were originally in the folio edition of Ben Jonson's Works, 1640. Ben Jonson published part of his Works in folio l6l6. Another volume in folio, 1631. Another edition of the whole in folio 1692, with a portrait, laure- ated. An edition in six volumes, Svo. 1716, with engravings. An edition by Mr. Whalley, in seven volumes^ Svo. 1756. Besides the pieces above men- tioned, Ben Jonson joined with Chapman and Marston in East uard Hoe. C. l605. and with Fletcher and Middleton in The IFid/'W. C. 4to. 1652. In Dodsley's Collection. To Ben Jonson, Wood ascribes a play (but we do not find any person who has seen it), called The Motives. Q. Svo. 1622. It is observable, that Meres, in his JVit's Treasury, primed in lopS, enumerates B- Jonson among the most eminent ^ro^ic writers of that time. Yet his first play fEvery Man in his Humour) is not sup- posed to have appeared before that year 5 and the only two trai^edies he has left were not acted or print- ed till some years afterwards. The writers of that time indeed use the word tragedy in a very lax sense ; but Jonson had not then written even a poem of so serious a cast as to be entitled to that ap- pellation. We shall here add a character of Ben Jonson as sketched by Hry- den: <' If we look upon him while he *' was himself (for his last plays " were but his dotages), I think " him the most learned and judi- " cious writer which any theatre ** ever had. He was a most severe JON judge of himself as well as others. One cannot say he want- ed wit, but rather that he was frugal of it. In his works you find little to retrench or alter. Wit and language, and humour also in some measure, we had before him ; but something of art was wanting to the drama, till he came. He managed his strength to more advantag,e tlian any who preceded him. You seldom find him making love in any of his scenes, or endea- vouring to move the passions ; his genius was too sullen and saturnine to do it gracefully, especially when he knew he came after those who had per- formed both to such a height. Humour was his proper sphere, ■ and in that he delighted most to represent mechanic people. He was deeply conversant in the ancients, both Greek and Latin, and he borrowed boldly from them : there is scarce a poet or historian among the Roman au- thors of those times, whom he has not translated in Sfjaims and Calitine. But he has done his robberies so openly, that one may sec he fears not to be taxed by any law. He invades ' authors like a monarch, and what would be theft in other poets, is only victory in him. ■ With the spoils of these writers he so represents old Rome to us ' in its rites, ceremonies, and cus- ' toms, that if one of their poets ' had written either of his tra:;e- ' dies, we had seen less of it than ' in him. If there was any fault ' in his language, it was, that he ' weaved it too closely and labo- ' riously, in his comedies espe- ' cially : perhaps too, he did a ' little too much Romanize our ' tongue, leaving the words which 417 J O R " lie translated almost as much " Latin as he found them ; where- " inj though he learnedly followed " their language, he did not " enough comply with the idiom *' of ours. If 1 would compare " him with Shakspeare, I must " acknowledge him the more cor- " rect poet, but Shakspeare the " greater wit. Shakspeare was " the Homer, or father of our " dramatic poets ; Jonson was '* the Virgil, the pattern of ela- " borate writing; I admire him, " but I love Shakspeare. To con- '' elude of him, as he has given " us the most correct plays, so in " the precepts which he has laid *' down in his Discoveries, we have *' as many and profitable rules for " perfecting the stage, as any " wherewith the French can fur- *' nish us." JoNSON, Benjamin, Jun. We are told by Dr. Anderson, that this eldest son of old Ben, in con- junction with [Richard] Brorae, wrote a play, called A Fault in Friendship. 1623. N.P. and died Nov. 20, 1635. A col- lection of his poems was published in 16/2. It should seem, says Dr. A. that he was not on good terms with his father. Jordan, Thomas, was a per- former belonging to the company at the Red Bull, and acted the part of Lepida, in the tragedy of Messaiina. He flourished in the reign of Charles the First, and was one of the few players and poets ■who lived to see the restoration of Charles the Second. On the death of John Tatham, he succeeded hin) as city poet, and is supposed to have died in l685. He was succeeded as city poet by Matthew Taubman, and left four plays, viz. 1 , The JFalks of Islington and VOL. I. . JOY Hogsdon, with, the Humours of (Food Street Compter. C. 4 to. 1657. 2. Fancy's Festivals. M. 4to. 1657. 3. Money is an Ass. C. 4to. 166s. 4. Love hath found out his Eye.s, N. P. ^ This last was among the MSS. destroyed by Mr. Warburton's ser- vant. Jordan was author of the city Pageants for I671, 16/2, 1673, 1674, 1675, 1676, 1677, 1678, 1679, 1680, 16SI, 1682, [proba- bly, 1683], 1684. See Vol. III. art. Pageants. There was a little collection of Jordan's verses, called Wi' in a IFilderness of Promise — Poesie, ia 8vo. a pamphlet without date, de- dicated to Dr. Thomas Turner, Dean of Canterbury. Thomas Jordan also published A royal Har- bour of loyal Poevis, &c. l663j also Pictures of Passions, Fancies, and A^ifections, in Variety of Cha- racters, 8vo. no date J also Piety and Poetry, &c. 8vo. no datej also The Muses Melody, in a Con- sort of Poetry, &c. by the same, Svo. no date ; also Jewels of In- genuity set in a Coronet of Poetry, 8vo. no dale ; also A Nursery of Novelties for delightful Censure, Svo. no date; also A Rosary of Rarities in a Garden of Poetry ; also Music and Poetry in Raillery and Drollery ; also Clarigil and Clarinda in a Forest of Fancies, 8vo. no date. Jordan, William. See Cor- nish In'terludes, in the second volume of this work. JoYNER, William, was born in Oxfordshire, in the latter end of King Charles I.'s reign, and was educated at Magdalen College, where he obtained a fellowship, £ £ 418 JOY which he kept till be charged his religion j on which he made a vo- luntary resignation of it, and, being fond of retirement, took great de- light in the favour and good-will of his private friends, which a na- tural sweetness of disposition that he possessed, and an itiotFensive prudence in his behaviour, ob- tained for him in a very perfect degree ; nor did he think proper to interiere either in the public controversies of religion or the af- fairs of state, till, on the new nio- delllng of the university under the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in King James 11. 's reign, he was reinstated in his former rank in the college j vhich, however, h.e did not very long e!-jjoy, for shortly after, viz. at the Revolu[iQn, the college v/as restored to ics fcrmcr settlement, and he and the rest of the fellows removed : on which occaFic^i he again betook himself to solitude, ill an obscure \\]kK''j in Bucking- J U B hamshire, where he lived for many years in the most retired manner, not dying till the 14lh of Septem- ber 1706. When he first with- drew from Oxford, lie wrote one dramatic piece, entitled The Roman Empress. T. 4to. 1671. Langbaine informs us, that the ancient name belonging to Mr. Joyner's family had been Lyde, and takes notice of a little book written by this gentleman, enti- tled Olseivutions on the Life of Cardinal Reginakh/s Polus, 8vo. ]680"5 in the title-page of which the author disguises himself under the initials G. L. which he irter- prets to stand for Giilielmus Lyde. Mr. Joyner was great-uncle to Thomas Philips, canon of Tongres, who wrote The Life of Cardinal Pole, 2 vcls. 4to. 1/66. JuBYE, Edwakd, wrote, in conjunction with Samuel Rowley, Sampson. P. 1602. N- P. K. K I R K. F. These two letters, which Langbaine interprets to mean Francis Kirh'man, stand alfixcd to the dedication of a piece of dra- matic satire, entitled The PrcsLytcrian Lash. T. C. 4to. 1661. Kiikman was a very great pub- lisher of dramatic works soon after the Restoration. Whether, there- fore, he was the author or only the editor of this piece, is not ex- tremely apparent, even allowing Mr. Langhaine's explication of K I R the initials; which moreover Cox- eter's !MS. has given us to be K.E. This Kirktnan, in whose name, by the way, Langbaine makes son:e degree of confusion, calling him at one liine Francis, and at others John Kirkman, was the pub- lisher of a collection of dramatic pieces, under the title of 77/'; I fits; or, Sport upon Sport; consisting of Farces or Drolls, intended for fairs. See that ar- tide, in Vol, in. p. 414. As also 419 K E L a second part ; for which see Cox, Robert, in this volume. Keate, George, F, R. and A. S3, was descended from Sir George Hungerford, liis grent- grandfather, by Lady Frances Du- cie, only daughter of Francis Lord Seymour J and was born at Trow- bridge about 1729, or 1/30. He received his education at Kingston school, under Mr. Woodeson ; whence he went to Geneva, where he stayed some years, and at his return was articled as a clerk to Mr. Palmer, tlien steward to the Duke of Bedford; whence he re- moved to the Inner Temple, where he studied, and was called to the bar, but, we believe, never prac- tised the law. In February 176Q, he married Jane Catharine, sister of Sir Charles Grave Hudson, of Wanlip, Leicestershire, Bart, by wJiom be had one daughter, Char- lotte, who was married June p, i/QS, to John Henderson, Esq. of the Adelphi Terrace. Mr, Keate died June 29, 1/97, having obliged the world with several poems of distinguished elegance and reputation. His claim to a place in this work is derived from, 1. The Alonument in Arcadia, D. P. 4to. 1773. 2. Scmirttrriis. Tr. from Vol- taire. N. P. A list of his prose and poetical work? may be seen in l^'he Gentle- man's Magazine, Ixvii. 7Q6. His poems were published in 2 vols. J2mo. 1/81, with a portrait. Keefpe. SeeO'KEEiFE. Keigwin-, JoriNT. SeeCoRNisH Interludes, in the second volume of this work. Kelly, Hugh, was a native of Ireland, born on the banks of Killarney Lake, in the year 1739. His father, a gentleman of good iamily, having reduced his fortune K E L by a series of unfore;ecn misfor- tunes, was obliged to repair to Dublin, that he might endeavour to support himself by his personal industry. A tolerable school-edu- cation was all he could aftbrd to his son, who was bound an appren- tice to a staymaker, and served the whole of his time with dili- gence and fidelity. At the expira- tion of his indentures, he set out tor London, in order to procure a livelihood by his business. This happened in the year 17(50; and he encountered all the difficulties that a person poor and without friends could be subject to on his first ar- rival in town. It was, however, his good fortune to introduce him- self into the society of a set of reputable tradesmen, who use j to meet at a public-house in Russell Street, Covent Garden, where he in a short time became acquainted with an attorney, who, being pleased with his company and conversation, invited him to his house, and employed him in copy- ing and transcribing; au occupa- tion which he prosecuted with so much assiduity, that he is said to have earned about three guineas a week ; an income which, com- pared to his former gains, might be deemed affluent. Tired, how- ev:^r, of this drudgery, he soon after, about 1762, commenced au- thor, and was intrusted with ihe management of several periodical publications, in which he wrote many original essays and pieces of poetry, which extended his repu- tation, and procured the means of subsistence for himself, his wife to whom he was then lately mar- ried, and a growing family, for which he ever showed a laudable and anxious attention. For seve-. ral years after this period, he con- tinued writing upon a variety ©f EE 2 420 K £ L subjects, as the accidents of the times chanced to call for the as- sistance of his per. ; and as during K E L Very soon after his death, one of his own comedies, A Word to the Wise (which had been acted this period politics were the chief but once, beins; driven from the objectsof public attention, he em- stage by a tiiob, because our au- ployed himself in composing many pamphlets on the important ques- tions then agitated, the greater part ot which are now buried in obli- vion. About the year '^7^7 y he ■was tempted, by the success uf Mr. Churchill's Bosciad, to write some strictures en the performers of ei- ther theatre in two pamphlets, en- titled Thespis, both which gave great offence to some of the prin- cipal persons at each house. The talents for satire, which he dis- thor sometimes wrote in defences of Government), was performed, for the benefit of his distressed wife and his infant family. On this occasion Dr. Samuel Johnson, whose ciiarity was wont to assume a variety of shapes, produced a new prologue. It is almost needless to add, that his lines were heard with the most respectful attention, and dismissed with the loudest ap- plause. The writer of Mr. Kelly's life. played in this work, recommended prefixed to the quarto edition of him to the notice of Mr. Garrick, who, in the next year, caused his first play of False Delicacy to be acted at Drury Lane. It was re- ceived with great applause, and from this time he continued to write for the stage with profit and success,uniil the latter period of his life. As his reputation increased, he began to turn his thoughts to some mode of supporting his fa- roily less precarious than by writ- ing, and for that purpose entered himself a nu mber of the Middle Temple. After the legular steps had been taken, he was called to the bar in the year 1774 5 and his proficiency in the study of the law afforded very promising hopes that he might make a distinguished figure in that profession. His sedentary course of life had, however, by this time, injured his health, and subjected him to much afflic;ion. Early in the year 1777^ an abscess f.)rmed in his side, which, after a few days illness, put a period to his life, on the 3d day of Ffbruary, at his house in Gough Square, in the 3Sth year of his age. his v.orks, 177S> has given the following description and character of him : *' His stature was below " the middle size. His complexion " was fair, and his constitution " rather inclined to corpulency 5 " but he was remarkably cheerful, " and a most pleasing and face- " tious companion. Though very " fond of talking where he found " his conversation agreeable, he " vi'as so well bred, as to listen to " others with the most becoming " attention. As a husband and a " father his conduct was singU' " larly exemplary; nor can we '' give a more lively proof of his " domestic • happiness, than in a ^' copy of verses written In the " year 1762, in which, as well as " in other little poems, he cele- " brates his wife under the name- " of MiRA. " Nor were his attention and " benevolence confined to his own " family, for his hnnd was ever " ready to relieve the distresses " of the unfortunate; and such waa " the well-known humanity of his " nature, that even whilst he was *' himself struggling under difii* 421 K E L <■' culties, it is almost incredible ** how many applications were suc- " cessfully made to him from the " poor and needy. He had so " large a portion of genuine good- ^' nature, that he was never known " to give the le.'ist otTerice, nor " could he be, but with extreme " difficulty, provoked with the " impertinence of others ; being " always disposed to treat every " body with the utmost candour " and affability. " As a writer, his genius must " be allowed to have been un- " common, when it is considered *' under what pressures of fortune " most of his performances were " written, and with what rapidity " they were ushered into the " world; some of which, could he " have afforded leisure to polish '[ them, would have justly ranked " among the best productions of " this age, so fertile in works of " taste and erudition." He was the author of the fol- lowing plays : . 1 . False Delicacy. C. 8vo. 1/68. 2. A JVbrd to the JVise. C. Svo. 1770. 3. Clementina. T. Svo. 177^' 4. The School for Wives. C. Svo. 1774. 5. The Romance of an Hour. G. Svo. 1774. Q. The Man of Reason. C.177Q. N. P. He is said to have been the translator of the following piece : 7. L' Amour a la Mode ; or, l.ove a la Mode. F. Svo. 176O. Kelly, John. This gentleman was a member of the honourable society of the Middle Temple. He translated Rapin's History of Eng- land ; was concerned with others in writing a daily periodical paper, called The Universal Spectator, and jn some other literary under- K E M takings ; and was author of five dramatic pieces, the titles of which are as follow : 1 . The Married Philosopher. C. Svo. 1732. 2. Timon in Love; or. The In- nocent Theft. C. Svo. 1733. 3. The Fall of Bob; or, The Oracle of Gin. T. 12mo. /36. 4. The Levee. F. Svo. 1741. Chetwood mentions him as the author of a piece, called, 5. Pill and Drop. [See The Plot, in Vol. III.] He died at Hornsey July 16, 1751, and was buried at Pancras. Kemble, Charles, is theyoung- est son of the late Mr. Roger Kemble, and was born on the 25th of Nov. 1775, at Brecknock, in South Wales; which town also gave birth to his very eminent sister Mrs. Siddons. At the age of 13, he was, by the kind as^ sistance of his brother John (tb© subject of the next article), sent to the college of Douay, in Flan^ ders ; where he remained three years, and, besides perfecting him" self in the French language, madQ such scholastic acquirements as would have fitted him for either the pulpit dV the bar. On his return, however, "he was placed in the Post Otfice. In that situation, of which the duties were irksome to him, the salary was inconsider- able, and from which his rise must necessarily have been slow and pre- carious, he remained but a twelve- monthjand then turned his thoughts to his present profession. Witblittl^ previous preparation, he com- menced his career at Sheffield, ia 179'2> as Orlando, in .4s you like It, and acquitted himself with con- siderable credit. After perform- ing about a twelvemonth, in a variety of characters, at that town, 3t Newcastle, aiid Edinburgh^ he £ E 3 422 K E M K E M resolved to try the candour of a under her present name. Mr. London audience. His diffidence, Charles Kemble has producedthree however, induced him to make di-amstjc pieces, viz. choice of an humbler paft than 1. The Point of Honour. P. Svo. those in which his former friends 1800. had seen him ; and his first ap- 2. The Wanderer. Hist. Dr. pearance was on the 21st of April 8vo. 1808. 1794 (the opening-night for dra- 3. Plot and Counterplot. F. matic pieces of the late New The- Svo. 1 808. atre in DruryLane), as Malcolm, Kemble, John Philip, eldest in Macbeth. He soon afterwards brother of the preceding gentle- performed Pnpillon, in The Lyar, man, and, beyond dispute, the George Barnwell, and other cha ratters j in which he exhibited proofs of versatility of talent, and correct discrimination. His rapid improvement in the art recom- mended him to the notice of Mr first tragedian of our times, was born at Prescot, in Lancashire, in the year 1757. He received the rudiments of letters at the cele- brated Roman Catholic seminary of Sedgeley Park, in Stafibrdshire ; Colman, who engaged him for the and here made so rapid a progress summer seasons at the Haymarket; in his studies, and gave proofs of where, on the l6th of July 1800, a taste for literature so uncommon he produced a drama, called The at his early age, that his father Point of Honour, which he had was induced to send him to tha adapted to the English stage from university of Douay, for the ad- Mercier's Deserteur, and which vantage of an education that might was very well received : in this qualify him for one of the learned »iece he showed a command of professions. Whilst at college, vio'orous and elegant expression, he was already distinguished for and no ordinary knowledge of the that talent of elocution, which has means necessary to produce a since raised him to unrivalled emi- powerful effect upon an audience, nence in the delivery of the corn- He performed a great variety of positions of our immortal Shak- characters during his engagement speare. Having gone through his with Mr. Colman, which an ill academical course with much re- state of health occasioned him re- putation, ISIr. Kemble returned to Juctantly to quit in 1802 : if we England, and, preferring the staga rightly recollect, he nearly lost the to ever)- other pursuit, perform- use of his voice. He now made ed at Liverpool, York, and Edin- a tour to the Continent,' and vi- burgh. sited Vienna and Petersburgh; and Of his merit or success as an on his return to England, joined actor, at that period, we have not his brother at Covent Garden the- heard ; but his mind seems to atre, where he still continues to have laeen always full of his pro- exert his talents, occasionally in fession ; for, while at Liverpool, the first walks of the drama, with he produced a tragedy on the great credit to himself and satis- story of Belisarius ; and at York, faction to his audience. On the brought on the stage an alteration 2d of July I8O6, this gentleman oi The New JVay to pay Old Debts, married Miss De Camp, of whom and also of The Comedy of Errors, mention will het'eafj.er be made named in the alteration Oh! It's 422 K E M impossillel He, about the same time, published a small collectiou of verses, under the title of Fz/^i- tivc Pit'Cc'i. Tlicy were juvenile productions, with which, we have been told, he was so much dis- contented when lie saw them in print, thjt, the very day after their publication, he destroyed every copy of them that he could reco- ver from the publisher, or else- v/here ; though with more mo- desty, perhaps, than dispassionate decision} for we have heard, from a very good judge who had seen them, that, though not faultless, they were certainly char:!Cterized by vivid flashes of feeling and fancy. A copy of these birth- strangled poeiTiS was, it is said, sold lately for 3/. 5s. Whilst at York, Mr. Kemble also tried a new species of entsr- lainment in the theatre of that city, consisting of a repetition of the most beautiful odes from Ma- son, Gray, and Collins; of the tales of Le Fevre and Maria from Sterne; with ether pieces in prose and verse; and in this novel and hazardous undertaking met with such approbation, that we have ever since been overrun by crowds of reciters, who want nothing but his talents to be as successful as their original. In Edinburgh, he de- livered a lecture, of his own com- position, on sacred and profane oratory, which, while it proved him a sound critic in his own pro- fession, obtained him the reputa- tion of refined taste among men of letters. From Edinburgh he was engaged to act in Dublin, where he remained two years, and where the attraction of his exertions, and the applause that rewarded them, are still so fresh in every body's remembrance, as not to need our expatiating on thexn. K E U IVJV. Kemble appeared on the stage for the first time in London, at Druty Lane Theatre, on the 30th September JJSS, in the cha- racter of Hamlet. His reception in the metropolis was highly fa- vourable and encouraging, and his performance of the Dani-Ji Prince became even then the subject of universal discourse and approba- tion ; yet he had not, till some seasons after, the opportunity of displaying his abilities in their complete extent ; almost all the principal parts, both in tragedy and comedy, being at that time in the possession of Mr. Smith ; on whose retirement, in 1788, Mr. Kemble was promoted to that de- cisive lead in the tragic path, which he has ever since maintained with increasing powers and popularity. On the secession of Mr. King, Mr, Kemble becam.e manager of Drury Lane Iheatre. In this office, which he held uninterrupt- edly for eit,ht years, he amply justified the discernment; that had placed him in it, by the many material improvements which ha made in the general conduct of the preparatory business of the stage, in the regular decorum of represent::tion, in the impartial appointment of performers tw cha- racters suited to their real abilities, and in giving to all characters their true and appropriate costumed. The departments of the painter and machinist were likewise ob- jects of his constant attention j and to his study and exertions the drama is indebted for the present propriety and magnificence of its scenery and decorations. Ihese essential improvements he still un.* remittingly supports ; and, while they remain, they will at once give testimony to the good sense, the professional knowledge and cla$si- S E 4 424 K E M cal taste of their introducer, and lay our native drama under great obligations to him, for having raised it, in truth and splen- dour of representation, far above the competition of any other in Europe. Mr. Kemble, at various times, daring his management, has suc- cessfully prepared several of our old plays for performance, with alterations, more or less material, as modern manners might happen to require ; and many new pro- ductions, particularly the plays of Deaf mid Dumb, The Strajigtr, and the opera of Tlie Siege of Belgrade, are, we have heard, much indebted to his friendly and skilful assistance. In 1/94 he pro- duced, at Drury Lane Theatre, a musical romance, called Lodoiska, •which was performed during a long succession of nights with very great and merited applause. In 1796 Mr. Kemble resigned the situation of manager of Drury Lane Theatre ; but shortly after resumed, and held it till the end of the season lSOO-1. In 1802 he visited the continent, for the liberal purpose of studying the French and Spanish stages, and of employing, for the improve- ment of our own theatre, what- ever he might find worthy of adoption among the foreign profes- sors of the scenic art. After passing a twelvemonth at Paris and Ma- drid, with very flattering marks of consideration in both those capitals, he returned hoiue ; and, having purchased a sixth part of the pro- perty of Covent Garden patent, &c. became manager of that the- atre, where he has ev'er since continued indefatigably to dis- charge the multifarious and ditli- . cult duties of that arduous station. This rapid sketch of Mf. Kern- K E M ble's life might have been swelled to a very imposing bulk, by the insertion of some of those divert- ing and contradictory anecdotes respecting him, which lie scatter- ed and forgotten in various ob- scure publications; but, — as most of them that we have seen are only humorous traditions and an- cient theatrical stories new-reviv- ed, stolen from the true owners, and by temporary ill-humour on recent occurrences, in which he was, uiilackily, destined to play his part, set down, mutato no- mine, to Mr. Kemble's account ; and as the rest of them are, by the acknowledgment of their original propagator, the mere inventions of his own proliiic imagination,— we shall not condescend to abuse the reader's patience, or credulity, by reviving and giving them any cur- rency. The poet shall not say of us, " Destroy his fib and sophistry; in vain ; " The creature's at his dirty woik again." Mr. Kemble having been so much the subject of public notice of various kinds, we have taken great pains to ascertain the accu- racy of the account here given of him. The result of our inquiries has been a strong support of the declaration of the late excellent and judicious Isaac Reed : " I " know not from what cause it " hap arisen (says he), but I think " I have observed a more than " common degree of inaccuracy " in facts and dates relative to the " stage. **** Immediately on the " death of Mr. Quin, in \76Q, a " pamphlet was published, profess- " ing to be an account of his life, " in which the fact of his having " killed a brother actor was re- " lated ; but so related, that no " one circumstance belonging tr 425 K E M •■' it could be depended on, except " that a man was killed. Neither " the time when the accident " happened, the place where, the " cause of the qurarel, the pro- " gress of it, or even the name or " identity of the person, were " stated agreeable to truth ; and " all these fables were im- "■ posed on the public at a time " when many people were living, " who could have contradicted ** them from rheir own personal " knowledge." Shakspeare, Svo. 1803, vol. ii. p. 411. It'has been observed, that, whe- ther on or oft' the stage, Mr.Kenible never loses sight of his profession. While performing, he is ever at- tentive to the minutest circum- stance, whether relating to his own part, or to the sentiments ex- pressed by others who may be concerned in the scene : when off the stage, he is diligently engaged in the pursuit of whatever may be connected with the history or il- lustration of his art. He has there- fore, at a prodigious expense, made an unrivalled collection of the dra- matic works of British genius, and of books relative to the history of the stage j and during the long pe- riod of his management in the two winter theatres, the public have been indebted to his researches in- to our ancient drama for the re- vival of many pieces of acknow- ledged merit, which had been long neglected and almost forgotten ; but which his very judicious alter- ations have contributed to restore to their merited popularity. We now subjoin a list of the dramas written, or altered for represent- ation, by Mr. Kemble : 1. Belisarius. T. acted at Hall, 17/8. N. P. 2. The Female Officer. F, acted at York, 1779. N. P. [Some- times called The Projects.'] K E M 3. Oh! li's impossible ! Com. 1780. N. P. An alteration of The Comedy of Errors. 4. The Pannel. F. Svo. 1788. 5. The Farm House. CSvo. 17 SQ. 6. Love in many Masks. Cora. Svo. 1790. 7. Lodoiska. M. R. Svo. I794. 8. Celadon and Florimel. Cora. 1796. N.P. Mr. Kemble has likewise pub- lished alterations, adapted to the present state of the stage, of the following plays : 1. Maid of Honour. C. 1785. N.P. 2. The Pilgrim. C. Svo. 1787. 3. False Friend. C. 1789. N.P. 4. The Tempest, Com. Svo. 1789; another alteration, Svo. I8O6. 5. Coriolanus, Svo.l/SQ; Svo. I8O6, 6. Henry V. H. P. Svo. I789; 1801; 1806. 7. All's well that ends well. Svo. 1793. 8. Merchant of Venice. Svo. 1795. 9. Merry Wives of JFindsor. Svo. 1797; 1804. 10. Much ado alout Nothing. C. Svo. 1799; 8vo. 1 8 10. 11. Way of the World, C. Svo. ISOO. 12. Hamlet. T. Svo. 1800; Svo. 1804. 13. King John. T. Svo. 1800; Svo. 1804. 14. King Lear. T. Svo. 1800; Svo. 1808. 15. De Moifort. T. 1 SOO . N.P. 16. Cymleline. Svo. 1801; Svo. ISIO. 17. Henry IF. Part I. Svo. 1803. IS. Macleth. T. Svo. 1803, 19. Measure for Measure, C. 8vo. 1803. 423 li E M 20. Othello, T. 8vo. 1S04. 21. Henri/ IF. Part IT. SvQ. 1S04, 22. Hennj HII. H. P. 8vo. 1804. 23. Two Gentlemen of Verona. Com. Svo. 1S08. 24. Richard in. T. Svo. 1810. 25. Js you like It. Svo. 1810. 26. Double Dealer. Svo. N.D. And see Alexander the Great. Svo. 1795, Vol. II. p. 14. In a volume of Verses on various Occasions, written by John Taylor, Esq. Svo. 1 795 J is contained a poem, entitled The Stage; from which we extract the following character of Mr. Kerable, as an actor: To close in order due our long career, SecKE.MELE march, majestic and s^evere; Fraught with uncommon pow'rs of form und tace, He comes the jiomp of Tragedy to grace. Fertile in genius, and matur'd by art, Not soft to steal, but stern to seize, the heart ; In mould of figure, and in frame of mind, To him th' heroic sphere must be assign 'd. August or daring, he adorns the stage ; The gloomy subtlety, the f^avagc rage, The scornful menace, and the cynic ire. The hardy valour, and the patriot fire — These show the vigour of a master's hand. And o'er the fancy give him firm com- mand: As Richard, Timon, and Macbeth, pro- claim, Or stern Cotiolanus' nobler aim. Nor fierce alone, for well his pow'rs ran show Calm declamation and attemper'd woe ; The virtuous Duke, who sway awhile declines. Yet checks the Deputy's abhorr'd dcr signs ; And, in the sov'reign or the saintly guise. Benevolently just, and meekly wise: The Dane, bewailing now a father's fate, Kow deeply pond'ring man's mysterious state ; Tender and dignified, alike are seen The philosophic mind and princely mien. When merely tender, he appears too cold. Or i^thei fashion'd in too rough a mould : K E ]\t Nor fitted love in .softer form to we^r, But stung with pride, or madd'ning with despair ; As when the lost Octavian's murmurs flow In full luxurtanrc of roniantic woe : Yet, Ahere Ork'.ndo cheers desponding age, Or the sv.'est wiles of Rosalind engage, \Vc own that manly grr.ces finely blend* Ti.e tender lover and the soothing friend. Thouijh Nature was so prodigally kind In the bold lineaments of form and mind; As if to clieck a fond excess of pride. The powers o-f voice she scantily sup- plied : Oft, when the hurricanes of passion rise. For correspondent tones he vainly tries ; To aid the storm no tow'ring note com- bines, And the spent breath th' unequal task declines. Yet, spite of Nature, he compel;; us still To own the potent triumph of his skill ;. While, with dread pauses, deepen'd ac- cents roll, Whose awful energy arrests the soul. At times, perchance, the spirit of the scene, Th' impassion'd accent, and impressive mien, May lose their wonted force, while, too refin'd. He strives by niceties to strike the mind ; For meaning too precise inclin'd to pore. And labour for a point unknown before ; Untimely playing thus the critic's part. To gain the head, when he should smite the heart. Yet still must candour, on reflection, own Much useful comment has been shrcwdPf shown ; Nor here let puny malice vent its gall, And texts with skill testor'd >kw readings call ; Kemble for actors nobly led the way. And prompted them to think as well as pi ay. With cultur'd sense, and with expe- lietice sage. Patient he cons the timedisfigur'd page; Hence oft we see him with success ex- plore. And clear the dro'ts from rich poetic ore. Trace, through rhe maze of diction^ passi(.ii's clew, And open lat«nt chaiacter to view. 42; K E M Tho".?;h for the Muse of Tragedy de- sign'd, In form, in features, passions, and in mind, Yet would he fain the comic nymph em- brace, U'hoieldoni without awe ?>ehold3 his face. Whene'er he tries the airy and the ;;ay. Judgment, not genius, marks the cold essay ; But in a graver province he can please With well-bred spirit, and with manly ease. When genuine wit, with sit re's active force, And faithful love pursues its gen'rous course. Here, in his \"a!entine might Congreve view Th' embodied portrait, vig'rous, warm, and true. Nor let us, with unhallow'd touch, presume To pluck one sprig of laurel from the tomb; Yet, with due rev'tencc for the mighty dead, 'T is just tlie fame of living worth to sjnead . And could the noblest vet'rans now ap- pear, Ks.MBLi; might keep his state, devoid of fear; Siill, while observant of his proper line, With native lustre as a rival shine. It is but justice to Mr. Keirble to observe, that the lapse of six- teen years has had the eflect of removing much of the dravvback from the general excellence of his acting, which was not unjustly no- ticed by this critical poet at the time of his writing. Kemble, Mrs. Marie-The- RESE (formerly Miss De Camp), was born at Vienna, Jan. 1/. 177^- Her fiither, George- Louis De Camp, was of considerable esti- mation as a musician, and brother to Madame Simonet, who was some years ago one of the principal dancers at the Opera House. His real name, we are told, was De Fleury, and he was descended from the younger branch of that K E M family in France. Allured by the. prospect of riches and fan.e, which had been held out to him by seve- ral English noblemen then resi- dent abroad, he quitted Germany- fur England ; where, although his great merits were acknowledged, yet his modesty and unassuming diffidence, too often the attend- ants on extraordinary talents, were an unfortunate bar to his success. Miss De Camp dedicated lierself to the practical service of the stage at a very early period of life; for, at the age of six years, she was retained at the Opera House, as the Cupidon of Noverre's bal- lets : from thence she transferred her juvenile exertions to the ele- gant theatre of Monsieur le Texier, where she performed, at the age- only of eight years, the character of Zelie, in the comedy of T^^ei^oye (La ColomheJ, by the celebrated Countess de Genlis. Even at this age she was esteemed a very ele- gant dancer, and, consequently, from Le Texier's, was soon re- moved to a situation where her talents might be more frequently exhibited, and more generally ad- mired. The Circus was now about opening) and Miss De Camp, on account of her accomplishment in this elegant art, was engaged with Alonsieur Laborie and the Miss Simonets, to adorn the petites di- vcrtisements which were the prin- cipal exhibitions at that theatre. Long, however, she did no*: re- main with the managers of the Circus; for the Prince of Wales, who had not unfrequently wit- nessed her youthful performances, recommended our heroine to Mr.' Colman, senior, as a young lady that might improve her own tasts in the theatre of the Haymarket, and at the same time render a, service to his management, hi K E M assisting in the ballets and other novehies that might be produced in the course of the summer sea- sons. Miss De Camp was accord- ingly engaged by liiat gentleman, and exhibited herself for the first time on that sta^e, in a little dance, under the title of Jamie's Return, with the young D'Egvilles. Her taste, her activity, and the naive expression of her countenance, became subjects of pretty general conversation; and, at the end of the Haymarket season, she obeyed an invitation from Mr. King, then acting-manager of Drury Lane Theatre, to accept an engagement of superior advantage, both as to profit and opportunity of appearing before the public. Her father's disappointments in this country had made him resolve to return to Genraiiy ; he had, therefore, neglected to instract Miss De Camp in a language ■which he considered would never turn to any account, but as a mere accomplishineiit ; so that when he died, which was at the premature age of thirty, leaving a wife and six children, our heroine, the el- dest, and then only twelve years old, had not even learned to read English ; the little characters in which she bad acquired so much applause, such as the Page, in The Orphan, the Prince of Wales, in Richard the Third, &c. &r. having been taught her by mere dint of repetition. By the death of her father, having lost all hope of support, except that which might result from iter own labour, and having umrormly detested the idea of being any thing but an actress, she determined, by in- dustry, to make up the deficiency of an early education ; and those advantages which were denied her by the narrowness of her circum- 423 K E M stances, were amply compensated by the assistance of two friends of distinction ; and our heroine has everattributed all her advancemer>L in life to their kind and benevolent friendship. The Viscountess Per- ceval taught her reading, writing, and arithmetic ; and the accum- plished Miss Buchannan instructed her in music, Italian, and geo- graphy. Her first appesrance at Drnry Lena was in Richard Ccciir de Unn, and by her performance of the part ot Julie, she contributed greatly to the success and run of that elegani entertainment. As she increased in years, she gradual- ly disclosed the extent of those talents with which nature and education have so uncommonly gifted her ; and it was soon found the interest of the managers, that our young actress should be brought more forward on the dramatic canvas, than they had hitherto thought proper to exhibit her. An ear naturally correct, and very se- dulous application to the science of music, recommended her to a singing cast of characters of some respectability. In the summer season of 179^, Mr. Johnstone, for his benefit, reversed the cha- racters of The Beggar's Opera, by way of procuring an overflow. The elder Bannister, on this occa- sion, was allotted to the tender part of Polly, Johnstone to Lucy, and the redoubtt-d Captain wass undertaken by our heroine. It is from this period we have to date^ the particular notice which she has since succeeded in uniformly ob- taining from the public. The airs were given in a manner that ob- tained reiterated applause ; and it is but justice to give her the praise of having executed them with pe- culiar taste and science i and th% >42C) K E M K E M acting of the character has not since been excelled. Thus introduced, it is not surprising th«jher progress in the good opinion of the town was rapid and etiectual. She was now more frequently called for by the Drury Lane managers to sup- ply (he necessities of their nousical establishmetil : forSlgnoraStorace, and Mrs. Crouch, she was found so adequate a substitute, that even the return of the originals was not esteemed a suificient reason for depriving her of the possession of theii characters. At Drury Lane, in 1799. iV^iss De Camp produced a comedy, for her own benefit, called First Faults, which evinced no common talent, A Mr. Earle endeavoured to foist on the public a play, called JS'atural Faults, which he had the confidence to assert that he had sent to Miss De Camp. However, the time he chose for publishing his work, rendered it impossible, by the opinion of counsel, to pro- secvire him with any probability of success. It only then remained for Miss De Camp to give him the most unqualified contradiction : this she did, in a letter address- ed to the editor of The Moriiing Chronicle, which will be found in OUT third volume, p. 73. At the conclusion of the season 1B05-6, she quitted Drury Lane, and commenced an engagement at Coveuit Garden, on terms very flattering to her talents. On the 2d of July 1806, she was led to the hymeneal altar by Mr. Charles Kemble ; and on the ist of Octo- ber made her debut on the Covent Garden boards rs Maria in The Citizen; when, in compliment to her recent marriage, she was greeted on her entrc with tliree distinct rounds of applause. To Mrs. C. Kemble we owe the following dramatic pieces : 1. First Faults. C. 1799. N.V. 2. The Day after the Wedding, Int. Svo. 1808. Report assii;ns the following piece also as the product of her pen : 3. Match-maEng. C. 1808. N.P. Kemble, Stephen, brother of the Messrs. John and Charles be- fore mentioned, was born at a place called Kingstown, Hereford- shire, May 3, 175s > and it is a remarkable circumstance, that his mother brought him into the world on the very night in which she had acted Anne BuUen, in the play of Henry the Eighth, soon after she had concludt^d her perform- ance, and just at the time when, as Queen, according to the ac- count found in the play, she is supposed to have given birth to the Princess Elizabeth. Having received a proper edu- cation, he was placed as an ap- prentice with Mr. Gibbs, an emi- nent surgeon at Coventry. After serving about two years, however, preferring the theatrical truncheon and foil to the lancet and probe, he joined an itinerant troop of actors, at Kidderminster, and from that time wholly devoted himself to the stage. Having in a course of practice, in England, Scotland, and Ireland, obtained considerable reputation, he made his first ap- pearance at Covent Garden The- atre, Sept. 24, 1783 In the November following, he married Miss Satchell, a favourite actress, of the same theatre; but from some misunderstanding with the proprietors, Mr. and Mrs, Kemble were led to relinquish their con- nexion with it in the following 430 K E M year. After performing some time at Mr. Colman's theatre, in the Haymarket, Mr. Kemble was in- dnced to become a manager him- self 5 and he conducted, successive- ly, the theatres of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Newcastle, and sc-', eral others ; and, by pru- dence and diligence, acquired a very good property, which has enabled him. we believe, to retire altogether from theatrical con- cerns. Mr, Stephen Kemble has pro- duced one dramatic piece (an al- teration from a play of Hey- wood's), called The Northern Imi. F. Ijgi. N. P. Kemp, Joseph, Mus. Doct. of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, has produced, 1. The Jubilee. Ent. 8vo. I8O9. 2. Siege of Isca, Melo-Drama. Svo. 1810. Kempe, William, was an ac- tor and dancer. He is neither mentioned in the license of l603, by King James, as one of his ser- vants, nor recognised by Augus- tine Phillips, in 1605, as one of his fellows ; but is said to have been the successor of Tarleton (who was buried on the 3d of September 3 588), as well " in the favour of " Her Majesty, as in the good " thoughts of. the general au- " dience." His favour with both arose from his power of pleasing. He was one of the original actors in Shakspeare's plays ; and ap- pears, from the quarto editions, to have been the first performer of Peter, in Romeo and Juliet, in 1595 ; and of Dogberry, in Mvrh ado about Nothing, in I6OO. Kempe seems to have disappeared at the accession of King James, and is supposed to have died of the plague, in l603. He was an K E N author as well as an actor, as the following pieces show : 1. The Kitchen-ituff" TFoman. Jig^e. 159.;. [In those days, the word jigge signified a farce, as well as a dance.'] 2. Men of Gotham. A Merri- ment. N. P. 3. Nine Dales JVonder. 1600. Kenney, James. This gentle- man is said to be a native of Ire- land j and was, we believe, some- time clerk in an eminent banking- house. In 1803 he published 5o- ciety, a Poem in Two Parts, with other Poems, small Svo. Since that time he has cultivated a hap- py talent for dramatic writings ; of which the following list contains but one piece (No. 3.) that failed of success on the stage : all the others became very popular. 1. Raising the IVind. F. Svo. 1803. 2. Matrimony. Pet. Op. Svo. 1804. 3. Too many Cooks. M. F. Svo. 1805. 4. Ella Rosenberg. Mel. Dr. Svo. I8O7. 5. False Alarms. C. O. Svo. I8O7. 6. The World. C. Svo. 1808. 7. Oh! this Love. CO. 1810. N. P. Kenrick, William. This author, with considerable abilities, was neither happy nor successful. Few persons were ever less respect- ed by the world ; still fewer have created so many enemies, or drop- ped into the grave so little regret- ted by their contemporaries. He was the son of a citizen of Lon- don, and was brought up to a mechanical business, as it is said j having been often very illiberally reproached by his adversaries with having served an apprenticeship to a brass-rule maker. Whatever was 431 K I L his original destination, he seems early to have abandoned it, and to have devoted his talents to the cultivation of letters; by which he supported himself during the rest of a life which might be said to have passed in a state of warfare, as he was seldom without an enemy to attack, or to defend himself from. He died the 10th of June 1779* having written the following dramatic pieces, viz. 1. Fun. Parodi-trag^i- comical Satire, 8vo. 1752. 2. Fahlaff's IVcdding. C. 8vo. 1766. 3. Fabtqff"s Wedding. C. alter- ed. 8vo. 1766. 4. The (ridoiv'd in/e. C. 8vo. 1707. 5. The Duellist. Com, Svo. J773. (j. The Lady of the Manor. C, O. Svo. 1778, 7. The Spendthrift ; or,J Christ- inas Gambol. F. 1778. N. P. KiLLiGREW, Dr. Henry, was the tifth and youngest son of Sir Robert Killigrevv, and was born at Han worth, in Middlesex, on the 11th of Feb. 1&'12. He was educated under Mr. Thomas Far- naby, became a commoner of Christ Church in l628, and soon after student, and, when bachelor of arts, one of the quadragesimal collectors. In July 1038, he was created M. A. being then about to travel; and entering afterwards into the sacred function, became chap- lain to the King's army. On the Jst of Nov. Iu42, he took the degree of D. D. and immediately ■was appointed chaplain to the Duke of York, and promoted to the twelfth, stall in the church of Westminster. He suffered in com- mon with those who adhered to the royal cause during the inter- regnum; but, on \he Restoration, K I L was made almoner to the Duke of York, superintendant to the affairs of his chapel, rector of Wheat- hamsted, in Hertfordshire ; and, the next year, master of the Savoy, in which he remained in the year 1693. The year of his death we have not been able to ascertain. The play, on which account we have admitted him to a place, seems not to have been acted till some time after the occasion was past for v/hich it was originally designed, viz. tlje celebration of the nuptials of Lord Charles Her- bert with the Lady Mary Villiers, at which time the author was no more than seventeen years of age. This circumstance we gather from an anecdote concerning it, related by Langbaine, that reflects honour on the author. For he tells us, that on its first represent- ation at Black Friars, certain cri- tics cavilled at the character of Clearchus in it; objecting that it was monstrous and impossible for a person of only seventeen years old, as that character is supposed to be, to conceive and utter such senti- ments as he is made to speak, and which would better suit the lips of one of thirty years of age j to which objection the learned and ingenious Lord Falkland made this very judicious reply, in vindication of the author, viz, that it was nei- ther monstrous nor impossible for one of seventeen years to speak at such a rale-, when he that made him speak in that manner, and wrote the whole play, zvas himself no older. The title of the piece, which has also been highly com- mended by Ben Jonson, is The Conspiracy. T. 4to. l638. Mr. Killigrew was in Italy, most probably upon his travels, at the time that this play was first pub'* lisli^ed; by which means it cam« 432 K I L out very imperfect and incorrect. But after his return, it is probable he might himself make some al- terations in it, and it was repub- lished, with the altered title of Pallantus and Eudora. fo. 1653. Dr.Killigrew was father of Mrs. Anne Killigrew, celebrated for her poetry and painting, on whom Dryden wrote an elegy. Killigrew, Thomas, was brother of the former, and was born at Hanv/orth in the month •of February lt)H. He seems to have been early intended for the court ; and to qualif) him for rising there, every circumstance of his education appears to have been adapted. In the year l635, while upon his travels, he chanced to be at Loudun, and an e3'^e-witness to the celebrated imposture of exor- cising the devil out of several nuns, belonging to a convent in that town. Of this transaction he wrote a very minute and accurate account, still in MS. in the Pepy- sian Ubrary at Magdalen College, Cambridge. He was appointed page of honour to King Ch;.i]?s I. and faithfully adhered to \\\t cause until the death of that unfortunate monarch ; after which he attend- ed his son in his exile ; to whom he was highly acceptable on ac- count of his social and convivial qualifications. He married Mrs. Cecilia Crofts, one of the maids of honour to Queen Henrietta. With this lady he had a dispute on the subject of jealousy, at which Thomas Carew was present, and wrote a poem on the subject, and afterwards a copy of verses on their nuptials, printed in his works. In the year 1651 he was sent to Venice, as resident at that state, *' although (says Lord Clarendon) " th© King was much dissuaded K I L " from it; but afterwards His Ma- "^jestywas prevailed upon, only " to gratify him (Killigrew), that " in that capacity he might bor- " row money of English merchants " for his own subsistence, which " he did, and nothing to the ho- " nour of his master ; but was at " last compelled to leave the re- " public for his vicious behaviour; " of which the Venetian ambahsa- " dor complained to the King when " he came afterwards to Paris." After the Restoration, he was ap- pointed groom of the bedchamber, continued in high favour with the King, and had frequently ac- cess to him when he was denied to the first peers in the realm ; and being a man of great wit and live- liness of pans, and having from his long intimacy with that mo- narch, and being much about his person during his troubles, acquired a freedom and familiarity with him, which even the pomp of ma- jesty afterwards could not check in him, he sometimes, by way of jest, which King Charles was ever fond of, if genuine, even though himself was the object of the satire, would adventure bold truths which scarcely any one besides would have dared even to hint at. One story in particular is related of him, which, if true, is a strong proof of the great lengths he would sometimes proceed in his freedoms of this kind, which is as follows : When the King's unbounded pas- sion for women had given his mis- tress such an ascendency over him, that, like the efteminate Persian monarch, he was much fitter to have handled a distatTth?.a to wield a sceptre, and for the conversation of his concubines utterly neglect- ed the most important affairs of state, Mr. Killigrew went to pay His Majesty a visit ki his private 433 K I L apartments, habited like a pilgrim who was bent on a long journey. The King, surprised at the oddity of his appearance, immediately asked him what was the meaning of it, and whither he was going? — " To hell,'" bluntly replied the wag. — " Prythee (said the King), " tchat can rfour errand he to that " place?"—'' To fetch buck Oliver " Cromwell (rejoined he), that he " may take some care of the ajl'airs " of England; for his successor " takes none at all." One more story is related of him, which is not barren of humour. King Charles's fondness for plea- sure, to which he almost always made business give way, used frequently to delny affairs of con- sequence, from His Majesty's dis- appointing the council of his pre- sence when met for the dispatch of business; which neglect gave great disgust and offence to many of those who were treated with this seem- ing disrespect. On one of these occasions the Duke of Lauderdale, who was naturally impetuous and turbulent, quitted the council- chamber in a violent passion, and, meeting Mr. Killigrew presently after, expressed himself on the oc- casion in very disrespectful terms of His Majesty. Killigrew begged his Grace to moderate his passion, and olTered to lay him a wager of an hundred pounds that he himself would prevail on His Majesty to come to council in half an hour. The Duke, surprised at the bold- ness of his assertion, and warmed by resentment against the King, accepted the wager ; on which Killigrew immediately went to the King, and, without ceremony, told hira what had happened; adding these words : " I know that your ** Majesty hates Lauderdale,though •' the necessity of your affairs com- VOL. .». It I L " pels you to carry an outward " appearance of civility ; now, if *' you choose to be rid of a man " who is thus disagreeable to you, " you need only go this once to " council ; for I know his covet* " ous disposition so perfectly, that " I am well persuaded, rather than " pay this hundred pounds, he " would hang himself out of the '*■ way, and never plague you " more." TheKing was so pleased with the archness of this observa- tion, that he immediately replied, '^ IVell, then, Killigrew, I posi- " tively will go;" and kept his word accordingly. Mr. Killigrew died at White- hall, the \gih of March l682. During his residence abroad, he applied the greater part of his leisure hours to the study and prac- tice of poetry, and particularly dramatic writings, several of his plays being composed in that pe- riod of time. To this Sir John Denham humorously alludes, and also draws a character of our au- thor, extremely consistent with the circumstances we have been re- lating of him, in his copy of verses on Mr. Killigrew''; return from his embassy at Venice I I. Our Resident Tom From Venice is come, And has left all the statesman behind him ; Talks at the same pitch. Is as wise,, is as rich, And just Vv'here you left him, youfindhim, ir. But who says he 's not A rrian cf much plot. May rej:>ent of this false accusation j Havini;/i/o//fc/and penn'd ^\-x. plays to attend On the farce of his negotiation. However, though Sir John Den- hrfm here hints at only six, Mr. Killigrew wrote seven plays while abroad, and two after he came F P 434 K I L K I L home i the naines of them all are as follow : 1. Prisoners. T. C. 2. Claricilla. T. C. 3. Princess. T. C. 4. Parson s Wedding. Com. In Dodsley's ColLection. 5. Pilgrim. T. 6. and 7, CicUia and Clorinda. Two Parts. T. C. 8. and 9. Thomaso. Two Parts. Com. 1 0. and 1 1 . Bellamira, her Dream . Two Parts. T. C. The first two of these were print- ed in 12mo. 1641 ; and all of them in folio, 1664 ; with his portrait prefixed. There is, besides these plays of his, A Letter concerning the Possessing and Dispossessing of several Nuns in the Nunnery at Tours, in France; dated Orleans, Dec. the 7th, l635, and printed in three sheets, folio. It was usually said of him, that, when he attempted to write, he was no- thing near so smart as he was ia conversation : which was just the reverse of Cowley, who shone but little in company, though he ex- celled so much with his pen. Hence Denham, who knew them both, has taken occasion thus to characterize their respective ex- cellencies and defects : *' Had C'uvley ne'er spo'-ce, Killigrew ne'er writ, " Combin'd in one, they'd made a matchless wit." KlLLIGREW,SlRWlLLIAM,Knt, This gentleman-was elder brother to the two former. He was born in May l605, at the manor of Hanworth, near Hampton Court, and was entered a gentleman com- moner in St. John's College, Ox- ford, in the Midsummer Terra of the year 1022. Here he continued for about three years ; at the ex- piration of which he set out on his travels, and made the tour o^ Europe. What time he spent abroad does not exactly appear ; but we find him, after his return, appointed governor of Pendennis Castle and Falmouth Haven, botli in the county of Cornwall, and also put in the command of the militia of the western part of that county. His next promotion brought him to court, as an immediate at- tendant on the King's own person, being made one of the gentlemen ushers of the privy chamber 3 which post he kept till the breaking-out of the civil wars, when he had the command of the two great troops of those that guarded the King's p^son during the whole course of the war between the King and Par- liament, bestowed on him. He was in attendance on the King at the time tiiat the court resided at Ox- ford in the year l642, at which period he also was admitted to the degree of (Joctor of civil law. But, when the King's affairs had fallen into such a situation as to be ap- parently past recovery, he thought it the most prudent step, though he was under a necessity of suffer- ing by hi» attachment to the royal cause, to enter into a composition for his estate with the committee of sequestrations. Though King Charles II. was not remarkable for his returns of gratitude to those who had been sufferers in the interests of his fa- mily, yet in the present instance he contradicted his general con- duct ; for this gentleman was one. of the first among his father's ser- vants that he took notice of: first restoring him to the post of gen- tleman usher of the privy chamber,, which he had held under Charles I.; and afterwards, on his own mar- riage with Donna Catharine of 435 K I L Portugal, creating hlra Her Ma- jesty's tir.^tvice-chamberlaia, which honourable station be held for iwo- aiul-twenty years; when, being greatly advanced in lite, he retired from court; and, from some books which he published after that time, seems to have devoted the remain- der of his life to a due prepariUion lor ills being called to another world : this event happened to him in the year IcpiJ, at which time he was eighty-eight years of age. We do not find ar.y mention made by former writers of what estimation he was held in by his contemporaries with respect to ge- nius : and indeed, excepting his dramatic pieces, we tind nothing of his in print till the time when, in the entire decline of life, he pub- lished a collection of detached thoughts and reflections on the in- stability of human happiness, when fixed on any other views than those which are to arise from the enjoy- ments of another state-. His dra- matic works, however, received the commendations of Mr. Waller, Sir Robert Stapylton, and others) and are the following: 1. Pandora. Com. Svo. l6fi4, 2. Ormasdes, Trdgx-Com. Svo. 1665. 3. Selindra. Tragi-Com. Svo. 1665. 4. Siege of Ur bin. Tragi-Com. Fol. 1666. 5. Imperial Tragedy (attribiited to him). Fol. 1669. Sir Robert Stapylton's verses on the above plays are addressed To Envy, and are as follow : Thou snake, that lurk'st under the poet's bays, Envy, confess thy malice to these plays; Art thou not vex'd to see the plots well laid, The language pure, and every sentence weigh'd ? K I N New humours.' passion wrought up to that height, Men weep, and yet their grief begets delight ? All this by nature done, which shows, the arts Infuse themselves, where they find wit and parts. Out of these premises we may infer Here will be no work for the censarer; The wisf-r critic will do betrcr first: And for the foolish, let him do his worst, KiLLiGREw, Thomas, As if the name of Killigrew was of it- self a warrant to the title of wit, the ISth century, as well as the two preceding ones, produced an author of that name. He was gentleman of the bedchamber to his late Majesty when Prince of Wales, an he was part-proprietor and sole manager of the Theatre Royal m Bristol. He then sold his share, as we believe, to the late Mr. Dodd ; and in October 1/7) pur- chased three-fourths of Sadler's Wells, which he extended and beautified ; and having, by the ex- pense and respectability of the entertainments, brought the spot into great estimation, he after- wards disposed of his share of it to Mr. Wroughton : to the whict^. F F 3 43S K I N he was induced by having tJiken on himself the conduct ot Druiy Lane theatre. In this post he continued till 1788; when he re- signed it in disgustj for reasons which he assigned to the public. He then went tiiDnblin and Edin- burgh, at each of which he met ^'ith high patronage. Returning to London, he engaged for a part of the season 17S9, at Covent Garden ; but soon afterwards re- turned to his situation at Drury Lane; and in the summer of 1793 he perforrped at the Haymarket. Some altercation arising in 1801 between the principal proprietor of Drury Lane and Mr. King, the latter withdrew his services, and announced his intention of ac- quainting the public with his rea- sons ; but, as the publication never appeared, and Mr. King returned soon after to the theatre and took his benefit, it is to be inferred that a reconciliation had taken place On the 24th of May 1802, the comedy of The School, for Scandal was performed for his benefit, and it was announced that he would on that night take his leave of the public. Mr. King seemed to have collected his remaining powers for exertion, in older to grace his exit from a stage which he bad trod with the highest reputation for the long period oi fifty -four years. It is scarcely necessary to mention, that his perfornbance was crowned with the loudest, the most liberal, and most heart-felt ap- plause. Between. the play and the farce, Mr. King c?.me forvxard, attended by Mr. Charles Kemble (who kindly officiated as his prompter, lest on .=0 trying an occasion his memoiy should hap- pen to fail him), and delivered the following K I N FAREWELL ADDRESS, Jf'ntten by Richard Cu m Btri. as d, Es^. Whilst in my heart those feelings yet survive, That keep respect and gratitude alive — Feelings whirh, though all others should decay, Will be the last that Time can bear away ; — The fate i);at none can f^y from, T in- vite, A.Td doom my own dramatic death this ni.;ht. Patrons, VatcwcH ! Though yoa still kindly my defects would spare, Constant injulgencc who woirid wish to bear > Who, that retains the sense of brighter days, Can sue for pardon, while he pants for praise ? On well-earn'd fame the mind with pride reflects, But Pitv sinks the man whom it protects. Your fathers had my strength. My only claim Was zeal ; their favour was my only fame. Of late, toooften,whenthe\vholewasdue, 1 've paid half ler-vice to the Muse and you. Not what I was, I now decline the field, And ground those arms which I but fee- bly wield. The Poet,nearly breathless, lame, or blind. While the Muse visits his creative mind, Continues wearing; his immortal wreath. Lives in his fame, and triumphs over death : But every chance that deals the passing blow. Lays the poor Actor's short-liv'd trophies low. That chance has come to me, that com» to all ; My drama done, I let the curtain fall. During the delivery, Mr. King was much affected j but he strug- gled to conceal his agitation. His feeling was more discoverable in the low faltering tone of his voice, than in tears, a white handkerchief, fainting, or other theatrical trick. He received the most flattering applause ; and, as soon as he had made his bow, Mrs. Jordan came 439 K I N K I N on the stage, and gracefully led him to the Green-room, which he found filled with the performers, who had nobly and generously done honour to themselves by seizing on this opportunity of presenting a handsome testimonial of their es- teem and regard for their retiring elder brother. Comedians are, perhaps, of all professions, the most exposed to error and frailty ; but the united invention of ma-' lice and calumny has never im- puted to them the want of the essential virtues of feeling, bene- volence, generosity, and noble- mindedness, whenever a sufficient and fit occasion has called for the exercise of either. — yir. Dowton, after allowing Mr. King a little breathing-lime, came up to him, to beg that he would take a cheer- ful draught out of a silver cup, which his brothers and sisters of the sock and buskin requested him to do them the favour to accept, with a salver, as a trifling token of their regard andgrateful remem- brance of his merit as a comedian, and his uniformly friendly con- duct towards them all, during the many years that he had continued to please the public before the cur- tain, and endear himself to them behind it. Mr. King, in a tone that expressed his feeling, declared the deep sense he should ever en- tertain of this most affectionate mark of their regard and esteem ; and assured tliem, that, if his health permitted, he should gratify himself with the pleasure of fre- quently coming among them. The cup was then handed round, and all the ladies and gentlemen of the theatre drank Mr. King's health. On the cup was an inscription, signifying the cause and occasion of the present, with all the per- formers' name? (contributors to it) J and on its base the following motto from Henry K. act v. : '• If he be not ,/>//»•»• with ihzbesi Kin;;, " Thou shaft find him the best Kino of good Jello'ms" The salver was richly decorated, and had the arms of Mr. King engraven in the centre. Our author did not very long enjoy the sweets of retirement ; •dying at his house in Store Street, Bedford Square, Dec. 11, 1805, He was buried in the church- yard of Si. Pauf, Covent Garden, a '■- nde by the p.in-ipai perform- ers of both theatres. In private life Mr. King was in- telligent, entertaining, and respect- able. He had an inexhaustible store of anecdotes, not merely of the the rical kind, and was al- ways willing to relate them, upon the slightest intimation, for the gratification of his friends, though he never vainly or importunately forced them into notice. He par- ticularly excelled in storj'-telling, and gave a lively perception of ever}' character he introduced by his powers of mimicry. His fate holds out a melancholy warning to all who engage in his precarious profession. The fair profits of his industry and talents, supported by very respectable and extensive con- nexions, would always have en- abled him to maintain a good figure in lifej but, unhappily, an unfortunate devotion to the gamincr. table marred all his fair prospects. After a very successful night at play, he once hastily returned home, and in the most solemn manner expressed his determina- tion never to plunge into the ruin- ous vortex of gaming any more. He kept his resolution for many years, and was able to support a house in town, another at Hamp-,, F F 4 440 KIN ton, and to enjoy the convenience of a carriage, as well a> the power of receiving a numerous train of friends with a liberal hospitality. But, alas ! in a fatal moment he ventured to the gaming-table again, and in one night lost all that he had been saving for many years; not, however, without a suspicion that his successful competitor had pro- fited by other means than mere skill and the favour of fortune. From that period Mr. King's life was clouded by embarrass- ments ; and, though age and in- firmity induced him to quit the stage, his situation really demand- ed a continuance of his professional labour. He was the author of two pieces, called, 1. Love at Jirst Sight. B. F. 8vo. 1763. 2. ^Fit's last Slake. F. 8vo. 1769. King, Dr. William, was born in London in 1653 ; the son of Ezekiel King, a gentleman allied to the family of Clarendon. FromWestminster school, where he was a scholar on the foundation , under the care of Dr. Busby, he vas at eighteen elected to Christ- church, in 168I ; where he is said to have prosecuted his studies with $0 much intenseness and activity, that, before he was of eight years . standing, he had read ever, and . made remarks upon, twenty-two _. thousand odd hundred books and manuscripts. The books were cer- , tainly not very long, the manu- scripts not very difficult, nor the remarks very large ; for the calcu- lator will find that he dispatched seven a-day, for every day of his erglit years, with a remnant that more than satisfies most other stu- dents. He took his degree in the most expensive manner, as a grand K I N compounder ; whence it is infer- red that he iuherited a consider- able fortune. In ]6S8, the same year that he was made master of arts, he engag- ed in the study of the civil law, becaine doctor in 1692, and was admitted advocate atDoctors'Com- mons. Though he was a regular advo- cate in the courts of civil and ca- non law, he did not love his pro- - fession, nor indeed any kind of business which interrupted his vo- luptuary dreams, or forced him to rouse from that indulgence in which only he could find delight. His reputation as a civilian was yet maintained by his judgments in the court of delegates, and raised very high by the address and knowledge which he discover- ed in 1700, when he defended the Earl of Anglesea against his lady, afterwards Dutchess of Bucking- hamshire, who sued for a divorce, and obtained it. The expense of his pleasures, and neglect of business, had now lessened his revenues; and he was willing to accept of a settlement in Ireland, where, about 1702,he was made judge of the admiralty, sole commissioner of the prizes, keeper of the records in Birmingham's tower, and vicar-general to Dr. Marsh the primate. But it is vain to put wealth with- in the reach of him who will not stretch out his hand to take it. King soon found a friend, as idle and thoughtless as himself, in Up- ton, one of the judges, who had a pleasant house called Mountown, near Dublin, to which King fre- quently letired, delighting to neg- lect his interest, forget his cares, and desert his duty. In 17O8, when Lord Wharton was sent to govern Ireland, King 441 KIN returned to Loctdon, \\ uh his po- verty, Iiis idk'ness, aiul his witj and published some essays called Useful Trtmsnctlons. His Foyage to the hland of Cajainai is particu- larly commended. He then wrote The Art of Lave, a poem remark- able, notwith.ilnnding its title, for purity ol sentiment ; and in 1709 imitated Horace in an Art of Cook- ery, V. hich he published, with some letters to Dr. Lister. In 1710 he appeared, as a lover of the church, on the side of Sache- verell ; and was supposed to have concurred at least in the projection of The Examiner. In 1711, competence, if not plenty, was again put into his power. He was, without the trou- ble of attendance, or the mortifi- cation of a request, made gazet- teer. Swift, Freind, Prior, and other men of the same party, brought him the key of the ga- zetteer's otRce. He was now again placed in a profitable employment, and again threw the benefit away. An act of insolvency made his ■ business at that time particularly troublesome ; and he would not wait till hurry should be at an end, but impatiently resigned it, and returned to his wonted indigence and amusements. In the autumn of 1712 his health declined ; he grew weaker by de- grees, and died on Christmas-day. Though his life had not been with- out irregularity, his principles were pure and orthodox, and his death was pious. His works were collected by Mr. Nichols, in three volumes 8vo. in 17765 ainong which is a whim- sical piece, which entitles him to a place in this work, called The Tragi- Comedy of Joan of Hedingtov. K N I assistant to George Gascoigne ln^ translating Euripides's Jocasla. Tr. 4to. 1575. KiRKE, John. Of this author we can trace nothing further than that all writers agree in placing him in the reign of King Charles I. and naming him as the author of one piece, entitled Ttie Seven Cliaiupior^ of Christ^ endo7ne. Play. 4to. l63S. KiEKMAN, Francis. SeeK.F. Knapp, Henry, is a clergyman brought up at Cambridge, and son of a person, also in orders, who keeps a school at Stamford. He has produced two dramatic pieces, viz. 1 . The Exciseman. F. 1 780. N.P. 2. Hunt the Slipper. M.F. 17S4. N. P. [Except in a piratical edi- tion.] Knevet, Ralph, was a Nor- folk gentleman, and contemporary with Mr. Kirke above mentioned. He wrote one little piece, which was intended only for a private re- presentation at the Florists' feast at Norwich, entitled Rhodon arid Iris. Past. 4to.l631. Knight, . A principal low comedian, in the York and Hull company, wrote a piece in two acts, called The Sailor and Soldier ; or, Fa- shionalle Amusement. Mus. F. 1805. Knight, Thomas, a native of Dorsetshire, and the son of a re- spectable country gentleman in that county, who gave him a libe- ral education, was originally de- signed for the bar. Having been instructed in oratory by Mr. Mack- lin, however, he began to enter- tain a greater inclination for the drama than the law, and accord- ingly made his first theatrical at- tempt at York, where he per- formed five seasons with consider- 442 K N I able applause. He then procured an engagement at Bath, and for eight seasons filled a respectable line of business therewith so much reputation, that he received an invitation from the manager of Covent Garden, which he accepted, and made his first appearance in London Sept. 25, 1/95, in the character of Jacob, in The Chapter of Accidents, and Skirmish, in The Desei'ler ; and by his chaste repre- sentation of rustic characters, and flippant coxcombs, gradually be- came a great favourite with the public. When Mr. Knight was about to leave town, he waited on his venerable tutor, Mr. Macklin, and politely thanked him for the great benefit that he bad received from his instruations: he lamented that it was not in his power to make a suitable return ; and hav- ing only pecuniary gratification to bestow, begged his acceptance fcf a testimony of his gratitude. '•' If " J have served you (replied the *■' veteran), I am well satisfied." Mr. Knight, however, persisting m his benevolent intention, !J.Iack- lin fairly pushed him out at the door. Mr. Knight was one of the eight performers who complained of the manager's new regulations. [See art. Holman.] He resigned his situation at Covent Garden in 1803, and is now a proprietor of the Liverpool theatre. His wife is sister to the Countess of Derby, formerly Miss Farren. Mr.K.'sdra- matic productions are as follow : 1. Thelyphthora. C.F.W.C.P. 1783. 2. Trudge and JVbivski. Prel. 1790. 3. Honest Thieves. F. 12mo, 4. Turnpike Gate. M. E. 8vo. 1799. K Y F Knipe, Chaules. Of this gen- tleman we know no more than tTiat he was of Trinity CoDege, ■Cambridge, an officer in the army, and author of one petite piece for the theatre, which met with sbm© applause at its first appearance^ entitled A City Ram lie. Farce, of two acts. 12mo. I715. Kyd, Thomas. This author produced one play, which was the constant object of ridicule among his contemporaries and immediate successors. The circumstances of his life, however, are unknown. He seems, like the generality of peers, to have been poor, and pro- bably died about the year 15f)4 or 1595. He produced, 1. Cornelia. T. 4to. 15g4. In Dndsley's Collection. (iVfterwards called Povipeij the Great his fair Cornelia's Tragedy. 4to. 1595.) 2. IVie Spanish Tragedy; or, ■ Hiero7iinio is mad again. 4to. 1603. But acted, probably, be- fore 1590. In Dodsley's Collect. Mr. Hawkins, with some pro- bability, conjectures him to have been the author of Soliman and Perseda. T. 4fa. 1 599. Kyffin, Maurice. Of this gentleman we know nothing more than that he was one of the first translators into English of one of the comedies of Terence, viz. Andria. C. printed in the black letter. 4to. 1588. He wrote early in the reicrn of Queen Elizabeth; and seem^from circumstances relating to this play, to have been tutor to the children of the celebrated Lord Buckhurst ; a particular which of itself is suf- ficient to give us a very favourabl* idea of his literary abilities. ^s L. h AC Lj. G. These initials are affixed to The Honest Criminal. I>r. Svo. 1/7S. Lacket, Dr. See Hacket. Lacy, John, flourished in the reign of King Charles II. He was born nearDoncaster, in Yorkshire, and was at first bred a dancing- master j but, afterwards went inlo the army, having a lieutenant's commission and warrant as quarter- master under Colonel Charles Ger- rard. The charms of a military life, however, he quitted to go upon the stage ; in which profession, from the advantages of a fine per- son, being well shaped, of a good stature, and well proportioned, added to a sound critical judgment, and a large share of comic hu- mour, he arrived at so great a height of excellence, as to be uni- versally admired ; and in particu- lar was so high in the esteem of King Charles II. that His Majesty had his picture painted in three Several characters, viz. Teague in The Committee, Scuiple in The Cheats, and Galliard in The Fa- riety; which picture is still pre- served at Windsor Castle. His cast of acting was chiefly in comedy; and his writings are all of that kind, he being the author of the four following plays: \. Dumb Lady. C. 4ta. I672. 2. OldTroopl C. 4to. ]672. 3. Sir Hercules Buffoon. C. 4to. l684. 4. Sawney the Scot. C. 4to.l6C)8. The third of these was not brought on the stage till three years after the author's death, which happen- ed on the 1 7th of September 1 68 1 . Lam Mr. Durfey, who wrote the pro- logue to it, has, in the following lines, paid a very great, but, as it appears, a well-deserved compli- ment to Mr. Lacy's tlieatrical abi- lities, in reference to the advan- tages the piece might have received from the author's own performance in it, had he been living : ** Know, that fam'd Lacy, ornament o' th' stage, " That standard o^ true comedy in our age, <' Wrote this new play — " And if it takes not, all that we can say on 't, " Is, we've his fiddle, vtoi his hands to pJay on 't." Lacy, Henry, a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, was author of a Latin play, called Richardus Tertius. t. 158S. N.P, Lamb, Charles. Of this gen- tleman we only know that he is the author of, 1. John JFoodvil. T. Svo. 1802. 2. Mr. H. Farce, 180(3. N.P. But we suppose that he is the same writer who, in 1808, gave to the public a very agreeable selection, entitled Specrmens of English Dra- matic Poets who lived about (he Time of Shakspeare; and had previously published Talesfrom Shakspeare, a work of very considerable merit. Lambb, the Hon. George. This gentleman, whom we sup- pose to be one of the sons of Lord Viscount Melbourne, is au- thor of IFhistlefor It. Op. Piece. Svo. I8O7. Lambert, Barrowdale, was a painter, and published, about 1747, one dramatic piece, entitled The Wreckers. 444 L A N Langford, Abraham. This gentleman was, perhaps, better known in the polite than in the poetical world ; standing once the" foremost in renown among a set of orators, whose eloquence must be confessed of the most perfect and powerful kind, since it has that amazing prevalence of persuading mankind to part with even their money. In a word, to leave am- biguities, he was the most cele- brated auctioneer of his age, and successor in that profession to the great Mr. Cock. His success, or perhaps his merit, was not so great in the exercise of his pen as in that of another more valuable weapon ; for the only dramatic pieces which he attempted never met with much success. They are called, 1. The Judgment of Paris. Ent. 8vo. 1730. 2. The Lover his own Rival. B.O. 8vo. 1736. Mr. Langford was buried in the churchyard of St. Pancras, where the following lines are inscribed on both sides of his tomb : " His spring of life was such as should have been, " Adroit and gay, unvex'd by care nr spleen ; " His summer's manhood open, fresh, and fair, " His virtue strict, his manners debon- nair ; «' His autumn rich with wisdom's goodly fruit, " Which every varied appetite iriight suit. " In polish'd circles dignify'd with ease, *' And less desirous to be pleas'd than please : ** Grave with'the serious, with the comic " Warm to advise, yet wiilmg to obey ; " True to the fond affections of the heart, «' He play'd the friend, the husband, parent's part; " What needs there more to eternize his fame, '•< What monument mote lasting than his name .' L A T " Abraham Langford, Esq. late of St. F.iul, Covent Garden, Died i8 Sept. i 774, Aged 63." Langhorne, John, D. D. was born at Kirby Stephen, in West- morland. His father was tlie Rev. Joseph Langhorne, of Winston, who died when his son was young. Having entered iiito holy orders, Mr. Langhorne was appointed, Dec. \~Q5, preacher-assistant at Lincoln's Inn. He afterwards be- came tutor to the sons of Robert Cracroft, Esq. of Hackthcrne, Lincolnshire, whose daughter he married Jan. 15, 1767- This iady in a short time died; and the loss of her was very pathetically la- mented by her husband in a mo- nody ; and by another gentleman, Mr. Cartwright, in a poem, en- titled Constantia. Dr. Langhorne held the living of Blagden, in Somersetshire, at the time of his death, which happened on the 1st of April 1/79' 3nd was imputed to his usual substitute for the Casta- lian fountain, rather too frequent draughts of Burton ale, at the Pea- cock in Gray's Inn Lane. He wrote many miscellaneous works, but only one drama, called The Fatal Prophecy. Dr. Poem. 12mo. 1766. Lansdowne. See Granville. Latewark, Dr. Richard. In Daniel's apology for his play of Philotas, we hnd that this gentle- man had written a drama on the same subject, which was acted " worthily and with great ap- " plause," at St. John's College, in Oxford. As we know not the name of Dr. Lateware's piece, we cannot notice it in our list of plays. Dr. Lateware (Wood calls him Latewar) was born at London, in 1560, educated at Merchant Tay- lors' school, and entered of St. 445 L A T L A T John's College, Oxford, in 1580. In 158S he took the degree of M. A. and was become a famous preacher, being rector of Hopton, in Suffolk. In 15(j3 he was elected one of the proctors of the university. He was afterwards made rector of Finchley, in Mid- dlesex, D. D. and at length ap- pointed chaplain to the heroic Lord Mountjoy, Viceroy of Ireland. Camden, in his Annals of Queen Elizalelh, tells us that Dr. Late- war was killed in the battle near Carlingford, in which Lord Mount- joy overthrew the rebels j but mis-states the year to have been ItiOO. Fines Morrison, who was on the spot when he received his death-wound, says (Rebellion of Hugh Earl of Tyrone, in Ireland, lib. 2. cap. J.) fhat he was shot at Benburb, July l6, 1(J0I, and died the following day. He was buried in the church of Armagh ; and in the chapel of St. John's College was erected a monument to his memory, with a handsome inscriptioii. Dr. Lateware was a very ingenious Latin epigrammatic poet, and composed Carmen Atto- (j,nfJio-nvTmc'j Coll, S. Jo. Bapt. which was afterwards restored and augmented by Richard Andrews, M. D. and Fellow of the said College. Lathom, Francis, a native of Norwich, is the author of several novels, and of the following dra- matic productions : J. All in a Bustle. C. 8vo. 1/95. 2. The Dash of the Day. C. Svo. 1800. 3. Holiday Time. F. Svo. ISGO, 4. Orlando and Seraphina. H. D. 12mo. N.D.; Svo. 1800 5. Curiosity. C. Svo. ISOl. 6. The mfe of a Million. ,C. 12VD.0. N,D. : Svo. 1803. To him also we find ascribed The Dash. M. F, lS04j but it seems merely an alteration of the third piece mentioned above. Lathy, Thomas Pike, is au- thor of Reparation. D. Svo. 1800. Latter, Mrs. Mary, was born at Henley upon Thames, in 1725 5 and after the death of her father, an attorney of that town, came to Reading, and settled there. She had an early inclination for poetry, but with a propensity to satire ; which she discovered by writing some verses descriptive of the persons and characters of se- veral ladies of Reading, This sa- tire, as it was called, she thought proper to disown, by a ludicrous advertisement, in verse, inserted in The Reading Mercury, Nov. 17, 1740. In 1759 she published The Miscellaneous IForks, in Prose ami Verse, of Mrs. Mary Latter, of Reading, Berks." In this vo- lume she describes herself as resi- dent " not very far from the " market-place, immersed in bu- " siness and in debt : sometimes " madly hoping to gnin a compe- " tenc}' ; sometimes justly fearing " dungeons and distress." Sh» wrote The Siege of Jerusalem hy Titus Vespasian. T. which Rich, the patentee of Co- vent Garden Theatre, having seen, he took her under his protection. About this time she published A Miscellaneous Poetical Essay ; to which Rich procured her a hun- dred subscribers, and desired her to remain at his house, in order, as he kindly said, " that by fre- " quen,ting the theatre, she might " improve in the knowledge of it." Rich died a few weeks afterward; Vvhich put an end to the hopes and expectatioas of Mrs, Latter, who 44b LEA LEA had flattered herself he would bring out her play in the ensuing season. It was rejected by the succeeding managers. She pub- hshed it in Svo. l/G'A, with a long preface, called Stage-craft, an Essay. It was afterward repre- sented at Reading, as a benefit play, in 1768, without producing any emolument to the author. In J 77 1 she also published an essay, entitled Pro and Con, or the Opi- nionisls, ]2mo. Mrs. Latter died at Reading, March 23, 1777. Lawler, D. is the author of In and out of Tune. Mus. Af- terpiece. 1808. N. P, See this article in Vol. II. p. 321. Lawrence, James, has pub- lished The Virgin of the Sun. P. translated. Svo. 1799. Leanerd, John. This gentle- man lived in the reign ofCharlesII. Mr. Langbaine has treated him with great severity, and indeed a degree of scurrility, which has somewhat the appearance of per- sonal pique and resentment. He has called him *' a confident pla- •* giary, whom he disdains to style *' an author 3 one, who, though he " would be esteemed the father, is *' at best but the midwife to the *' labours of others 3" and that, *' Gipsy-like, he begs with stolen " children, that he may raise the " more compassion." Yet, crav- ing Mr. Langbaine's pardon, who by the by, on many occasions, shows himself to be far from an impartial writer, though plagiarism be a tault, this gentleman is not more guilty of it than many whom he has let pass without so severe a censure. And although he may have borrowed from others, yet he seems to have had at least some merit of his own 5 since Jacob has attributed to him an original play, from which one of our most enter- taining comic writers, viz. CoUcy Gibber, has borrowed the greater part of a very pleasing comedy, and which is frequently acted to this day, viz. She would aUd She would not. The play of Mr. Leanerd's is entitled 1. The Counterfeits. Com. 4to. 1679. The two other dram.atic pieces, which our author has published under his own nan^e, and for which Mr. Langbaine has attacked him with so much warmth and violence, are entitled, 2. Country Innocence. C, 4to. 1677. 3. RamlUng Justice. C. 4to. 1678. Leapok, Maby, is one of the instances which may be produced of the powers of natural genius, little assisted by education. She was the daughter of a person who, at the time of her birth, the 26th of February 1722, was gardener to Judge Blencowe, at Marston St. Laurence, in Northampton- shire. She was brought up under the care of a pious and sensible mother, who died a few years before her. The little education which she received, consisted whol- ly in being taught to read and write. She began at a very early age to compose verses; at first with the approbation of her parents, who afterwards, imagining an at- tention to poetry would be pre- judicial to her, endeavoured by every possible means to discoun- tenance her in such pursuits. These, however, were ineffectual, and she was at last left to follow the bent of her genius and inclina- tion. She died of the measles, the 12th of November 174(3, atBrack- ley ; and after her death two vo- lumes of her poems were printed in Svo. ui 1748 and 17olj intiie latter of which is 447 LEE The Unhappy Father. T. and some acts of a second play. Lear MONT, John, wrote The Unequal Rivals. Past. Svo. 1791. Lediard, Thomas, was, in one part of his life, secretary to His Majesty's envoy extraordinary in Hamburgh, and many years director of the opera - house in that city. He wrote several books of different kinds. After his re- turn lo England, he was appoint- ed a justice of peace for the liberty of Westminster, iind county of Middlgsex>in which station" he be- came a useful and active magis- trate. He died in, December J 759, having produced one piece,- en- titled Britannia. Q. 4to. 1/32. Lee, , an actor, sometime of Coven t Garden, but afterwards of Jiirmingham, Salisbury, and other provincial theatres, has the following piece ascribed to him : Tiirow Phijsic to the Dogs. M. F. 179s. N. P. Though this piece was not suc- cessful, it seems to have furnished the hint of a principal character in The Review. JMr. Lee also produced several fugitive poetical pieces. Lee, Harriet, a younger sis- ter of Sophia, who will presently come under our notice, published, in l^SQ, The Errors of Innocence, a Novel, 5 vols. ; and Canterbury Tales, 4 vols. Svo. 1/97, &-c- ^he claims a place in this work, how- ever^ as author of two dramatic pieces, viz. 1. The New Peerage. C. Svo. 17S7. 2, The Mysterious Marriage. P. Svo. 1798. Lee, Henry, manager or the theatres of Taunton, Barnstaple, &:c. has published LEE Calelj Quotein and Ms Jfife. OjR Svo. ISO9. And is, perhaps, the very person before mentioned as author of Throtv Physic to the Dogs. Lee, John. This author was likewise an actor who had pei'- formed in many of the theatres in Great Britain and Ireland j and, if his own account of himself may be credited, was entitled to rank with the most excellent performers of the present or past times. His talents, however, were hardly above mediocrity ; and though by- dint of puffing he often intruded himself on the stages in London, <* he was always dismissed with cold- ness and neglect. It is remark- able, that he scarcely ever was connected with any theatre that he did not quarrel with the manager, or some person belonging to itf and perhaps there were more ap- peals to the public, in print, from' him 01: his paltry disputes, than from any other person that can be pointed out. He was latterly an ac- tor at Bath, and died in ] 781, His immediate claim to a place in this work is founded on three literary murders (which he is willing to call alterations) committed on, 1. Macbeth. T. Svo. I753, Printed at Edinburgh, 2. The Country JVife. C. Svo. [1/05.] 3. The Man of Quality. F. Svo. I77O. 4. Rojneo altd Juliet. T. alter- ed. N. P. The author of The Children of Thespis relates of this Mr. Lee, that when he was manager of the Edinburgh Tlieatre, he was deter- mined to improve upon stage thunder; and having procured a parcel of nine-pound shot, they were put into a wheelbarrow, to which he affixed a nine-pound 44S LEE ■wheel} this done, ridges were placed at the back of the stage, and one of the carpenters was or- dered to trundle this wheelbarrow, so filled, backwards and forwards over those ridges; the play was Lear, and in the two first efforts the thunder had a good effect : at length, as the King was braving the pelting of the pitiless storm, the thunderer's foot slipped, and down he came, wheel baiTow and all : the stage being on a declivity, the balls made their uay towards the orchestra, and meeting with but a feeble resistance from ihe *cene, laid it flat. This storm was m^re difficult for Lear to encoun- ter than the tempest of which he had so loudly complained ; the balls taking every direction, he was obliged to skip about like the man who dances the egg horn- pipe : the fiddlers, alarmed for their catgut, hurried out of the orchesti'a, and, to crown this scene of glorious confusion, the sprawl- ing thunderer lay prostrate in sight of the audience, like another Sal- Hioneus. Lee, Nathaniel, a very emi- nent dramatic poet of the seven- teenth century, was the son of Dr. Lee, minister of Hatfield, who gave him a liberal education. He re- ceived his first rudiments of learn- ing at Westminster school, from whence he went to Trinity Col- lege, Cambridge, where he was admitted a scholar bn the founda- tion, in IddS. He commenced B. A. the same year, but, not succeeding to a fellowship, he tried to push his fortune at court. He was not long, however, in this pursuit ; for, meeting with no sub- stantial favours, he determined to try his talents on the stage ; and accordingly, in the year 1672, made his appearance at the Duke's L t L Theatrc,_in the character of Dun- can in Davenant's alteration of Macbeth. Cibber says, he " was " so pathetic a reader of his own " scenes, that I have be^n in- " formed by an actor who was " present, that while Lee was " reading to Major Mohun, at a " rehearsal, JVIohun, in the warmth " of his admiration, threw down " his p;irt, and said, Unless I were " able to plav it as well as you " read it, to what purpose should " I u'.xlertake it? And yet (con- " tinues the laureat) this very " author, whose elocution raised '•' such admiration in so capital an " actor, when he attempted to be " an actor himself, soon quitted " the stage in an honest despair " of ever makiug any profitable " figure there." In 1075, his first play appeared ; and he wrote nine plays, besides two in which he joined with Dryden, between that period and the year l684, on the nth of November of which he was taken into Bedlam, where he continued four years. All his tragedies contain a very great portion of true poetic enthusiasm. None ever felt the passion of love more truly ; nor could any one describe it with more tenderness. Addison commends his geniui highly ; observing that none of our English poets had a happier turn for tragedy, although his na- tural fire and unbridled impetuosity hurried him beyond all bounds of probability, and sometimes were^ quite out of nature. The truth is, the poet's imagination ran away with his reason. While in Bedlam, he made that famous witty reply to a coxcomb scribbler who had the cruelty to jeer him with his misfortune, by observing that it was an easy thing to write like a madman : "No (said Lee) it is 449 LEE ^' not an easy thing to write like a " madman ; but it is very easy to " write /ike a fool.'' Lee had the good fortune to re- cover the use of his reason so far as to be discharged from his me- lancho])' confinement ; but he did not long survive his enlargement, dying in the year I691, or 1692. Oldysj in his MS. notes, says that our author " returning one night " from the Bear and Harrow, in *' Butcher Row, through Clare *' Market, to his lodgings in Duke "■ Street, overladen with wine, he " fell down on the ground, as " some say, according to others, " on a bulk, and was killed or " stifled in the snov/. He was " buried in the parish church of " St. Clement's Danes, aged about " thirty-five years." His dramatic pieces are : 1. Nero, Emperor of Rome. T. 4to. 1675. 2. Sophonisha ; or, HajinihaVs Overthrow. T. 4to. 1676. 3. Gloriana; or. The Court of Augustus Ccesar. T. 4to. 1676. 4. The Rival Queens ; or, 7^he Death of Alexander the Great. T. 4to. 1677. 5. Mithridales, King of Pont us. T. 4to. 1678. 6. Theodosius ; or. The Force of hove. T. 4to. 168O. 7. CcBsar Borgia. T. 4to. l6S0. 8. Lucius Junius Brutus. T. 4to. 168I. 9. Constantine the Great. T. 4to. 1684. 10. The Princess ofCIeve. T. C. 4to. 16S9. 11. The Massacre of Paris. T. 4to. 1690. Besides the above tragedies, Lee was concerned with Dryden in writing, 12. The Duke of Guise, iQSS"; and that other excellent tragedy, entitled, vol., I, L E F 13. CEdipus, 1679. His Theodosius and Alexarider the Great were till lately both stock- plays ; and to this day the latter is .acted with great applause. The late Mr. Barry was particularly fortunate in the character of the Macedonian Hero. The only portrait that we ever saw of Lee was given in The Monthly Mirror, vol. xiii. Lee, Robert, wrote The Miller. Play, I59S, N. P. Lee, R. G. was author of The Ransom of Maiiiila. H. P. Svo. 1793. Lee, Sophia, is eldest daugh- ter of the Mr. John Lee before mentioned ; and, soxry we were to observe, from the spirit which discovered itself in the preface to her first dramatic performance, that she seemed to possess much of her father's petulance and iras- cibility. Justice, however, calls upon us to declare, that the play exhibited a degree of merit which promised much future entertain- ment to the public. It was en- titled, 1. The Chapter nf Accidents. C. Svo. 17S0i and has been follow- ed by, 2. Almeyda. T. Svo. 1796. 3. The Assisnalion. C, I8O7. N. P, Besides the dramas that we have mentioned. Miss Lee is author of an elegant novel, called The Recess. This lady, with her sister Har- riet, before noticed, opened a school, called Belvidere House, at Bath, soon after the death of her father, which they have conducted with great ability and credit, Lefanu, Peter, wrote Smock Alley Secrets. Oc. Prel. 177s. N. P. He is also said to be the author of some other dramatic pieces, a few 6 G 450 L E 1 CDpies of which were printed for friends, but never published — We are not able to name any of them. Leftly, Charles, Of this gentleman we have no other know- ledge than as author of, 1. A Masque. 1802, 2. TheCorsicans. [Unfinished.] 3. The Sylph. Dram. Rom. N. P. Legge, Thomas. This author was born at Norwich, and became a member of Trinity and Jesus Colleges, in Cambridge, in both which houses he acquired a con- siderable reputation as a dramatic writer. He was afterwards made the second master of Gonvil and Caius College, was a doctor in the Court of Arches, one of the mas- ters in Chancery, the King's law professor, and twice vice-chancel- lor of Cambridge. He died in July 1607, aged 72, having writ- ten two plays, which were acted at Cambridge with great applause, entitled, 1 . The Des I ruction of Jerusalem. 2. The Life nf King Richard the Third. Neither of these is printed. Le Grys, Sir Robert, is men- tioned in an entry in the book of the Stationers' Company, the 29th of June l6t30, as the author of one play, called Nothing impossible to Love. T.C. He was one of King Charles the First's courtiers, and translator, by the Kind's command, of Bar- clay's Argenis, 4to. 1029. Leigh, John, was an actor, but of no very great eminence, and therefore should be distin- guished from the great Leigh, who was contemporary with Underbill, Betterton, &:c. He was a native of Ireland, and made his first thea- trical e'^say on the stage in Dublin. From thence he came over to L E N London, where, from his having the advantage of a good figure and genteel address (which gained him the appellation of //onc/ioweLe/ifA^ he was engaged by Mr. Rich, in a company with which, in the year 171'ij he opened the Theatre Royal in Lincoln's Lin Fields. But, though he continued on the stage for twelve years after, he made no considerable advances towards theatrical excellence. He died in 1/26, in the 37th year of his age, and left behind him two dramatic pieces, entitled, 1. Kensington Gardens. Com. 8vo. 1720. 2. Hob's JVedding. Farce. 8vo. 1720. Leigh, Richard. This gen- tleman, who, we understand, is a very respectable magistrate at Bexley, in Kent, has produced one dramatic piece, entitled Grieving' s a Folly. C, 8vo. I8O9. Lennox, Charlotte, a lady much distinguished for literary merit, and who had the honour of being the protegee of Dr. Sa- muel Johnson. Her maiden name was Ramsay ; and her father, a field-officer, and lieutenant-gover- nor of New York, sent her over to England, at fifteen, to a wealthy aunt, who desired to have herj but who, unfortunately, on the arrival of her niece, was out of her senses, and never recovered them ; immediately after which, the father died ; and the daughter from that time supported herself by her literary talents. She pub- lished, so early as 1752, The Fe- male Quixote, and Memoirs of Harriet Stuart. In the former of these novels, the character of Ara- bella is the counterpart of Don Quixote ; and the work was very favourably received. In the fol- 451 L E N lowing yf>ar she published Shak- speare Itlustrated, in two volumes, l2mo. to which she soon after- wards added a third. This work consists of the novels and histories on which the plays of Shaksjieare are founded, collected and trans- lated from the original authors ; to which are added critical notes, intended to prove that Shakspeare has generally spoiled every story on which his plays are founded, by torturing them into low con- trivances, absurd inrrigues, and improbable incidents. In I756 Mrs. Lennox published The Me- moirs of the Counte'is of Berci, taken from the French, 2 vols. 12mo. and Sulhfs Memoirs, trans- lated, 3 vols. 4to, which have since been frequently reprinted, in 8vo. and the work is ext-cuted with great ability. In 1/58 she produced Henrietta, a novel of considerable merit, 2 vols. 12mo. ; and, in 176O, with the assistance of the Earl of Cork and Orrery, and Dr. Samuel Johnson, she published a translation of Father Brumoy's Greek Theatre, 3 vols, 4to. ; the merit of which varies very materially in different parts of the work. Two years after, she published Sophia, a novel, 2 vols. ]2mo. which is inferior to her earlier performances. To these she afterwards added Euphemia, a novel, 1790^ 4 vols. 12mo. Her success in the dramatic walk was not equal to what she experienced in her other works. Her plays are entitled, 1. Philander. Dr. Piece. 8vo. 1757. 2. The Sister. C. Svo. 1769, 3. Old City Manners. C. al- tered. Svo. 1775. Mrs. Lennox died Jan. 4, 1904, aged 84. The latter part of her life was clouded by sickness and LEV penury ; her chief support being derived from The Literiry Fund. Lesley, George. From a de- dication by this author to the E ,rl of Westmorland, wherein he men- tions his work as the frozen con- ception of one born in a cold climate, we im:igine that he was a native of Scotland Hf was rector ofWittering,i(iNorth;itr.ptonshire, and wrote three pieces, which, though they have a drunatic form, hf' styles only Divine Diidogues. They are entitled, 1 . Dives' Doom ; or. The Rich Maris Misery. 2. Fire and Brim •stone; or. The Destruction ofSndom. 3. Abraham's Faith, bvo. 16755 1684 The dates nf the dedications are Jan. 7, IS75. and June 14, 1676. Levekidge, Richard Of the country or parentage of this gen- tleman we are entirely ionnrant. Being possessed of a deep atid fiim bass voice, he became very early in life a retainer to the theatres. Sir John Hawkins savs, he per- formed the part of isnferon in Dryden's (he menns Howard's) tragedy of The Indian Queen, and in it sung that fine song, " Ye •* twice ten hundred deities," com- posed by Pnrcell on purpose for him. When ihe theatre in Lin- coln's Inn Fields was o; enrd. he became one of Mr. R'ch's com- pany, and continued to nerrorm therein wMle he remainti' on the stage. About the year 172(3, he opened a coffee-house in Tivislock Street, and published a ("ollection of hissoncfs^ in two pocket volumes, neatly ei. graved. " Being a man ' " (says Sir John Hawkins) of ra- " ther coarse manners and able to " drink a great deal, he was by " some thought a good compar.ioa. " Tiie humour of his songs, and GG 2 452 LEW '< indeed of his conversation, con- " sisted in exhortations to despise " riches, and the means of attain- " ing them ; to drown care by " drinking ; to enjoy the present " hour, and to set reflection and "death at defiance. With such " a disposition as this, Leveridge " could not fail to be a welcome " visitor at all clubs and assem- " blies, where the avowed pur- "■ pose of meeting was an oblivion *' of care ; and being ever ready " to contribute to the promotion " of social mirth, he made himself " many friends, from whose bounty " he derived all the comforts that " in an extreme old age he was " capable of enjoying. A physi- " cian in the city procured from a *' number of persons an annual " contribution for his support, " which he continued to receive " until his death." He died 22d of March 1753, at the age of 88 years. He produced Pyramus and Thishe. C. M. 12mo. 1716. Lewis, David. This gentle- man, according to Whincop, was living in the year 1747- The same writer also informs us, that he was favoured with the esteem and friendship of Mr. Pope, to whom he . dedicated his only dramatic piece, entitled Philip of Macedon. Trag. 8vo. 1727. Lewis, Edward, M. A. Of this gentleman we know no more than that he is author of The Italian Husband; or. The violated Bed avenged ; a Moral Dram. 8vo. 1754. We suspect him, however, to be the same Edward Lewis, M.A. who, in the year 1769. published a work, entitled The Patriot King diiplaycd, in ike Life and Reign of Henry the Eightli , Kiii^of England: LEW Time of his from the Time of his Quarrell with the Pope to his Death. Print- ed for Edward and Charles Dilly, in the Poultry. In the title-page to this performance, he styles himself rector of Waterstock and Emington, fn Oxfordshire. We would, if possible, avoid leading our readers into mistakes ; and yet it is natural for us to suppose the author of the most ridiculous of all dramatic performances, might likewise have written the absurdest of all historical productions j espe- cially when there occurs such a coincidence between dates and names. The tendency of the lat- ter piece is, to represent our lewd and sanguinary tyrant, Henry the Eighth, as an exemplar of chastity and mercy. Lewis, Matthew Gregoky, is son of the Deputy Secretary at War, and was born about the year J 774. For the amusement of his leisure hours, while on his travels, he wrote a romance, call- ed The Monk, which was publish- ed in 3 vols. 1795, when he was but just turned of twenty-one years of age. As a literal y production, we grant, it displayed great genius and talent, and some of the poetry was exquisite ; but sorry we are to say, that it was disgraced by its outrages on decency and propriety, and very censurable on the score of of- fence against the Scriptures : yet at the time of its publication, the author was a member oi^"the House of Commons J an elected guardian and defender of the laws, the re- ligion, and the morals of the country. These observations ap- ply, we should observe, to the first edition ; for we believe that the author was induced, by the severity of censure, to remove some of the most offensive pas- sages in the second, or a subse* 453 I 1 t quent impression. As a dramatist, his productions are as follow ; 1. Fi/lage Firtues. Dr. Sat. 4to. 1796. 2. The Minister. T. 8vo. 1797, 3. The Castle Spectre. D. 8vo. 1798. 4. Rolla. T. Svo. J 799. 5. r/ze T«^/«5. F. 1799. N.P. 6. The East Irulian. C. Svo. IQOO. 7. y^c/dworw.Rom.Dr.8vo.l801. 8. Alfonso. T. 8vo. 1801. 9. r/ie Captive. Monodrama. 1803. N. P. 10. The Harper s Daughter. T. 1603. N. P. 11. Rugantino. Mel. Dr. Svo. 1605. \2. Jddgitha. P. Svo. ISOo. 13. The JFood Dcemon. Rom. Mel. Dram. [Songs only printed, Svo. ISO/.] 14. Venoni. D. Svo. I8O9. LiLLO, George, was by pro- fession a jeweller, and was born in tbe neiglibourhood of Moorgate, in London, on the 4th of Feb. 1693} in which neighbourhood he pursued his occupation for many years, with the fairest and most un- blemished character. He was bred up in the principles of the Pro- testant dissenters 5 but let his reli- gious tenets have been what they would, he would have been an ho- nour to any sect he had adhered to. He was strongly attached to the Muses, yet seemed to have laid it down as a maxim, that the de- votion paid to them ought always to tend to the promotion of virtue, morality, and religion. In pur- suance of this aim, Mr. Lillo was happy in the choice of his subjects, and showed great power of aliect- ing the heart, by working up the passions to such a height, as to -render the distresses of common and dome.stic life equally in- teresting to the auditncea as thoje L I L of kings and heroes; and the ruin brought on private families by an indulgence of avarice, lust, &c. as the havock inade in states and empires by ambition, cruelty, or tyranny. His George Barnwell, Fatal Curiosity, snA Arden of Fe- versham, are all planned on com- mon and well-known stories ; yet they have perhaps more frequently drawn tears from an audience, than the more pompous tragedies of Alexander the Great, All for Love, &c. particularly the first of them, which, being founded on a well-known old ballad, many of the critics of that time, who went to the first representation of it, formed so contemptuous an idea of the piece in their expectations, that they purchased the ballad (some thousands of which were used in one day on this account), in order to draw comparisons be- tween that and the play. But the merit of the play soon got the better of this contempt, and pre- sented them with scenes written so truly to the heart, that they were compelled to subscribe to their power, and drop their ballads to take up their handkerchiefs. Mr. Lillo, as we before observed, has been happy in the choice of his subjects ; his conduct in the management of them is no less meritorious, and his pathos very great. If there is any fault to be objected to his writings, it is, that .sometimes he affects an elevation of style somewhat above the sim- plicity of his subject, and the sup- posed rank of his characters ; but the custom of tragedy will stand in some degree of excuse for this; and a still better argument perhaps may be admitted in vindication, not only of our present author, but of other writers in the like predica- ment ; which is, thst even natur<> 4o4 L I L itself will justify this concinct; since we find even tl,e most humble cha''acter.s in real life, when under peculiar ciicumstances of diitress, or actuated by the influence of any viiilent passions, will at times be elevat'd to an aptness of expres- sion, and power of language, not only greatly superior to themselves, but even to the general language and con V ei sat ion of persons of m uch higher rank in iife, and of rainds more perf^-ctly caltivated. In the prologue to Ehnerick, wliich was not a.cted until after the author's death, it is said, that when he wrote that i)la\' he was depressed by want, and ::fflicted i)y disease; but in the foimer particular there appears tf) he evidently a mistake; as he died pf)ssessed of an e.-tate of 60/ per annum, besides other ef- fects to a considerable value. A late editor of his v/orks (Mr. Da- vies), in two volumes, i2mo. 1775, relates the following story of his author, which howevef we cannot think adapted to convey any fa- vourable ifnpression of the person of whom it is told : " Towards the '' latter part of his life, Mr. Lillo, " whether from judgment or hu- " mour, determined to put the " sinct-rity of his friends, who " professed a very high regard for " him, to a trial. In order to *' carry on this design, he put in " practice an odd kind of strata- '' gem : he asked one of his inti- " mate ac(]ualntance to lend him <' a considerable sum of money, " and for th's he declared he would <' give no bond, nor any other " security, except a note of hand; " the person to whom he applied, " not liking the terms, civilly re- " fused him. " Soon after, Lillo met his ne- *' phew, Mr. Underwood, with " whom he had been at variance L I L " for sorne time. He put the same " question to him, desiring him to " lend him money upoji the same " terms. His nephew, either from " a sagacious apprehension of his " uncle's real intention, or from **■ generosity of spirit, immediately " offered to comply with his re- " quest. Lillo was so well plea?ed " with this ready compliance of " Mr. Underwood, that he imine- '' diately declared that he was " fully satisfied with the love and " regard that his nephew bjre " him ; he was convinced that his " friendship was eruirely disiute- *■' rested, and assured him that he ** should reap the benefit such ge- " nerous beha\iour deserved. In " consequence of tliis promise, he " bequeathed him the bulk of his " fortune." The same writer says, that Lillo in his person was lusty, but not tall ; and of a pleasirg aspect, though unhappily deprived of th% sight of one eye. Our author died Sept. 3, 1739, in the 47th year of his age ; and, a few months after his death, Henry Fielding printed the fol- lowing character of him in Ths Champion : " He had a perfect " knowledge of human nature, " though his contempt of all base " means of application, which are " the necessary steps to great ac- *' quaiiitance, restrained his con- " versation within very narrovtr ** bounds. He had the spirit of " an old Roman, joined to the in- " nucence of a primitiveChristian; " he was content with his littlQ " state of life, in whicii his exceU '^ lent temper of mind gave hitn *' an happiness beyond the power '* of riches; and it was necessary " for his friends to ])ave a sharp " insight into his want of their " services, as well as good iaclina- 455 L I L L I N ♦' tion or abilities to sen'e him. " In short, he was one of the best " of men, and those who knew " him best will most regret his " loss." Wbincop (or the compiler of the list of plays affixed to his Scander- leg) has indeed spoken but slight- ingly of his genius, on account of some little sort of rivalship and pique subsisting between that gen- tleman and our author with re- spect to a tragedy of the latter's, entitled The Christian Hero, writ- ten on the same story with the Scanderbeg of the foi'mer. Not- withstanding which, under the sanction not only of the success of his pieces, but also of the com- mendations bestowed on them by Mr. Pope, and other indisputable judges, we shall venture to affirm that Mr. Lillo is far from standing in the lowest rank of merit (how- ever he may be ranged with re- spect to fame) among our dramatic writers. His performances are eight in . number, and their titles as fol- low: 1. Silvia; or. The Country Bu' rial. O. 8vo. 1731. 2. The London Merchant; or. The History of George BarniuelL T. Svo. 1731. 3. The Christian Hero. T. Svo. N. D. [1734.] 4. The Fatal Curiosity. T. Svo. J737. 5. Marina. P. Svo. 173S. 6. Britannia and Batavia. M. fivo. 1740, 7. Elmeiick ; or. Justice Trium- phant. T. Svo. 1740. S. Arden of Fever sham. T. 12mo. J762, In the proposals for publishing Lillo's works in 1/73, besides the above, was contained one piece, called The Regulators. C. then said to be existing in MS. Mr. Davies's edition of his works, in two small volumes, pub- lished at Qs. had lately become so very scarce, that two guineas were commonly asked for a copy j when Mr. Lowndes, in ISIO, reprinted and published them at a reason- able rate. Previously to this pub- lication, the bookseller whom we have mentioned made every pos- sible inquiry, by public adverlise- ment and otherwise, after The Regulators; and as he was un- successful, we may be allowed to doubt its existence. LiNDOE, . An actor in the Newcastle Company, who wrote Forget and Forgive. Com. 1 804. Lindsay, Sia David, was descended of an ancient family, and born in the reign of King James IV. at his father's seat, called the Mount, near Coupar, in Fifeshire. He was educated at the university of St. Andrews 3 and, after making the tour of Europe, returned to Scotland in the year 1514. Soon after his arrival, he was appointed gentleman of the bedchamber to the King, and tutor to the young Prince, after- wards James V. From the verses prefixed to his Dream, we learn that he enjoyed several other ho- nourable employments at court ; but, being supposed to favour the Keformation, he fell into disgrace, and, 1533, was deprived of all his places, except that of lion king at arms, which he held to the time of his death. After the decease of King James V. Sir David Lindsay be- came a favourite of the Earl of Arran, regent of Scotland ; but the abbot of Paisley did not suffer him to continue long in favour with the Earl, He then retired to o g4 456 t I N Ills paternal estate, and spent the remainder of l)is dnys in rural tranquillity. He died in the year 1553. His claim to a place in this work is on the score of a few dramatic pieces still preser\ed in MS. (and, as we think, in the Advocates' library, at Edinburgh), and peihai^s on account of others n.cntioiied in a prefatory adver- tisement to his poems. As the book is uncommonly scarce, we shall set down the title of it ; as veil as an extract, in support of the latter part of our assertion. The IVarkis of the. famous and vdith'ie Kn'icht Scliir David Lynde- nay of the Mont, alias Lyonn King of Armes. JSiewIy correctit and vindicate from the former Errouris, qunairu'ith. Ihay war tefoir cor- rnptit : mid augmentit uith sii,die IVarkis rjuhilk icas not lefoir ini- preiitit. Newlieimproitit be Johne Scot, at the Expensis of Henrie Charteris, and ar to he sauld in his Bueth, on the North Syde of the Gait abone the Throne. 4to. 1568. From the Printer's Advertisement to the Reader: " Na les ernist and vehement " was he aganis thame in his •' fairsis and publict playisquhairin " he was verray craftie and excel- " lent. Sic ane spring he gaif " yame, in the play playit beside '■' Edinburgh, in presence of the *' Quecne Regent and ane greit " part of the nobilitie, with ane *' exceeding greit nommer of pe- " pill lestand fra ix houris afoir " none till vi houris at evin ; *' qiiliair amangis mony baith g,rave *' materis and merie trikkis he ** brochtinanebischop,anepersone, '• ane freir, and ane nun, deckit " up in tliair Papistic?.ll orname'tis " and nianer of rayment. And " Lliairefter brocht in King Cor- rectioun quha reforuiand sindrie L I U " deformities in his realme, passit " to the tryall of his clergie. And " findand thame to be altogidder " idiot is, un wort hie of ony func- " tioun ecclesiasticall, decernit '* thame to be degradit of thair " digniteis and spulzeit of thair " offices : quhilk beand executit, " and thay denudit of thair up- " maist garmentis, thay war fund " bot verray fulis, hypocrites, flat- " teraris, and nouchtie persones." !Many of the pieces contained in this collection were written by order of James V. Such is " The " Answere which Sir David Linde- " say made to the King's Flyling." This alliterative rhapsody begins — " Redoubted Roy, your rag- " ment I have read :" and the book concludes with tbe following words : " Quod Lindesay at the " command of James V." Mackenzie tells us, that our au- thor's comedies were so facetious, that they afforded abundance of minh. The same writer also says, that Sir David wrote several tra- gedies, and was the first who in- troduced dramatic poetry into Scotland. One of his comedies was played in l6l5 ; but he is de- clared to have understood nothing of the rules of the theatre. His licentious use of words oc- casioned the Scots proverb, when any unusual expression is made use of, that " there is nae sic a word " in a' Davie Lindsay." There is in print of his, A Play. 4to. l602; 8vo. 1792; consisting of eight interludes, viz. The Auld Man and his Wife. Flattery, Deceit, and Falsehood^ mislead King Humanitye. Humariity and Sensuality, Parliament of Correction. The Puirman and the Pardoiiaf^ The Punishment of the Fices^ Sermon of Folly. 457 L J. O The Three Vices overcome Truth and Chastity. LiNLEY, William, son of ihe celebrated composer who had a share in the Theiitre Rojal, D'-ury Lane, in conjunction with Mr. Sheridan and Dr. Ford ((he former of whom became his son-in-law), is author of, 1. The Honey Moon. C. O. 1797. 2. The Pavilion. M. E. Songs only, Svo. 1799. Afterwards al- tered, and called, 3. The Ring. M. E. Svo. 1800. He is himself a composer, and possesses much of his father's taste and melody ; but as a dramatist he has had no success. LiNNECAR, Richard, a resi- dent at Wakefield, in Yorkshire, who published by subscription, in Svo. 1789> a volume consisting of poems, and the following drama- tic pieces : 1. The Generous Moor. T. 2. The Lucky Escape. C. 3. Plotting iVives. C. Lloyd, . An actor in the York company. He had received a good education, and was design- ed for the church ; but preferred the life of a player. Finally, ho turned book-builder, and figured away as a most complete genuine, impartial, authentic, general, ori- ginal, universal writer, for Mr, Cooke, of Paternoster Row ; in whose house he died about five years ago. He wrote A Continua- tion of Hume's History of England, for Mr. Cooke ; but has entitled himself to a niche in the present W'ork, by being the reducer of fxwe in the City to a farce, called The Romp. 8vo. 1789, Lloyd, Hannibal Evans, translated from the German of Iffland, The f^e^hews. V, Svo. 1799. L L O Lloyd, Robert, was the son of Dr. Peirson Lloyd, and was formerly one of the ushers of Westminster school. He was au- thor of a poem called The Actor, which not only gave proofs of great judgment in the subject he was treating of, but had also the merit of smooth versification and great strength of poetry. Jn the beginning of the poetical war which for some time raged among the wits of his age, and to which the celebrated Rosciad sounded the first charge, Mr. Lloyd was suspected to be the author of that poem. From that imputation, how- ever, he exculpated himself by aq advertisement in the public pa- pers ; on which occasion the real author, Mr. Churchill, boldl/ stepped forth, and in the same public manner declared himself, and drew on that torrent of Anti^ Rosciads, Apologies, Murphiads, Churchilliads, Examiners, &c. which for a long time kept up the attention and employed the ge- niuses of the greater part of the critical world. Mr. Lloyd was some time of the university of pambridge, where he took the degree of M. A. After he quitted his place of usher of Westminster school, he relied en- tirely on his pen for subsistence; but being of a thoughtless and ex- travagant disposition, he soon made himself liable to debts which he was unable 10 answer. In con- sequence of this situation he was confined in the Fleet Prison, where he depended for support almost wholly on the bounty and gene- rosity of his friend Churchill, whose kindness to him continued undi- minished during all his necessities^ On the death of this his liberal benefactor, Mr. Lloyd sunk into a state of despondency, whic^ put 458 L O C an end to his existence on the 15th of December lyd-i, in less than a month after he was informed of the loss of Mr. Churchill. Mr. Wilkes says, that " Mr. " Lloyd was mild and atFable in " private life, of gentle manners, *' and very engaging in conversa- *' tion. He was an excellent scho- " lar, and an easy natural poet. " His peculiar excellence was the " dressing up an old thought in a *' new, neat, snd trim manner. " He was contented to scamper " round the foot of Parnassus on " his little Welch poney, which " seems never to have tired. He *' left the fury of the winged steed *' and the daring heights of the *' sacred mountain to the sublime " genius of his iViend Churchill." As a dramatic writer his fame was not very gi^eat. The follow- ing is a list of his works : 1. The Tears and Triuvrphs of Parnassus. 4to. 176O. 2. Arcadia ; or. The Shepherd's Wtdding. D. P. Svo. 1761. 3. The New School for Women. C. Printed in The St. Javms Maga- zine, 1762. 4. The Death of Adam. T. 12mo. 1763. 5. The Capricious Lovers. CO. Svo. 1764. LocKMAN, John, was secre- tary to the British Herring Fishery. His poetical talents seem not to have been very extensive ; as the greater part of what he has fa- voured the world with of that sort, has been only a few songs, odes, &c. written on temporary subjects, and intended to receive the ad- vantage of musical composition before they reached the public. We find, however, two pieces of the dramatic kind, both of them designed to be set to music, but only the second of ihemj we be- L O D lieve, ever performed. They arc entitled, 1. Rosalinda. M. D. 4to. 1740. 2. David's Lavientaiion. Orat. 4to. 1740. Mr. Lockman had been con- cerned in several translations and corapilements of very considerable works; particularly The General Dictionary, and Blainville's Tra- vets: but, what is more to his praise, he was a man of the most scrupulous integrity. In conver- sation he had some humour; but as for his attempts to excite merri- ment on paper, they were in- deed wretchedly unsuccessful. See, reader (if thou canst find it), a controversial pamphlet written by him in reply to one Neime, an officer belonging likewise to the Herring Fishery. Poor Lockman, hpwever, was in himself so inof- fensive a being, that all who knew" him, when they heard of his death, expressed their concern at having lost him. He died the 2d of February 1/71. Lodge, Thoivias, M. D. The family from which this gentleman was descended had its residence in Lincolnshire ; but whether the Doctor himself was born there, seems not very easy to be ascer- tained. Langbaine and Jacob, and after them Whincop and Cbet- wood, who in the general are little more than copiers, run into the mistake of giving this gentleman his education at the university of Cambridge; whereas Wood in- forms us, that it was at Oxford he was educated, where he made his first appearance about 1573, and was afterwards a scholar under the learned Dr. Hobye, of Trinity College. Here he made very con-t siderable advances in learning, de.» dicated some time to reading tha 439 L O D poels of antiquity, and having him- self" a turn to poetry, more espe- cially of the satirical kind, his genius soon rendered itself conspi- cuous in various compositions of thar nature, and obtained him no ^nr()n^iderable reputation as a wit ar.d poet. However. Mr. L(>dge being very sensible of the barren- ness of the soil thron2;hout the whole neighbourhood of Parnassus, and liow seldo n the study of po- eMy } ^elds a competent provision to its professors, very prudently co'is'dered it as only an amusement for leisure hours, a relaxation from nnort- important labours; and there- fore, afier having taken one de- grt-e ill aits, applied himself with great assiduitv to the more profit- able study of physic ; for the im- provement of which he tvent abroad, and, after staying a suffi- cit-nt tmie at Avignon to be en- titled to the degree of doctor in that university, he retvnned, and, in the latter end of Queen Eliza- beth's reign, was incorporated in the university of Cambridge. He afterwards settled in London, where, by his skill, and interest with the Roman Catholic party, in which persuasi m it is said he was brought up, he met with good success, and came into great prac- tice. In what year Dr. Lodge was boin does not evidently appear j but he died in l625, and had tri- butes paid to his memory by many of his contemporary poets, who have characterized him as a man of very considerable genius. His dramatic works are as fol- Jow : r. Wounds of Civil War. T. 4to. \5gA. 2. A Looking-glass for London and England. T. C. 4to. 1594, M^iste^ hy Robert Qreen.) LOG Wins'anley and Ant. Wood have named four more dramatic pieces, besides the tirst of the two above named, which they assert to have been written by this author, in conjunction with Robert Green, viz. Lady yflimony. C. Laivs of Nature. C. Liberalitie and Prodigalitie. C. Luminalia. M. 4to. lt)37. But thelirst three of these, though they might be brought to agree in point of time, yet are all printed anonymously: and, as to the last, it was written on a particular occa- sion, and that not till two years after Dr. Lodge's death, and full thirty-tive after that of Robert Green . Logan, John, was born at Soutra, in the parish of Fala, coun- ty of Mid-Lothian, in the year 1748. His father, George Logan, was then a farmer at that place ; buC afterwards removed to Goss- ford, the seat of the present Earl of Wemyss, in the county of East- Lothian, His mother, Janet "Wa- terston, was daughter of John Waterston, who resided in the pa- rish of Stowe, Both parents be- longed to that class of the Scottish dissenters who call themselves burgher- seceders; and were equal- ly distinguished by the unblemish- ed rectitude of their conduct, the sincerity of their piety, and the benevolence of their hearts. They had two sons, of whom John was the younger. The care of the farm, in consequence of the fa- ther being killed by accident as he was returning from Edinburgh, de- volved upon the elder brother; which, however, he soon quitted, and betook himself to the study of medicine. He afterwards went to America as a surgeon, where he 4ied about tlie year 17S5. 460 LOG Jolin gave early proofs of thnt euperiorily cf genius by which he was afterwards so remarlsably dis- tinguished ; and his parents, wilh an alacrity that deserves imitation, festered his love of learning, and resolved to educate him for the clerical profession. Having received all the inform- ation and erudition which the pa- tocbial school could alTord, he vyent to the university of Edinburgh, where he prosecuted the usual academical studies with uncom- mon diligence and success. In the study of the Greek and Ixoman classics he made singular profici- ency, and imbibed that taste for simplicity and elegance in writing which characterizes all his pro- ductions. In the prosecution of the physical and moral sciences be was remarkable for the same assi- duous attenlion and unremitting perseverance ; of the latter, in particular, he has displayed his acquirements as an historian and a preacher. He afterwards applied himself to the important and in- teresting study of theology, and, after being satisfied (as every dis- passionate inquirer will be) of the validity of that evidence by which the truth of our holy religion is supported, he exerted his powers in acquiring that stock of profes- sional knowledge which fitted him for making such a distinguished figure as a preacher of the gospel. Daring this period, a friendship between Mr. Logan and Dr. Ro- bertson (late of Dalmeney) com- menced, which continued through life with undiminished aflfeclion, and uncontaminated with that jea- lousy which is too common among men of genius. Michael Bruce, whose literary career was soon closed, was then a student at the university of Edinburgh; and the LOG similarity of their genius and pur- suits soon produced an intimacy, which continued till the poet of Lochleven dropped prematurely into the tomb. After the death of Bruce, Mr. Logan engaged with alacrity in preparing the poems he had left for the press: and in 1770 he published Poems on several Oc' casions,hy MichaflBruce; to which he added an account of the life and character of the author, and Some Poems written ly different Authors. After Mr. Logan had completed the course of theological learning which the laws of the Scottish church require of those who be- come candidates for her license, be was employed by Mr Sinclair, of Ulbster, in assisting the s'odies of his son, now Sir John Sinclair, Bnrt. Tlie condition of a dofnestic tutor, however, is perhaps not very comp:!tible with the proud and virtuous independence of genius j for though he may soothe hiip^eif with the fancied dignity of this station, and be pleased with tha civilities that are shown him on account of his learning, yet it is imjiossible to separnte from that condition the idea of dependence' and inferiority. In this ignoble station Logan was not destined long to remain. After undergoing the usual examination, and per- forming the exercises prescribed by the Itiws of the church, he -ob- tained license from the Presbytery of Edinburgh to preach the gospel. The fame of his eloquence soon spread, and he received an unani- mous call from the Kirk-session and Incorporations of South Leith to become one of the minister^s of that church and parish ; and he was accordingly ordained in the year 1/73. The duties of his mi-e ijisteri^l office he discl^arged m\)\ 461 LOG steadiness and fideliiy. While he attended his sacred and impoiiaiit duties as a fuuctionary of the church, he did not abandon the Muses, but spent his leisure hours in the cultivation of polite litera- ture in general, and of poetical composition in particular, for which nature had formed him with a powerful predilection. During the seiision of college ^yyQ-'^fi lie read a course of lec- tures on the philosophy of history, in St. Mary's chapel, Edinburgh ; an undertaking in which he was patronized by Principal Piobertson, Dr. Blair, and others eminent for their taste in literature, and their encouragement of genius. In 178I he published the substance of that part of his prelections which re- lated to ancient history, in one octavo volume, entitled Elements of the Philosophy of History. In the same year he gave to toe pub- lic a volume of poems, which were so favourably received, that a se- cond edition was «oon called for. Not only did he distinguish him- self in the beaten track of lyric and elegiac poetry, he also culti- vated the favour of the Tragic Muse J and accordingly, in l/SS, he wrote the tragedy of Runna- mede; which, however, was never acted (except once in Edinburgh), on account of certain references which it was supposed to have to the politics of those times. But although it was never applaudt-d in the theatre, yet it pleases in the closet, though unaccompanied with the magic charm of voice and ges- ture. Such disappointments could not fail to make a deep impression on his mind ; a:id they accordingly increased that melancholy to which he a as naturally subject; an eli'ect which every friend to genius must Aament, as it produced certain ir- L O V regularities in conduct rather ia^ congruous with the sacredness of the ministerial character. Hi* parishioners, who, it seems, could not distinguish between transiect deviations fiom the path of recti- tude and determined wickedness, were highly enraged, and perse- cuted, witii relentless fury, the man who had laboured with assi- duity for their good, and whose learning and talents had been de- voted for their improvement, Mr, Logan, foreseeing the storm that was gathering around him, per- ceived that it would be inexpedient for him to remain any lon altered from Vanbrugh, called The IFrav idling Lovers; or. Like Master like Man. F. 8vo. 1745. Printed ■^\. Edinbur":U. 4b7 M, IM A B 1>J« E. These initials stand to a dramatic piece published iu the reign of Ciiarles II. entitled Saint Cicily. Trag. But we cannot find out any known author of that time, with whose name the letters will correspond, or by whom, therefore, we can ■\vith any appeaj^ance of probability form a conjecture of its having been written. See Medbourn, Matthew. M , J. C. These initials are affixed to the translation of a tragedy of Schiller's, entitled Mary Stuart. Svo. [1801.] M. W. These letters stand in the titie-page of a dramatic piece, called The Female JTits. Com. 4to. 1697. Coxeter, in hir, remarks on Jacob, has altered wit.h his pen the letters of W.N. which that author (fol- lowing Gildon) had mentioned as belongIi\g to a piece, entitled The Huntington Divertisement. Interlude. 4to. 1678. to those at the head of tliis articje. We therefore imagine these to he the letters properly belonging to . it, and Jacob to have been in a mistake. Whincop, hov,'ever, has implicitly copied the W. N, from Jacob. Mabbe, James, was of a crood family in the county of Surry, and was born in the year 150"9. He *jvas sent to Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1585, and two years afterwards became a demy in that house. In \5Q5 he was chosen perpetual fellow, and took the de- gree of M. A. in 15y8. He had the honour to Jje one of the proc- ]\I A C tors of the university in iQoQ, and having studied the civil law, he, three years after, petitiolied the congregation of regents to be fa- voured with the degree of bache- lor of tiiat faculty. At length, he was taken into the service of Sir John Digby, Knt. afterwards Earl of Bristol, and was by him made his secretary when he went am- bassador into Spain, where he remained several years, improving himself in various sorts of learn- ing, and in the customs and man- ners of that and other countries. After his return into England, he was made one of the lay preben- daries of the cathedral church of Wells, being. then in orders^ and esteemed a learned man, a good orator, and a facetious-conceited wit. In 1042 he was living at Abbotsbury, in Dorsetshire, in the family of Sir John Strangeways, where he died soon afterwards, and was buried in the church be- longing to that place. He trans- lated Th". SpanisA Baivd, represented in. Ct'lcstina ; or, The Tragic Comrdy of Cali'sto ajid Alelilea.^t'ol . 1631. Macarthur, Samuel, was author of The Duke qfRoihsay. T. Svo. l/SO. Macartney, C. a provincial actor, wrote The Vow. C. O. Svo. N. D. He performed at Birmingham in 1800; where, after a short court- ship, he married Miss Minton, aged \5, who was then performing Avith the company. Macaulay, Johk. This gen- tleman, who is M. R. I. A. b 'sides H H 2 4CB MAC Vnanimity, a poem, and A Mono- dy on the Death of Lady Jrabeila. JDenny, produced The Genius oj' Ireland. M. 8vo. 1785. Mac Carthy, Charlotte, was the author of one perform- ance j published, apparently, with the view to introduce some propo- sals for printing a book, called Justice and Reason faithful Guides to Truth; which, however, we believe was never made public. It is entitled The Author and Bookseller. Dr. Piece. Svo. N. D. [1/65.] M'^DoNALD, Andrew, was born at Leith, the son of George Donald, a gardener there (the M^ was prefixed by our author on his coming to London). By the assist- ance of Bishop Forbes, of Leith, he received a liberal educatioii, and for some time had the charge of a chapel in Glasgow ; in which city he made his maiden essay in the novel way, by the publication of The Independent. He after- wards came to London, and wrote many ingenious pieces in the news- papers ; they were chiefly lively, satirical, and humorous, and his signature was Matthew Bramble. He was highly gifted with genius, and abundantly siored with scien- tific and classicil knowledge j but, for want of connexions in this kingdom, and proper opportunity to force his talents into notice, he struggled with great distress j and, in the 33d year of his age, died at Kentish Town, Aug. 22, l/gO, a victim to a lingering infirmity, leaving a wife and infant daughter in a state of extreme indigence. A volume of his Miscellaneous IVorks was published in Svo. 1/91 > in which we:e comprised the fol- lowing dramatic pieces : J.. The Fair Apostate, T. MAC 2. Love and Loyally. 0. 3. Princess of Tarenlo. C. 4. rimonda. T. Svo. l/b*-. Machin, Lewis. Concerning this author we find nothing upon record, but that he lived in the reign of King James L and wrote one dramatic piece, which we find reprinted in Dodsley's Culltction of Old Plays, entitled Tht Dumb Kmght, Com. 4to. lt50S. Mackenzie, Henky. This gentleman is a native of Scotland ; and, for the elegance of his writ- ings, has been sometimes called the Addison of the North. He commenced his career as an au- thor by the publication, in 1771> of The Man of Feeling, a novel. In the same year appeared his Pursuits (f Hdpfjiriess, a poem j which wag followed by The Man of the IVorld, and Julia de EoU' l-igne, novels. In 1779> when a society of literary gentlemen at Edinburgh came to the resolution of publishing a periodical paper, Mr. Mackenzie, then of the exchequer in that city, was intrusted witk the conduct of the work. His numerous papers in The Mirror, the first production of that society, are particularly distinguished for elegance and neatness. The Loun- ger succeeded, to which he like- wise contributed many excellent essays. In 179-^> our author edit- ed a quarto V(;lume of Poems ly the late Rev. Dr. 2hos. Blackhck, together ivith an Essay on the Edu- cation of the Blind, &c. In the dramatic wav, he is the author of, 1 . The Prince of Tunis. T. Svo. 1773. 2. The Shipwreck T. Svo. 1784. 3. The Force of Fashion. C. 1789. N. P. 4. The White Hypocrite. Com. Mackhn, Charles. This au- 469 MAC thorwas a native of Ireland, born, as we have been informed, in the county of West Meath, and that the name of his family was M'Laugh- lin ; which seeming somewhat uncouth to the pronunciation of an English tongue, he, on his coming upon the stage, anglicized it to that by which he was ever after- wards known. He is said to have been born as early as the 1st of May 16Q0, and, absconding from his mother, then a widow, came over to England in the year 1/06. He was presently seduced into a mar- riage with a publican's widow in the Borough ; but the circum- stance coming to the ears of his friends, the widow was compelled to resign him (on the ground of non-age), and he was sent hack to Ireland. Here forming an ac- quaintance with some nnder-gra- duates of Trinity College, Dabhn, he took up the employment of badgeman in that college; read much for the improvement of his mind, and remained in that menial situation till he arrived at the age of 21. He then again came to London, associated with the fre- quenters of Hockley in the Hole, made a connexion with a strolling company, played Harlequin ; and, after leading an extraordinary course of life, was again restored to his mother, and returned to his former station of badgeman in Trinity College. A third time, he quitted, and finally, his mother's superintendence, and arrived in England in 1716- He first joined a company of players at Bristol, then attached himself to several strolling companies, and after- wards made his entre at the the- atre in Lincoln's Inn Fields ; where his merit was first shown in a small character in Fielding's Coffee-hoiat' Politician t which in MAC the hands of any other performer would have gone unnoticed. For several seascsis he performed co- mic characters ; and on the lOlh of May 1/35, was unfortunate enough to kill Mr. Hallam, an actor in the same theatre with himself (Drury Lane), and who was grandfather to the present Mrs. Mattocks. The dispute ori- ginated about a wig, which Hat- lam had on in Fabian's Trick for Trick, and which the other claim- ed as his property ; and, in a ■warmth of temper, he raised his cane, and gave him a fatal stroke in the eye. He was brought to trial in consequence ; but no ma- licious intent appearing in evi- dence, he was acquitted.* On the 14th of February 1/41 he esta- blished his fame as an actor, in the character of Shylock, in The Merchant nf Fenice, and restored to thQ stage a play which had been forty years supplanted by Lord In who had been once his friend and adviser. Macklin had no inclination to be- come the 'scape-goat in this busi- ness ; and he urged Mr. G.irrick to abide by the articles of their agreement; by which it was cove- nanted, that neither of the con- tracting parties should accommo- date maiteis with the patentee without including the other, Mr. Garrlck could not but acknow- ledge ti.f justice of Macklin's plea ; he declared that he was ready to do all in his power to ful- fil his agreement ; but as the ma- nnper continued obstinate in his resolution to exclude Mr. Macklin, it cculd not rca.sonably be expect- ed that h-'.-bould, by an obsiinate persever.-ince In a desperate con- test, greiUlr injure his own for- ti.ne, and absolutely be the means of starving eia:ht or ten people, \vhose fate .lepended on his accom- ubdaiirig the dispuie with Fleet- wood. He offered Mr. Macklin the sun. , Macklin a weekly salary of 3/. These pro- posals were strenuously rejected by Macklin, who persisted in his claim of Mr. Garrick's absolutely fulfilling the tenour of their com- piict. Mr. Garrick, notwithstand- ing the perseverance of Macklin, accepted Fleetwood's proposals, and entered into covenant with him, for that season, at a very considerable income. His recep-; tion, however, in the part of Bayes (hehearsalj , was very disagreeable. When the curtain drew up, the playhouse showed more like a bear-garden than a Theatre Royal. The most terrible noises issued from boxes, pit, and galleries. Garrick, as soon as he entered, bowed very low several times, and entreated to be heard. Peas were, thrown upon the stage, and he was saluted with loud hisses, and continual cries of — Off! Off! This theatrical tempest lasted two nights. At last, the ardour of Macklin's party began to relax, and Garrick recovered the public favour. Mr. James Lacy, how- ever, who succeeded Fleetwood in the management, brought about a revolution in the theatre, in ] /'J/'S. He forgot all former dis- putes, and engaged Macklin and his wife at a very considerable sa- lary. In the spring of 174s, She- ridan, then manager of the Dublin theatre, offered our author and his wife 8COZ, per year, for two years, which he accepted, and they soon after landed in Dublin to perform their engagements. But Macklin's disposition to jealousy and dissatis- 471 M A C faction still prevailed ; for .scarce- ly had lie been a inontli in Dublin, when he began to rind ont, that the manager chose to perform «ra- , ge 'ies as well as comedies at his theaue; that his own name stood 4^11 laroer characters than his in the plav-bills ; and a variety of similar grievances ; not considering that his and his wife's salaries were tixed ;it all events for two years ; and that any reason.ible arrange- ment wiiich the manager might adopt for his own emolument would the better enable him to perform the contract : but consi- fleration was lost upon a man of Macklin's temper, when once re- solved ; he therefore gave a loose to his passions, which at last be- came so intolerable, that Sheridan determined to shut the doors of his theatre against both him and his wife. This, however, so far from bringing him to reason, provoked his irritability the more. He se- veral times presented himself at the stage door, but found no ad- mittance. He next .ient the ma- nager an attorney's letter, but received no answer. He then commenced a chanceryTSuit ; and, after- waiting tlie whole winter unemployed, he returned to Eng- land several hundred pounds mi- nus, and a snug lawsuit upon his shoulders into the bargain. On his return to En>;larij. he com- menced manager rt Chester for that season ; and in ihe winter was engaged at Covent Garden The- atre, where he performed Msrcu- tio. during the celebrated run of Riivfi^o and Juliet between the two houses. Towards the close of the year 1753, having obtained from ?irlr. Garrick the use of his theatre for that night, iSIacklin took a formal leave of the stage, in a prologue writcencn the occasion. MAC in which he introduced his daui^h- ter as an nctress to the prntectioQ oi the public. — What induced him to quit the stage in the full vig .ur of fame and constitution, Avas one of those schemes which he had long previously indulged him-.eJi" in, of suddenly making his fortune by the establishment i-f a tavern and coffee-house, in the Piazza, Covent Garden 3 to which he af- terwards added a school of oratory, upon a plan hitherto unknown in England, founded upon the Greek, Roman, French, and Italian so- cieties, under the title of Tk'3 Brills k Inquisition. The first part of this plan was opened on the 11th of March 1754, by 3 public ordinary (which was to be con- tinued every day at four o'clock, price three shillings), where every person was permitted to drink port, or claret, or whatever liquor lie should choose ; a bill of hre, it must be confessed, very encou- raging, even in those times, and which, from its cheapness and novelty, drew a considerable re- sort of company for some time ; generally consisting of wits, au- thors, players, templars, and lonng- ing men of the tov.-n. Of the other part of this plan, which he called The British Inr/uisitio?!, and which he opened on the 22d of November in the same year, it is impossible to think, without ascribing to the author a degree of vanity almost bordering on mad- ness. With very few qualitications as a critic, much success could not be augured from the lectures. The event turned out sgj as, in a little time, the few who resorted to his rooms gave up all ideas of irnprovement, and the whole as- sumed an air of burlesque ; whirh was still heightened by the gravity of Macklin, who, trusting to t[i&- H 11 4 4;2 M A C efficiency of his own powers, ap- peared every night inll dressed, dictating to the town in all the airs of superior intelligence. Foote stood at the head of the wits and laughers on this occasion. To a man of his hunaour, Macklin was as the dace to the pike, a sure prey. He accordingly made him his daily food for laughter and ri- dicule, by constantly attending his lectures, and, by his que^tibns, remarks, and repartees, kept the audience in a continual roar. Most people, except the projector, saw tlie seeds of a speedy dissolution in the very principles of this scheme. In the first place, it was upon a large and expensive scale, and quite novel in this country 5 it, therefore, not only required a greater capital than Macklin was master of, but much greater ta- lents ; as he had neither learning, reading, figure, nor elocution, for the oratorical part ; nor assiduity, knowledge, or temper, for keep- ing a cofl'ee-house and tavern. While he amused himself vvith drilling his waiters, or fitting him- self for the rostrum, by poring over the Atheni;in Oracle, or Par- liamentary Debates, his waiters, in return, were robbing him in all directions ; his cook generally went to market for him, and his principal waiter was his principal butler : in short, Macklin had left himself little more to do in the essential parts of this business, ' than paying the bills ; and lhe?e soon poured in upon him so fast, that he could not even acquit him- self of this employment. Accord- ingly, the next winter ultimately decided the question, as we find him a bankrupt on the 15th of February 1/55, under the tit'e of vintner. On his examination be- • fore the commissioners of bank- M A C ruptcy, every thing turned out to his character but his prudence : and in the end he paid twenty shillings in the pound. Macklin now joined Barry in founding a new theatre in Dublin; and, in the spring of 1757, vvent to Ire- land along with Barry and Wood- ward, who was admitted as part- ner, and was present at laying the foundation-stone of Crow Street Theatre. About the September of the same year, Barry, having ob- tained a sutiicient number of sub- scribers to his new theatre, and arranged every other matter rela- tive to his great design, returned to London, leaving Macklin as his locum tenens ; who, to do him justice, was so very vigilant and 'industrious in all the departments of his trust, that, upon Barry's return to Dublin, towards the close of the summer of 1758, the theatre was nearly ready for their performance. — Mrs. Macklin died about this time, before her hus- band could recei\ e any benefit from her engagement ; and he seemed much afflicted at her loss, as her judgment and good sense often kept him within the pale of propriety. Crow Street Theatre opened on the 23d of October 1758, with an occasional prologue, spoken by Barry, after which was. performed the comedy of She IFould and She Would not. Mack- liq joined this corps as soon as decency for the loss of his wife would admit ; and, on the 10th of September 1759, married a Misss Elizabeth Jones, with whom he had become acquainted at Chester; but such was the versatility of his temper, that he not only quitted his engagements with Barry and Woodward, and returned to Lon- don in the middle of December of the same year, but made an en- 473 MAC gflgement to perform at Smock Alley (the opposition house) to- wards the close of that season ; which, however^ he did not fulfil. Macklin, now, had greater pro- jects than joining the Irish the- atres : at this time he got an en- gagement at Drury Lane, at a very considerable salary; and be- sides had it in meditation to bring out his farce of Love a-la-Mode; — which, though it met with some opposition in the beginning, after- •wards received such applause, both in London and Dublin, as made arhends for all his former dramatic miscarriages, and crowned him with no inconsiderable share of reputation. It was not long before Macklin transferred himself from Drury Lane to Covent Gardea Theatre, and never, we believe, returned to the former. In Fe- bruary 1773, however, he com- mitted a notorious trespass upon tragic ground, by attempting the very difficult part of Macbeth. We honoured his spirit on this occasion, and wish that we were authorized to record his success. From the thorough knowledge and admirable conception which he displayed in the character, we could not but regret that he did not attempt it at an earlier period of his life, before the town was so much impressed with the excel- lence of his comic performance, as to receive with prejudice his efforts in a different walk. Mr. Macklin more than satisfied the expecta- tions of his friends, and had every reason to complain of a want of candour in those who opposed him. Various altercations from time to time created a very strong party against Mr. Macklin ; and, on Nov. 18, when he was to have played Shylock, as soon as the i:]artain drew up the cry was ge- M A C neral for Mr. Col man to make his appearance. Macklin advanced, in the dress of Shylock, from be- hind the scenes, and humbly sup- plicated to be heard ; but a gene- ral uproar took phice, and he was forced to retire. He next appear- ed in his own clothes, but the attempt was fruitless. Messrs. William Augustus Miles and James Sparks seemed to be the leaders of the opposition; and the latter stood up upon his seat, with a written paper, anxious to com- municate its contents to the house, but he was not suffeied to read it. During this time successive em- bassies were dispatched from the manager, in the persons of Ben- sley. Woodward, Reinhold, and Clarke ; but all to no purpose : nothing would satisfy them but the appearance of Mr. Colman ; and they openly declared, that unless Mr. Colman would come forth, they would tear up the benches. Soon afterwards Mr. Bensley brought in a board, on which was written in chalk, in large characters, " At the com- " mand of the public, Mr. Mack- " liu is discharged :" a roar of applause ensued. An attempt was then made to perform She Stoops to Conquer ; but the cry was still for Mr. Colman to confirm the written declaration in person. Matters now became very serious. The ladies were desired to with- draw, and the gentlemen in the pit and boxes united. On their beginning to tear up the seats, Mr. Colman advanced. The house became quiet : and the manager began with observing, that, " ag *' this was his tirst appearance " on any stage, he hoped for their " indulgence." — This seasonable piece of wit conciliating the gene- , ral favour, be told tkem with a« 474. MAC audible voice, that " it lyas Ihe ** intent of the pro{)rietors of that ** theatre to coiiiply with the " commands of the public, even ** to the minutest pavdcular.s, and " asked them if it was their pleasure " that Mr. Macklin should bedis- •' charged ?" The whole, as with «ne voice, cried " Yes." Mr. Colman replied, " He is dis- *' charged." Macklin now went to law with bis adversaries, Lee, James, Aldus, Mile^, and Clarke, and subsran- tiated his losses. May II, i77>>, the court proceeded lo state the Judges' report, in order to pro- rounce judgment against the of- fenders ; and after it was deter- mined that they should mnke Macklin a reasonable compensa- tion in damages for two years salary at one hundred pounds each, two benefits at two hun- <1red pounds each, and all his expenses out of pocket, — ^Macklin generously relinquished the whole of his damages, upon the follow- ing terms: " To have his law ** expenses reimbursed him ; the " gentlern'^n to take one hundred " pounds worth of tickets for his " daughter's benefit ; one huu- " dred pounds worth cf tickets *' for his own benefit ; and one ** hundred pounds worth of tickets " for the benefit of the theatre on *' the fir.-,t night of his being re- " instated in his employnsent." X.ord Chief Justice Mansfit.n.!,up'-i hearing this, raid to Mac^kiin, You have met trith ^rcat applause to- day : you ?it'Ver acted leii-er. After this, our an thoroccasinrally performed, and paid a visit to Dub- lin dr.ring Mr. IXily's management. On the 2(Dth of November l/SS, while representing rtCovent Gar- den theatre the character of Sir F«'tinas. Mac Sycophautj in his own M A C comedy (Tke Mnn of the U'orhU, he suddenly lost his recollection, and addres-^ed the audience, in-p forming them, that, unless he found hin)seif more capable, he should not again v«?ntuie to solicit their attention. After ibis, how- ever, he appeared again ; and in the middle of the character of Shy- lock, for his own benefit. May 7> I7S9, his memory failed him in the san'je manner, and the part wa* finished by Mr. Rydt-r. Find- ing himself now wholly incapable of peribrn)ing, he retired with re- gret from the stage ; and four years after, by the advice of hi? friends, his two pieces. The Man of the IForld, and Love a-Ia-Mode, were, under tiie superintendence lof Mr. Murphy, fnsi printed, and offered to the public, by subscrip- tion} vvhen the large contributions of several distinguished characters amounted to upwards of 1500/. which, under the direction of Dr. Brocklesbv, John Palmer, Esq. and Mr. Longman, trustees, was laid out (agreeable to the proposals) in p'.ncliasing an annuity of 200/. for Mr. Macklin, and of ~5t. for Mrs. Macklin (his .sev"ond wife) in case she survived him. This great Nestor of the stag<^ died July 11,1 jgj, said to be aged 107 ; and lis remains w^re iuterreii in a viu!t under the chancel of Covent Garden chuch. Mr. Ivlackiin was in his private character a tender hns.)and, a good fathtr, and a steady friend. To his firmness and resolution in sup- porting the rights of his theatrical brethren, it was owing that they have been relieved from a species of oppression to which they hnd been ignominiously subjected for many years, whenever the caprice or null, e of their enemies chose to €J5,ort itiself. We allude to th^. 479 M A C f I'lsecutian which lie commenced T'ud carried on against a set of in- ^^lenificant beings, who, calhng themselves The Town, used fre- quently to disturb the entertain- ments of the theatre, to the terror of the actors, as well as to the annoyance and disgrace of the public. His merit as a comedian in va- rious characters is too well known to need our taking up much time in expatiating on it, particubrly in Sir Gilbert Wrangle in The Rf- fusal, Don Manuel in She If'uuld and She IVould not. Sir Archy M'Sarcasm in his own farce of Love a-la-Mode, and Sir Pertinax Mac Sycophant in The Man of the World. He was also esteemed very capital in the character of Shakspeare's lago ; but the part in which he was long allowed to shine without a competitor was that of Shylock. Mr. Macklin's merit as a writer will be more particularly enlarged on in our accounts of his respective works in the second and third vo- lumes. It will be therefore need- less to anticipate here what we shall there have to say ; and con- sequently it will be sufficient to point out his performances m the reader's farther observation by an enumeration of their titles in the following list ; viz. 1. King Henry the Seventh ; or. The Popish Impostor. T. 8vo. 1746, 2. A Will or no Will; or, A Bone for the Lazvyers. F. 174(). N. P. 3. The Smpicicus Husband criti- cised J or. The Plague of Envy. F. 1747. N. P. 4. The Fortune Hunters; or. The Widow lewitched. F. 1748. N. P. 5. Cnvent Garden Theatre. D. S. J752. N. P, 51 A C 6. L«ve a-la-Mode. F. i/dCL 4to. 1793. 7. The Married Libertine. C. 1761. N. P. 8. The True-born Irishman. F, 1763. N. P. This was afterwards acted under the title of The Irish Fine Lady. F. 1767. N. P. 9. The True-born Scotchman. C. 17(54. N. P. Since acted at Co- vent Garden, under the title of IheMauff the World. C. 178I. 4to. 1793. M'Laren, ArchibalO, is a native of the Highlands of Scot- land, and was born on the 2d of March 1755. At a very early pe- riod of life he entered the army, and served under Generals Howe and Clinton in the American war. When the troops lay in winter- quarters, he frequently attempted to entertain the public v.-ith somo of his little poetical pieces in the Philadelphia and New York papers. A short time before the conclusion of the war, the regiment to which he belonged was draughted and returned to Scotland to recruit ; where, through the interest of Cap- tain Walker, the recruiting-officer, his musical farce of The Coup de Main was introduced to Mr. Jack- son, then manager of the Edin- burgh theatre, who approved of it, and had it performed in I783. At the conclusion of the war^ our author obtained his discharge, and steered his course for Dundee, where he had formerly been re- cruiting. The Edinburgh com- pany happened to be there at the same time; and Mr. Sutherland, who seceded from them at the end of the season, prevailed upon M"^ Lnren to accon.pany him to join Mr. Ward's itinerant troop at Mont- rose ; where, though he proved but a very indifierent performer in 475 M A C English parts (having a strong touch of the Scotch accent upon his tongue), he was allowed some merit in Scotch, Irish, and French characters ; but his own Highland Drover was the part in which he was inimitable. In this little piece, the Drover speaks in G .elic, and the other characters in English, which creates a laughable equi- voque ; and it has been frequently performed in many towns in Scot- land. About tiie time when the murder of Louis tlie XVIth took place, the subject of our present notice (having a wound in his head which reduces him to a state of insanity when he tastes liquor), listed as sergeant in the Dunbar- tonshire Highlanders, and accom- panied thera to Guernsey, where they remained two ye;:rs, Mr. Bernard, fiom Coven t Garden the- atre, arrived in the island with a company of coiiiedians, and hired IVJ'Laren as prompter ; and there several of his pieces were per- formed. From Guernsey the re- giment was ordered to Leland, about a twelvemonth before the insurrection broke out. From Port- arlington M'Laren sent a farce, called ll'hut News from Banhy Bay? to Mr. Daly, who speedily wrote him an answer, approving of the piece, and desiring an in- terview 5 but when he arrived in Dublin, he found that the ma- nager dared not bring out the farce, because it touched upon the Uiiited Irishmen, who were then making secret preparations for the rebellion. A few weeks after the battle of Vinegar Hill, M-Laren was dis- charged at Geneva barracks, and made the best of his way to Lon- don, flattering himself with the hopes of getting some of his pieces brought upon the stage} but he MAC was not aware of the many ob- stacles that lay in his way. It is true, indeed, two of his interludes were in preparation to appear at different benefits, but by some fatality he was disappointed iu. both. He has since continued publish* ing little dramatic productions, the profits of which are the sole sup- port of himself and family ; and he says that his endeavours have been countenanced by many of the first characters in the natiotr"i the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Dukes of York, Cumberland, Kent, Sussex, and Gloucester, with many of the nobility and gentry, having honoured his subscription- list with their names. We subjoin a statement of his performances in the dramatic way j many of which really exhibit a consi Jerable degree of talent ; and some of them might, we think, if revised by a person versed in theatrical business, stand a chance of success on the stage. 1. The Conjuror. F. l/S). 2. The Coup de Main. 12mo 1784. 3. Humours of Greenock Fair. M. Int. 12mo. l/Sy. 4. Siege of Perth. Ent. 5. Old England for Ever. 12mo. 1799. 'Q. Xegro Slaves. M. E. 1799- 7. Humours of the Times. 12 mo. 1799. S. Soldier's Widow, Mus. Ent. 12mo. ISOO. 9- AJonopolizer Outwitted. M.E. 12 mo. 190O. 10. The Chance of JFar. M.D. 12mo. IbOl. 11. Fashion. M.E. r2mo.l802. ri. The First of April. M-^. 12mo. 1S02. 12mo. M.E. 1792. CO. 12mo. CO. 477 MAC 13. Lottery Chance. Mus. Dr. 12 mo. 1803. 14. Britons to Anns. M. D. 12ii)0. 1803. \5. S ye Bony covdng. M.D. l2mo. 1804. 1 6. A Touch at the Times. M. E. i2mo. 1804. \7 . The Coronation. Mus. EiU. 12mo. J 804. -\ IS. The Days we live in. D. P. i-iamo. 1805. -:'■■ 19. Kenneth King of Scots. M. D. 12mo. 180/. 20. The High/and Drover. Date not known. 21. IVhat News frojn Banlry Bay ? F. 22. The First Night's Lodging. F. 12mo. To him also has been ascribed, 23. The American Slaves. C. O. 1792. Maclaukin, John, Lord DreghorNj was the son of Mr. Colin Maclaurin, a very emint^nt writer on the mathematics, and was born at Edinburgh, Dec. 15, 1734, O. S. He received the ru- diments of his education at the grammar-school of Edinburgh, .?nd afterwards went through the usual academical course at the uni- versity of that city. In August 1756 he was admitted a member of the Faculty of Advocates at Edinburgh. In I7S2 a Royal So- ciety was established in Edinburgh, of which Mr. Maclaurin was one of the original constituent mem- bers. He soon after read before them an Essay to prove that Troy was not tr-ken by the Greeks. After having for many years prac- tised with great assiduity and suc- cess at the Scottish bar, Mr. Mac- laurin was called to the b'^nch Dec. 28, 1737, by the tiile of Lf'td Dreghorn. After discharging ■ the duties of this important office for many years, with the greatest M A C credit, he died of a putrid fevef^ on the 24th of December i/Qd. As an author. Lord Dreghorn \\ ill perhaps be thcught to make no very conspicuous ligure. He pub- lisl.ed An Essay on Literaiy Pro- pt'rty, in 1/72; A ColJectioyi of Criminal Casfs, in 177-1; and aa ^ Essay on Patronage, in \77^- Lord Dreghorn, during the years 1792 to 1795, ktpt a juuriial or diary, in which he recorded the various events that happened in Eurojjs during that period, and wrote his obbcrvations upon them with ths greatest freedom. From this diary he made a selection, with the in- tention that it should be pub- lished, after his death, which has since been done. His poetical pieces are not \e\y numerous, nor do they rank very high. He kept a private printing-press many years for his amusement, and printed several of his small poems, vshich were circulated anient^ his fi lends. The following pieces in the dra- matic way are ascribed to him : 1. Hampden. T. 8vo. 17P9. 2. The Public. T. 8vo. I799. 3. The Philosophers Opera. A selection of his Lordship's works was printed in 2 vols. 8vo. 1759. Mac Nally, Leonard, was born in Dublin, the son of a merchant, and educated for the profession of the law. He' en- tered a student of the Middle Temple in 1774, and was called to the Irish bar in 177^, wber« he argued several cases with con- siderable reputation. In 1782 he wrote a very sensible pamphlet, called The Claims of L eland. In 1783 we find him again in Lon- don, distinguishing himself by- speeches at the Shakspeare tavern in f .vour of the meijiorable coa- lition. He was for some years editor of The Public Ledger', aud 479 M A C was afterwards concerued in other uewspnpers. Mr. Mac Nally, howeverj se- veral years since returned lo Ire- land, where he is now, we believe, one of the leading barristers. He has written the folli.'wing dramatic pieces, most of which have been successful on the stage : 1. The Apotheosis of PuJidi. Sat. Masque. 8vo. 1779. 2. RuUm: Passion. CO. 1/79. N. P. 3. Prelude for Covent Garden. 17S2. N. P. 4. Retaliation. F. Svo. 17S2. 5. Coalition. M.F. 1783. N.P. 6. Tristram Shandy. S. S. Ba- gatelle. Svo. 1/83. 7. Rolin Hood. C. O. Svo. 1784. 8. FashionaUe Levities, C. Svo, 1735. Q. April Fool.. F. 17S6. N.P. 10. Richard Cceur dc Lion. O. Svo. 1736. 11. Critic upon Critic. Dram. Medley. Svo. 1792. 12. Cottage Festival. Op. 17QQ. Macready, William, is a native of Dublin, and was bred to the business of an upholsterer by his father, who car;ied on that trade there to a considerable ex- tent. He declined this business, however, for the stage ; and hav- ing performed in almost ail the Irish theatres, was in Mr. Daly's company wheii Mr. Macklin paid his last visit to Ireland. Desirous of appearing in his own comedy of The Man of the World, he al- lotted the ciiaracter of Egerton to Mr. Daly ; but as he gave his in- structions too harshly, the ma- nager resigned the part to Mac- riady, who paid such attention to the author, and performed the character so much to his satisfac- tion, that he procured him an en- M A D gagement at Covent Garden, where he made his hrst appearance in Flutter (Belles' StratageynJ, 17S6. He afterwards became manager at Birmingham ; and having left Co- vent Garden in consequence of a disagreement about salary, opened the Royalty Theatre on the plan of Sadler's Wells, for the winter. This scheme proved unsuccessful, and he then obtained the manage- ment of the Sheffield company. He afterwards undertook the Man- chester theatre J in which concein he failed, and became a bankrupt in Nov. ISO9. His wife, who was likewise on the stage, died in 1S04. He is author of, 1. The Bank-note. C Svo. 1795. 2. Irishman in London. F, Svo. 1793, 1799. To him has bee-n ascribed (but we' believe without foundation), 3. The Village Lawyer. F. [l2mo, 179.5.] Mack(1e, , is supposed to be the author of The Patriot Chief. T. Svo. 1734. Madden, Dr. Samuel. We are sorry that we are able to give no other account of this benefactor to his country than the present slight and imperfect one. He is said to have been born in Ireland, in 16S6, and educated at Dublin, where he resided the greater prvt of his life. In the year 1729* however, he appears to have been in England ; and having written a tragedy was, as he himself says, toiipted to let it come out, by the offer of a noble study of books from the profits of it. In 1732 he published J/fwoJri' of the twentieth Century ; a book which for some reason now un- known was in a few days totally suppressed. In 1740 we find him in his native country, and in that .rJ .Af A D • ''■ex setting apart the sura of one i -indred pounds to be distributed .11 premiums fur the eiicoiir?'ge- metit of arts, manu{;iciures, and science; and (he same si.m he continued to bestow every year w; ile he lived. 'J'he gooil effects of these v/ell-applied hen-rfactions !:.!ve been very sufticieniiy felt in tiie kingdom where they were given, and have even extended their influence to its sister countrj', having given rise to the society for the encouragement of arts and sciences in Londtai. In an ora- tion, spoken at Dublin Dec. 6, 1757^ by Mr. Sheridan, that gen- tleman took occasion to rnention Dr. MadJen^s bounty, and design- ed to have proceeded in the fol- lowing manner, but was prevent- ed by ob^t-rxing our author to be then present. Speaking of the admir.ible institutions of pre- miums, he intended to have gone on thus. — " whose autlior. had he " never contributed any thing fur- " ther to the good of his country, " would have deserved immortal " honour, and must have been " held in reverence by latest pos- " terity. Eat the uuvvearied and " disinterested endeavours daring " a long course of years, of this " truly ^o;)d man, in a variety of " branches, to promote industry, " and consequently the welfiire of " this k',ngdo'.n ; and the migluy -' benefiis which h^jve tlience re- " suited to the community ; have "■ mide many ot the good people " of Ireland sorry, that a long- " lalked-of scheme has not hither- *' to been put in execution ; that ." we might not appear infeiior in >" poinc of gratitude to the citizens " of London, with respect to a " fellow-citizen* (surely not with " more reason), and that,Iiketheir), * ii:i John Barnaid, M A L " wc might be able to addrcgs cur " patriot, Prcpsfnti t'lLi ?!iciiuros " Icruiinur honores." Dr. JMadr^ien was possessed of some church preterment in Ire- kind, and died the 30th of Dec. ]7«5. '1 he play which he wrote in his yoi.ith w;>s called Themhtack's, the Lover of hit Coinihy. T. Svo. 1/2^. Dr. i^Jaddcn also wrote another tragedy, which he left as a legacy to Mr. SheiidaUi but we know- not in whose possession it now remains. Maidwell, L. The times of this gentlen^i-.n's birth and death are nut recorded by any of the wri- ters. It appears, however, that he li\ed in the reign of Charles U. and kept a private schopl in Lon- don for the education of youn* gentlemen; during she reccises fro.m which very fatiguing employ- ment, it is probable that, by way of amusement, he wrote the pla/ pilblijhed in his name, viz. Tlic Loving Enemies. C. 4to. lO'SQ. Malkix, Een-jamin Heath, was educated at Harrow school, and was considered as one of the grc-atest ornaments of that esta- blishment. He was afterwardi entered of Trinity College, Cam- bridge, where he took the deorees of bachelor and master of arts. He is now LL. D. and head master of t!ie chartered school of Buiy St. Edmund's, Suffolk. His prin- cipal literary productions are, The Scenery, Antiquities, and Biogra- phy of SwJh IFales ; Essays on Sitlf'clA connected unth Civilizs- tinn ; A Father's Memoirs of kis ChUd [This amiable child, Tho- mas Widiams Malkin, whose pioficiency in wridng, drawing, geogrjphy, and languages, ccoi- \^ M A t biaed with the uneommon powers of his understanding, nienicry, and inoagination, excited the utmost astonishaient of his friends, and justly ranked him among^ the most extraordinary prodigies of early genius that have ever ap- peared in the world, died at Hack- ney, July 31, 1S02, aged six years and nine months !] j a new translation of Gil Bias; and Almahide and Hamet. T. 8vo. 1804. !NL\LLET, David. The follow- ing account is chiefly collected from Dr. Johnson's life of him : He was by original one of tiie Macgregors, a clan that became about ninety years ago, under the conduct of Robin Roy, so formi- dable and so infamous for violence and robbery, that the name was annulled by a legal abolition ; and ■when they were all to denominate themselves anew, the falker, we suppose, of this author called him- self Mallocb, David Mallocb was, by the pe- nur)' of his parents, compelled to be janitor of the high school at Edinburgh ,• a mean office, of which he did not afterwards de- light to hear. But he surmounted the disadvantages of his birth and fortune ; for when the Duke of Montrose applied to the college cf Edinburgh for a tutor to educate his sons, Malloch was recommend- ed ; and with his pupils made af- terw'ards the tour of Europe ; nor is he known to have dishonoured his credentials. We shall exhibit the series of his dramatic works at the conclusion of this article. The precise order in which his other performances ■were written, the plan of our work does not demand. His first pro- duction, however, was the ballad ©f Wiltiam and Margaret, which M A L wa? followed by The Excursion, a poem on verbal criticism, &c. Having cleared his tongue from his native pronunciation, so as to be no longer distinguished as a Scot, he seemed inclined to disen- cumber himself from all adherences to his original, and took upon him to change his name from Scotch Mjlloch to English Mallet, with- out any imaginable reason of pre- ference which the eye or ear can discover. What otlier proofs he gave of disrespect to his native country' we know not ; but it was remarked of him, that he was the only Scot whom Scotchmen did not commend. Our biographer might have added, that he was the only one whom they did not la- ment. The news of his death was followed by no encomiums on his- writings or his virtues. A greater display of sorrow, and more scan- ty marks of respect, did not at- tend the memory of Warburton, •whose various merits might at least have entitled him to such praise as bis numerous sacerdotal parasites could bestow. In 1/34 he took the degree of M. A. at St. Mary Hall, Oxford. In 1/40, when the Prince of Wales had a separate court, he made Mallet his under-secretary ; and when it was found that Pope had clnndestinely printed an un- authorized number of The Patriot King, Bolingbroke employed Mal- let (I747) as the executioner of his vengeance. Mallet bad not virtue, or had not spirit, to refuse the office 3 and was rewarded, not long after, with the legacy of Lord Bolingbroke's works, which were published with success very much below our editor's expectation. In consequence of a thousand pounds left by the Dutchess of INIarlborough, he undertook to 481 M A L write the life of the Duke her hus- band. From the late Duke he had likewise a pension to promote his industry. He talked much of the progress he had made in this work, but left not, when he died, the smallest vestige of any historical labour behind him. In the political disputes which commenced at the beginning of the present reign, Mr. ISIalloch took part with his countryman Lord JBute, to serve whom he wrote his tragedy of Elvira, and was reward- ed with the office of keeper pf the book of entries for ships in the port of London, to which he was appointed in the year 1/63. He enjoyed also a considerable pension, which had been bestowed on him for his success in turning the pub- lic vengeance upon Byng, by means of a letter of accusation un- der the character of A Plain Alan. Towards the latter end of his life, he went vt^ith his wife to France ; but after a while, finding his health declining, he returned alone to England, and died in April 1/65. He was twice married, and by his first wife had several children. One of his daughters we have al- ready mentioned in the course of this work. [See Celisia, Mrs.] His second wife was the daughter of a nobleman's steward, who had a considerable fortune, which she took care to retain in her own hands. Mr. Malloch's stature was di- minutive, but he was regularly formed. His appearance till he grew corpulent was agreeable, and he suffered it to want no recom- mendation that dress could give it. His conversation was elegant and easy. The rest of his character may, without injury to his me- mory, sink into silence. See, however, his letter to Derrick, • VOL. I. AI A N published in a collection, 2 vols. 12mo. 1767, vol. ii. p. 21. As a writer, he cannot be placed in any high class. There, is no species of composition in which he was eminent. His drarnas had their day, a short day, and are forg'otten. His life of Bacon is known, as it is appended to Bacon's volumes, but is no longer men- tioned. The titles of his plays are,, 1. Eimjdice. T. 8vo. 1731. 2. Mustapha. T. 8vo. 1739. 3. Alfred. M. in conjunction with Thomson. 8vo. 1740. 4. Alfred. M. altered. 8V0.1751. 5. Britannia. M. 8vo. 1/55. 6. Elvira. T. Sro. 1763. Man, Henry. This gentle- man was born in London in 1747j and at an early age placed vinder the tuition of the Rev. John Lnmb, of Croydon. At the age of four- teen, he had acquired a yeneral knowledge of the Latin and French languages J but his natural viva- city and impatience of ccntrol was the cause of his leaving school sooner than he otherwise would have done. When rttreen years old, he wSs placed as clerk in a mercantile house in the city; where h.e employed his leisure hours i'l the study of our best English authors, especially the po- ets. From his infaticy he had shown a strong parri, ^ty for poetry, by writing verses on every little occnsion th:it offered. Some of his early productions he pul)lished in 1770, in a small 12mo. volume^ entuled The Trijier. In I774 he wrote some cursory Thmghis on Learning, in a series of letters, and some other essays, which were published in Woodfall's Morning Chronicle, and many of which af- terwards appeared in vol. i. of The Spirit of the Pii'clic Journals, In I I 482 MAN 1775 he wrote a novel, entUled Bentley, or the Rural Philosopher', 4pd soon after retiied to Reading, Berks, where he produced many little poems. In this year he pub- lished anonymously, 1. Cloacina. Comi-Trag. 4to. 1775. He was also author of, 2. The Elders. F. 178O. N. P. His Cbacina was a satire on the best writers of the time, in which the peculiarities of their style were well imitated It commences at the fifth act, because, as we are informed in the dedication, " he " had found that it was fashion- " able to make the four first acts *' of no importance at all." Mr. Man was appointed deputy secre- tary to the South Sea Company ; and this situation he held till his death, which happened Dec. 4, 1799. He possessed a strong na- tural genius, assisted by a very re- tentive memory. He was rather eccentric in some of his opinions ; professing a rooted disgust for all litcrarv acquirements beyond the English language, which, he in- sisted, was sufficient for all pur- poses ; contending, that whatever is worthy of notice in ancient authors is to he found in excellent translations in our own language. His works were collected in 2 vols. 8vo. and published by his friends in 1802. M \NG iN% Ed WARD, A.M. trans- lated from the French Hector. T. 8vo. 1810. He was also author of The Life of Malesherhes, from the French ; Oddities and Outlines ; George the Third, a novel ; An Essay on light Reading, &c. Manley, De La Riviere, was born in HaT.pshire, in one of those islands which formerly belonged tor France, of which her father^ M A N Sir Roger Manley, was governor. He was the second son of an an- cient family ; and the better part of his estate was ruined in the civil war, by his firm adherence to Charles I. He had not the sa- tisfaction of being taken notice of, nor was his loyalty acknowledged, at the Restoration. He was a brave gallant man, of great honour and integrity. He became a scholar in the midst of the camp, having left the university, at the age of sixteen, to follow the fortunes of Charles I. His tem[)er had too much of the Stoic in it to attend much to the interests of his fa- mily. After a long time spent in the civil and foreign wars, he be- gan to love ease and retirement, devoting himself to his study, and the charge of his little post, with- out following the court ; and his great virtue and modesty debarrrag him from soliciting favours from such persons as were then at the helm of affairs, his deserts were buried and forgotten. In this so- litude he wrote several pieces for his own amusement, particularly his Latin commentaries of the civil wars of England. He was like- wise author of the first volume of that admired work. The Turkish Spy. One Dr. Midgelej, an in- genious physician, related to the family by marriage, had the charge of looking over his papers : among them he found that manuscript, which he reserved to his proper use, and by his own pen, and the assistance of some others, conti- nued the work till the eighth vo- lume was finished, without having the honour to acknowledge the author of the first. The governor likewise wrote the history of the rebellion in England, Scotland, and Ireland j wherein tlje mo«t material passages, battles. 483 M A N sieges, policies, and stratagems of war, are impartially related on both sides, from the year l6-J0, to the beh&iding of the Duke of Monmouth lO'SS, printed in 1719. His daughter, our authoress, re- ceived an education suitable to her birth, and gave early discoveries of a genius, not only above her years, but much superior to what is usually found among her own sex. She had the misfortune to lose her mother while she was yet an infant — a circumstance which laid the foundation of many cala- mities that afterwards befel her. The brother of Sir Roger Man- ley, who was of principles very opposite to his, joined with the par- liament party ; and, after Charles I. had suffered, he engaged with great zeal in the cause of those who were for settling a new form of government; in which, however, they were disappointed by the ad- dress of Cromwell, who found means to transfer the government into his own hands. During the heats and divisions which then pre- vailed, Mr. Manley^ who adhered to the most powerful party, was fortunate enough to amass an estate, and purchased a title; but these, upon the Restoration, re- verted back to the former pos- sessor: so that he was left with several small children unprovided for. The eldest of these Sir Roger Manley took under his protection, bestowed a very liberal education on him, and endeavour- ed to inspire his mind with other principles than those which he had received from his father. This young gentleman had very pro- mising parts; but, under the ap- ,.j>earance of an open simplicity, he ^"^ concealed the most treacherous , hypocrisy. Sir Roger, who had a high opinioo of his nephew's •MAN honour, as well as of his great abi- lities, on his death-bed bequeatJied him the care of our authoress, and her youngest sister. This man had by nature a very happy address, formed to win much upon the heart of unexperienced girls ; and his two cousins respect- ed him greatly. He placed iheni at the house of" an old disagreeable aunt, who had been a keen parti- zan of the royal cause during the civil wars : she was full of the heroic stiffness of her own times, and would read books of chivalry and romance with her spectacles. This sort of conversation much infected the mind of our poetess, and filled her imagination with lovers, heroes, and princes ; made her think herself in an enchanted region, and that all the men that approached her were knights-er- rant. In a few years the old aunt died, and left the two young ladies without control ; which, as soon as their cousin, Mr. Manley, heaid, he hasted into the country to visit tliem, and appeared in deep mourn- ing, as he said, for the death of his wife : upon which the young ladies congratulated him, as they knew his wife was a woman of the most turbulent temper, and ill fitted to render the conjugal life tolerable. . This gentleman, who had seen a great deal of the world, and was ar()i>ainted with all the artifices of seduction, lost no time in making love to his cousin, who was no otherwise pleased with it, than as it answered something to the characters she had found in those books which had poisoned and deluded her dawning reason. Soon atter these .protestations of love were made, the young lady fell into a fever, which had nearly proved fatal. The lover and her sister never M A N quilted the chamber for sixteen nights, nor took any other repose, than throwing themselves alter- nately upon a little pallet in the same room. Having in her na- ture a great de^l of gratitude, and a ver}- tender sense of benefits, she promised upon her recovery to marry her guardian ; which, as soon as her health was sufficiently restored, she performed in the presence of a maid-servant, her sister, and a gentleman who had married a relation. In a word, she was married, and rained. The husband of our poetess brought her to Lond«n, fixed her in a remote quarter of it, forbad her to stir out of doors, or to re- ceive the \isits of her sister, or any other relations, friends, or ac- quaintance. This usage she thought exceedingly barbarous ; and it grieved htr the more excessively, since she married him only because she imagined be loved and doated on her to distraction ; tor, as his person was but ordinary, and his age ciisproponionate, being twenty years older than she, it could not be imagined she was in love with him. She was very uneasy at be- ins kept a prisoner; but her hus- band's fondness and jealousy were made the pretence. She always loved reading, to which she was now more than ever obliged, as so much time lay upon her hands. Soon after she proved with child, and so perpetually ill, ,that she implored her husband to let her enjoy the company of her sister and friends. When he could have no relief from importunity (being assured that in seeing her relations she must discover his barbarous deceit), he thovight it was best to be himself the relator of his vil- lany : he fell upon his knees be- fore her, with so much seeming 4S4 MAN confusion, distress, and anguish, that she was at a loss to know what could mould his stubborn heart into such contrition. At last, after venting a thousand well- counterfeited tears and sighs, he stabbed her with the wounding relation of his wife being still alive i and, with a hypocrite's pangs, conjured her to have some mercy on a lost man as he was, in an obstinate, inveterate passion, that had no alternative bvtt death or possession. He urged, that, covild he have supported the pain of living without her, he never should have made himself so great a villain ; but, when the absolute question was, whether he should destroy himself, or bettay her, self-love had turned the balance, though not without that anguish to his soul, which had poisoned all his delights, and planted dag- gers to stab his peace — that he had a thousand times started in his sleep with guilty apprehensions, the form of her worthy father perpetually haunting his troubled dreams, reproaching him as a traitor to that trust which in his departing moments he had repo.sed in him ; representing to his tor- tured imagination the care he took of his education, more like a fa- ther than an uncle, with which he had rewarded him by effecting the perdition of his favourite daughter, who was the lovely image of his benefactor. With this artful contrition he endeavoured to soothe his injured wife : but what soothing could heal the wounds she had received? Horror ! amazement ! sense of honour lost I the world's opinion ! ten thousand distresses crowded her distracted imagination, and she cast looks upon the conscious traitor with horrible dismay ! Her 435 M A N i^jrtune was in his hands, the greater part of whicli was aheady lavislied away in the excesses of drinking and ga'ning. She was young, unacquainted with the world, had never experienced ne- cessity, and knew no arts of re- dressing it : so that, thus forlorn and distressed, to whom could she run for refuge, even from want and misery, but to the very traitor that had undone her ? she was acquainted with none that could or would espouse her cause ; a helpless, useless load of grief and melancholy ! — with child ! — disgraced ! — her own relations ei- ther unable or unwilling to relieve her from this most deplorable state ! Thus w;?5 she detained by un- happy circumstances, and his pre- vailing arts, to wear away three wretched years with him, in the same ho'ise, though s!ie most so- lemnly piotests (and she has a right to be believed), that no persuasion could ever again reconcile her to his impious arms. Whenever she cast her eyes upon her son, it gave a mortal wound to her peace: the circumstances of his** birth glared full on her imagination ; she saw him, in future, upbraided with his father's treacher}', and his raotlier's misfortunes. Thus forsaken of all the world, in the very morning of her life, when all things should have been gay and promising, she wore away three v/retched years. Mean- time her betrayer had procured for himselfa considerable employment, the duties of u hich obliged him to go into the country v.'here his first wife lived. He took leave of his injured innocent with much seem- ing tenderness, and made the most sacred protestations,, that he would jiot suffer iK^r nor her child ever '.o want. MAN He endeavoured to persuade hef to accompany him into the coun- try ; and, to seduce and quiet her conscience, showed her a cele- brated piece written in defence of pulygatiiy and concub'nage. When he was gone, he soon relj, sed into his former extravagances, for- got his promise of providing ior his child and its mother, and in- humanly left them a prey to indi- gence and oppression Tl^e lady was only happy in being released from the killing anguish of every day having before her eyes the object of her undoing. When she again came abroad into the world, she was looked upon with coldness and indiifer- ence ; that, which had been her greatest misfortune, was imputed to her as tlie inost enormous goilt, and she was every wheie sneered at, avoided, and despised — What pity is it, that an unfortunate, as well as a false step, sliould totally destroy a woman's f;imp ! In what respect was Mrs. Maniey to blame? In what particular was she guilty ? To marry !^er cousin, who passion- ately professed love to her, and who solemnly vowed himself to be a widower, cou'd not be guilt : on the other hand, it had. prudence and gratitude for .ts basis. Her continuing in the house with him, after he had made the discovery, cannot be guilt ; ffir, by doi; g so, she was prevented from bein^j ex- posed to such necessiiies as would perhaps have produced greater ruin. When want and beggary stare a woman in the face, espe- cially one accustomed to the deli- cacies of lite, then indeed v vir- tue in danger, and they who escape must have more than human as- sistance Our poetess now perceived, that, togetiier with her reputation, she> I I 3 486 MAN had lost all the esteem that her conversation and abilities might have else procured her ; and she was reduced to the deplorable ne- cessity of associating with those whose fame was blasted by their indiscretion, because the more so- ber ;!nd virtuous part of the sex did not care to risk their own cha- racters, by being in company with one so much suspected, and against whom the appearance of guih was too strong. Under this dilemma, it is ditficnlt to point out any me- thod of behaviour by which she would not be exposed to censure ; if she had still persisted in soli- tude, the ill-natured world would have imputed it to a cause which is not founded on virtue ; besides, 36 the means of support were now removed by the peifidy of Mr. Manley, she must have perished by this resolution. In this case, the reader will not be much surprised to find our au- thoress under the patronage of the Dutchess of Cleveland, a mistress of King Charles the Second, who was justly reckoned one of the most celebrated beauties of that age. Mrs. Manley was paying a visit to a lady of her Grace's ac- quaintance, when she was infro- duced into the favour of this royal courtezan ; and, as the Dutchess of Cleveland was a woman of parts aud genii:s, she could not but be charmed with the sprightliness of her conversation. She was fond of new faces, and immediately contracted the greatest intimacy with our poetess, and gave her a general invitation to her table. The lady, at whose house the Dutchess came acquainted with Mrs. Manley, soon perceived her indiscretion in bringing them to- gether ; for the love of novelty so far prevailed on the Dutchess, thai MAN herself was immediately discarded, and the affection formerly bestow- ed upon her was lavished on Mrs. Manley. This procured onr po- etess an inveterate enemy ; and the greatest blow that was ever struck at her reputation was by that wo- man, who had been before her friend. She was not content with informing persons wh6 began to know and e'^teem Mrs. Manley, that her marriage was a cheat, but even endeavoured to make the Dutchess i.ealous of her new fa- vourite's charms, in respect to Mr, Goodman, the player, who at that time had the honour of approach- ing her Grace's person with the freedom of a gallant. As the Dutchess of Cleveland was a woman of a very fickle temper, in six months time she began to be tired of Mrs Manley: she was quarrelsome, loquacious, fierce, excessively fend, or down- right rude ; when she was dis- gusted with any persons, she never failed to reproach them with all the bitterness of wit she was mis- tress of, with such malice and ill- nature, that she was hated by all the world, e^'en her own children and servants : the extremes of pro- digality and covetousiiess, of love and hatred, of dotage and fond- ness, were all centred in her. A woman of this temper will be at no loss for the means of ef- fecting any one's ruin : and, having now conceived an aversion to our poetess, she was resolved to drive her from her house with as much reproach as possible ; and accord- ingly gave out, that slie had de- tected Mrs. Manley in an intrigue Avith her own son ; and that, as she did not care to give encou- ragement to such amours, she thought proper to discharge her. Whether or not there was any 487 M A N friUh in this charge, it is impos- sible for us to determine ; but, if Mrs. Mnuley's own word may be taken in such a cnse, she was per- fectly innocent of it. When our authore=;s was dis- missed by the Dutchess, she was solicited by Lieutenant - general TidcomS to pass some time with him at his country-seat ; but she excused herself by telling him, that she must be in love with a man, before she could think of residing with him, which she could not, without a violation of truth, pro- fess for him : she told him her love of solitude was improved by a disgust of the world ; and, since it was impossible for her to be in public with reputation, she was resolved to remain concealed. It was in this solitude she composed her first tragedy, which was much more praised for the hmguage, fire, and tenderness, than the con- duct. Mrs. Barry distinguished herself in it ; and the authoress was often heard to express great surprise, that a man of Mr. Bet- terton's grave sense and judgment should think well enough of the production of a young woman to bring it upon the stage, since she herself, in a more mature age, could hardly bear to read it. But, as the pUy succeeded, she received such unbounded incense from ad- mirers, that her apartment was crowded witii men of wit and gaietv. They who had a regard for Mrs. .Manley could not but observe, with concern, that her conduct was such as would soon issue i.i her ruin. No language bat flat- tery approached her ear; the beaux told her that a womrjn of her wit was not to be confined to the dull formalities of her own sex, but fcad a right to assnu)'? the unre- M A N served freedom of the male, since all things were pardonable to a lady who knew how to give laws to others, yet was not obliged to keep them herself. General Tid- comb, who seems to have been her sincerest friend, took the pri- vilege of an old acquaintance to correct her ill taste, and the wrong turn she gave her judgment, in admitting adulation from such wretches, whose praise conld re- flect but little honour, and who would be ready to boast of favours they never received, nor indeed ever endeavoured to obtain. This salutary counsel was rejected ; she told him, she did not think fit to reform a conduct which slje rec- koned very innocent ; and still continued to receive the whispers of flatterers, till experience taught her the folly of her behaviour, and she lived to repent her indis- cretion. Her virtue was now nodding, and she was rcndy to tall into the arms of any gallant, like mellow fruit, without much trouble in the gathering. Sir Thomas Shepwtth, a character of gaiety of those times, and v.'bo, it seems, had theatrical connexions, was recommended to her, as being verv able to promote her design in writing fof the stage. This knight was in the fiftieth year of his age, and in (he sixtieth of his constitution, when he was first introduced to her ; and whe- ther or no this knight, who was more dangerous to a woman's re- putation than her virtue, was fa- voured by her, the world was so much convinced of it, that her character was absolutely lost. Sir Thomas was a weak, vain, con- ceited coxcomb, who delighted-in boosting of his conquests over wo- men ; and what was often owing to his fortune, and station in life, 1 1 4 48S M A N he imputed to his address, and the elegance of his manner, of" both which he wns totally destitute. He published Mrs. Manley's dis- honour ; and from that time our sprightly poetess was considered, by the sober part of the sex, as quite abaniloned to all shame. When her affair with lliis super- annuated knight was over, she soon engaged in another intrigue, still more prejudicial to her cha- M A N wrote her four volumes of the Mev}oij-s of the New Ataiantis, which was meant as a represent- ation of the characters cf some of those who had efl'ccteJ the Revo- lution. A warrant was granted from the secretary of state's office, to seize the printer and publisher of these volumes. This circum- stance reduced the writer to a very troublesome dilemma: she could not bear the thoU5>lit, that inno- racter ; for it was with a married cent people should suffer on her man, one Mr. Tilly, a gentleman of the law, with whom she lived a considerable time ; while he un- derwent at home many of those severe lectures, which the just pro- vocation and jealousy of his wife taught her to read him. Mrs. Tilly at last died, and our gallant was left at his freedom to marry the object of his passion ; but un- account ; and she judged it cruel to remain concealed, while they, who were only inferior instru- ments, were suffering for her. She consulted, on this occasion, her best friend. General Tidconab, who, after rallying her for ex- posing people who had never in par- ticular injured her, advised her to go to France, and made her an offer luckily his finances were in such a of his purse for that purpose. This situation, that he was obliged to advice she rejected, and came to repair them by marrying a woman of fortune. This was a cruel cir- cumstance, for he really loved and doated upon Mrs. Manley, and had the felicity of a reciprocal pas- sion. She agreed, however, in a determined resolution, that no person should ever suffer on her account. The Gener.il asked her, how she should like to be confined in Newgate. To which she an- swered, that she would rather lie order to repair his fortune, that in a prison, after having discharged he should marry a rich voung wi- her conscience, than ri'^t in a dow, whom he soon won by the palace under its reproaches. The elegance of his address, while our General used several very powerful authoress retired into the country, to spend her days in solitude and sorrow, and bid an everlasting farewell to the pleasures of love and gallantry. Mr. Tilly did not many years survive this separati-on : his life wa"^ rendered miserable at arguments to induce her to accept of his offer; but nothing could deter her from voluntarily present- ing herself before tiie Kino's Bench, as tlie author oi the Ataiantis. When she was examined before the secretary (then Lord Sunder- home by the jealousy of his young land), be was assiduous to know wife, who had heard of his affair from whom she had got informa- with Mrs. Mauley. — He lost his tion of some particulars, which senses, and died in a deplorable thev imagined were above her own situation. intelligence. Her defence was Daring her retirement, our au- made with much humility and thoress, who had a most confirmed sorrow, at the same time denying aversion to the Whig ininistry, that any persons were concerned 489 I\I A N with her, or that she had a further design than writing tor her own amusement and diversion in the country, without intending parti- cular reflections or characters : when this was not believed, and the contrary urged against her by several circumstances, she said, " Then it must be by inspiration, " because (knowing her own in- " nocence) she couid account for " it no other way." The secre- tary replied, " That inspiration " used to be upon a good account, " and her writings were stark " naught." She, with an air of penitence, acknowledged, " That '•' his Lordship's observation might " be true 5 but that there were " evil angels as well as good : so •■' that, nevertheless, what she had " wrote might still be by inspira- " tion." In consequence of this exami- nation, our authoress was close shut up in a messenger's house, without being allowed pen, ink, and paper. However, her counsel sued out her habeas corpus, at the King's Bench bar, and she was admitted to bail. Whether those in power were ashamed to bring a woman to trial, for writing a few amorous trifles, or the laws could not reach her, which was generally conjectured (because shfe had disguised her sa- tire under romant-ic names and a Signed scene of action), she was discharged, ;ificr several times ex- posing herself in person, to cross the court before the bench of judges, with her three attendants, the printer and iwo publishers. Not long after this a total change of the ministry ensued ; the states- men to whose hate she had been obnoxious were removed, and con- sequently all her fears upon that ^core dissipated : she then came MAN into great favour with their suc- cessors, and w5s employed in de- fending theTory measures pursued in the four last years of the Queen, The pamphlets which she wrote at this period were numerous, and some of them such as would not disgrace the best pen then engaged in the defence of Government. After Dean Swift relinquished The Examiner, she continued it with great sp;rit for a considerable time j and frequently finished pieces be- gun by that excellent writer, who also often used to furnish her with hints for those of her own coinpo- sition. At this time, or soon af- terwards, she became connected with Alderman Barber, who was then the favourite Tory printer, and with him she resided until the time of her death, which h:3ppened on the nth of July 1724, at his house on Lambeth Hill. She was buried in the middle aisle of the church of St.Bennel, Paul's Wharf, where a mrirble grave-stone was erected to her memory. Her dramatic works are as fol- low : 1. The Royal Mischief. T. 4to. 1696. 2. The Lost Lover ; or, The Jea^ lous Husband. C. 4to. I696. 3. Almyna; or. The Arabian Fow. T. 4to. 1707. 4. Lucius, the First Chris tianKing of Britain. T. 4 to. 1717. Manners, George, has pro- duced one dramatic piece, called Edgar. T, 8vo. I8O6, Manning, Francis. This au- thor was son of Francis Manning, of London, Gent, and was matricu- lated at Oxrord the 8th of March l6y8, being then a commoner of Trinity College under the tuition of Mr. Thomas Sykes. He seems to have left the university without taking a degree ; and pursuing the 490 M A N line of civil employment, we find hkn, ill iJOJ, secrpiary to Mr. Stanyan, envoy lo the Swiss Can- tons. He afterwards, in Queen Anne's time, was promoted to be minister to the Grisc^ns ; and, on the 30th of June I716, was ap- pointed envoy to the thirteen Can- tons, and to the republic of the Grisons. After this period we can discover no account of him. He translated Dion Cassins, and wrote the following plays, viz. 1. The Gtiiierous Choice. C. 4to. 1700. 2. All for the Better ; or. The In- fallible Cure. C. 4to. N. D. Mansell, William, wrote one dramatic piece, viz. Fairy Hill. Past. Op. 8vo. 1784. Manughe, Cosmo. This gen- tleman appears to have been an Italian by bii th ; and Phillips has given us his name Manuci, in which it io not improbable that he may for oiire have been in the right. He took up arms for King Charles, and had a major's com- mission, but whether of horse or foot does not appear. He wrote t:hr€e plays in the English lan- guage J and, considering that he was a foreigner, and that he only wrote for his diversion, and not by way of a profession, and that at least he has the merit of their being original, wholly his own and un- borrowed, they are very far from being contemptible. Their titles are, 1. The Just General. T. C. 4to. 1050. 2. Tlie Loyal Lovers. T. C. 410. 1652. 3. The Bastard. T. (Attributed to him by Coxeter.) 4to. l652. . .In Lord Northatnpton's library fit Castle Ashby, in Northampton- shire, are two or three MS. plays by this author. IVl A R Ma«kham, Gekvase, was the son of Robert Markham, of Go- tham, in Nottinghamshire, Esq. He flourished in the reigns of Queen Elizabeth. King James I. and King Charles I for the last of whom he took up arms, and bore a captain's commission. He was a good scholar, being perfect master of the French. Italian, and Spanish languages. He was extremely well versed both in the theor}' and practice of military discipline, and was a great adept in horsemanship, farriery, and husbandry i by which means he was fully qualified for the translation and compilement of numerous volumes on all these subjects, many of which are even now held in very high esteem. He also wrote some books on rural recreations^. Nor among his other attentions W(*re the Muses neg- lected; for we find one play extent in his name, though he was indeed assisted in it by Mr. Sampson, of whom ^^'e shall here-after have oc- casion to spenk, entitled HerL.d and Antipater. T. 4to. 1622. Langbaine speaks very highly in his commendation, and very justly, as a great benefactor to the public, by his numerous and useful publi- cations, but says lis tie of his po- etry ; and indeed both he and Jacob, and since them Cibber in his Lives of the Poets, seem not to know of any other poetical works that he was concerned in : but Coxeter, in his MS. notes, iias mentioned two pieces of poetry b.y this author (both indeed transla- tions) of considerable consequence, viz. 1. Arioslo's Satires, in seven fa- mous Discourses. 4to. 16O8. And, 2. The Famous Whore ; or. Noble Courtezan: Containing the lament- able Complaint of Paulino., the fa- 4gi M A R ■mous Roman Courtezan, sometime Jilis tress unto the great Cardinal Hippolyto of E.!itter in opinion vviih reg.tfd lo tht- 06. 6. The IVbnder of IVomen ; or, Sopho7iisba, Trag. 4to. l60d. 7. IVhat you ivill. C.4to. 1607. S. Insatiate Countess. T. 4lo. 1613 -, 4to. 1631. Of these, all but the 3d and 8th were published in one volume, 12rao. 1633. It is evident that Marston must have lived in friendship with Bert Jonson at the time of his writing Tht' Malcontent, which play he has warmly dedicated to him 3 yet it is probable that Ben's self-sufficiency and natural arrogance might in time lessen that friendship ; as we afterwords find our author, in his epistle to the reader, prefixed to his Sophonisha, casting some very se- vere glances at the pedantry and plagiarism of that poet, in borrow- ing orations from Sallust and other of the classical writers, and making use of them in his tragedies of Sejanus and Catiline. Een Jonson told Drummond of Hawthornden, that he had fought several times with Marston, and said that Mar- ston wrote his father-in-law's preachings, and his father-in-law his comedies. Marston also wrote some excellent satires, called The Scourge of Villainy , 1599. The exact period of Marston's death is not known, but he was certainly living in 1633. As a specimen of his poetry, Mr. Dod- sley has republished The Malcou' tent in his Collection, vol. iv. Martyk, Benjamin. This au- thor was nephew to Mr. Edward Marty n, rhetoric professor of Gre- sham College^ and sou of Richard 495 MAS Martyn, a gentleman of a Wilt- shire family, who had been a linen- draper, was afterwards made a commissioner of the stamp-duties by Lord Godolphin, and died at Buenos Ayres, to which place he went as agent for the South-Sea Company. The present writer was his eldest son, and was very active and instrumental in establishing the colony of Georgia (of which he has published an account) about the year 1733, when a so- ciety of noblemen and gentlemen was formed for that purpose, to which he some time acted as se- cretary. He was also examiner of the out-ports in the custom-house, and was, according to his epitaph, in Lewisham churchyard, " A " man of inflexible inteority, and " one of the best bred men in " England; which, with a happy " genius for poetry, procured him •■' the friendship of several noble- " men not more distinguished by *' their illustrious births than by " their public virtues and private " morals. He was the first pro- " moter of the design of erecting " a monument to the memory of " Shakspeare, in Westminster " Abbey, which was carried into ** execution by him, with the as- *' sistance of Dr. Mead and Mr. *' Pope, by the profits of a play; *' the prologue spoken on that oc- " casion was wrote by him." He left behind him in MS. a Life of the first Earl of Shafteshury , not yet published, and was theauthorof Timoleon. T. Svo. 1730. He died Oct. 25, 1763, aged - 64 years. Mason, James. Of this per- son we know no more than that " he wrote The Natural Son. T. Svo. 1805. Ma-son, JoHisr, M. A. lived in ihe time of King James I. and in MAS the early part of that reign pub- lished one dramatic piece, which he has entitled The Turke. A worthie Tragedie. 4to. I6l0. Whether it merits the title of tcorthy, may be doubtful ; but it is evident that the author had himself a very high opinion of its worth, from the following motto, which he has fixed to it, quoted .^* from Horace, viz. Sume supetbia'ii quscsitam meritis. He is supposed to have been of Catharine Hall, Cambridge, and to have taken the degree of B. A. there, in l6o6. Mr. Egerton assigns to him a plan of a piece in Garrick's collec- tion, called The School Moderator. 4to. 1 648, Mason, William. This gen- tleman was one of the few authors who are entitled to the applause of the world, as well for the virtues of the heart as for the excellenca of their writings. He was the son of a clergyman who had the vicar- age of the Holy Trinity, in King- ston upon Hull, in Yorkshire, where our authc r was born, in the year 1/25. He was admitted of St. John's College, Cambridge, where he proceeded B. A. 1/45} and his poetical genius, in the year 1747, procured hitn a fellowship in Pembroke Hall, of which, how- ever, he did not obtain possession without some litigation. Here he took the degree of M. A. \74Q. In the year 1754 he entered into holy orders, and was patronized by the then Earl of Holdernesse, who procured him a chapkiinihip to His Majesty, and gave him the valuable rectory of Aston, in York- shire ; to which were afterwards added the appointments of canon residentiary and precentor of York cathedral, and prebendary of Drif- 4(j6 MAS field. He was the publisher of his friend Mr, Giay's works, and the author of, 1. Eljnda. D. P. 4 to. and 6vo. 1?52. This was altered by Mr. Colman in 177-> without the author's con- sent, and performed at Covent Garden; and again, in IJJQ, by Mr. rJason himself, and acied on the same stage. 2. Caractacus. D. P. 4to. and Svo. \75g. This was altered by Mr. Mason himself in 17/6, and performed at Covent Garden. Mr. Mason is s.iid to have writ- ten a masque, called 3. Cupid and Psyche -y which has been set to music by Giardini, but not yet acted ; and we believe there still exist in MS. two tragedies, written by him according to the rules of the Ens:- lish dran.a. Ml-. Mason also completed an unfinished play left by Mr. Whitehead, called CEdipus. Tr. still in MS. The commendations bestowed on E/f)idaand Caractacus, in their original form, have been seconded by an equal degree of applause since they were adapted to the stage. The first is perhaps the most finished, the second the most striking performance. The truth of history, in regard to the con- tested fair-one, has been violated : in respect to the hardy veteran, it has been preserved. In the former, the story is domestic, and we are interested only for the distress of Athelwold and hi.s wife. In the latter, the events involve the fate of our own country, while wonder and pity are alternately engaged by the diirerent situations of Ca- ractacus, Elidurus, Arviragus, and Evelina, The conduct of Elfrid MAS and her husband, being not un- tinctured with childi.shness and deceit, comparatively speaking, can operate but weakly on our compassion. The British heroes and heroine, being uniformly great and irreproachable, always com- mand the attention they deserve. In the person of Athelwold, the betrayer of his prince's confidence is justly punished ; but that event is communicated to us only through the cold medium of relation. By the future self-denials of his wi- dow, we are as slightly moved, for these are to be ranked with vo- luntary penances, and do not take place till after the curtain has dropped on our expectations. In Caractacus the final destiny of the survivors is more natural, decisive, and satisfactory. When Elfrida takes leave of us, our thoughts will spontaneously turn on the dif- ficulties attending the observance of her vow, a comic, yet an ir- resistible idea. But when the aged chief and his daughter are led away in chains from the dead body of a son and brother, our tears and admiration accompany their de- parture, while a pleasing hope sug- gests itself that Evelina v/ill find a protector in the young Brigan- tian prince, and that her father's captivity will tend only to exalt the former greatness of his cha- racter.— The choruses in the first of these dramas, though highly ethic and poetical, lose some- what of their weight, being pro- nounced by females without spe- cific offices or characters. These ladies indeed appear to talk and sing, only because they have no other occupation. From the ve- nerable sons of Mona, who are material agents throughout the second piece, the like elTusions of fancy and instruction proceed with 497 MAS singular propriety. They are bards by protession, and the delivery of religious and moral truths is their immediate province. At the same time we should add, that the ly- M A S and lltenture, was dislinsjuished by pliilinthropy and fervid friend- ship. For the latter qu Uity we have onlv to obseive Iiis conduct in relniiou to Gray, wliose genius ric parts in Elf'ida coutnin less he estimated with a z.:-!! of enthu- objectionable passages than those siasin, tx) bo: row an expression of in Caractacus. If they never rise to the subfunity that distinguishes the ode beginning Hark ! heard ve not yon footstep dread .' they never descend into the almost burlesque strain of and sweep and swing Above, below, around; phrases which serve only to awa- ken a train of as mean and ludi- crous ideas as Mr. Colman's threat- ened chorus of Grecian washer- women could have excited. — The real beauties, however, of both these performances so successfully predominate over every seeaiing imperfection iliey may betray, that, on a review of what we have writ- ten, we scarcely think our i cuiariis to the disadvantage of either de- serve consideration. Besides the pieces already men- tioned, Mr. Mason produced Ths English Garden, a translation of Fresnoy's Art of Painting, and several other poems, a Life of Mr. old Theobald, " amounting to " idolatry ." He married Mary, daughterof William Sherman, Esq. of Kingston upon Hull, who died March 24, \7<57 , in her 28th year, at Bristol ; in the north aile of which cathedral he erected to her memoiT a neat monument of white marble, with some well-known lines. Mr. Mason died at Aston, April 5j 1797> of a mortification occa- sioned by grazing his shin in step- ping into his chariot, a few days before. Massey, Charles, is men- tioned as the author of, 1. Malcolm, King of Scots. P. 1602. N. P. 2. The Siege of Dunkirh P, 160-^ N. P. Massinger, PHitrp T'vs ex- cellent roet was son to Mr. Phi- lip Ma-.ai.iger, a gentleman who 1 -id some employment under the Earl of Pembroke, in whose ser- vice he died, aft - havin '; speiit Gi-ay, &c. &c. The memorable several happv vears in his .amily. Heroic Epistle to Sir William Our author WcS birn at Sal ;--bury. Chambers has been often attritiut- in Qi-'en Elizabeth's r ign, anno ed to this gentleman ; and, if he 15S4, and, at the age of eio^hteen, was the author of it, he ce: tainly was f ntered a fellow-coiUmoiier possessed no small portion of sati- of Alban Hill, in OKford, m rical humour, as well as poetical strength : but the work is so dif- ferent from the general character of his productions, that it is hardly which station he remained three or four y^ars in order to complete his education. Y.^t, though he W.1S encouraged in the pursuit of to be considered as the offspring his studies by his father's patron, of his mind. It is certain that he the Earl of Pembroke, the natural never acknowledged it. In private bent of his o;enius leading him life, his character, though with much more to poetry andpolitelite- something in his manners beyond rature, than to the dryer and more the mere dignity of conscious talents abstruse studies of logic and phi- VOL. I. K K 498 MAS losophy J and, being impatient for an opportunity of moving in a more public sphere of action, and improving his poetical tancy and his knowledge of the belles lettres, by conversation with the world, and an intercourse with men of wit and genius, he quitted the university without taking any de- gree, and came up to London, where, applying himself to writing for the stage, he presently rose into high reputation ; his plays meeting with the universal appro- bation of the public, both for the purity of their style, and the ingenuity and economy of their plots. Though his pieces bespeak him a man of the tirst-rate abili- ties, and well qualified both as to learning and a most perfect ac- quaintance with the methods of dramatic writing, yet he was at the same time a person of the most consummate modesty, which ren- dered him extremely beloved by all his contemporary poets, few of whom but esteemed it as an honour to join with him in the composition of their works. The pieces he has left behind him are as tollow : 1 . Firgin Martyr. T. (assisted byDekker.) 4to. 1622. 2. Duke of Milan. T.4to. Id23. 3. Bondman. T. 4to. Id24. 4. Roman Actor. T. 4to. 1 629. 5. Renegado. T.C. 4to. 1630. 6. Picture. T.C. 4to. 1030. 7. Emperor of the East. T. C. 4to. 1632. 8. Maid of Honour. T. C. 4to. 1632. 9. Fatal Dowry. T. 4to. 1632, (Assisted by Field.) 10. New Way to pay Old Debts. C. 4to. 1633, 11. Great Duke of Florence. Com. Hist. 4to, i636.' 12. Unnatural Comlai. T. 4to. 1639. MAS 13. Bashful Lover. T, C. Svo, 1633. [This was sometimes called Alexas.'] 14. Guardian. C.H. Svo, 1655, 15. A Very IVoman. T. C. 8vo. 1655. 16. Old Law. C, (Assisted by Rowley and Middleton.) 4to. 1656. 17. City Madam. C. 4to. I659. 18. The Parliament of Love. C. (Unfinished.) Svo. 1805. Besides these pieces which are printed, the following are ascribed to him : 1. The Nolle Choice; or. The Orator. T. C, 2. The JVandering Lovers ; or. The Painter. 3. The Italian Night-piece) ox, The Unfortunate Piety. 4. The Judge. C, 5. The Prisoner -J or. The Fair Anchoress. T. C. 6. The Spanish Viceroy j or. The Honour of JVoman. C. 7. Minerva's Sacrifice 5 or. The Forc'd Lady. T. 8. The Tyrant. T. 9. Philenxo and Hippolita. T.C. 10. Antonio and Vallia. C. 1 1 . Fast and Welcome. C. 12. Cleander. T. 13. Honour of Womeji. P. 14. The Khig and the Subject.!! . Of these the first seven were en- tered in the book of the Stationers* Company, by Mr, Mosely, Sep- tember 9, 1653} and those mark- ed 8, Q, JO, 11, by the same per- son, 29 June 1660. Those marked 1,3, 4, 6, 7> 8, 9, 10, and 11, were in the pos- session of Mr. Warburton, Somer- set Herald, and destroyed through the ignorance and carelessness of his servant. As to that marked 8, however, see The Tyrant, in Vol. III. Almost all the writers agree very nearly in their accounts of the time '499 MAS of M^Ssinger's birth j but Coxeter's MS. points out a mistake in the sera of his death, which he makes to have hap|)ene(l in March lO'cJp, in which he is su|>ported by the authority of Wood's Atken. Oxo/i. ; whereas Lan^baine and Jacob, ai,-d after them Whincop and Gibber, have placed it in IO09. Coxeter, however, seems to have the greater apparent probability on his side, both with a consideration of the very great age .(viz. 85 years) that he must have lived to, ac- cording to the latter supposition, and moreover from the epitaph written on him by Sir Aston Co- kaui, in which he is said to be buried in the very same grave with Fletcher, who died in 1025 ; and which, had there been a distance of forty-four years between their respective departures, it is pro- bable would have been a circum- stance scarcely known, and much Jess worth recording. Besides, a still stronger proof, and a conclu- sive one, against the date of 1669, is, that the aforesaid epitaph, by- Sir Aston Cokain, was published among his other poems in iGdQ: " In the same grave Fletcher vras buried, here *' Lies the stage-poet Philip Massinger : " Plays they did write together, were great friends, ** And now one grave includes them in their ends. " So whom on earth nothing did part, beneath " Here in their fame they lie, in spite of death." There is one thing, however, somewhat unaccountable, which is, that Chetwood, who, in his double capacity of bookseller and prompter, had great opportunities, and indeed wanted not curiosity, to inquire into those aflairs, has, in his British. Thecttre, varied from all the other writers in both the MAS beginning and end of his mortal existence ; and, without assigning any authority but his own ipse dixit, has positively asserted that he was born in 15 78, and died in IQ59, in t/ie Slsl year of his age. Itis, however, universally agreed, that his body was buried in the churchyard of St. Saviour's, South- wark, and that he was attended to the grave by all the comedians then in town. His death was sud- den ; and the place of it his own house, near the playhouse, on the Bank Side, Southwark, where he went to bed in good health, and was found dead the next morning. Chetwood tells us, that he had seen in MS. Believe as you List, written by Mr. Massinger, and that it had the followino- license, signed by Sir Henry Her- bert, M'ho was master of the revels in King Charles I. 's reign, viz. " This play, called Believe as " you List, maybe acted, this 6th " of May 1631. " Heney Herbert." The following extract, from the entry of the following day, in Sir Henry Herbert's office-book, as master of the revels, confirms Chetv/ood's assertion : "■ For the King's Company, for " allowing of a new play of Mr. " Massinger's, called Believe as you " List,t\\\s 7 th of May l631 — 2/." And now, it is but a piece of justice due to the memory of this very great man, to make some littlo- further mention of h:.9 merit, which seems in good measure to have been buried in obscurity, and forgotten among the extensive number of writers of the same pe- riod, whose names were not worth awakening or calling forth from ■* the caverns of oblivion. But when 5CK5 MAS M A U we consider how long mnny of those pieces, even ot the im- mortal bbakspeare himself, which are now tiie greatest ornaments of the stage, Ir.y uy neglected, al- though they waatiiu no more than a judicious pruning of some few- luxuriances, some little straggling branches, which overhung the fai.er tlowers, and bid some of the choicest fruits, it is the less to be wondered at, that this author, who, hough second, stands no more than second to him, should share for a while the same destiny. Those who are unacquainted with Massinger's writings will, perhaps, be surprised to hnd one placing him in an equal rank with Beaumont and Fletcher, and the immortal Ben 3 but we flatter our- selves that, if they will but give themselves the trouble of perusing bis plays, their astonishment will cease, that they will acquiesce with us in our opinion, and think themselves obliged to us for point- ing out to them so vast a treasury of entertainment and delight. Massinger has certainly equal invention, equal ingenuity, in the conduct of his plots, and an equal knowledge of character and nature, with Beaumont and Fletcher; and if it should be objected that he has less of the vis comica, it will surely be allowed that that defi- ciency is amply made amends for by that purity aiwj decorum which he has preserved, and a rejection of that looseness and obscenity which runs through most of their comedies. As to Ben Jonson, we shall readily allow that he excels this author with respect to the studied accuracy and classical cor- rectness of his style; yet Massinger has so greatly the superiority over , him in fire, pathos, and the fancy and mnnagement (jf his plots, that we cannot help thinking the ba- lance stands pretty even between them. Massinger's works have been thrice republished, in four volumes 8vo. viz. in 17e>l, 1779, and 1S05. The last-mentioned edition, by Mr. Gilford, is by far the best. Maurice, Thomas, A. M. is the son of a gentleman who pre- sided many years as master of the grammar-school at Hertford, where he acquired a handsome fortune. It was late in life that he married the mother of our author, who, with another son, on the death of their father, was left to the care of his surviving parent. An impru- dent marriage of his mother was fatal to the fortune of our author. After a long struggle in the Court of Chancery, he was found to have lost the property which should have provided for him the means of independence, and was left to the exertions of his own talents to make his way in the world. After having been under the care of various tutors with little improvement, his case was made known to Dr. Samuel Parr, who benevolently received him under his protection, directed his studies, and supported him, though with but slender appearances of re- ceiving an adequate remuneration. To the liberality of Dr. Parr, on this occasion, too much praise cannot be given. From Dr. Parr's academy he was removed ta Ox- ford, and entered of University College, under the tuition of Sir William Scott. Here he cultivated his poetical talents, and formed connexions highly honourable to himself, though they do not ap- pear to have been instrumental in advancing his fortune. He soon after entered into holy orders, and became curate, first at Woodford, JM A U and afterwards at Epping ; and in 1779 published his poems, in quarto, by subscription. In 1786 he married the daughter of Thomas Pearce, Esq. a captain in the East India Company's service ; a lady whose loss, in February 1790, he pathetically deplored in an epitaph, which deserves notice beyond what is produced in general in that spe- cies of composition. Soon after his marriage he en- tertained the design of giving the public The History and Antiquities of India: a work of vast extent, great research, and involved in much obscurity. The difficulties. in his way, from various causes, were such as would have deterred a less determined man ; but, sen- sible of the value of his inten ed work, and conscious of his abilities to execute it, he permitted no ob- stacles to impede his performance. In 1790 he addressed the Court of Directors of the East India Company on the subject, but, we believe, received little encourage- ment to proceed. Without pa- tronage, at a considerable expense, and with great uncertainty of any adequate reward, he per^evered in his purpose; and, in 1793, pro- duced the tiist volume of his work. From that time he continued his labours, and, almost, in the words of Dr. Johnson to Lord Chester- field, brought his work to " the " verge of pablicalion, without '•' one act of assistance. (>'ie word " of encouragement, or 1 iie smile " of favour." It is comprised in 7 Vols. Svo. Mr. iVIaurice has never had any ecclesiastical preferment ; but it appears, by one of his pa'olicatiors, that he was some time chaplain to a regiment. Lately he has been better noticed ; he has been ap- pointed assistant librarian to the MAY British Museum ; and, if we are not misinformed, has been ho- noured with the pension formerly enjoyed by Mr. Cowper. Mr. Maurice's misc lianeous prf'iuctions, both in verse and pr.se, are numerous; but our present attention must be restrict- ed to his dramatic writings, which are three in number, viz. 1. CEdibjff TyraJiiiu<:, of Sopho- cles. Tr-r; ;-i:ed. 1779. Pri'Ued in a quar- j volume of poems, pub- lished in that year. 2. Panlkea. Trag. Svo. 1 789. 3. The Fall of the Mogul. T. Svo. 1806. Maxwell, John. The title- pag:-s of this author's pieces be- speak him an object of pity. .le is there said to be blind; and, trom the subscriptions at the end of each, we may conclude that he was poor. He was an in'iabitant, and probably a native, of York, w!, ?re the fol!(;wing plays were printed ; I. The Faithful Pair. T. Svo. 1740. 2 The Royal Captive. T, Svo. 1745. 3. The Loves of Prince Emilius and Louisa. T. Svo 1755 4. The Distressed l^irgin. T. Svo. 1761. We are inclined, from certain coincidences, to P=cribe to this writer the following anonvmnus pieces, print- ' ai York in 'he same style, a^J h\ the same printer, as The Faithfi! Pair : 5. The Shepherd's Opera. Svo. 1739. 6. The Trepan. Op. Svo. 1739. May, Thomas, was bo'I^ a poet and an hi'^tomn, and flou- rished in the r^itj-.s of James I, and Charles '' . Tie was born in the year 1595 ' nd was the son of Sir T.'iomas May. .f an ancient, b.ut s^imewhat declining family, iu KK 3 502 MAY thecounty of Sussex. He received his education in the university of Cambridge, where he was entered a fellow-commoner of Sidney Col- lege ; during bis residence at which place, he applied very close to his studies, and acquired that fiind of learning of which his va- rious works give such apparent , testimony. From thence he re- moved to London, and frequently made his appearance at court, where he contracted the friend- ship, and obtained the esteem, of several persons of fashion and dis- tinction, more especially of the accomplished Endymion Porter, Esq. one citthe gentlemen of the bedchamber to the King ; a per- son so dearly valued by SirWilliam P'Avenant, that he has styled him Lord of his Muse and Heart. On the death of Ben Jonson, in 1637, Mr. May stood candidate for the vacant laurel, in competi- tion with SirWilliam D'Avenant ; but the latter carrying the day, our author was so extremely ex- asperated at his di,sappointment, that, notwithstanding he had hi- therto been a zealous courtier, yet, through resentment to the Queen, to whose interest he imagined Sir William was indebted for his suc- cess, he commenced a violent and inveterate enemy to the King'.s party, and became not only an advocate, but an historian for the Parliament. In that history, how- ever, he has shown entirely the spl'^en of a malcontent; and in- deed it is scarcely possible it should happen otherwise, since it is ap- parent that he espoused the party merely through pique and resent- ment, and not from any pul)lic- spirited piinciples ; and conse- quently, that, had he happened to have obtained the bays, it is rea- sonable to suppose lie wouldj with M A Y equal warmth, have espoused and supported the ropl cause, as, un- der his present circumstances, he did the republican. Lord Clarendon, with whom he was intimately acquainted, says, " That his father spent the for- " tune which he was born to, so " that he had only an annuity " left him not proportionable to "a liberal education 5 yet, since " his fortune could not raise his " mind, he brought his mind down " to his fortune, by a great mo- " desty and humility in his na- " ture, whicli was not affected, " but very well became an im- " perfection in his speech, which " was .a great mortification to " him, and kept him from enter- " ing upon any discourse but in " the company of his very friends. " His parts of nature and art were " very good, as appears by his '< translation of Lucan (none of " the easiest work of that kind), " and m.ore by his Supplement to " Lucan, which, being entirely " his own, for the learning, the " wit, and the l.mguage, may be "■ well looked upon as one of the " best epic poems in the English '•' language. He writ some other " commendable pieces of the reign " of some of our kings. He was " cherished by many persons of "■ honour, and very acceptable in " all places ; yet (to show that " pride and envy have their in- " fluence upon the narrowest " minds, and which have the " greate-^t .leinblance of humility) <' though he had received much " countenance, and a very con- " siderable donative from the " King, upon His Majesty's refu- " sing (ogive him a small pension, " which he had designed'*and pro- '^ miscd to another very inge- " nious person^ whose qualities he soi MAY MAY "■ thought inferior to his own, he " fell from his duty and all his " former friends, and prostituted " himself to the vile othice of ce- " lebr.iting the infamous acts of " those who were in rebellion " against the King; which he did " so meanly, that he seemed to all *' men to have lost his wits when " he left liis honesty; and shortly *' after died miserable and neg- " lected, and deserves to be for- *' gotten." He died suddenly, in the year 1650, and the 55th of his age; for, going well to bed, he wis there found next morning dead, occasioned, as some say, by tying his nightcap too close under his fat chin and cheeks, which cho- ked him when he turned on the ether side ; and, as Dr. Fuller ex- presses it, " if he were himself a *' lyassed and partial writer, yet " he lieth buried near a good and " true historian indeed, viz. the " great Mr. William Camden, in " the west side of the south isle " of Westminster Abbey." He had a monument, with a Latin inscription, raised over him by order of the Parliament, who had made him their historiographer. But, before his body had rested there eleven years, it was taken up (with other bodies that had been deposited there from 1641 till the Restoration) and buried in a large pit in the churi-hyard belonging to St. Margaret's Westminster. At the same time his monument also was taken down and thrown aside, and in the place of it was set up that of Dr. Thonws Triplet, anno 1070. Though the circumstance above rtientioned, in regard to King Charles, seems to imply that he v/as opinionative, and jealous of iti^ respect 'lue to his own merits^ yet we must allow somewhat for the frailty of human nature ; and even his enemies cannot surely deny him to have beeti a very good poet. His works are numerous ; but those of the greatest note are, a translation of Lucan's Pharsalia, together with a continuation of it, in seven books, both in Latin and English verse. He wrote like- wise an History of Henry U. and the above-mentioned History of the Parliametit, in prose. He also wrote the five following plays, viz. 1. The Htir. C. 4to. 1623. 2. Antigone. T. bvo. 1631. 3. Julia Agrippina, Empress of Rojtie. T. 12mo. 1639. 4. Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, T. 12mo. 1039. 5. Old Couple. C. 4to. l65S» The first and last of these are re- printed by Dodsley, in his Collec- tion, to which is prefixed some short account of the author, an(! a very severe epitaph written on him, in Latin, by one of the cava- lier party, which he had so much abused. Phillips and Winstanley have attributed two other plays to this author, but without any regard to chronology, the one of them hav- ing been printed when Mr. May could not have been above three years old, and the other, which was written by Robert Green, a year before he was born. The pieces are. The Old Wifes Tale. C. Orlando Furioso. C- To the productions of Mr. May, however, must be added, a Latin- play, called, 6; Julius Ccesar. Tragoedia. still in MS. May XE, Jasper, D. D. This- very learnedand ingenious gentle- man was born in 1604, the second K K 4 504 MAY year of King Jarr.es I.'s reign, at a little market-town called Hather- leigh, in Devonshire. He receiv- ed his education at Westminster school, where he continued till the age of nineteen, when he was removed to the university of Ox- ford, where he was admitted into Christ Church College, in the rank of a servitor ; but in the ensuing year, viz. lt)24, he was chosen into the number of students on that poble foundation. Here he took his degrees of bachelor and master of arts, after which he en- tered into orders, and was prefer- red to two livings in the gift of the college, one of which was situated pretty near Oxford. It .does not, however, &eem to have been so much the Doctor's own in- clination that led him to the pul- pit, as the solicitaion of certain persons of errinence, who, on ac- count of the ti^ure he made at the university in :..e stuQ}' of arts and scienci .-. and from an esteem for his abiiiti&s, which 'ley were de- sirous of bci.ig enabled to reward, urged him 'o go into orders. On the breaking jut of the civil wars, whei" King Ciiarl^ I. was obliged to uy for shelter to Ox- ford, and keep his court there, in ordc: to avoid liie reseuLnaent of the pf^pulace in London, where continual tumults were prevailing, Mr. Mayne was made choice of, among others, tr> preach before His Majesty. Soon after this, viz. in 1646, he was created doctor in divinity, c'.id reside Ci r.t Oxford till the time of the muck visiuit!:;;; of that university by 01ivc:r Crom- well's creatures; vhf^n, w'th mai^y others, equally di.stinguished fot their zeal and loyalty to the King, he was not onlv ejcc'^'^d from the college, but also deprived pf both Jiis livings. M A Y During the rage of the civil war he found an hospitable refuge in the family of the Earl of Devon- shire, where he continued till the Restoration, when he was not only restored to his former benelices, but made one of the canons of Christ Church, chaplain in ordi- nnry to His Majesty, and archdea- con of Chichester; all which pre- ferments he kept till his death, which happened on the 6th of December 10/2. He li?s buried on the north side of the choir in the cathedral of Christ Church. Dr. Mayne was held in very high esteem both for his natural parts and his acquired accom- plishments. He was an orthodox preacher, and a man of severe vir- tue and exemplary behaviour, yet of a ready and facetious wit, and a very singular turn ot humour. From some stories that are related of him, he seems to have borne a degree uf resemblance in his manner to thecelebrated Dr. Swift j but, if he did not possess those very brilliant parts that distinguished the Dean, he probably was less subject to that caprice and those unaccountable whirasies, which at times so greatly eclipsed the abili- ties of the latter. Yet there is one anf. cdote related of him, which, although we cannot be of opinion that it reflects any great honour on his m'-nory, as it seems to carry some degree of craelty with it, yet is it a strong mark of his resem- blance to the Dean, and a proof that his propensity for drollery and joke did not quit him even in his latest moments. 1 he story is this ; The Doctor had an old servant, who had lived with him some years, to whom he bequeathed an old trunk, in which he told him he would find something that would make him drink after his death, 505 IVI E A The servant, full of expectation tb..'. his master, under this f.miiliar ex /"S'ion, had left him souie- what xbrv would be a rewnrd for the assiduity of his pa<;r ;iervices, 36 soon a- decency would permit, flew to the t.. ink; when behold, to his great disappointment, the boasted legacy proved to be — a red herring. The Doctor, however, bequeath- ed many legacies, by will, to pious uses, particularly 5001. towards the rebuilding of St. Paul's cathedral, and 200/. to be distributed to the poor of \hc parishes of Cassington, and Pyrton near Watlington, of both which peaces he had been vi- car. Previous to his death, viz. in 1662, he had given 100/. to- wards rebuilding Wolsey's qua- drangle, in Christ Church, Oxford. See Wocd s j^ntiq 447. In his younger years he had an attachment to poetry, and wrote two plays, the former of which may be seen in the ninth volume of Dodsley's Collection, viz. 1. The City Match. C. folio. 1639. 2. Amorous War. T. C. 4to. 1648. Mead, Robert, M. D. was born in Fleet Street, London, in the year I6I6. He received the first parts of education at Westmin- ster school, from whence, in his eighteenth year, he removed to Oxford, and was elected a student of Christ Church College, in that university. As soon as he had taken tne degree of master of arts, he quitted his academical studies, and took up arms forKing Charles I. who gave him a captain's commis- sion in the garri.son at Oxford. In May lG46 he was appointed, by the governor thereof, one of the commissioners to treat with those of the Parliament, concerning a MED surrender, and in the next naontli was actually created a doctor of physic. He followed King Charles II. into France, and w is sent by him as an agent into Sweden. Sion after this he returned to the place of his nativity, died in the very same house in wlilch he had been born, on the 12lh of February 1652, aet. 36, and lies bilried in the church of St. Dunstan's in the West. While he was an undergraduate in the university, he wrote one play, which, however, was never published till after his decease. It is entitled The Cnmlat of Love and Friend- ship. Com. 4 to. 1654. The bookseller's epistle to the reader of this play tells us, " that " he (Dr. Mead) was a person " whose eminent and general " abilities have left him a charac- " ter precious and honourable to " our nation ; and therefore the " reader is not to look upon this " composition, but as at a stoop, " when his youth was willing to *' descend from his t4ien higher " contemplation." He telW us, " that he could say more \a his " honour j but that he was so " great a lover of humility in his '' life, that he was almost afraid, " leing dead, he mi^ht be dis- '' pleased to hear his own worth " remembered." Phillips has, but without found- ation, attributed to this author an anonymous piece, entitled The Costly Whore. A Comical History. 4to. 1633. Meadows, T. comedian, is author of JVho's to Blame? F. Svo. 1S05. Medeourne, Matthew, an actor of considerable eminence, belonging to the Duke of York'a 506 WEI Theatre, in the reign of King Charles II. ; but being a Roman Catholic, and inflamed with a too forward and indiscreet zeal for the religion he had been brought np in, he became engaged in Titus Oates's plot, on which account he was committed, Nov. 26, 16/8, to Newgate ; in which place he died, on the 19th of March following j although, as Langbaine observes, he merited a much better fate. He wrote, or rather made a trans- lation at large, from Moliere, of a comedy, entitled Tarluffe. 4to. I67O. This gentleman aijo published another dramatic piece, which he dedicated to the Queen, and of which Gildon says, notwithstand- ing the letters E. M, in the t le- page, he was supposed to have been the author ; it is entitled Saint Cicily. Trag. Though all tJie former writers men- tion his having died in prison, none of them seem to have known in what year that catastrophe h'"ipened. Me0lp:y, Matthew. See As- ton, Anthony. Medwall, Henry, was chap- lain to John Morton, arclibishop of Canterbury, who died in 1500. He wrote one drama, printed by John Rastall, entitled A goodly Interlude of Nature. Fol. N. D. Meilan, Mark Antony. This author had once a place in the post- office, but was afterwards a teacher of the English language and ac- compts at ditferent schools. He wrote three things, which he calls plays. Ba'oiuin in c-asso jururcs a'rre natum. They were published by subscription [1/71] in an 8vo. volume, and are severally entitled, 1. Emilia. T. 2. Northumberland. T. 3. The Friends. C. M E II Melmoth, Courtney. See Pratt, S.J. Mendez, Moses. This gentle- man was of Jewish extraction j and, if we are not mistaken, either a stock-broker or a notary-public. He was a person of considerable genius, of an agreeable beha- viour, entertaining in conversation, and had a very pretty turn for poetry. On the 19th of June 1/50, he was created A. M. by the uni- versity of Oxford, He was, what poets rarely are, extremely rich j being supposed to be at the time of his death, v/hich happe! t-d the 4th day of February 1/58, worth one hundred thousand pounds. He wrote four little dranjatic pieces, all of which met witli suc- cess ; and some of the songs, in two of them, still continue fa- vourites with persons of poetical and musical taste. 1. Chaplet. Musical Entertain- ment. Svo. 1749. 2. The Shepherd's Lottery. M. E. Svo. 1751. 3. Rol'm Huod. M. E. Svo. 1751. 4. The Doulle Disappointments F. Svo. 1700. Mekchaxt, T. See Dibdin,. Thomas. MtKiTON, Thomas, lived in the reign of King Charles II, Langbaine has been extremely se- vere upon him, telling us that he- was certainly the meanest drama- tic writer that ever England pro- duced; and, applying to his stupi- dity a parody on the expression of Menedemus the philosopher, re- lating to tlie wickedness of Per- seus, says, that he is indeed a poet, but of alt men that are, were, or ever shall be, the dullest ; that never man's style was more bombast j and that, as he himself did not pretend to such a quickness of ap- 5o; M E R prehension as to understand either of his plays, he can only inform us that they are two in number, and that their titles are, 1. Lovernd War. T. 4to. I656. 2. Wandei irig Lover. T. C. 4to. \65S. He also informs us, from Mr. Meriton's own authority, that he had written another play, called Thfi Scut:al Jff'airs, Com. which, however, he made but his pocket companion, showing it only to a few select and private friends ; on which, moreover, he remarks, that those were certainly happiest who were not reckoned in the number of this author's friends, and consequently com- pelled to listen to such fustian, which, like an empty cask, makes a great sound, but yields at best nothing but lees. In proof of these assertions, we have given our readers a copy of part of the epistle dedicatory to The IVandering Lnver, which is indeed a curiosity in its way, and to which we refer those who are fond of grasping a cloud, or regal- ing their appetites with whipp'd syllabub. See Vol -III. p. 889. Merry, Robe-rt, was born in London, April 1755, and was descended in a right line from Sir Henry Merry, who was kmghted by James the First, at Whitehall. Mr. Merry's father was governor of the Hudson's Bay Company. His grandfather was a captain in the royal navy, and one of the elder brethren of the Trinity House : he established the com- merce of the Hudson's Bay Com- pany upon the plan which it now pursues. He made a voyage him- self to Hudson's Bay, and disco- vered the island in the North Seas which still bears the name of Merry's Island. He also inade a M E R voyage to the East Indi(S, ami was, perhaps, the first Englishman who returned home overland ; in which expedition he encountered inconceivable hardships. Mr. * Merry's mother was the eldest daughter of the late Lord Chief Justice Willes, who presided for many years with areat ability in the Court of Common Pleas, and was for some time first lord com- missioner of the great seak Mr. Merry was educated at Harrow, under Dr. Sumner. The cele- brated Dr. Parr was his private tutor. From Harrow he went to Cambridge, and was entered of Christ's College. He left Cam- bridge without taking any degree, and was afterwards entered of Lincoln's Inn, but was never called to the bar. Upon the death of his father he bought a commission in the horse-guards, and was for se- veral years adjutant and lieutenant to the first troop, commanded by Lord Lothian. Mr. Merry quitted the service, and went abroad, where he remained nearly eight years; during which time he visit- ed most of the principal towns of France, Switzerland, Italy, Ger- many, and Holland. At Floience he stayed a considerable time, enamoured (as it is said) of a lady of distinguished rank and beauty. Here he studied the Italian lan- guage, encouraged his favourite pursuit, poetry, and was elect- ed a member of the celebrated academy Delia Crusca ; the name of which academy he afterwards used as a signature to many poems which were , favourably received by the public, and whicii excited a great number of imitators. When Mr. Merry observed this, he dropped his fictitious character, and ever afterwards published m \\U own name. 508 M E S Mr. Merry had always been a Ion vivant ; he hid also a turn for play ; and this, with other fashion- able propensities, kept liim for se- veral years in an emba'^ra'sed state. Upon his marriage witii Miss Brunton, who perforMed in his tragedy of Lorenzo, t prospect op: i'edtohi'.n of living at his ease, by the joint production of that lady's talents and his own pen; but unfortunately the pride jf those relations upon whom he had most dependence was wounded by the alliance ; and he was constrained, much against Mrs. Merry's incli- nation, to take her from the stage. This he did as soon as her engage- ment at the theatre expired, which •was in the spring of i7jj2. They then visited the coniinent, and re- turned in the sur.jmer of 1/93. They retired to Ameica in 179<5. and our author died sufidenly at Baltimore, in \Iar_y]and, Dc . 24, ^79^' of an apoplectic disorder, which proceeded, as supposed, from a plethora, and a want of proper exercise. Mr.Merry'sdrnmaenre as follow; 1. Amlilious FengeaJice. T. D. Svo. 1790. 3. Loren%o. Tra. Svo. l/Pl. 3. The Magician No Conjuror. CO. 1792. N. p. 4. Fenelon. Ser. Dr. Svo. 1795. Mestayek, Henky. This au- thor was a watchmaker, who wrote one play ; and putting it into the hands of Mr. Theobald, that gen- tleman formed from it a tragedy, which he procured to be acted and printed as his own. This pro- ceeding offended the original au- thor, who soon after published his own performance, with a dedica- tion to Mr. Theobald, It was called ThePerfJious Brother. T.12mo. 1710. M I C Theobald made only a few al- terations in the language of the piece, and, on the strength of these lew, assumed to himself the merit of the whole structure. We shall certainly be credited on the present occasion, as perhaps no reader will undergo, as we have done, the fatipu of examining e\idence on both sides. Impartiality, 'lowever, compels us to aver, *hat Mestayer might bring as fair an action against his opponent, in any of the courts of Parnassus, " As heart could wish, and need not shame " The proudest man alive to c'aim." Poor Tib, though unmercifully ridiculed by Pope, never appeared to us so despicable as throughout this transaction. We iiad seen him before only in the light ox a puny critic ; " But here the fell attorney prowls for Metcalfe, Catharine, wrotei Jutia de Rouligne. T. 179O. N. P. This Ir.dy was in an ill state of health while she was writing her play, and died before it was acted. Me WE, , a gentleman of Eraraanuel College, Cambridge, was author of a Latin play, called Pscudomasia. T. Com. N. P. Meyeks, , a miniature- painter, translated froin the Ger- man, Ztlma. D.Rom. 1792. N. P. which vv-as prepared for the stag© by Mr. Hayley, after Mr. M?s death, for the benefit of his family. MlCHELBOKNE, JoHN. This gentleman was one of the governors of Londonderry when besieged by King James IL in the year 1 688-9. The great fortitude and perseve- rance of that garrison, the hard- ships they suffered, and the suc- cess which attended their efforts. 509 M I C are subjects of some of the most interesing pages in liistory. From the fate of the present author it appears, that the rewards of '*"ie sovereign did not keep pace with the exertions of his subjects. After the gallant and hazardous service in which they had been employed^ their pay was neglected, and they were abandoned to poverty and distress. Among the rest, our author was so far reduced that he was confined in the Fleet for debt, and, during that restraint, wrote the single draniatic piece which entitles him to a place in this work, called Ireland preserved ; or. The Siege of Londonderry . T C. folio. I/O/. (See Gough's British Topography, vol. ii. p. 80g.) Svo. 1738-9. MicKLE, William Julius, was one of the sons of the Rev. Alexander Mickle, a Scotch cler- gyman, who at one period of his life was a dissenting minister in London, and assistant to the Rev. Dr. Watts. Alexander Mickle was also one of the translators of Bayle's Dictionary. After a few years residence in London, he was presented to the church of Langiiolm, near Kelso, on the borders of Scotland, where he married; and of this marriage our author was one of the younger sons. He was born about the year 1735, and received his education from his father; on whose death he went to Edinburgh, and resided with an uncle, who was a brewer there. By this relation he was admitted to a share of the busi- ness J but the event of it only served to add another instance to the many which prove that the pursuits of poetry and trade are incompatible with each other. On his failure in this his first scheme of life, he endeavoured to obtain M I C a coitimlision in the marine service, and with that view came to Lon- don, about the conclusion of the war which heg^n in 1/55. In this application he met with a disappointment ; but in hopes of derving some advantage, he in- troduced himself to the lirst Lord Lyttelton, to wiiom he sent some of his pot-ms. By this nobleman he was received wi*h much kind- ness, was admitted to several in- terviews, and encouraged not to abandon his poetical plans, but to persevere in them. He expe- rienced, however, no other vino- lument from his Lordship's notice of him. After he became acquainted with Spenser's works, he read and studied with the greaiest avidity; and, as he often declared, before he was eighteen years old had written two tragedies and half an epic poem, all which he had the prudence to consign to the flanjes. From the time of his arrival in London to about the year IJtS, when he engaged as corrector to the Clarendon press, we do not know how he was employed. The time which was not en- gaged at the Clarendon press he devoted to study ; and in the year 170'5 published the poem which first brought him into notice, en- titled PolUo, an Elegiac Ode, writ/en in the Wood near R\^oslin^ Castle . 4to. This was an elegy written on the death of his brother, and previous to its publication had been shown in MS. to and re- ceived some corrections from the hand of Lord Lyttelton, who, in a letter to the author, spoke of it as equal to any thing of the kind in our language. In 1767 he pub- lished The Concubine, a Poem, in Two Cantos, in the Manner of Spenser, 4to, , 510 M I C He had as early in life as the age of seventeen, read Castara's translation of The Lusiad of Ca- nioens into French, and then con- ceived the design of giving an English version of it. Various avocations had, however, prevent- ed him from proceeding to execute ItR intention, though he never lost sight ol his plan. At length, in 177I:, he published the first book as a specimen j and having pre- pared himself by acquiring some knowledge of the Portuguese lan- guage, he determined to devote himself entirely to the work ; which in order to carry on without interruption, he quitted his situa- tion at Oxford, and went to resine at a faim-house at Forest Hill, where he pursued his design -with unremiiiing attention, uiuil the end of 1775, when the work, which had been printing as he proceeded on it, was entirely fi- nished ; a work which one of the finest Englisn writers declared he esteemed equal to Pope's Homer, and inferior only to Dryden's Vir- gil ; and which we may venture to prophesy will remain a irjonu- ment to transmit the author's name with honour to late posterity. Before the publication of The Lusiad, Mr. Mickle had been tempted to try his powers in what Dryden calls the most profitable species of composition. Adopting therefore a st;;ry from the French history, during the reign of Francis the First, he formed it into a tra- gedy, which he called The Siege of Marseilles. This was trans- mitted to Mr. Garrick with the recommendations of some of his literary friends. Whether from ignorance o^ stage effect, or that the author's talents were not adapted to the theatre, we shall not decide 3 but ceftain it is, the per* I\I I C formance was rejected by the ma- nager, as not calculated to succeed in the representation. It contain- ed, he acknowledged in a letter, many beautiful passages 3 but fine writing, he added, was not of it- self sufficient to constitute a drama fit for public exhibition. In 1777 our author published a new edition of The Concubine, with improvements, under t'^e title of Sir Martyn ■. t!ie former convey- ing a \ery improper idea both of the subject and spirit of the poem. Of the many imitations of Spenser, this, in the opinion of some readers of taste, will suffer the least, in comparing it with the original. The excellent Bishop of London, Dr. Lowth, from a knowledge of Mr. Mickle's virtues and talents, had more than once intimated his readiness to give him ordination, with a promise of some provision in the church, which, however, was a scheme of life not agreeable to our author's disposition. In May 1779. his friend Governor Johnstone was appointed to the command of the Romney man of war, and immediately sent to Mr. IMickle an offer to appoint him his sec.etary, in order that he might partake of any good fortune which might happen during the cruise. This offer Mr. Mickle accepted, and fulfilled his appoint- ment during the remainder of tire year. In November he arrived at Lisbon, and was named, by his friend and patron, joint agent for the prizes which were taken. During his residence there he com- posed his poem, caWedAhnada Hill, published, in quarto, in 178I. In 1782 he publisaed The Prophecy of Queen Emma, an ancient bal- lad, lately discovered, wri.ten by Johannes lurg^utlus. Prior of Dur- ham, in the reign of William Ru*- 511 M I D fus. To \¥hich is added, by the editor, an Account of the Disco- ver}", and Hints towards a Vindica- tion of the Authenticity, of the Poems of Ossian and Bowley, Svo. About June in the same year he niarried Miss Tomkins, daugh- ter of the person witii whom he resided at Forest Hill while he was engaged in translating The Liisiad. By the fortune he obtained with this- lady, added to what he ac- quired under Commodore John- stone, he found himself possessed of that competence which enabled him to retire to literary leisure and independence. He accordingly took a house at Wheatley, in Ox- fordshire, and devoted his vacant time to the revision of his poetical works. Here he died Oct. 25, 1788 ; leaving one dramatic piece already mentioned, viz. The S/ege of Marseilles. Trag. 4 to. 1794. MiDDLETON, Thomas, was a very voluminous writer, and lived so late as the time of Charles I. ; yet we can meet with very few particulars relating to him ; for, notwithstanding that he has cer- tainly shown considerable genius in those plays which are unques- tionably all his own, and which are very numerous, yet he seems in his iifetime to have owed the greatest part of the reputation he acquired to his connexion with Jonson, Fletcher, Massinger, and Rowley, with whom he was concerned in the writing of several pieces ; but to have been considered in himself as a genius of a very inferior class, and concerning whom the world was not greatly interested in the per- using of any memoirs. Yet, sure- ly, it is a proof of merit sufficient to establish him in a rank far from the most contemptible among oar M I D drnmntlc writers, that a set of men of such acknowledged abilities con- sidered him as deserving to be ad- mitted a joint-labourer with thera in the fields of poetical fame ; and more especially by Fletcher and Jonson ; the first of whom, like a widowed Muse, could not be sup- posed readily to admit another partner after the loss of his long and well beloved mate Beaumont; and the latter, who entertained so high an opinion of his own talents as scarcely to admit any brother near the throne, and would hardly have permitted the clear waters of his own Heliconian springs to have been muddied by the mixture of any streams that did not appa- rently flow from the same source, and, however narrow their cur- rents, were not the genuine pro- duce of Parnassu.s. The pieces which Middleton wrote entirely, and those in which he only shared the honour with others, are distinguished in the fol- lowing list : 1 . Randall, Earl of Chester. P. 1602. 2. Blurt, Master Constalle. C. 4to. ]602. 3. Phanlv. T. C. 4to. I607. 4. Michaelmas Term. C. 4to. 1607. 5. Your Five Gallants. C, 4to. N.D. [1007.] 6. Family of Love. C. 4to.l608. 7. ^/ Jnad IForldyiny Maste.s. C. 4to. 16O8. 8. Tiick to catch the old One. C. 4to. 16O8. g. Roaring Girl. C. 4to. I6II. Assisted by Dekker. 10. Fair Quarrel. C. 4to. 1617, (In this play Rowley joined with our author.) 1 1 . Inner Temple Masque. 4to. 1619. 4 312 M I D 12. TTorld toss'd at Tennis. M. 4to. 1620. (Rowley assisted in this inasque.) 13. Game at Chesse. 4to. N. D. [10^24.] 14. Chaste Maid in Cheapside. C. 4to. i6ao. 15. Widow. C. (In this Mid- dleton only joined with Fletcher andJonson) 4to. 1(552. 16. Channeling. T. 4to. 1 653. (The author assisted by Rowley.) 17 ■ Spanish GijlHe. C. (Assisted by Rowley ) 4to. 1 653, 166I. 18. Old Law. C. 4to. 1656. (Our author and Rowley assisted Massinger in writing this comedy.) 19. No Wit, 710 Help like a Wo- man's. C. Svo. 1657. 20. More Dissemblers besides JFu-^ wen. C. Svo. 1657. 21. Women beware Women. T. Svo. 1657. 22. Mayor of Quinborous,h. C. 4to. 1661. In Dodsley's Collect. 23. Any Thin>yJor a quiet Life. C. 4to. 1662. 24. The Puritan Maid, Modest Wife, and Wanton Widow. C. N. P. Besides the above pieces, Mid- dleton wrote a Tragi-comedyj call- ed, 25: The Witch, xvhich ha left in MS. [See Vol. III. p. 415.] Middleton also wrote the fol- lowing pageants : 1. The Triumphs of Truth. 4to. 1613. 2. The Triumphs of Love and Antiquity. 4to. 1619. 3. The Sun in Aries. 4to. 163I. 4. The Triumph of Health and Prosperity. 4 to, 1 626. Our author was, in 1626, ap- pointed chronologer to the city of London, and is supposed to have died soon after the publication of the last pageapt. M I L Mix.ES, William Augustus. This author is li\ :n^: H? had formerly a post in the office of Ordnance ; but, on a misunder- standing between him and the per- son at the head of that department, he was dismissed from his place. He is the author of Letters from Selim, primed in the public papers to expoae the abuses in theoifice to which he had belonged ; and of mauypoliticalparapilers, both with and without his name. He has also written the following dramas: 1. Summer Amusement; or. An Adventure at Marmte. CO. 17/9. N. P. In conjunction with Mr. Andrews. 2. The Artifice. C. O. Svo. 1780. Miller, James, was the son of a clergyman who possessed two livings of considerable value in Dorsetshire. He was born in the year 1703, and received his edu- cation at Wadham College, in Ox- ford. His natural genius and turn for satire, however, led him, by way of relaxation fron-. his more serious studies, to apply some por- tion of his time to the Muses j and, during his residence at the university, he composed great part of a comedy, called The Humours of Oxford, some of the characters in which being either really de- signed for, or at least pointed out as bearing a strong^esemblance to, some of the students, and indeed heads, of that university, gave con- siderable umbrage, created the au- thor many enemies, and probably laid the foundation of the greater part of his misfortunes through life. On his quitting the university, he entered into holy orders, and got immediately preferred to the lectureship of Trinity chapel in Conduit Street, and to be preacher 513 MIL at the private chapel at Roehamp- ton, in Surrey. The emoluments of his prefer- ment, however, being not very considerable, and, though he had married an amiable young lady with a very genteel fortune, finding the expenses of a family growing upon him, he was encouraged, by the success of his first play, which h:id been brought on the stage at the particular recommendation of Mrs. Oldfield, to have recourse to dra- matic writing, as a means of en- larging his finances. But this kind of composition being considered, in this squeamish age, as somewhat foreign to, and inconsistent with, the clerical profession, a certain right reverend prelate, from whom Mr. Miller had perhaps expecta- tions of preferment, made some very harsh remonstrances with him on the subject, and, on not per- ceiving him perfectly inclinable at once to quit the advantages he re- ceived from the llieatre, without the assurance of somewhat ade- quate to it from the church, thought proper to withdraw his patronage: on which, in a satirical poem that our author published soon after, there appeared a character, which, being universally fixed on as intended for the bishop, occasioned an irreconcilable breach between his Lordship and the author, and was for many years afterwards thought to have retarded his ad- vancement in the church. Mr. Miller proceeded with his dramatic productions, and met with so good success, that, from the representation of three or four other pieces, he reaped very con- siderable emoluments, and pro- bably might have continued so to do, had not his wit and pro- pensity to satire involved him in a bruise with, the body of critics, the VOL. I. M t L supporters or destroyers of thi^ kind of writing 5 for having, in a comedy, called The Coffee-hdise, drawn certain characters, \Vhich were imagined to be designed for Mrs. Yarrow and her daughter^ who kept Dick's Colfiee-house be- tween the Temple-gates, and for some of the persons who frequented that house, theTemplars, who con- sidered this step as touching their »own copyhold, went in a body to the playhouse, with a resolution, very far from uncommon at that time, of damning the piece right or wrong. The author, however, denying the charge laid against him, the inns of court wits might perhaps have been reconciled to him, had not the engraver, who was em- ployed to draw a frontispiece for the play, unfortunately taken the sketch of his design from the very coffc^e-house in question. This circumstance rendering them en- tirely implacable, all attempts that he made afterwards proved un- successful 5 it being of itself a sntficient reason, with those gen- tlemen, to damn any piece, if it was known, or but suspected to be, his. Thus was Mr. Miller's great resource stopped at once, and he again reduced to a dependence on liis little pittance in the church, with scarcely a prospect of any advancement; for, besides the en- mities he had created by the several circumstances above mentioned, he was in his principles a steady high- churchman, which was a circum- stance at that time no way favour- able to his promotion. His integrity, however, in these principles was so firm, that he had resolution enough to withstand the temptation of a very large offer made him by the agents of the mi- nistry in the time of general op- L L 514 1M I L MIL {)osition, notwithstanding his cir- English stage, it made its appear- cumstances were at that period ance at Drury Lane theatre j and. very far from being easy. He, indeed, frequently acknowledged, that this was the severest trial his constancy ever endured, and that his tenderness for the most amiable of wives, whose dependence had been swallowed up in his misfor- tunes, had even staggered his firm- ness, and induced him to sound all his fonner attempts having been in comedy, by which means the author of this tragedy was not suspected, it passed with very con- siderable approbation, and a pro- bability of a reasonable success ; when behold, on the ver)' night that should have been that of his first benefit, and before he had her disposition, by hinting to her rreceived a twelvemonth's revenue on what terms preferment might from his own benefice, he died at be purchased ; but she, with an his lodgings, in Clieyne Walk, intrepidity and indignation which almost made him blush at the thought of having hesitated for a single moment, rejected all pro- posals of so servile a nature, and silenced every scmple that could on her account have suggested it- Chelsea, without ever having it in his power to make that provision for his family which he had so long solicited. As a man, his character may partly be deduced from the fore- going relation of his life. He was self to him. However, thus far he firm and steadfast in his principles, was willing to have temporized, ardent in his friendships, and some- that though he would not eat the W'bat precipitate in his resentments, bread purchased by writing in the In his conversation he was spright- vindication of principles thathedis- Jy, cheerful, and a great master of approved, yet he would have stipu lated with the ministry, on the same terms, never to have drawn his pen against them. But this ready repartee, till towards the latter part of his life ; when a de- pression of circumstances threw a gloom and hypochondria over his proposal was rejected on the other temper, which got the better of side, and so terminated their nego- his natural gaiety of disposition. tiations. Thus did Mr. Millet's wit and honesty stand for many years the most powerful bars to hi.s fortune; and, as if some over-ruling planet hung over his destiny, and deter- As a writer, he certainly has a claim to stand in a very estimable light. His Humours of Oxford ii perfectly his own, and is much the best of his dramatic pieces j for it is probable that, when he mined to banish success entirely applied to that kind of writing by from him, the stroke of death hur- way of support, he had botli less riedhimaw^ay, just as his prospects leisure and less spirits for the re- appeared to be clearing up in more touching and finishing them, than respects than one : for, by the when he wrote merely for amuse- gift of Mr. Carey, of Dorsetshire, ment. Besides, the most of his he was at length presented to the other plays are more or less built very profitable living of Upcerne, on the foundation of other writers, •which his father had before pos- although the ornamental parts of sessed ; besides which, having the stcucture have been added to translated the Ma/zoTTzei of Monsieur them by their present fabricator, lie Voltaire, and adapted it to the The names of them are. 515 M I L 1* The Humours of Oxford. C. Cvo. 1730. 2. T/^e Mother-in- Laiv; or, T^f Doctor thd Disease. C. 8vo. 1734. 3.TheManofTasle.C.Svo.l735. 4. Universal Passion. C. 8vo. 1737. 5. The Cofee-hcuse. D. P. 8vo, 1737. G.JrtandXature. C. 8vo.l738. 7. -^n Hospital for Fools. D. F. 8vo. 1739. S. Mahomet the Impostor. T. 8vo. 1744. 9. Joseph and his Brethren. Orat. 4to. 1744. 10. The Picture; or, T-^e Cuckold in Conceit. C Svo. 1745. At the end of Havard's King Charles I. is advertised a drama by our author, called, 1 1 . The Savage ; or. The Force of Nature. We believe, however, that it never was printed. He wrote also a comedy, called, 12. Sir Eooer de Cover ly, by the desire of Mrs. Oldfield, who intended to have played theWidow. Mr. Wilks was designed for Will Honeycombe, and Mr. Gibber for Sir Roger ; but the deaths of the two former occasioned its being laid aside. Besides these dramatic pieces, he wrote several political pamphlets, particularly one called Are these Things so? which was taken very great notice of; he was author of a poem, called Harlequin Horace, a satire, occasioned by some ill treatment he had received from Mr. Rich, the manager of Covent Garden theatre ; and was likewise concerned, together with Mr. Henry Baker, F. R. S. in a com- plete translation of the comedies of Moliere, printed together with the original French, and published by Mr. Walts. M I L Mr. Miller died ori the 27'h of April 1744," leaving behind \:■.■^^ a wife and two children, a son -rA daughter ; and, although it may seem somewhat foreign to our pre- sent purpose, yet it would be un- just to the character of t ue widow- ed lady, of whose lierolcal and noble behaviour we ha' e already recorded one instance abo' e, not here to convey to posterity the record of that continued attach- ment to the honour and repu- tation of her husband even after death, which induced her to devote the whole profits, both of a benefit play which Mr. Fleetwood gave her a little time after Mr. Miller's decease, and also of a large sub- scription to a volume of admirable sermons of that gentleman's, which she published, to the satisfactioa of his creditors, and the payment of those debts which his limited circumstances had unavoidably en- gaged him in ; even though, by so doing, -she left herself and fa- mily almost destitute of the com- mon necessaries of life. Mr. Miller's son was bred a surgeon, and was some time in that station in the navy ; but after- wards applied to literar)'avocations for his livelihood. Among other works that he was concerned in, he published a volume of ori- ginal poems, and a translation of the Abbe Batteaux's Cours des Belles Lettres. Milton, John, the most il- lustrious of the English poets, was descended of a genteel family, seat- ed at a place of their own name, viz. Milton, in O.^forddure. He was born Dec. 9, I6O8, and re- ceived his first rudiments of edu- cation under the care of his pa- rents, assisted by a private tutor. He afterwards passed some tiaa« L L 2 5i6 U I L at St. Paul's school, London ; in which city his father had settled, being engaged in the business of a scrivener. At the age of seven- teen, he was sent to Christ's Col- lege, Cambridge ; where he made a great progress in all parts of academical learning; but his chief delight was in poetry. In 1628 he proceeded bachelor of arts, having performed his exercise for it with great applause. His father designed him for the church ; but the young gentleman's attach- ment to the Muses was so strong, it became impossible to engage him in any other pursuits. In 1(532 he took the degree of master of arts; and, having now spent as much time in the university as be- came a person who determined not to engage in any of the three pro- fessions, he left the college, greatly regretted by his acquaintance, but highly displeased with the usual method of training up youth there for the study of divinity ; and be- ing much out of humour with the public administration of ecclesiasti- cal affairs, he grew dissatisfied with the established form of church go- vernment, and disliked the wholt? plan of education practised in the university. His parents, who now dwelt at Horton, near Colnbrook, in Buckinghamshire, received him •with unabated atFection, notwith- standing he had thwarted their views of providing for him in the church, and they amply indulged him in his love of reiireirient ; wherein he enriched his mind with the choicest stores of Grecian aud Roman literature. His poems of Comus, U Allegro, II Penseroso, and Lycidas, all written at this time, would have been sufficient, had he never produced any thing more considerable, to have trans- aaitted his fame to latest posterity. M I L However, he was not so absorbed in his studies, as not to make fre- quent excursions to London ; nei- ther did so much excellence pass unnoticed among his neighbours ia the country, with the most distin- guished of whom he sometimes chose to relax his mind, and im- prove his acquaintance with the world, as well as with books. After five years spent in this manner, he obtained his father's permission to travel, for further improvement. In the spring of the year 1639 he set out for Paris, where he was introduced to the celebrated Grotius ; from thence he departed for Genoa, and from Genoa he went to Florence; where he spfnt two months with great satisfaction, in the company of persons the most eminent for rank, parts, or learning. Hence he went to Rome, where he passed the same time in the same manner. His next remove was to Naples ; whence his design was to prececd into Sicily and Greece; but, hear- ing of the commotions then be- ginning to stir in England, he re- solved to shorten his tour, in order to return to his native country j being of too public- spirited a dis- position to remain an unconcerned spectator of the great struggle for liberty which he saw approaching. Returning therefore to Rome, and from thence to Florence, he cross- ed the Appenines, and passed by the way of Bologna and Ferrara to Venice, where he shipped off the books he had collected in his tra- vels. After a month's stay at Ve- nice, he went through Verona, Milan, and along the Alps, down the Leman Lake to Geneva, where he spent some time, and then set out on his return through France, whence he arrived in England to- wards tlie close of the year 1639. 517 M I L M I L The times, however, not being yet ripe for his design of attacking the episcopal order, he determined to lie perdue for the present ; but, that he might not be idle, he set up a genteel academy in Alders- gate Street In ld41 he began to draw his pen in defence of the Presbyterian party; and the next year he married the daughter of Richard Powell, Esq. of Forest Hill, in Oxfordshire. This lady, however, whether from a differ- ence on account of party, her fa- ther being a zealous royalist, or some other cause, soon thought proper to return to her relations ; ■which so incensed her husband, that he resolved never to take her again, and wrote and published se- veral tracts in defence of the doc- trine and discipline of divorce. He even made his addresses to another lady ; but this incident proved the means of a reconciliation with Mrs. Milton. In 1644 he wrote his tract upon education ; and the restraint on the liberty of the press being con- tinued by act of parliament, he wrote boldly and nobly against that restraint : for '^■hich season- able effort eternji honour and glory be to the memory of the admira- ble author! That infamous scheme of liceiising continued, however, to the year l64g ; when Mr Mab- bot.who held the office of licenser, was so much ashamed of it, and so disgusted with tlie praciice, that he threw up the employment, and the council of state totally annul- led the office ; for which be due reverence paid to their memory also ! In 1645 he published his Ju- venile Poeins; and about two years after, on the death of his father, be took a smaller house in Hig:b Holborn ; and here he kept close to his studies, pleased to observe the public affairs daily tending toward the great end of his wishes, till it was completed in the destruction of monarchy, by the fatal catastrophe and death of Charles the First. But after this dreadful Mow was struck, tlie Presbyterians made sy much outcry against it, that Mil- ton grew apprehensive lest the de- sign of settling a commonwealth should miscarry ; for which reason he published his Tenure of Kings and Magistrates: Proving that it is latvfulfor any to have the power to call to account a tyrant or wicked kifig, and, after due cojiviction, ta depose and put him to death. Soon after this, he entered upon his History of Englaiid; a work planned in the same republican spirit, be- ing undertaken with a view of preserving the country from sub- mitting to monarchical govern- ment, in any future time, by ex- ample from the past. But, before he bad made any great progress in this work, the commonwealth was formed, the council of state erect- ed, and he was pitched upon for their Latin secretary. The famous Ej/caivBao-zXr/.n coming out about the same time, our author, by com- mand, wrote and published his Iconoclastes the same year. It was also, by order of his masters, back- ed by the reward of one thousand pounds. After that, in 1051, he published hi- celebrated piece, en- titled Pro Populo AngUcano Defen^ sio, a defence of the people of England, in answer to Salmasios's Defence of the King, which per- formance spread his fame over all Europe. He now dwelt in a plea- sant house, with a garden, in Petty France, Westminster, opening into St. James's Park. In 1053 he bu- I. I. 3 513 M I L ^ied his wife, who died rot long sfter the delivery of her fourth Child; and about the same time he also lost his eyesight, by a giitta- serena, which had been growing upon him many years. Cromwell took the reins of go- vernment into his own hands in the year 1653; but Milton still held his office. His leisure hours he employed in prosecuting his studies, wherein he was so far from being discouraged by t!ie loss of his gighi, that he even conceived hopes thai this -misfortune would add new vigour to his genius ; which, in tact, seems to have been the case. Thus animated, he again ventured upon matrimony. His second lady was the daughter of Captnin Woodcock, of Hackney : she died in childbed, about a year after. On the deposition of the Pro- tector Richard Cromwell, and on the return of the Long Parliament, Milton being still continued secre- tary, he appeared again in print; pleading for a further reformation of the laws relating to religion ; and, during the anarchy that en- sued, he drew up several schemes for re-establishing the common- wealth, exerting all his faculties to prevent the return of Charles II. England's destiny, however, and Charles's good tbrtune, prevailing, our author chose to consult his safety, and retired to a friend's house in Bartholomew Close, A particular prosecution was intend- ed against him ; but the just esteem to w-hich his admirable genius and extraordinary accomplishments en- titled him, had raised him so many friends, even among those of the opposite party, that he was iur eluded in the general amnesty. This storm over, he married a third wife^ Elizabeth, daughter of M I L Mr, Minshall, a Cheshire gentle- man ; aad not long after he took a house in the Artillery Walk, leading to Bunhill Fields. This was his last stage ; here he sat down for a longer continuance than he had before been able to do any where ; and though he had lost his fortune (for every thing be- longing to him went to wreck at the Restoration), he did not lose his taste for literature, but con- tinued his studies with almost as much ardour as ever; and applied himself particularly to the finishing his grand work, the Paradise Lost \ one of the noblest poems that ever was produced by human genius ! We could enlarge with pleasure on the numberless and exquisite beau- ties of this English epic ; but this has been so copiously done by Mr. Addison and many others, that any attempt of that kind here would be altogether superfluous. It was published in 160/ ; and his Para" d'lse Rega'med came out in l6yO: This latter work fell short of the excellence of the former produc- tion ; although, were it not for the transcendent merit of the Paradise Lost, the second composition would doubtless have stood foremost in the rank of English epic poems : but, perhaps, the groundwork was unfavourable to the poet, many- being of opinion that the mysteries of tlie Christian scheme are impro- per subjects for the Muse. After this he published many pieces in prose; for which we refer our rea- ders to the edition of his Historical^ Political, and Miscellaneotis JForks, printed by Millar, in 2 vol. 4to, in 1753. In 1674, this great and worthy man paid the last debt to nature, at his house in Bunhill Fields, in the 66th year of his age; and was interred on the 12th of November^ 519 M I L in the chancel of St. Giles's, Crip- plegate, A decent monument was erected to his memory, in 1/37, in Westminster Abbsy^ by Mr. Ben- son, one of the auditors of the imprest. As to his person, it was remarkably handsome, but his con- stitution was tender, and by no means equal to his incessant ap- plication to his studies. Though greatly reduced in his circum- stances, yet he died worch 1500/. in money, besides his household goods. He had no son, but left behind him three daughters, whom he had by his first wife. His dramatic works are, 1. A Masque, presented at Lud- low Castle. 4to. 103/. 2. Sampson Agonistes. D. P. 1671. Arcades. Masque. former of these pieces has been, and still continues to favourite entertainment on M I T cannot help tbinkhis 8vo. 3. The long be, a the British theatre, under the name of Comus ; but it was first per- formed at Ludlow Castle by persons of distinction. The second, though an admirable performance on the plan of the ancients, is not adapted to the modern stage. Bishop Atterbury, however, once very much pressed Mr. Pope to re- view and polish this piece : " If " (says he), upon a new perusal of *' it (which I desire you to make), " you think as I do, that it is *' written in the very spirit of the " ancients, it deserves your care, " and is capable of being im- " proved, with little trouble, into " a perfect model and standard of *' tragic poetry:" — " a most des- " perate task ! (exclaims Dr. Arm- *' strong) ; for, besides that the " dialogue is for the greatest part *' dry, metaphysical, pedantic, and *' reads like a starched, laborious, ** slavish translation from Euripi- " des, I "■ with all due deference to Milton "and the Bishop of Rochester, " that the Sampson Ago/iistcs is no " more to a tragedy, than a long " farce of one act would be to a " comedy; for the stage, if I re- " member right, is never once " cleared of the persons intro- " duced, from the first scene to " the last." Armstrong's Works, vol. ii. p. 243, Mr. Peck, in 1/40, republished a piece, which, with scarcely any grounds, he was willing to ascribe to our author. It is called Tyrannical Government anatO' jnizcd ; or, A Discourse concerning evil Counsellors : Being the Life and Death nf John the Baptist. 4to. 1642. A translation from Buchanan. Mitchell, Joseph, was the son of a stonecutter in North Bri- tain, and was born about the year 1634. Mr. Cibber tells us, that he received an university educa- tion while he remained in that kingdom, but does not specify to which of the seminaries of acade- mical litemture he stood indebted for that advantage. He quitted his own country, however, and re- paired to the metropolis of its neighbour nation, with a view of improving his fortune. Here he got into favour with the Earl of Stair and Sir Robert Walpole ; on the latter of whom he was for great part of his life almost entirely de- pendent. In- short, he received so many obligations frpm that open- handed statesman, and, from a sense of gratitude wliirh seems to have been strongly Mr. Mitchell's cha- racteristic, was so zealous in his interest, that he was even distin- guished by the title of Sir Robert Walpole's poet. Notwithstanding this valuable patronage^ however^ ti. 4 520 M I T his natural dissipation of temper, his fondness lor pleasure, and ea- gerness in the gratification of every irregular appetite, threw him into perpetual distresses, and all those uneasy situations which are the natural consequences of extrava- gance. Nor does it appear that, after having experienced more than once the fatal effects of those dan- gerous follies, he thought of cor- recting his conduct at a time when fortune put it in his power so to do : for when, by the death of his wife's uncle, several thousand pounds devolved to him, he seems pot to have been relieved, by that acquisition, from the incumbrances ■which he laboured under ; but, on the contrary, instead of discharg- ing those debts v.hich he had al- ready contracted, he lavished away, ip the repetition of his former fol- lies, those sums which would not only have cleared his reputation in the eye of the world, but also, •with prudence and economy, might have rendered him easy for the re- mainder of his life. As to the particulars oi h's his- tory, there are not many on record ; for his eminence in public charac- ter not rising to such an height as to make the transactions of his life important to strangers, and the fol- lies of his private behaviour in- ducing those who were more inti- mate with him, rather to conceal than publish his actions, there is a cloud of obscurity hanging over them, which it is neither easy, nor indeed much worth while attempt- ing, to withdraw from them. His genius was of the third or fourth rate, yet he lived in good corre- spondence with most of the emi- nent wits of his time 5 particularly with Aaron Hill, Esq. whose esti- mable character rendered it an honour, and almost a stamp of M I T merit, to be noticed by him. That gentleman, on a particular occa- sion, in which Mr. Mitchell had laid open to him the distressed situ- ation of his circumstances, finding himself unable, consistently with prudence, to relieve him by an im- mediately pecuniary assistance (as he had indeed but too greatly in- jured his own fortune by acts of almost unbounded generosity), yet found means of assisting him es- sentially by another method; which was by presenting hirn with the profits and reputation also of a dramatic piece in one act, enti- tled The Fatal Extravagance, a piece which seemed in its very titie to convey a gentle reproof to Mr. Mitchell on the occasion of his own distresses. It was acted and printed in Mr. Mitchells name, and the emoluments arising from it amounted to a very considerable sum. Mr. Mitchell was ingenuous enough, however, to undeceive the world with regard to its true au- thor, and on every occasion ac- knowledged the obligations he lay under to Mr. Hill. The dramatic pieces, which appear under this gentleman's name, are, 1. Fatal Extravagance. Trag. 8vo. 1720 ; 8vo. [Dublin] 1729. 2. The Fatal Extravagance. T. enlarged. 12mo. I726. 3. The Highland Fair. Opera. 8vo. 1731. The latter of these is really Mr. Mitchell's, and does not want me- rit in its way. In a letter, dnted Dec. 1721,, Mallet, addressing Professor Ker, from Edinburgh, says, " Mr. Mit- " chell is writing a new tragedy " (The Fate of King James the " First) at London, where he re- " sides." But wliat became of this tragedy we know not. This author died Feb. 6, 173S} 521 M O L and Mr. Gibber gives the follow- ing character of him, with which we shall close this account : " He seems (says that writer) " to have been a poet of the third " rate ; he has seldom reached the " sublime ; his humour, in which *' he more succeeded, is not strong " enough to last} his versification *' holds a state of mediocrity ; he " possessed but little iuvention; *' and, if he was not a bad rhyme- " ster, he cannot be denominated *' a fine poet, for there are but few *• marks of genius in his writ- ** ings." His poems were printed in two volumes, Svo. 1729. MoLLOY, Charles. This gen- tleman was descended from a very good family in the kingdom of Ireland, nnd was himself born in the city of Dublin, and received part of his education at Trinity College there, of which he after- wards became a fellow. At his first coming to England he entered himself of the Middle Temple, and was supposed to have had a very considerable hand in the writing of a periodical paper, called Fog's Journal; as also since that time to have been almost the sole author of another well-known paper, en- titled Common Sense. All these papers give testimony of strong abilities, great depth of under- standing, and clearness of reason- ing. Dr. King was a considerahie writer in the latter, as were Lords Chesterfield and Lyttelton. Our author had large ofi:'ers made him to write in defence of Sir Robert Walpole, but these he rejected : notwithstanding which, at the great change in the ministry in 1/42, he was entirely neglected, as well as his fellow-labourer Am- hurst, who conducted Tke Crafts- M 0 N mm. Mr, MoUoy, however, hav- ing married a lady of fortune, was in circumstances which enabled him to treat the ingratitude of his patriotic friends with tlie con- tempt it deserved. He lived many years after this period, dying on the 16th of July 1767. He also wrote three dramatic pieces, entitled, 1. Perplexed Couple. C, 12rao. 1715. 2. The Coquet. C, Svo. 1718. 3. Half-pay Officers. F. 12mo. 1720, Connected with this last piece, see an anecdote in Vol. II. p. 276. MoNCREiFF, John. This au- thor was a native of Scotland, and for some time tutor to a young gentleman at Eton school. He died about the year 1767^ having produced one play, called Appius. T, 8vo, 1755. Montagus, Walter, This gentleman was second son of Henry uie first Earl of Manchester of that name. He was born in the parish of St. Botolph without Aldersgate, about the close of Queen Elizabeth's, or the begin- ning of King James l.'s reign, but the particular year is not specified by any of the biographers. He received some years' education at Sidney College, Cambridge, and afterwards travelled into France, where he unhappily was perverted to the con amnion of the church of Rome, and retired for some time to a monastic life. He was first made abbot of Nantueil, of the Benedictine order, in the diocese of Mentz, and afterwards of St. Martin's, in the diocese of Roan. He was likewise agent for King Charles's Queen, at the court of Rome, and both their Majesties exerted themselves to obtain a car- 522 M O N M O N dinars hat for him, though with- out effect. When the first syiDp- toins of the civil war broke out in 1639, he and Sir Kenelm Digby ■were employed by the Queen to solicit the English Roman Catho- lics to a liberal contribution in money for enabling the King to repel the Scots. They discharged the commission with great fidelity and success. After this Mr. Mon- tague went to France, from w'hence returning with dispatches of im- portance, he was apprehended at Eochester, and underwent a long and severe confinement, notwith- standing he was claimed by the French ambassador. He was re- leased in 1647; but being after- wards reported by the council to be a dangerous person, it was voted in parliament, that " he should *' depart the nation within ten " days, and not return without '^ leave of the House on pain of *' death and confiscation of his *' estate." Returning ta* France, the Queen-dowager of England made him her lord almoner. He at this time, Lord Clarendon ob- serves, " appeared a man wholly " restrained from all the vanity " and levity of his former life ; " and perfectly mortified to the «' pleasures of the world, which he " had enjoyed in a very great " measure and excess. " He dedicated himself to his " studies with great austerity; and " seemed to have no affection or *' ambition for preferment ; but " to live within himself upon the *' very moderate exhibition he had " left to him by his father; and " in this melancholic retreat he " had newly taken the order of " priesthood ; which was in truth " the most reasonable way to sa- »♦ tisfy his ambition, if he had any *' left ; for both the Queen-regent " and the cardinal could not but '' liberally provide for his support " m that profession ; which they " did very shortly after : and this " devout profession and new func- " tion much improved the inte- " rest and credit he always had in " his old mistress; who very much " hearkened to him in cases of " conscience: and she confessed to " the chancellor, that he was a lit- "■ tie too bigotted in this affair; " and had not only pressed her '' very passionately to remove the " scandal of having a Protestant " chapel in her house, as incon- " sistent with a good conscience, " but had likewise inflamed the " Queen-regent with the same zeal, " who bad very earnestly pressed " and importuned Her Majesty no " longer to permit that offence to " be given to the Catholic religion. " In conclusion, she wished hina " to confer with Mr, Montague, "■ and to try if he could withdraw " him from that asperity in that " particular; to which purpose the " chancellor conferred with him, " but without any effect." But though he so rigidly adhered to his religious prejudices, yet, when the Queen turned the Duke of Gloucester out of doors for re- fusing to be a convert to popery, Mr. Montague took him into his protection, and his Royal Highness resided with him at his fine abbey of Pontoise until theDuke was sent for by the King. This gentleman, who was usu* ally called the Abbe Montague, and sometimes Lord Abbot of Pon- toise, did net long survive the Queen-mother of England ; that Princess dying on the last day of August 1669, and Mr. Montague before the end of the same jesur<» 52S MOO He was buried in the church or chapel belonging to the If ospital of Incurables at Paris. Before his quitting his country, and desertion from the Protestant religion, he wrote one dramatic piece, entitled The Shepherd's Paradise. Past. 8vo. 1629. MooKK, Edward, was bred a linen-draper; but having probably a stronger attachment to the study tlian the counter, and a more ar- dent zeal in the pursuit of fame than in the search after fortune, he quitted business, and applied to the Muses for a support. — In verse he had certainly a very happy and pleasing manner J In his Trial of Selim the Persian, which is a com- pliment to the ingenious Lord Lyt- telton, he has shownhimself a per- fect master of the most elegant kind of panegyric, viz. that which is couched under the appearance of accusation ; and his Fallesfor the Female Sex seem, not only in the freedom and ease of the versifica- tion, but also in the forcibleness of the moral and poignancy of the satire, to approach nearer to the manner of Mr. Gay, than any of the numerous imitations of that author which have been attempt- ed since the publication of his Fables. As a dramatic writer, Mr. Moore has, we think, by no means met with the success his works have merited ; since, out of three plavs which he wrote, one of them. The Foundling, has been condemn- ed for its supposed resemblance to a very celebrated comedy fThe Conscious Lovers), but to which we cannot avoid giving it greatly the preference ; and another, viz. The Gimester, met with a cold reception, for no other apparent reason, but because it too nearly touched a favomire and fasliionablsj MOO vice. Yet on the whole his plots are interesting, his characters well drawn, his sentiments delicate, and his language poetical and pleasing; and, v.-hat crowns the whole of his recommendation, the greatest pu- rity runs through all his writings, and the apparent tendency of every piece is towards the promotion of morality and virtue. The two plays we have mentioned, and one more, with a serenata, make the whole of his dramatic works^ as follow : 1. Solomon. Ser. 4to. 1742. 2. Fou?idling. C. 8vo. 1748, 3. Gil Bias. C. 8vo. I751. 4. Gamester. T. Svo. 1/53. Mr, Moore married a lady of the name of Hamilton, daughter to Mr. H. table-df.'cker to the Prin- cesses ; who had herself a very poetical turn, and has been said to have assisted him in the writing of his tragedy. One specimen of her poetr}-, however, was handed about before their marriage, and has since appeared in print in The Gen- tleman's Magazine, 174Q, p. 192. It was addressed to a daughter of the famous Stephen Duck ; and begins '.vith the following stanza: " Would you think it, my Duck, for 'the fault I must own, *' Yoav Jenny, at last, is quite covetous grov.-n ; " Thf )ugh millions if fortune shojuld la- vishly pour, " I still should be wretched, if I had not MORE." And, after half a dozen stanzas iTK)re, in which, with great ino-e.. nuity and delicacy, and yet in a manner that expresses a sincere af- fection, she has quibbled on our author's name, she concludes witli the following lines : « You will wonder, my girl, who this dear one can be, " Whose merit can boast such a COn« quest us tne ; 524 MOO " But you shan't ki.ow his name; tho' I told you before *' Ii begins with an M ; but I dare not say MORE." Mr. Moore died the 28th of Feb. 1757, soon after his celebrated papers, entitled The World, were collected into vokimes. His works were printed in one volume, 4to. 1756. Moore, S, a provincial actor, is author of The IVnrldasit IFags. F. 1792. N. P. we believe. Moore, Sir Thomas. This gentleman lived in the reign of King George I. which monarch bestowed on hira the honour of inightliood : on what occasion is not recorded 5 but, as some writers have observed, it was scarcely on account of his poetry. He wrote but one play, which is remarkable only for its absurdities. It is en- titled Mangora, King of the Timlu' sians. T. 4to. 17I8. This play, partly through the necessity of the actors of Lincoln's Inn Fields theatre, who were then only a young company, had met ■with but small encouragement from the public, and were glad of making trial of any thing that had but the nature of novelty to recommend it, and partly through the influence of many good ditmers and suppers which Sir Thoujas gave them while it was in rehearsal, at length made its way to the stage ; but we need do no more, to give ftur readers an idea of the merit of the piece and the genius of its au- thor, than the quoting a few lines from it, which Mr. Victor has given us in his History of the Stage. In one part of the play the King makes use of the fol- lowing very extraordinary excla- Kiatlou : M O R ♦« By all the ancien: gods of Rome and Greece, " 1 love my daughter better than my niece; " If any one should ask the reason why ;— " I 'd tell 'em Nature raa'ses the strongest tie." And, in another place, having con- ceived a suspicion of some design being formed against his life, he thus emphatically calls for and comraauds assistance: " Call up my guards ! call 'em up ev'ry one ! " If you don't call all — you 'd as good call none." Neitherof these passages, however, is to be found in the printed, and perhaps was never met with in the manuscript, copy. They might only have been designed as a ridi- cule on the bathos of some other tragedy. Sir Thomas died the l6th of April 1735. MoRfc, Mrs. Hannah, was born at Bristol, where for some time she kept a boarding-school. This lady has for many years flou- rished in the literary world, which she has richly adorned by a variety of labours, all possessing strong marks of excellence. The concern that she takes, and the interest that she feels, in the dignity of her own sex, is exemplified by her pastoral drama, called The Search after Happiness, and by a series of Essays on various Suljects, prin- cipally designed for Young Ladies. In the cause of religion and so- ciety, her labours are original and indefatigable ; and the industrious poor have been at once enlightened by her instructions, and supported by her bounty. Her life has lite- rally been spent in doing good. Some of her friends called her exquisite humanity her hobby- horse; and to such of them a^ 525 M O R ware wits, it furnished a new species of raillery. It is in this humour, which is a mixture of praise and blame, that the late Lord Orford, in a letter to herself, gives the following sketch of her character : " It is very provoking (says his Lordship), that people must be always hanging or drowning themselves, or going mad, that you, forsooth, nnstress, may have the diversion of exercising your pity, and good nature, and charity, and intercession, and all that bead-roll of virtues that make you so troublesome and amiable, when you might be ten times more agreeable, by writing things that would not cost one above half-a-crown at a time. You are an absolutely walking hospital, and travel about into lone and by places, with your doors open to house stray-casualties. I wish, at least, that you would have some chil- dren yourself, that you might not be plaguing one for all the pretty brats that are starving and friendless. I suppose it was some such goody, two or three thou- sand years ago, that suggested the idea of an alraa-mater suck- ling the three hundred and sixty- five bantlings of the Countess of Hainault. — Well, as your newly- adopted pensioners have two babes, I insist on your accepting two guineas for them, instead of one at present, that is, when you shall be present. If you cannot circumscribe your own charities, you shall not stint mine. Madam, who can afford it much better, and who must be dunned for alms; and do not scramble over hedges and ditches in searching for opportunities of flinging away my money on M O R '* good works. I employ mine " better at auctions, and in buying " pictures and haulles, and hoard- " ing curiosities, that, in truth, I •' cannot keep long, but that will " last for ever in my catalogue, " and make me immortal. Alas! " will they cover a multitude of " sins ? Adieu ! I cannot jest " after that sentence." Among Mrs. More's miscella- neous works, we must mention as most distinguished. Thoughts on the Importance of the Manners of the Great to general Society ; ^n Estimate of the Religion of thg Fashionable IVbrld; Hint? toward forming the Character of a young Princess j Strictures on Female Education ; and Coelehs in search of a JVfe Her dramatic writings are as follow : 1 . The Search after Happiness. P.D. 8vo. 1773. 2. The Inflexible Captive. T. 8vo. 1774. 3. Percy. T. 8vo. I778. 4. Fatal Falsehood. T 8 vo. 1 yyg. 5. Moses in the Bulrushes. S.D. 6. David and Goliah. S. D. 7. Belshazzer. S.D. 8. Daniel. S. D. The last four were published together in a volume, entitled Sa- cred Dramas, 8vo. 1782. MoRELL, Dr. Thomas. Thig author was a clergyman, and one of the secretaries of the Society of Antiquaries. He was born io 1701, and educated at Eton; from whence, in 1722, he was removed to King's College, Cambridge. He left college in 1726, for a curacy and small sinecure, at Kelvedon, in Essex. On the death of Mr. Batty, in 1738, the living of Buckland was given to him by his college. In 1/41 he resided wholly at Kew. He published several Greek plays, with learned S56 tl OR teholia ; was editor of many edi- tions of Ains worth's Dictionary and Hederic's Lexicon ; and au- thor of, 1. Judas Macchaleus. Orat.4to. 1746. 2. Alexander Balus. Orat. 4to. 1748. 3. Hecula. T. 8vo. 1749. 4. Theodora. Orat. 4to. 174(}. 5. Jephtha, Orat, 4to. N. D. [1751.] 6. TAe Triumpii of Time and Truth. Orat. 4to. 1757. 7. iVaZ'fl/. Orat. 4to. 1764. 8. Prometheus in Chains. T. Svo. 1773. He was one of the earliest wri- ters in The Gentleman's Magazine, and died at Turnham Green, Feb. 19, 1/84, There is also a posthu- mous work of this author, consist- ing of y^«Ko/afio«i07zZ.of^f'5£i\scf^5, Morgan, M'Namara, a native of Ireland, was, if we are not mistaken, a member of the ho- nourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, and was afterwards called to the bar, and practised as a counsellor in the courts of justice in Dublin. He contracted a close friendship ■with Mr. Barry the celebrated ac- tor ; through whose influence a tragedy of his, founded on a part of Sir Philip Sidney's Arcadia, was brought on the stage in 1/54. It met with some success, from the strong manner in which it was supported in the performance, and from the potent interest oi the Irish gentlemen in London, excited in favour of their countryman's work ; a kind of national zeal, which is highly praiseworthy, and which indeed we meet with in the people of every country but our own ; the natives of which, when they chance to meet abroad, seem to feel no more peculiar regard for each other, than for the natives of M O R North America, or the coast 0/ Coromandel. Mr. Morgan's tra- gedy, however, certainly found as favourable a reception as it could lay any claim to j as it was in many respects very far from being limited within the strict rules of the drama, and of a species of writ- ing much too romantic for the present taste. It is entitled, 1. Philoclea. T. Svo. 1754, He was also the compiler of, 2. Florixel a?id Perdita; or. The Sheepshearing. F. Svo. 1/54 ; afterwards published, with a trans- position of these titles, and called a Pastoral Comedy. 12mo. 1767. He died in the year 1762. MoRisoN, David, wrote The Fortunate Sailor. Op. 1/90. Morris, Edward, a Templar, who has published three dramatic pieces, viz. 1. The Adventurers. F. 8vo, 1790. 2. False Colours. C. Svo. 1793. 3. The Secret. C. Svo. 1799, Morris, Robert. This author was, we believe, a surveyor. He wrote some .lectures, aad other pamphlets, on the science of ar- chitecture, and one play, called Fatal Necessity ; or. Liberty re- gained. T. Svo. 1742. Morton, E. This author pub- lished one dramatic piece at Salop, to which, he says in an advertise- ment, he was induced to enable him to support a large family. It was called The Register Office. Ent. 12mo. 1708. Morton, Thomas, was born in the county of Durham. His father died when he was very young ; and the care of his educa- tion and fortune devolved on his uncle, Mr, Maddison, an emiaent stock-broker, who sent him to Soho Square Academy, where h* 527 M O S rx'as a cofemporary performer, in the private plays of that seminary, Avith Mr. Hohiiaji, He became afterwards a member of Lincoln's Inn. His dramatic works are, 1. Columbus. H.P. Svo. 1792. 2. Children in the JVood. M. E, 1793. N. P. 3. Zorinski. P. Svo. l/QS. 4. IFay to get Married. C. Svo. 1796. 5. A Cure for the Heart Ache. C. Svo. 1797. 6. Speed the Plough. C. Svo. 1798. 7. Secrets worth knowing. C. Svo. 1798. 8. The Blind Girl. CO. 1801. N.P. 9. School of Reform. C. Svo. 1805. 10. Town and Country. C. Svo. IS07. To this author is also ascribed, 11. Beagar my Neighbour. C. 1S02. N.>. MosER, Joseph. This gentle- man, descended fiom a Swiss fa- mily settled at Schaffhausen, was born in Greek Street, Soho, in June 1748, the son of Hans Jacob Moser, an artist. Our author was taken at an early age from school, and placed under the care of his uncle, G. M. Moser, Esq. late keeper of the Royal Academy, and an eminent painter of iiistori- cal compositions in enamel. His design was to bring up his nephew as a painter; but literature seem= to have urged stronger claims to his at- tention. He, however, continued in the Royal Academy more than fif- teen years, till his marriage, in '780, with Miss Liege, the dau. u-r of an eminent surgeon and apothecary in Holies Street, Cavendish Square, Finding that to pursue painting as a profession was striving against tiie bent of his genius, and havLng M O S now the means of escape from 't, Mr. Moser threw down the pallet and retired into the country. After an absence of three years, he re- turned to town, and published several essays, &c. in the public prints ; and after his Muse had lain dormant a long series of j'ears, he again commenced a literary career, about the year 1793, by a corre- spondence with The European Magazine, in which. May 1st, he published his Reflections uponCash, Credit, and Country Banks; which correspondence he has continued, formerly at intervals, and latterly in constant succession, ever since. In the year 1793 he produced La- ciftr a?id Mammon, 1 vol, 5 ia 1 794, Turkish Tales, 2 vols, j also 1794, Timothy Twig, 2 vols.; 17.96, The Hermit of Caucasus, 2 vols. ; 1 7g7, Moral Tales, 2 vols. ; 1800, Tales and Romances of an-' dent and modern Times, 5 vols, Mr. Moser has been many years in the commission of the peace for Westminster. In the year 1793 he was appointed a magistrate for the four counties, and one of the deputy lieutenants for Middle- sex. In that situation he acted at the public office, Queen Square. Some time after the death of Mr. Sergeant Kerby, in conse- quence of rem.ovals occasioned bv that event, Mr. M. was appointed to the office in Worship Street, where he still acts with a diligence, industry, patience, and integrity, highly honourable to himself, and beneficial to society. His drama- tic pieces are, 1. Cephisa. C. Op. 1S04. N.P, 2. The Minc'd Fie. Dr.Inanilv, 1806. 3. The Gipsies. l2mo. ISO7. 4. The Upholsterer. An addi* tional Scene to, ISO7. 5. The Comet. F. IS07. 528 MOT 6. The Best Heart in the World. Dr. Sketch. 12mo. I8O7. 7. Arahella. Rom. Dr. N.P. 8. The Barber of Pera. Mel. Dr. N. P. 9. The Bullies. C. 1808. 10. Don Quixote in Barcelona. B. F. 12mo. 1808. 11. jEsop. Additional Scenes to, 1808. 12. Nourmahal, Empress of Hindostan. Mel. Dr. 1808. 13. The Purr ah. African Tale. 1808. 14. Rehearsal. Scenes in Imi- tation of. ] 8O9. 15. As you like It. An addi- tional Scene to. I8O9. 16. Alchymist. An additional Scene to. I8UC>. l"/. British Loyally. Dr. Effu- sion. 8vo. 180C). 18. The Gleaner. D. E. I8O9. N.P. 1 9. Revenge of Ceres. D.T. 1810. 20. Orlis; or. The World in the Moon. D. Sat. 1810. 21. Ingratitude. Tr. Dr. 1810. 22. Freeholder. Dr. Int. 1810. 23. Adelfrid, Hist. Dr. 12rao. 1811. Moss.Theophilus, was author of one most contemptible piece, "which was never acted, but of which the vanity of seeing his name in print seduced him to the publicauon, entitled The General Lover. C.8V0. I749. We have been informed, however, thnt the real name of this writerwas not Moss, but IVlarriot. MoTTEUX, Peter Anthony, was a native ot France, being born in 1D"60, at Rohan, in Normandy, where also be received his educa- tion. Oil tlie revocation of the edict of Nantz he came over to Lnglan,' He lived at lirst with his g.>dlaiher and relation Paul Dominique, Esq. but afterwards grew a considerable trader himself, MOT kept a large East India warehouse in Leadenhall Street, and had a very genteel place in the General Post-Office, relating to the foreign letters, being master of several languages. During his residence in this kingdom, he acquired so per- fect a mastery of the English lan- guage, that he not only was quali- fied to oblige the world with a very good translation of Don Quixote, but also wrote several songs, pro- logues, epiloguesf &c. and, what was still more extraordinary, be- came a very eminent dramatic wri- ter, in a language to which he was not native. The respective titles of his numerous pieces of that kind are as follow : 1. Love's a Jest. C. 4to. IO96. 2. Loves of Mars a7id Venus. Play, set to Music. 4to. 1696. 3. Novelty. Every Act a Play. 4to. 1697. 4. Europe's Revels. Musical In- terlude. 4to. 1697. 5. Beauty in Distress. T. 4to. 1698. (5. Island Princess. 0.4to.l699. 7. Four Seasons. Musical In- terlude. 4to. 1699. 8. Acis and Galatea. M. 4to. 1701 ; Svo. N. D. 9. Britain's Happiness. Musical Interlude. 4to. 1704. 10. Arsinoe, Queen of Cyprus. O. 4to. 1705. 11. Amorous Miser. C. 4 to, 1705. 12. Temple of Love. P. O. 4to. 1706. 13. Thorny ris, Queen of Scythia, O. 4to, 1707. 14. Farewell Folly. C. 4to. 1707. 15. The Mountelanh M, Int. 4to, 1707. 16. Love's Triumph. O. 4to. 17O8. 17- Love dragoon d. F. This gentleman, who seems to M O T have led a verj' comfortable life, his circumstances having been perfectly easy, was yet unfortunate in his death ; for he was found dead in a disorderly house, in the parish of St. Clement Danes, not witliout suspicion of having been murdered ; thouc];h other accounts say, that he met with his fate in trying a very odd experiment, highly disgraceful to his memory. This accident happened to him on the igth of Feiiruary 1717-IS, which, being hib birth-day, exactly coropleied his 5Sth year. His body was interred in his own pa- rish-church, v^hich was that of St. Andre vv Undershaft, in the city of London. MoTTLEY. John, was the son of Colonel Mottley, who was a great favourite with King James the Second, and fallowed the fortunes of thai Prince into France. James, not being able himself to provide for him so well as he desired, procured for him, by his interest, the command of a regiment in the service of Louis XIV. at the head of which he lost his life, in t'.ie battle of Turin, in the yenr 1706. The Colonel married a daughter of John Guise, Esq. of Ablodscourt, in Gloucestershire, with whom, by the death of a brother who left her his whole estate, he had a very considerable fortune. The family of the Guises, however, being of principles diametrically opposite to those of the Colonel, and zealous friends to the Revolu- tion, Mrs. Mottley, notwithstand- ing the tenderest affection for her husband, and repeated invitations from the King and Queen, then at St. Germains, could not be prevailed on to follow him, but rather chose to live on the remains of what he had left her behind. The Colonel being sent over to VOL. I. MOT England, three or four years after the Revolution, on a secret com- mission from King James, and cohabiting with his wife during his sliort stay there, occasioned the birth of our author, in the year 1692. Mr. Mottley received the first rudiments of his education crt St. Martin's library school, founded by Archbishop Tenni';on ; but was soon called forth into business, being placed in the Excise Office, at sixteen years of age, under the compt.'-uller. Lord Viscount Howe, whose brother and sister uere both related by narringe to his mother. This place he kept till the year 1/20; when, -n consequence of an unhappy contract that he had made, probably in pursuit of some of the bubbles of that infatuated year, he w.-^s 'bliged to. resign it. Soon after the accession of King George L Mr. Mottlev l)ad been promised by the LordHilifix, at that lime first lord of the treasury, the place of one of the commis- sioners of the Wine License Office; but wh"n the day came that his name should h^ve been inserted in ♦^^^e patent, a more powerful in-' teresr, to liis great surprise, had stepped in between him and the preferment of which he had so positive a promise. This, how- ever, was not the only disappoint- ment of that kind which this gentleman met with ; for, at the period above mentioned, when he parted with his' ])lace in the Ex- cise, he had one in the Exchequer absolutely given to him by Sir Robert Walpole, to whom he lay under many other obligations. But in this case, as well as the preceding one, at the very time that he imagined himself the su- rest» he was doomed to find his hopes frustrated; for that mini- M M 530 M O T M O T sier, no longer than three days afterwards, recollecting that he had made a prior promise of it to another, Mr. Motlley was obliged to relinquish his claim to him, who had, in honour, an earlier right to it. Mr. Guise, our author's grand- father by the mother's side, had settled an estate on him after the death of his mother, she being to receive the income of it during her lifetime ; but that lady, whose inclination for expense, or what the world commonly calls spirit, was greatly above her circum- stances, thus diminished as they were in consequence of her hus- band's party principles, being con- siderably involved in debt, JNIr. iSIottley, in order to free her from those incumbrances, consented to the sale of the estate, although she was no mors than tenant for life. This step was taken at the very time that he lost his place in the Excise, which might perhaps be one motive for his joining in the sale, and when he was almost twenty-eight years of age. In the same y^ar, lindlng his fortunes in some measure impair- ed, and his prospects overclouded, he applied to his pen, which had hitherto been only his amusement, for the means of immediate sup- port, and wrote his first play, which met with tolerable success. From that time hedepended chiefly on his literary abilities for the amendment of his fortune, and wrote the following dramatic pieces : 1. Imperial Captives. T. 8vo. 1720. 2. Antiochus. T. Svo. 1/21. 3. Penelope. Dr. Op. Svo. 1728. 4. Craftsman. Farce. 12mo. 1728. 5. JVidow heu'itch'd. C. Svo, 1730. He had also a hand in the com- position of that many -fathered piece. The Devil to Pay. He published a life of the great Czar Peter, by subscription, in which he met with the sanction of some of the royal family and great num•^ bers of the nobility and gentry ; and, on occasion of one of his benefits, which happened on the 3d of November, Her late Majesty Queen Caroline, on the 30th of the preceding month (being the Prince of Wales's birth-day), did the author the singular honour of disposing of a great number of his tickets, with hvx own hand, in the drawing-room, most of which were paid for in gold, into the hands of Colonel Schutz, His Royal Highness's privy-purse, from whom Mr. Mottley received it, with the addition of a very liberal present from the Prince himself, Mr. Mottley died the 30th day of October 1750. It has been surmised, and we think with some appearance of reason, that Mr. Mottley was the compiler of the lives of the dra- matic writers published at the end of Whincop's Scamlerleg. It is certain, that tlie life of Mr, Mott- ley, in that work, is rendered oije of the most important in it, and is particularized by such a number of various incidents, as it seems improbable should be known by any but either himself or some one nearly related to him. Among others he relates the following anecdote, with which, as it con- tains some humour, we shall close this article. When Colonel Mottley, our au- thor's father, came over, as has been before related, on a secret cojoimission from the abdicated 531 M O U monarcl), the government, who had by some means intelligence of it, were very diligent in their en- deavours to have him seized. The Colonel, however, was hnppy enough lo elude their search ; but several other persons were, at dif- ferent times, seized through mis- take for him. Among the rest, it being well known that he fre- quently supped at the Blue Posts Tavern in the Haymarket, wiih one Mr. Tredenham, a Cornish gentleman, particular directions were given for searching that house. Colonel JMottley, however, happening not to be there, the messengers found Mr. Tredenham alone, and with a heap of papers before him ; which being a sus- picious circumstance, they imme- diately seized, and carried him before the Earl of Nottingham, then secretary of state. His Lordship, who, however, could not avoid knowing him, as he was a member of the House of Commons, and nephev/ to the fa- mous Sir Edward Seymour, asked him what all those papers con- tained. Mr. Tredenham made answer, that they were only the several scenes of a play, which he had been scribbling for the amuse- ment of a few leisure hours. Lord Nottingham then only desired leave just to look over them, wlrich having done for some little time, he returned them again to the au- thor, assuring him that he was perfectly satisfied ; for. Upon vnj word, said he, / can find no plot in them. , was a student when he wrote of a Lover. M. F. MOUBRAY, at Cambridge The Devil 17t)8. N. P. MouLTRu, Rev. thor of False and True. C 1806. Svo. 1/98; M O U MouNTFORT, William. This gentleman, who was far from a contemptible writer, though ia much greater eminence as an actor, was born in the year lQ5Q, but of what family no particulars are ex- tant, farther than that they were of Statfoidshire. It is probable that he went early upon the stage, as it is certain that he died young; and Jacob informs us that, after his attaining that degree of ex- cellence which showed itself in his performance of the characters of Tallboy and Sir Courtly Nice, he was entertained for some time in the family of the Lord Chancellor Jetferies, who, says Sir John Reresby, " at an entertainment of " the Lord Mayor and Court of " Aldermen in the year l6S5, call- "■ ed for Mr. Mountfort to divert " the company (as his Lordsliip "■ was pleased to term it) : he being " an excellent mimic, my Lord " made him plead before hiin in " a feigned cause, in which he " aped all the great lawyers of the " age in their tone of voice, and " in their action and gesture of '' body, to the very great ridicule " not only of the lawyers, but of " the law itself J which to me " (says the historian) did not seem " ahogeiher prudent in a man of " his lofty station in the law : " diverting it certainly was ; but " prudent in the Lord High Chan- " cellor, I shall never think it." After the fall of Lord Jefleries, our author again returned to the stage, in which profession he con- tinued till his death, which hap- pened in \6Q2. Mr. Colley Gibber, who has, la his ylpology, shown great candour and warmth in his bestowing all. due commendations on his con- temporaries, has drawn one of the most amiable portraits of Mr. M .M 'i 532 •VI o u Mouiutort as an actor. He tells us that he was tall, well made, fair, and of an agreeable aspect ; his voice clear, full, and melo- dioas; a most affecting lover in tragedy, and in comedy gave the truest life to the real character of a fine gentleman. In scenes of gaiety he never broke into that respect tiiat was due to the presence of equal or superior characters, though inferior actors played them, nor sought to acquire any advantage over other performers by finesse or stage-tricks, but only by surpassing them in true and masterly touches of nature. He had in himself a sufficient share of wit, and a plea- santry of humour that gave new- life to the more sprightly charac- ters which he appeared in ; and so much decency did he preserve even in the more dissolute parts in co- medy, that Queen Mary II. who was remarkable for her solicitude in the cause of virtue, and dis- couragement of even the appear- ance of vice, did, on seeing Mrs. Behn's comedy of The Rover per- formed, at the same time that she expressed her disapprobation of the piece itself, make a very just dis- tinction between the author and actor, and allowed a due praise to the admirable performance of Mr. Mountfort in the character. He had, besides this, such an amazing variety in his manner, as very fev/ actors have been able to attain ; and was so excellent in the cast of fops and petit inaitrei, that Mr. Gibber, who was himself in high esteem in that manner of playing, not only acknowledges that he was greatly indebted to his observation of this gentleman for his own suc- cess afterwards, but even confesses a great inferiority to him, more especially in pergonal advantage ; and says moreover, tbat^ had Mr, M O U Mountfort been remembered when he first attempted them, his de- fects would have been more easily discovered, and consequently his favourable reception in thcMi very much and ver}' justly abated. Such were the excellencies of this great performer, who did not, however, in all probability, reach that summit of perfection which he might have arrived at, had he not been untimely cut off by the hands of a base assassin, in the 33d year of his age. As the affair was in itself of an extraordinary nature, and so essential a circum- stance in Mr. Mountfort's history, we need make no apology for giving a short detail of it in this place, collected from the circum- stances which appeared on the trial of the murderer's accomplice. Lord Mohun, who was a man of loose morals, and of a turbu- lent and rancorous spirit, had, from a kind of sympathy of dispo- sition, contracted the closest inti- macy with one Captain Hill, whom natuve, by withholding from him every valuable quality, seemed to have intended fur a cut-throat. Hill had long entertained a passion for that celebrated actress Mrs. Bracegirdle, which that lady had rejected, with the contemptuous disdain which his character justly deserved. Fired with resentment for this treatment, Hill's vanity v.'ould rrot suffer him to attribute it to any other cause than a pre- engagement of her affections in fa- vour of some other lover. Mount- fort's agreeable person, his fre- quently performing the counter- parts in love-scenes with Mrs. Bracegirdle, and the respect which he used always to pay her, induced Captain Hill to {i-f. on him, though a married man, as the supposed bar to his own success. Grown 533 M o tr desperate then of sucrceding by fair means, he determined to at- tempt force ; and communicating his design to Lord JMohun, whose attachment to him was so great, as to render him the accomplice in all his schemes, and the promoter of even his most criminal pleasures, they determined on a plan for car- rying her away from the play- house; but, not finding her there, they got intelligence whcTe she was to sup, and, having hired a number of soldiers and a coach for the purpose, waited near the door for her coming out, and on her so doing, the ruffians actually seized her, and were going to force her into the coach ; but her mother, and the gentleman whose house she came out of, interpo-^ing till iurther assistance could come up, she was rescued from them, and safely escorted to her own house. Lord Mohun and Captain Hill, however, enraged at their disap- pointment in this attempt, imme- diately resolved on one of another kind, and with violent impreca- tions openly vowed revenge on Mr. ?vrountfort. Mrs. Bracegirdle's mother, and a gentleman, who were ear- witnesses to their threats, immediately sent to inform Mrs. Mountfort of her husband's danger, with their opi- ifion that she should warn him of it, and advise him not to come home that night; but, unfortunately, i^.o messenger Mrs.Mountfort sent was able to find him. In the mean time his Lordship and the Captain paraded the streets with their swords drawn till about midnight ; when Mr. Mountfort, on his re- turn home, was met and saluted in a friendly manner by Lord Mohun ; but, while that scandal to the rank and title which he bore was treacliei"on-lv lioldin'i him in a M o i; conversation which he could form no suspicion froin, the assassin Hill, being at his back, first gave him a desperate blow on the head with his left hand, and immediately after- wards, before Mr. Mountfort had time to draw and stand en his de- fence, he, with the sword he held ready in his right, ran him through the body. This last circumstance Mr. Mountfort declared, as a dy- ing man, to Mr. Bancroft, the sur- geon who attended him. Hill im- mediately made his escape ; but Lord Mohun was seized, and stood his trial ; but, as it did not appear that he immediately assisted Hill in perpetrating this assassination, and that, although Lord Mohun had joined with the Captain in his threats of revenge, yet the actual mention of murder could not be, ])roved, his Lordship was acquitted by his peers. He afterwards, how- ever, himself lost his life in a duel with the Duke of Hamilton, in which it has been hinted that some of the same kind of treachery, of which he had been an abettor in the above-mentioned affair, was put in practice against himself. Tvlr. Monntfort's death happened in Norfolk Street, in the Strand, in the winter of l6g2. His body was interred in the churchyard of Sr. Clement Danes. He left behind him the six fol- lowing dramatic pieces; the third of them, however, is nominated as his by no writer but Chetwood ; and Coxe<^er tells us it was written by John Bancroft, and given by him to Mr. Mountfort. 1. Injured Lovers. Trag. 4to, 1633. 1. Successful Strangers, Tr.- Com. 4to. 1600. 3. Edward the Third. Trag. 4u^. KiQ!. 4. Greemvich Park.CAtoAogi M M 3 534 M U N 5. Life and Death of Dr. Faus- tus. Farce, -ito. 1697. 6. Zelmane. T. 4to. 1705. Mgzeen, Thomas. This gen- tleman, formerly an actor on the Theatre Royal in Drury Lnne, was, as we have been informed, originally bred to the law ; but, probably finding the laboriousness or gravity of that profession un- suitable to his natural disposition, he quitted it for the stage, on which, however, he made no very conspicuous figure. Yet he gave some proofs of genius and humour in the writing way, being reputed the author of a very diverting ac- count of the adventures of a sum- mer company of comedians, de- tached from the metropolitan the- atres, commencing capital heroes within tlie limits of a barn, and to the audience of a conntry town. The book is entitled Young Scar- ron, and gives evident proofs of the autlior's having a perfect know- ledge of the scenes and characters he attempts to describe, and no very unskilful pencil for the por- traying them with their most strik- ing features, and in the liveliest co- lours. He has also written some little poems, which were published by subscription, together with a fatce, entitled The Heiress ; or, The Antigal- liian. 8vo. 1762. He died 28th March 176S. MuNDAY, Anthony. This author is celebrated by Meres an)ong the comic poets as the best plotter; but few of his dra- matic pieces are come down to the present times. He appears to have been a writer through a very long period, there being works existing published by him, which are dated in 1580 and 162I, and probably both earlier and later than those years. In the year 1582 he de- M U N tected the treasonable practices of Edmund Campion, and his con- federates, of which he published an accc.unt, wherein he is styled^ " sometime the Pope's scholler, *• allowed in the seminarie at " Roome." The publication of this pamphlet brought down upon him the vengeance of his oppo- nents, one of whom, in an answer to him, has given his history in these words : " Munday was first " a stage-player, after an appren- "^ tise, which tyme he wel served " with deceaving of his master, " then wandring towardes Italy^ " by his own report, became a co- '' sener in his journey. Comming " to Rom.e, in his .short abode " there, was charitably relieved, " but never admitted in the semi- " nary, as he pleseth to lye in " the title of his booke, and being " wery of well doing, returned " home to his first vomite, and " was hist from his stage for his " folly. Being therby discouraged, " he set forth a balet against " plays, though (o constant youth) " l)c afterwards began again to " ruffle upon the stage. I omit " (continues this author), among " other places, his behaviour in " Barbican, with his good mistress " and mother. Two things, how- " ever, must not be passed over " of this boys infelicitie, two se- " veral ways of late notorious. " First, he writing upon the death " of Everard Hannse, was imrae- " diately controled and disproved " by one of his owne batche : " and, shortly after, setting forth " the apprehension of M. Cam- 'i pion, was disproved by George " (I was about to .say Judas) Eliotj " who, writingagainst him, proved " that those things he did were " for hikers sake only, and not *' for the truthe, thogh he himsell 635 M U R M U R " be a person of the same predi- " cameiit, of whom I muste say, " that if felony be honesty, then " he m:iy for his behaviore be " taken for a laweful witness **■ against so good men." It will take from the credit of this narra- tive to observe, that our author was after this time servant to the Earl of Oxford, and a messenger of the Queen's bedchamber : posts which he would scarcely have held, had his character been so infamous as is represented above. At the time of his death, which happened August 10, 10"33, he was 80 years of age, as appears by his raonumentjinthe parish-church of St. Stephen, Coleman Street, wlTere he was buried. He is styled in the inscription, citizen and draper of London. His dramatic productions are as follow : 1. Valentine and Orson. P. 159s. N. P. 2. Fair Constance of Rome. P. J 600. N. P. 3. Rising of Cardinal JFolsey . P. 1601. N. P. 4. Rolert Earl of Huntingdon's Downfall. H. P. 4to. 1(501. 5. Robert Earl of Huntingdon s Death. H.P. 4to. 1601. [Assisted by Che t tie.] 6. The Set at Tennis. P. l602. N. P. 7. IFidow's Charm. P. l602. Munday was also author of the City Pageants of ltiu5, iQll, 1614, ]dl5, 1616, See Vol. III. art. Pageants. !MuNNiNGs, J.S. wrote A Dramatic Dialogue. 8vo. 1803. MuEDocH, John, is author of The Double Disguise. D. 12 mo. 1/83. Murphy, Arthus, was born tear Elphin, in the county of Roscommon, Ireland, December li/~, 1730. His father was a mer- chant in Dublin ; and his mother, whose maiden name was French, was the daughter of Arthur French, of Tyrone, in the county of Gal- way. When young, our author was brought to London by his mother ; whence he was sent to an aunt (Mrs. Plunket) then re- siding at Boulogne, who entered her nephew at the College of St. Omers, in 1740, Here he re- mained near seven years, and on his return spent two years in the counting-house of Mr. Hanold, an eminent merchant in Cork. Leav- ing this place in consequence of a theatrical dispute, in which he had taken too active a part, he came to town, and obtained admission into the counting-house of Iron- side and Belchier, bankers. How long Mr. Murphy continued in this situation we are not informed; but when he relinquished it, hav- ing cultivated a taste for literature, and conceived a disgust to trade, he commenced author. In the year 1752 he published The Gray's Inn Journal, which continued un- til October 1754. His next at- tempt was on the stage, where he appeared at Covent Garden The- atre, in the character of Othello, October 18, 1754; but though he possessed figure, voice, genius, and an accurate conception of the parts he acted, and of which the follow- ing is a correct list, viz. at Covent Garden, Othello, Jaffier, Zamor {in Ahira), Young Bevil, Archer, Hamlet, his own benefit, Rich- ard III. Biron, Macbeth 5 i'X Drury Lane, Osmyn fin The Mourning Bride), the Earl of Essex, Bajazet, Barbarossa, Horatio (in The Fair PenitentJ, and Gothmund (in AthelstanJ ; yet he soon found that he was not likely to add to his fame -M M 4 536 M U R in a Bituation where excellence is very seldom lo be met with. At the end )t the first year he removed toDrury Lane, where he remained only until the season closed^ at the •onciusion of which he renounced the theatres as an actor, and re- sumed his former employment of a writer. The violence of parties at this juncture running very high, our author undertook the defence of the unpopular side, and began a periodical paper, 6th Ncn-ember 1750, called The Test, which was answered by the late ( )\.ven Ruft- liead, Esq. in another, under the title of The Contest. To prevent his being obliged to rely solely on the precarious state of an au- thor, he now determined to study the law J but, on his first applica- tions to the societies of both the Temples and Gray's Inn, he had the mortification to be refused ad- mission, on the illiberal ground of his having acted on the stage. He was, however, received as a mem- ber of Lincoln's Inn, and in due time called to the bar 5 after which he gradually withdrew himself from the public as a writer. At the beginning of the present reign he was employed to write against the famous North Briton, and for a considerable time published a weekly paper, called The Auditor ; but being disgusted, as is supposed, at some improper behaviour among his party friends, he from that time gave up all attention to poli- tics, and devoted himself wholly to the study of his profession as a lawyer. He pi;blislipu an edition of Henry Fielding's works, with a life oi the author, in 1762; and, besides many other performances, produced the following dramatic pieces : 1. The Apprentice. F. 8vo, J75d. M U R 2. The Spouter ; or. The Triple Revenue. C. F. Svo. 1 75Q. 3. The Enoiishman from Paris. F. 1756. N. P. 4. The Upholsterer ; or. What News? F. b. o. 1758. 5. The Orphan 0/ China. T. Svo. 1759. 6. The Desert Island. D. P. Svo. 1760. 7. The IVuy to keep Him. C. Svo. 1760. 8. The IFay to keep Him. C. enlarged. Svo. i/bl. 9. All in the IFron^. C. Svo, 1761. 10. The Old Maid. Com. Svo. 1761. 11. The Citizen. F. Svo. 1763. [First acted as a comedy, in 1/61.] 1 2. No one's Enemy but his own. C. Svo. 1764, 13. IVhut we must all come to. C. Svo. 1764. 14. The School for Guardians, C. Svo. 1767. 15. Zenolia. T. Svo. 1 768, 16. Ihe Grecian Daughter. T. Svo. 1772. 17. Alzuma. T. Svo. I773. 1 S . Three Weeks after Marriage. Com. Svo. 1776. ip. Newsfrom Parnassus. Prel. 1776 J Svo. 17S6. 20. Know your own Mind. C. Svo. 1778. 21. The Choice. C. 1764; Svo, 1786. 22. The Rival Sisters. T. Svo. 17S6. 23. Arminnis. T. Svo. 1798. His works have been collected in seven volumes, octnvo, 1786. Mr. Murphy wrote s-everal other pieces, which have neither been performed nor published. His translation of Tacitus, poems, pro- logues, &c, are well known, and have been justly admired. His Life of David Garrick, however. £37 M U R M Y L did him no credit. He was many years a commissioner of bank- ruptSj in which office he continued to his death, which happened at Knightsbridge, the 18th of June 1805. jVIurray, Charles, was born at Cheshunt, Herts, in 1754. He is the son of Sir John Murray, Bart, of Broughton, whose name stands conspicuous in the annals of the Rebellion of 1745, as se- cretary to the Pretender ; and who, on account of the active part which he took in the cause of that unfortunate prince, was arraigned for high treason, but afterwards pardoned by the King. Oar au- thor, under the guidance of his father, received an excellent edu- cation, and at a proper season was sent to F.ance, to acquire the lan- guage of that countiy. On his return to England, he was placed under a medical gentleman in London ; and, having attained a competent knowledge of pharma- cy and surgery, became a surgeon's mate in the sea-service, in which capacity he remained during seve- ral voyages, which he made up the Mediterranean. In 1774, having performed with some ap- plause at a private theatre in Liver- pool, he determined, in spite of his friends, to quit the sea-service, and venture on the stage. This intention he communicated to Mr, Younger, then manager of the Liverpool theatre, who, having no vacancy for him at that time in his own company, sent him to York, with a strong recommendation to Mr, Tate Wilkinson. Here he made his first appearance in the character of Carlos (Fop's FortuneJ, April 21, 1775 ; having, from fa- mily motives, assumed the name of Raymur, which is a transposi- tion of the syllables of his own. Two or three years after this, Mr. Murray engaged with Mr, Grif- fiths, then manager of the Nor- wich theatre, where he resumed his real name. From Norwich he went to Bath ; where he became so great a favourite, that Mr. Harris offered him an engagement for five years, on very liberal terms, v/hioh, by the advice of his friends, he accepted. His first appearance at Covent Garden was in Shylock fMerchant of Fenice), and Bagatelle fPoor SoldierJ, Sept. 30, 1796; and in that theatre he has continued ever since. Mr, Murray is the author of one dra- matic piece, called The Experiment. F. Svo, 1779- Mylne, James, of LochilJ, Scotland, was author of, 1. British Kings. T, 2. Darthula. T. which were published, with poems, in 1 vol. Svo. 1790, by his son after his death, and dedi- cated to Mr. Dundas. N, N L JN . L. We find these initials pre- fixed to a trumpery production, called The Kentish Election, C, Svo. 1735. N M N. M. These letters stand as the initials of a young lady's name, who introduced on the stage an al- teration of Beaumontand F'letcher's Loyal Snhjfct, under the title of o38 NAB TheFaillijul General. Trag. 4to. 1706. N. N. These letters v/e find in the title-page of home's Fo/lies. C. 4to. 1631. Nabbes, Thomas, wrote iu ihe reign of Charles I. Langbaine ranks him as a third-rate poet, but Cibber will not admit him to above a fifth -rate degree of merit. Yet he appears to have been well esteemed by his contemporaries, some of them having publicly professed themselves his friends, and Sir John Suckling having warmly pa- tronized him. One degree of me- rit at least he has a claim to ; and that is, that his plays are truly and entirely his own, not having had recourse to any preceding writer for assistance ; on which account his deficiencies are certainly more pardonable, and the applause due to his beauties more truly his own, than that given to many other bards. This Langbaine, whose great read- ing enabled him very accurately to trace tiie plagiarisms of authors, seems to confirm, at the same time that he quotes the author's own asseiiion of it in his prologue to the comedy of Covcnt Garden, in these words : Ke justifies that 't is no borrow'd strain From tlie invention of another's brain ; Nor did he stcil the func}-, Sec. The dramatic pieces extant of this author are the following : 1. Microcosmus. Masque. -Ito. •1637. 2. Hannilal and Scipio. Hist. T. 4to. 1637. 3. Covcnt Garden. Com. 4to, 163S. 4. Sprwgs Glory. Masque. 4to. 10:33. 5. Presentation on ihe Princes Birth- Day. 4to. l63S. (J. Tottenham Court. Com. 4to. ]6?.Si 163O; l2mo. 17I8. .5. 4to, Woman Hater, N A S 7. Entertainment on the Prince's Birth-Day. Masque. .4to. 1639. 8. Unfortunate Mother. Trag. 4to. 1640. f). Bride. Com. 4to. Ifj40. Phillips and Vv'iustanley, according to their usual custom, have ascrib- ed two other anonymous plays to him, v.^hich, however, Langbaine has proved not to be his. They are entitled, Charles the First. Tra£ 1649. Swctnam, the arraigned. Com. Wood mforms us, that Mr. Nabbes made a continuation of KnoUes's History of the Turks, from the year J 02s to the end of 1637, collected from the dispatches of Sir Peter Wyche, Knt. ambassador at Con- stantinople, and others. He seems to have been secretary or other domestic (says Mr. Brydges, Ccn- suru LiterariaJ to some nobleman or prelate, at or near V/orcester : partly hinted in his poem " On " losing his way in a forest, after " he was intoxicated with drink- " ing perry;" Avherein he says, " I am a servant of my Lord's." Coxeter seems to be of opinion, but wiihout much reason, that this is the Thomas Nabbes, who lies buried in the Temple church, un- der the organ, on the inner side. Nash, Thomas, was born at the seaport town of Leostofl', in Suffolk, and was descended from a family whose residence was in Hertfordshire. He received his education at St. John's College, in the universityof Cambridge, where he took the degree of B. A. 15S5. If vve may judge from his pamphlet, entitled Pierce Penniless, which, though written with considerable spirit, seems to breathe the senti- ments of a man in the height of despair and rage against the world. 539 N A S it nppcnrs probable that he had met with many disappointments and much distress. And, indeed, it seems not improbable, from the mention v hich lie makes of Robert Green, in his Pitrce Pemulcss, and from his having been with that writer at the feast in which he took the surfeit that carried him otl'tbe stage of life, that he had been, and even continued to the last to be, a companion and intimate to that loose and riotous genius, whose his- tory we have before related. And, as dissipation most generally seeks out companions of its own kind to consort and associate with, it will not, perhaps, appear an impro- bable suggestion, that some of Green's comrades might run into the same extravagancies, anchmeet with the same distresses in conse- quence of them, that he himself had done, and that Nash's pam- phlet above mentioned might be no less a picture of the situation of his mind, than the recantation pieces, which v.'e have taken no- tice of in the life of Green. Our author is supposed to have died about the year luOO, or 1601, and before that time seems to have altered the course of his life, and to have become very pious. In a pamphlet, entitled Christ" s Tears over Jerusalem, printed before the end of the sixteenth century, he says, in a dedication to Lady Elizabeth Carey, " A hundred un- " fortunate farewels to fantasticall " satirisme. In those vaines here- " tofore I mis-spent my spirit, and " prodigallyconspired againstgood " houres. Nothing is there now " so much in my vowes as to be " at peace with all men, and make " submissive amends where I have " most displeased. — Again. To a "■ little more wit have my increasing ** yeeres reclaimed mee then I had N A S " before : those that have bcene " perverted by any of my workes, " let them reade this, and it shall "■ thrice more benefit them. The " autumne I imitate, in sheading " my leaves with the trees, and " so doth the peacock shead his " taile, &c." Nash's talent was satire, in which he must hr.ve had great excellence, if we may give credit to the authority of an old copy of verses, which Langbaine has quoted, concerning him, in which it is said of him : Sharply satyric was he ; and that way He went, that since his being^, to this day, Few have attempted ; and I surely think Those word-i ihall hardly be set down in ink, Shall scorch and blast so as his could, when he Would inflict vengeance. Particularly, he was engaged in a most virulent paper war with the same Dr. Gabriel Harvey, M-hom his friend Hobert Green had sati- rized in some of his writings, and whose rancorous revenge led him even to treat him ill after death, as we have before given an ac- count of, under Green, His dramatic works are only three in num.ber, viz. 1 . Dido, Queen of Carthage. T. 4to. 1594. 2. Summer's last TFill and Testa- ment. C. 4to, 1600. 3. The Isle of Dogs. Com. N. P. Besides these, Phillips and Win- stanley have vcty unjustly ascribed to this author Mr. D:nvbridc^e- Court Belchier's comedy of Hans Beer Pot (which we have restored to the right owner), and at the same time omitted the mention of the tragedy of Dido, which was unquestionably hisj or at least he had a considerable hand in it in conjunction with Marloe. J 40 NED It appears, from a very scarce pamphlet, entitled " The Trim- " ming of Thomas \ashe, Geii- *' lleman, by the high tituled Pa- " troll Don Richardo de Medico " Campo, Barber Chiriirge(jn to " Trinity College in Cambridge,'' 4to. 15y7, that Nash was then (in 1597) '" confinement on ac- count of his having written a play, called The Isle of Dogs ; that while he was at Cambridge, he wrote part of a show, called Ter- minus et non Termifius, for which the person who was concerned with him in that composition was expelled ; that Nash left his col- lege when he was of seven years standing, and before he had taken his master's degree, about the year 1587 i and that after his arrival in London, he was often conlined in different gaols. Supposing him to have gone to college when he was sixteen years old, it appears by this account that he was born in the same year that gave Shakspeare to the world (1504). N.^TioN, V/iLLiAM, Jun. is au- thor of, 1. Old Love renewed. C. 2. School for Diffidence. C. printed, with some absurd poems, at Plymouth, 8vo. 17S9. Nedham, Marchmont, was born at Burford, in Oxfoidshire, in the month of August 1020. His father dying soon after his birth, the care of his education devolved on Christopher Glyn, vicar of Bur- ford, and master of the school there, v\ ho had married his rno- ther. At the age of fourteen years, he was sent to All Souls College, OKford, where he was made one of the choristers, and continued until the year J(i37, when he look the degree of bachelor of arts. lie then retired to St. INIary Mail, N E L and afterwards became usher at Merchant Taylors' school. How long he continued in this situation is unknown ; but we afterwards find him an under-clerk in Gray's Inn, where, says Wood, by virtue of a good legible court-hand, he obtained a coMjfortable subsistence. His next transition was to a writer against Government) after wdiich he studied physic, and, veering about in his principles, reconciled himself to the Kirvg, and wrote against his former friends. He was thereupon taken into custody, and, having obtained his pardon, was once m.ore prevailed upon to change his party. At the Re- storation, apprehending the resent- ment of the royaiists, he secreted himself until his pardon was as- sured to him. He then resumed the practice of physic, and conti- nued it successfully during the rest of his life, which ended sud- denly at the house of one Hidder, in Devereux. Court, Nov. lO/B. Wood says, " He uas a person " endowed with quick natural "^ parts, was a good humanitian " poet, and boon droll : and had " he been constant to his cava- " liering principles, he would " have been beloved by, and ad- " mired of all ; but being n)er- " cenaty, and valuing money and " sordid interest rather than con- "■ s'cience, friendship, or love to " his prince, was much hated by " the royal party to his last, and " many cannt^t yet endure to hear " him spoken of." He wrote Tlie Levellen leveU'd ; or. The Lidepeiiderils' Conspiracy to rod out Aliiuarchy. Inlerl. 4to. 104/. NELso>f, James, was an apo- thecary in Red Lion Street, Hol- born, w here he resided upwards of half a century. In J 753 he pub- lished a;i e.\cjileat treatise " on 541 N E V " the Government of Children, " under the Heads of Health, " Manners, and Education," 8vo. and died April ig, i;()4, aged Si years within three days. He was also author of The /IJf'edioimti: Fulher. Sent. Com. bvo. 17SO'. Nesbit, G. a Scotch writer, who, from chronicles and records, produced one dramatic perfortn- ance, printed at Edinburgh, called Caledon's Tears; or, Ifallace. T. 12mo. 1733. Nevile, Robert, lived in tlje reign of King Charles I. There are no particulars relating to him extant, further than that he re- ceived his education at King's College, in the university of Cam- bridge, where he obtained a fellow- ship ; and that he wrote one pl.^y, which is far from deficient in point of n)erit, entitled The Poor Scholar. C. 4to. 10d3. Nevill, Alexander. This author was a native of Kent, lived in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and was brother to Dr. Thomas Nevill, who succeeded to the deanery of Canterbury on the de- cease of Bisliop Rogers. He made a very early progress in learning, particularly in the study of poetry; lor, at si.ty's laaladv in IS 1.0. But it would be endless to enumerate the party productions of this writer. — He is understood to be now engaged in a life of Mr. Fox, for which, if he could be more of an historian than a panegyrist, his opportunities pe- culiarly qualify him. No man shared more of the confidence of that great orator than the subject of this article, who, in return, was totally devoted to his friend and leader. Upon the change of mi- nistry in \S06, Mr. O'Bryen suc- ceeded one of the Lords Somerset in the lucrative sinecure of deputy paymaster-general ; and, shortly after, was appointed by Mr. Fox to the patent office of marshal of the admiralty at the Cape of Good Hope; worth, it is said, 4000/. per annum. Odell, Thomas, was born in Buckinghamshire, towards the con* elusion of the l/th or beginning of the ISlh century. In the same county he had a very handsome paternal estate, the greater part of which he expended in the ser- vice of the Court interest ; but, on the death of Lord Wharton, who had been his patron, and who, with other friends of the same principles, had procured him a pension from the Government, Mr. Odell, finding both his fortuneu and interest impaired, erected a theatre in Goodman's Fields, which he opened in October l/Sp. For the first season it met with all the success that could be wished for, and fully answered his expecta- tion-; and, indeed, it is probable that it would still have gone on with like success, had not a con- nexion, which it was said the son of a respectable and honourable magistrate of the city of London had with the said theatre, given umbrage to the lord mayor and court of aldermen, who, under tb« ODE appearance of an apprehension that the apprentices and journeymen of the trading part of the city would be led too readily into dissipation, by having a theatre brought so near home to them, made an applica- tion to court for the suppression of it. In consequence of this, an order came down for the shutting it up; in compliance with which (for at that time there was no act of parliament for limiting the number of the theatres) Mr. Odell put a stop to his performances, and, in the end, found himself under a necessity of disposing of his property to Mr. Henry Gif- fard, who, not meeting with the same opposition as our author, raised a subscription for the build- ing of a more ample playhouse on the same spot ; to which assembling a very tolerable company of per- formers, he went on successfully, till the passing of the said act ; for the immediate occasion of which, see Vol.11, under Golden Hump. We cannot, however, help observ- ing in this place one particular, for which that theatre has been re- markable, and that is, for the first appearance, in 1/41, of our Eng- lish Roscius, Mr. Garrick. But, to return to our author. Mr. Odell was, in 1738, ap- pointed deputy master of the re- vels, under his Grace the Duke of Grafton, then Lord Chamberlain, and Mr. Chetwynd, the licenser of the stage. This place he held till his death, which happened in May 1749. He brought four dramatic pieces on the stage, all of which met with some share of succes-^. Their titles are as follow : 1. Chimera. C. 8vo. 1721. 2. Patron. Op. 8vo. N. D. [1729.] 3. Smugglers. F. 8vo. 1729. 4. Prodigal. C. 8vo. 1744. O G B Odingsels, Gabriel. Ofthjs gentleman's life nothing further is to be found on record, than that he was born in London, was ma- triculated of Pembroke College, Oxford, 23d of April 1707, and, becoming lunatic, put an end to his own life by the assistance of a cord, on the 10th of Feb. 1734, at his house in Thatch'd Court, Westminster. He wrote three dramatic pieces, the titles of which are as follow : 1. The Bath unmasked. C, Svo. 1725. 2. The Capricious Lovers. C. Svo. 172Q, 3. Bayes's Opera. Svo. 1730. Ogborne, David. This inge- nious and worthy man was better known as a painter than as a play- wright, and therefore might more properly be styled the Ratraelle than theShakspeare of Chelmsford, in Essex, where he resided. It is with pleasure we seize an oppor- tunity of doing such justice to his modest merits as they might fairly claim. The fidelity of his pencil, in representing the cavalcade of the judges into the county-town, and the yet more extraordinary procession of the claimants of the bacon-flitch into D'^.nmow, toge- ther with a few provincial mon- sters (such as portraits of a fish with wings taken at Battle's Britlge, a calf with six legs pro- duced at Great Baddo.v, and Wood the ghastly miller or' Billericay), succe.ssively immortalized him in his own neighbourhood. Aim- ing, however, with laudable ambi- tion at more general and extensive fame, and being convinced that the pen and pencil are instruments somewliat similar, and are pu! in motion by the same manual agency, till he had made the trial, he dis- covered no sutficient reason for his N N 2 £#§ o 6 r fnablUty to manage the one so as to render it as profitable to bim- $elf as the otiier. Or perhaps he might have met with the hack- neyed sentiment— z^f piciura poesis, erroneonsly translated, and taken it for granted, that no luan could be a painter without some vein of poetry in his composition. We learn, indeed, that the- reception of his dramatic works did not en- tirely support the expectations he had formed concerning them ; but being too wise to hazard repeated trials on the stage, or in the closet, and of a disposition too gentle and pacific to engage in literary war- fare, his disappointment neither broke out into invectives against the actors who mangled, or tlie critics M'ho condemned, his per- formances. On the contrary, far from harbouring the least resent- ment toward players, audiences, and reviewers, or indulging the slightest pique against the efforts of more fortunate bards, he v»as ever leady in his original capacity to decorate the scenes which he no longer thought himself qualified to write ; and confessed his acquies- cence in that justice which com- pelled him, as Hamlet says, to throw away tlie tvorser pari of Lis profession, and Hue the letter with the other half. Th.e only piece he is known to have printed is Tlie Merry Midnight Mistake; cr, CoiUfGrtalle Conclusion. Com. 8vo. 1760. Ogilby, John, u'as born near Edinburgh, in the . year 16OO. Coming to London, he became a very voluminous writer. His ylt- las, and other geographical works, obtained him the style and'oliace of t he King's cosmographer. In verse, his translations of Hoiner and Vir- gil, and his paraphrase on' Esop's Fui;les, have uiost diatinguished O K E him. He was also author of tj;ie city pageant on Charles II.' s Passage through the City to his Coronation. Fol. l66'l. See Pageants, Vol, III. p. 120, No. (34.) He died in London Sept. 4j, 1676. OHara,Kane. OfMr.O'Hara we learn no more, than that he was a native of Ireland, and a younger brother of a genteel fa- mily. He resided near Dublin, and from his appearance and man- ners by no means promised the festivity that enlivens all his com- positions. He had an exquisite taste in music, and great skill in the burlesque. He died June 17, 1/82, having for some years been deprived of his eyesight. He was author of the following pieces, some of which still continue fa- vourites with the public : I.Midas. Burl. 8vo. 1/64. 2. The Golden Pippin. Burl.- 8vo. 1773. 3. The. Tioo Misers, M. F. Svo. 1775. 4. ^pril Day. B. Svo. 1777. ■ 5. Tom Thumh. B. I78O3 Svo. 1S05, O'Keeffe, John, was born in Dublin in 1746j his father was a native of King's County, and his mother (an O'Connor) of Wex- ford. The family of the O'Keefles is among the most ancient and honourable, and, for a long time, ranked also w\\\\ the most wealthy, of the sister kini^dom. ; but,thecon- test betv^een \^'iHiam and James, in which the ancestors of our hero (who were; of the iloman Catholic persuasiu:!) bore a »bare, and which teriiiinated so fatally to the Irish interest, swallowed up the be.>t part of their property ; and, from that period, their importance be- gan to din^inish.- At an early age 54§ O K E O'Keeffe was committed to the care of Father Austin, a Jesuit, distinguished for learningand piety. and a celebrated orator. Ui^fier a man so well qualified for the office of a tutor, he soon made a pro- ficiency in French and the classics j. he also imbibed a taste for draw- ing, which he cultivated with great assiduity in the Academy, whem he profited by the lessons of West, then master of that institution. So rapid was his improvement in this branch of art, that his friends in- dulged the most sanguine expect- ations of future excellence^ but O'Kectfe was not destined for an artist; he had all the volatility and caprice of youth : as soon as he had made advances in one pursuit, another attraction presented itself, and resistance was vain. At length, a defect in his sight, and an early intercourse with spouters, joined tea most insatiable thirst for read- ing, turned him, from the pursuit chalked out by his parents, to- wards the drama; he .wrote many dramatic trifles, which, though never offered to the public, are said, by his friends, to bear strong marks of genius, taste, and the- atrical knowledge. At fifteen he wrote a comedy of five acts, which, though wild, and in , many in- stances puerile, he conducted to the denouement with ingenuil}'. Filled with those inclinations, he now entirely devoted himself to such books, and earnestly sought the company of such men of all ages, as could help to the attain- ment of what was become his fa- vourite wish, a situation in the the- atre. Accident brought it about. He accompanied a friend to Mr. Mossop, merely to learn how such meetings were managed ; he took courage, confessed the bent of his inc.linadon ; jMr. Mossop desired O K E to hear htm — be attempted Jaffier'f speech, scene the first- — pleased Mr. Mossop, and, before parting, was engaged for three years in tha Dublin theatre, while his friend was rejected. He played in that city, and in the most respectabla towns to which they made summer excursions, -about twelve years. Though tragedy was his first choice, an accident soon disco- vered his forte to be comedy, to which study he turned his mind, and became the prime fiivourite. Finding himself fully possessed of the public opinion as an actor, his ambition to figure as an author discovered itself, and he produced every year some local trifle at his benefit. His Tony Lumpkin in Town, first acted in Dublin, he sent anonymously to the late Mr^ Colman, and it was played with success at the Haymarket, 1778. This was succeeded by The So??-?;/- Law, which became a favourite piece in Dublin. Soon after this he left Ireland ; and, on his ar- rival in London, applied for an engagement ; but his services as an. actor were rejected. He then de- voted himself entirely to dramatic composition, and has produced the following pieces : 1 . TojiT/ Lumpkin in Town. F. 177s. Svo. 178O; 8vo. 1/98. 2. Son-in-Lmv. F. [Songs only^ Svo. J 779. 3. The Dead alive. C. O. 178I. N. P. 4. The Agrccalk Surprise. M. Farce. 17SI. N. P. 5. The Banditti. CO. 1781. .N. P. 0. Lord Mayor's Day. Pant. 1/82. N. P. 7. ]\laid the Mistress. Burl. 1/83. N. P. S. Shamrock. F. 1783. N, P. y. Young Quaker. C. 17S3. N.P. NN 3 S50 O K E \0. The Birth-Day. D.V. 8vo. 1/83. 11. Friar Bacon. Pant. 1/83. N. P. 12. Owai. Pant. 8vo. 1785. 13. Siege of Curzola. CO. l/fcO. N. P. 14. Prisoner at Large. C. Svo. 1788. 15. The Toy. C. l/Sf). 8vo. 1798. 16. The Fvgitive. M. E. 179O. N. P. 17. World in a Village. C. Svo. 1793. 18. London Hermit. C. 8vo. 1793, 1798. 19. Wild Oats. C. Svo. 1794, 3798. 20. Life's Vagaries. C. Svo. 3795. 11. Lish Mimic. M. E. Svo. 1795, 1798. 22. The Lie of the Day. C. 1796. N. P. 23. Lad of the Hills. C. O. 1796. K. P. 24.yJfred. Drama. Svo. 1798. 25. The Basket-maker. M. E. Svo. 1798. 26. y/ Beggar on Horsebach. F, Svo. 1793. 27. TAe Blacksmith of Antwerp. F. Svo. 1798. 28. The Castle of Andalusia. CO. Svo. 1798. 29. The Czar Peter. C. O. Svo. 1798. QO.TheDoldrum. F. Svo. 1 798. 31. The Eleventh of June. F. ,179s. N. P. 32. The Farmer. M. F. Svo. J 798. 33. Fontainl'leau. C. O. Svo. 1798. 34. Le Grenadier. Pant. Svo. a 798. 3.5. Highland Reel. CO. Svo. 17P9» O K E 36. Little Hunchback. F. Svo. 1798. 37. Love in a Camp. IM. F. Svo. 179s. 38. Man-Milliner. ]M. F. Svo. 1798. 39. Modern Antiques. F. Svo. 1798. 40. Poor Soldier. C O. Svo. 1798. 4\. Positive Man. F. Svo. 1 798. 42. Sprigs of Laurel. C O. Svo. 1798. 43. Tan tarn Rara Rogues AIL F. Svo. 1798. 44. Wicklow Mountains. Op. Svo. J79S. 45. Nosegay of Weeds. F. 179S. N. P. 4(i. She's Elop'd. C 179S. N.P. 47. Female Club. F. N. P. 48. Jennys Whim. F. N. P. 49. Peeping Tom of Coventry. C Op. N. P. It would be unfair to criticise this author by the prescribed dra- matic laws, as his writings have been indebted to no rules, ancient or modern ; they were written to make people laugh, and they have fully answered that etiect ; indeed, they are for the most part of such a nature as to set all criticism at defiance — they serve as a barome- ter to the spirits without the aid of much judgment — and some parts of their humour are so dependent upon the congenial humour of the actor, that we may imagine they could not be written for him, but only rehearsed between the author and actor, so as to give the latter a hint for the exercise of his fancy. What we particularly allude to are the words and chorusses of some of his .songs, ike. ; forthese, beingof no language, cannot be so well communicated as by sounds. Yet with tills species of talent has 551 O K E OLD O'Keefle gladdened the hearts of dered the theatre, gave him a be- his auditors between twenty and thirty years, and "sent them Im/gh- " iiig to their beds;" and all this he has done in the hearing of good scholars, good writers, and good critics. He has often done more : he has been the constant advo- cate for virtue ; and in many of his little pieces, he has given sketches of character, which, though unfinished, can boast of much originality — some passages that warm and meliorate the heart, and others which mark no mean attention to life and manners. If he has not, therefore, equalled many of our dramatic writers in genius, he has escaped their vices ; if he has not shown as much sci- ence of the art, he is freed from their prosaic drowsiness : he is constantly looking iov fumnAlroad humour, which are chiefly to be found in the middle and lower classes of life, and he is generally successful ; he is therefore bound- ed by no dramatic laws, and if he keeps the laugh up, in this view, he is free from censure. The manners of the middling and lovver classes of life have been always too much neglected by our modern dramatic writers, who do this, as Mr. Bayes says, " to show their " breeding :" but such should con- sider, that although ladies and gen- tlemen have their peculiar vices and virtues, the general character of man is best distinguished where nature is less adulterated ; where the heart and tongue have full play, and consequently have less incitement to iiattery, lying, and hypocrisy. in the year 1900, the misfor- tune of blindness being the more imbittered to him by pecuniary inconveniences, Mr. Harris, mind- nefit at Covent Garden, June 12 ; the peiformances being The Lie of the Day, Three IVeeks after Mar- riage, and Paul and Virginia. At the end of the second act of the play, Mr. Lewis led Mr. O'Keetfe on the stage, who delivered a poetical address of considerable length, in which humour and pa- thos were whimsically blended. It was recited with simplicity and feeling, and very deeply affected the sensibility of theaudience; who generally lamented, that he who had for so many years contributed greatly to their entertainment, should be reduced at last to be- come an object of their bounty. — We hope, but do not know, that the times have since mended with this facetious dramatist. Oldmixon, John. This sfen- tleman was descended from an an* cient family of the name, originally seated at Oldmixon, near Bridge- water, in Somersetshire. He was a violent party writer, and a very severe and malevolent critic ; in the former light he was a strong opponent of the Stuart family, whom he has, on every occasion, as much as possible endeavoured to blacken, without any regard to that impartiality which ought ever to be the most essential characteristic of an historian. In the other cha- racter, he was perpetually assail- ing, with the most apparent tokens of envy and ill-nature, his seve- ral contemporaries ; particularly Messrs. Addison, Eusden, and Pope. The last of these, however, whom he had attacked in different letters which he wrote in The Flying Post, and repeatedly reflected on in his prose essays on criticism, and in his Art of Logic and Rhetoric, writ- ten in imitation of Bouhours, has ful of the services that he had ren- condemned him to au immortality N N 4 S52 OLD of infamy, by giving him a place in his Dunciad, with some very distinguishing marks of eminence among the devotees of Dalness : for, in the second book of that severe poem, where he introduces the dunces contending for the prize of dulness, by diving in the mud of Fleet-ditch, he represents our author as mounting the sides of a lighter, in order to enable him to take a more eftcacious plunge. Mr, Oldmixon, though rigid V'ith regard to others, is far from unblameable himself, in the very particulars concerning which he is so free in his accusations, and tiiat sometimes even without a strict adherence to truth ; one re- markable instance of this kind it is but justice to take notice of; and that is, his having advanced a par- ticular fact, to charge threeeminent persons whh interpolation in Lord Clarendon's History, which fact ■was disproved by Dr. Atterbury, the only survivor of them ; and the pretended interpolation, after a space of almost ninety years, pro- duced in his Lordship's own hand- writing ; and yet this very author himself, when employed by Bishop Kennet in publishing the historians in his collection, has made no scruple of perverting Daniel's Chro- niclf! in numberless places. What year Mr. Oldmixon was born in, is not mentioned by any of the v/riters, nor v/here he re- ceived his education. He Avas, however, undoubtedly a man of learning and abilities ; and, ex- clusive of his strong-biassed preju- dice, and niitural moroseness and petulance, far from a bad writer. He has left behind him three dra- matic pieces^the titles of which are, 1. Awyntas. Past. 4 to. 169S. 2. Griive^ or. Loves Paradise. Opera. 4lo. 1700. O P I 3. Governor of Cyprus. T. 4to. 1703. He also wrote a pastoral, called Tiiyrsis, which forms one act of Mr. Mctteux's Novelty ; or, Every ■ Act a Play. As he was always a violent party writer on the Whig side, he was at length rewarded with a small post in the revenue at Bridgewalcr. He died in a very advanced age, July p, ] 742. Oldmixon, Sik John. To a gentleman of this name and title is ascribed Apollo turnd Stroller. Musical Pasticcio, Svo. 17S7. Oliphant, Roeert, We know no more of this gentleman, thaa that he was the son of Mr. Lawrence Olipliant, merchant, of Liverpool, and a men'iber of Tri- nity College, Cambridge ; the fel- lows of which college, in February 1792, adjudged to him one of the annual silver prize cups for the best English declamation. He did not survive this honour many months, dying, at an early age, on the 14th Septem.ber following j leaving two. dramatic pieces, the, titles of which are, 1. The Learned Lady. Com. 2. A Sop in the Pan. Farce. 1790. Neither of them, v.e believe, has been printed. Opie, Mes. was born at Nor-« wich about the year 1/72, and is. the daughter of Dr. Alder&on, a physician of that city. At an early period Miss Alderson was distiur guislied by great fertility of inven- tion, and evident marks of a su- perior mind ; and she is even said to have composed dramatic pieces and novels, as well as poems, at an age when others have scarcely completed their education. Many of these poems, and we belie>i2 opt. £5S O P I novel, have been published ano- nymously. On the 8th of May l/QS, Miss Alderson .became the ■wife of the late celebrated Mr. Opie, an artist who died in the very first rank of his profession, April g, 180/. Mrs. Opie has shown her regard to his memory by editing and publishing his Lcc^ tares on Painting, delivered at the Royal Academy, with memoirs of his life, 4to. I'soo. The writings of Mrs. Opie exhibit at once am- ple testimonies of the strength of her judgment, and the goodness of her heart. The Father and the Daughter, in opposition to the fantastic fictions which have dis- graced the regions of romance, this amiable writer professes to be — a tale, founded in simple nature ; and as such, perhaps, there never was a composition better calculated to rouse the passions in the cause of virtue, and to correct that false sensibility, that degenerating ex- cess of sentiment, which have been proved to be incompatible with the real interests of humanity. It has not only had a very extensive cir- culation in this country, but has been twice translated into the French language. Since that, she has published a tale in three vo- himes, entitled yifZ(.^/iH(? Mowhray ; or. The Mother and Daughter, 180.5, the laudable object of which was, to check the progress of the new philosophy. Mrs. Opie's poerns are generally cliaracterized by sweetness, simplicity, aiKi pathos j her songs are exquisitely lender, and will help, in no trifling de- gree, to rescue this species of po- etry from the neglect into which it has unhappil)'- fallen. Number- less are the occasions on which Mrs. Opie has exerted her talents for the benefit or consolation of the distressed. With these yiews. o s w many of her poems have been expressly composed ; and The Or" phan, and ]\'egro Boy's TuLs; The Dying Daughter's address to her Mother ; and The Felon's Address to his Child; are monuments of her feeling and benevolence, which cannot be too highly praised. As a dramatist, we know but of one production of hers, viz. Adelaide. Trag. N. P. Orrery, Earl of. See Boyle, Oswald, John, was once a lieutenant in the 42d regiment of foot, and served in the war befor* last under Colonels Humberstona and M'Lcod in the East Indies. In the year 1/83 he left India, and returned by land to England. Hig predominant passion for travel, and avidity to survey mankind un- der various points of view, deter- mined him to trace out for him- self a new route. He directed hig course to the more northern and mountainous parts of Turkey, and pitched his tent for some time among the barbarous hordes of Turkomans and Curdees, whom for many years no traveller had visited except himself and the ce- lebrated walking Stewart. Mr, Os^ wald is a native of Scotland. His father, a man of great learning and extreme modesty, but who ima- gined that all his misfortunes had proceeded from his devotion to the Muses, endeavoured as much as possible to discourage in his son the same unhappy passion, as he termed it, for the belles lettres. The opposition of his father, how-' ever, only tended to stimulate the youth in the career of learnino-. In a fev/ months, by the most in- tense application, he acquired,with- out a master, a competent know- ledge of the t,atin tongue. To this he soon added, in the same manner, tiis Greeks and iu the 554 O T W eourse of his peregrinations he made himself familiar with the Arabic language, together with the French, Italian, Spanish, and Por- tuguese dialects. The religions and philosophic opinions of this gentleman are said to be extreme- ly singular. He adheres to the doctrines of the Hindoo system of "worship, and turns with an ab- horrence truly Braminical from every species of animal food. To a gentleman who urged him to assign his reasons for an aversion so singular, he replied, " that he ** thought it cruel to deprive of *' life an innocent animal, and fil- *' thy to feed upon a corpse." He published, in l2mo. 1789, a vo- lume of poems, under the name of Silvester Otway, which con- tained his only dramatic piece, viz. The. Humours of John Bull. Op. Farce. He has written, besides, 1 , Ranas Comicre Evangelicantes; or. The Comic Frogs turned Me- thodists. Published in l/SG. 2 The British Mercury : a pe- riodical publication, which appear- ed in 17S7> sad of which the greater number of essays, &c. are the production of Mr. Oswald. And 3. The Alarming Progress of French Politics: a pamphlet on the subject of the Commercial Treaty, 1/87. Otway, Silvester. See the preceding article. Otway, Thomas, was not more remarkable for moving the tender passions, than for the va- riety of fortune to which he him- self was subjected. He was the son of the Rev. Mr. Humphrey Otway, rector of Wolbeding, in Sussex, and was born at Trotton in that county, the 3d of March in the jrear liiSl. He received his edu- O T W cation at Wickeham school, near Winchester, and became a com- moner of Christ Church, in Ox- ford, in 1669. But on his quitting the university, in 1674, and com- ing to London, he turned player. His success as an actor was but in- different, having made only one attempt in iVIrs. Behn's tragedy of The Forc'd Marriage j or, Jealous Bridegroom : he was more valued for the sprightliness of his conver- sation and the acuteness of his wit j which gained him the friend- ship of the Earl of Plymouth, who procured him a cornet's commis- sion in the troops which then served in Flanders. Poor Tom Otway, like the rest of the wits of every age, was but a bad economist ; and therefore it is no wonder that we generally find him in very necessitous cir- cumstances. This was particularly the case with him at his return from Flanders. He was, more- over, averse to the military pro- fession ; and it is therefore not ex- traordinary, all things considered, that Tom and his commission soon quarrelled, and parted, never to meet again. After this, ha had recourse to writing for the stage; and now it was that he found out the only employment that nature seems to have fitted him for. In comedy he has been deemed too licentious ; which, however, wasno great ob- jection to those who lived in the profligate dnys of Charles II. But in tragedy few of our English poets ever equalled him ; and perhaps none ever excelled him in touch- ing the passions, particularly that of love. There is generally some- thing familiar and domestic in the fable of his tragedy, and there is amazing energy in his expression.. The heart that does not melt at 555 O T W O U L the distresses of his Orphan, must be hard indeed ! In the collection oi'Tke Familiar Letters of Lord Rochester, &c. Svo. 1697, and 1705, there are six of Otway's, written to Mrs. Barry, the actress, in a very passionate and pathetic style, and more elo- quent than any other of his writ- ings. But though Otway possessed, in so eminent a degree, the rare ta- lent of writing to the heart, yet he "was not very favourably regarded by some of his contemporary poets: nor was he always successful in his dramatic compositions. After ex- periencing many reverses of for- tune, in regard to his circum- stances, but generally changing for the worse, he at last died wretchedly in a house, known by ihe sign of theBull,on Tower Hill, April 14, 1685, whither he had retired to avoid the pressure of his creditors. Some have said, that downright hunger compelling him to fall too eagerly upon a piece of bread, of which he had been some time in want, the hrst mouthful choked him, and instantly put a period to his days. His dramatic writings are, 1. Alcibiades. Trag. 4to. l675. 2. Don Carlos, Prince of Spain. Trag. 4to. 1676. 3. Titus and Berenice. T. 4 to. 1677. 4. The Cheats of Scapin. F. 4to. 1677. 5. Friendship in Fashion. Com, 4to. 1678. Q. Cains Marius. Trag. 'I to. l6so, 1692. 7. The Orphan. T. 4to. 168O, 8. The Soldier's Fortune. Com. 4to. 1681. 9. Venice Preserved. Trag. 4to. 1682. . 10. The Atheist] gx,. The Second Part of the Soldier s Fortune. C. 4to. 1084. Besides these plays, Mr. Otway made some translations, and wrote several miscellaneous poems. His whole works were printed in three volumes, 12mo. 1757. In the year 17^9 was printed a piece ascribed to Otway, but cer- tainly not written by him, called Heroic Friendship. T. 4to. At the time of his death, how- ever, he had made some progress in a play, as will appear from the following advertisement, printed in L'Estrange's Observator, Nor. 27, 16S6: " Whereas Mr. Thomas Otwaj, " some time before his death, made " four acts of a play j whoever can " give notice in whose hands the *' copy lies, either to Mr. Thomaa " Betterton, or to Mr. William " Smith, at the Theatre Royal, shall " be well rewarded for his pains." OULTON, WaLLEY ChAMBER- LAiNE, is a native of Dublin, where he received his education, under Dr. Ball. He produced se- veral pieces at Capel Street and Smock Alley Theatres, Dublin, which were well received, not- withstanding numberless puerili- ties J being the hasty production* of school vacations, and written 5y stealth I as his grandfather (Dr. Walker) had an aversion to dra- matic composition. Two of these. The Haunted Castle, and Mad' house, are still occasionally per- formed ; the former had a run of about thirty-sis nights (a circum- stance very rare in that kingdom), and was performed several nights before any of his relatives knew who was the author. Intoxicated with this success, he neglected his studies, and came to London ; when he was introduced to the late Mr. Palmer, by the then pro- 566 O U L |>r\etor of a newspaper, who afier- warcls became ]Mr. Palmer's greatest adverssiy. For the Royalty The- atre he wrote the burletta part of Hul son's Choice; or, Tliesp'is in Distress, J/S/j the satire of wiiich provoked the resentment of the London managers. Finding liim- seif then excluded from the theas- Ires, he had recourse to stratagem, and presented a piece to the late Mr. Colman in a lady's name, j4s it should he, which was imme- diately accepted, and acted at the Haymarket, 'i7^9- His female representative, who had some" ad- dress, procured this gentleman's acceptance of another piece, but the manager's sudden indisposition prevented its representation. The younger Colman, who now ofii- ciated as manager, behaved to the lady with his usual politeness', tbor.gh probably conscious of the deception : however, by an act of imprudence, she forfeited hi^ encouragement and favour, and for some time deceived even him who had reposed in her so much confidence ! This gentleman, not harbouring those petty resentments ■which are too common in theatri- cal life, gave Mr. Oulton eveiy encouragement, and accepted his ^11 in good Humour, a petite piece, acied in 1/92. Since that time he has produced several dramatic pieces, which we shall- presently enumerafe. Mr. Onlton has published a OWE Beauties of the Modern Draviatists^' and The Beauties of Kolzelue ; and published a Travellers Guide, in 3 vols. 12mo. ISOo. His dra- mas are as follow : 1-. Haunted Castle. M.E. 12rao. 37S4; 2. Happy Disguise. CO. 12mo. IJSA.- ■ 3 . TheNeiv Wonder. F. 1 7S4.N.P. 4. TheMad-ltouse. IM.E. 12mo. 1795. 5. Poor Mar'm.C. 17S5, Ni P. 9.- Hohson's Choice. Burl. 17S7. N. P. \Q. Perseverance. M.E. 1780; 12 mo. 1793, 11. As it should le. Com. Piece. 8vo. 1739. 12. What's the Matter? BurU 12mo. 1759. 13. All in good Humour. D, P. Svo. 1702. 14. Irish Tar. M.I. 1 797. N.P. \5. Botheration. F. Svo. I798. 1(5. Pyravius and Thisle. Panti Svo. 179s. 17. The Two Apprentices. Pant. 1798- N. P. 18. Sixty-third Letter. M. F. Svo. 1803. 19. Middle Dish. F. 1804. N.P. D OuviLLY, Geo. Gerejer. Of this gentleman we know no- thinar more than that he was ths continuation of Victor'? History of 'author of one dramatic piece never the Theatres of London 5 of Eger ton's Theatrical Bememlrancer ; several anonymous works, and others with fictitious names j par- ticularly Dr. Home's, pamphlets respecting Erothers's prophecies, in answer to the late Mr. Hal- hed. lie also wrote some of tl>e f borusses in Pixarro, compiled The acted, but which, by the date, must have been written, or at least published, during the timeofthft inier'-regnum. It is entitled The False Favourite disgraced. T. C. 12mo. 1657. Owen, Robert, This gentle- man received the early part of hi* ]educatk>n' at Eton ; iiom wlience. '557 O Z E in 1096-, he was removed to King's College, Cambridge j but was not admiued fellow 5 there being ten fellows only in his favour, and nine and the provost agninst him. The cause of this rejection has not reached the present time, nor is it known what afterwards became of him. He wrote one dramatic piece, founded on the Grecian history, and entitled Hijpennnesira. T. 4to. 1703. OwENSON, Mrss, is the daugh- ter of an actor on the Dublin ■boards, of long standing and con- siderable reputation; and has v/rit- ten one dramatic piece, called The First Allempt. CO. ISO/. Miss O, has llkev/ise given to the world St. Clair, or The Heiress of Desmond ; The Novice of Si. Dominic ; The Wild Irish Girl ; and The Missionary, novels. OzELL, John. This writer,, to •whose industry, if not to his ge- nius, the world lies under very considerable obligations, received the -iirst rudiments of his education from Mr. Shaw, an excellent gram- marian, and master of the free- school at Ashby de la Zouch, in Leicestershire. He afterwards completed his grammatical studies under the Reverend Mr. Mount- ford, of Christ's Hospital, where, having attained a great degree of perfection in the dead languages, viz. the Latin, Greek, and He- brew, it was next the intention of his friends to have sent him to the university of Cambridge, there to finish his studies, with a view to his being admitted into holy orders. But Mr. Ozell, averse to the con- finement of a college life, and per- haps disinclined to the clerical profession, and desirous of being sooner brought out into, and set- tled in the world, than the re2;ular course of academical gradations •0 Z E would permit, solicited and ob- tained an employment in a public office of accounts, with ?. view to which he had taken previous care to qualify himself by a most per- fect knowledge of arithmetic in all its branches, and a great degree of excellence in writing all the ac- cessary hands. Notwithstanding, however, this grave attention to business, he still retained an inclination for, and an attention to, even polite literature, that could scarcely have been es- 'pected ; and, by entering into much conversation with foreigners abroad, and a close application tp reading at home, he made himself iiiaster of most of the living lan- guages, tnore especially the French, Italian, and Spanish ; from all which, as well as from the Latia and Greek, he has favoured the world with many valuable trans- lations. But, as it is in the light of 3 dramatic writer only that he has any claim to a place in this work, we shall not enter into a recapitula- tion of any of his pieces but those which have some connexion with the theatre. These, however, though all translations, are very numerous; there being included in them a complete English version of the dramatic pieces of that justly- celebrated French writer. Mo-, liere; besides some others from Corneille, Racine, See. le titles of which are to be found in thu following list : 1. The Cid; or, The Heroic Daughter. T. 12rao. 1714. 2. Alexander the Great. Trasr. i2mo. 1714. 3. Britannicus. T. 12mo. I714. 4. The Litigants. Com. 12mo. 1715. 5. Manlius Ccpitolinus. Trao-. 12mo. 1715. Q. Caio. T. 12mo. 1/15. S6^ O 2; E 7. The Fair of Si. Germain. 8vo. 1718. 8. Tke Miser. Com. 12nio. 1732. 9. The Plague of Riches, Com. 12mo. 1735. Mr, Ozell had the good fortune to escape all those vicissitudes and anxieties in regard to pecuniary circumstances, which too frequent- ly attend on men of literary abili- ties} for, besides that he was, from his earliest setting out in life, con- stantly in the possession of very good places, having been for some years auditor-general of the city and bridge accounts ; and, to the time of his decease, auditor of the accounts of St. Paul's cathedral and St. Thomas's Hospital; all of them posts of considerable emolu- ment; a gentleman, who was a na- tive of the same country with him, who had known him from a school- boy, and it is said lay under par- ticular obligations to his family, dying when Mr. Ozell was in the very prime of life, left him such a fortune as would have been a com- petent support for him, if he should at any lime have chosen to retire from business entirely, which how- ever it does not appear he ever did. Our author died October 15, 1743, and was buried in a vault of St. Mary, Aldermanbury ; but •what year he was born in, and consequently his age at the time of his death, are particulars that we do not find on record. That Mr. Ozell was rather a man of application than genius, is apparent from many circum- stances ; nor is any tiling, perhaps, a stronger proof of it, than the very employment he made choice of; since it has been much oftener seen, that men of brilliant talents have quitted the more sedentary avocations they have fortuitously been bred to^ thaa that they have O Z E fixed on any such by their own election ; and perhaps our author is the only instance of a person, even of a turn to the heavier and more abstruse branches of litera- ture, who ever chose to bury the greater part of his hours behind the desk of a compting-house. Notwithstanding this observa- tion, however, Mr. Ozell's abili- ties, if less entertaining, were not perhaps less useful to the world than those of some other writers ; for, though he produced nothing originally his own, yet he has clothed in an English habit seve- ral very valuable pieces ; and though his translations may not, perhaps, have all that elegance and spirit which the originals possess, yet, in the general, it must be confessed that they are very just, and convey, if not the poetical, at least the literal meaning of their respective authors : and indeed, it were rather to be wished, that this writer had confined himself to the translation of works of a more se* rious nature, than have engaged in those of humour and genius, which werequalities that he seemed not to possess hiniself,and therefore could not do justice to in others. Mo- liere, more particularly, is an au- thor of that superior genius, that it would require abilities almo.st equal to his own to translate him in such a manner as to give him, in the clothing of our own lan- guage, the perfect air and manner of a native. There is a peculiar spirit, a peculiar manner, adapted to the dialogue and language of the stage, more particularly in co- medy, which is only attainable by observation and practice, and ren- ders a writer of dramatic genius alone properly qualified for the translation of dramatic pieces. And this is apparently the reason thatj notwithstanding we have B5% O Z E O Z E «iany very good comedies in our own language, founded almost entirely on those of foreign au- thors, yet but few of the pieces themselves, from which they have been borrowed, have aftbrded much pleasure lothe reader in the trans- lations that have appeared of them. Celebrated as the name of Moliere has been for above a century past, notwithstanding that there has been more than one perfect trans- lation of his works published in English J yet we will venture to af- firm, that his pieces are very little known, excepting to those who, from their acquaintance with the French language, are enabled to read them in the original ; nor can we help hinting our wish, that some writer of eminence would un- dertake the task, which would be- stow so valuable an addition to the libraries cf the belles lettres, and introduce M. de Moliere among the set of our intimate acquaint- ances, as perfectly as Cervantes or Le Sage, and enable us to converse as familiarly with The Miser and Hypochondriac oi the one, as with ^ the Don Quixote and Gil Bins of the others. But this is a digression for which we beg pardon, aed will tiierefore proceed. Mr. Ozell seems to have had a more exalted idea of his own abi- lities than the world was willing to allow them ; for, on his being introduced by Mr. Pope into The Dunciad (for what cause, however, does not appear), he published a very extraordinary advertisement, signed with his name, in a paper called The Weekly Medley, Sept. 1/2(7, in which he expresses his resentment, and at the same time draws a comparison, in his own favour, betweeo Mr. Pope and himself, both with respect to learn- ing and poetical genius. The ad- vertisement at length may be seen in the notes to The Dunciad. But though we confess we cannot readily subscribe to this self- assumed preference, yet, as Mr. Coxeter informs us that his con- versation was surprisingly agree- able, and his knowledge of men and things considerable, and as it is probable that, with an under- standing somewhat above the com- mon rank, he possessed a great share of good-nature, we will readily allow, that a person of this character might be much more amiable than one of a greater bril- liancy of parts, if deficient in these good qualities. P. P P r. G. These initials are affixed to a piece, called Two Plots Discovered, ts^c. C. J2mo. 1742. P. P. Monsieur. In this man- ner, but without giving us any P P explanations of these initials, has Langbaine distinguished the author of a musical dramatic piece, per- formed in King Charles II. 's reign, entitled Ariadne. Opera. 4to. 16/4. SCO t* A 1/ p. H. Coxetcr, in his notes, has given us the full title of a very old play, with these letters in the title- page, called Ajjpius and Firginia. T.C. 4to. 157(3. J^^either Langbaine, Jacob, nor Whincop's editor, have lakeo any notice of this play. Chetwood (Bnthh Theatre, p. 21.) mentions the piece, with the date of 1575, but has not hinted at any author's name, or initials. P. T. These initial letters arc printed to two plays, both publish- ed in Charles II. 's reign. Though at fifteen years distance from' each other, yet it is not improbable they might both be the work of the same person. In looking back to the writers of that time, we can find only one dramatic author whose ^lame will correspond with these letters, and that is Thomas Porter, of whom we shall have occa- sion to make farther mention. It is Indeed only conjecture ; yet, as the walk of writing in both these pieces is the same with those which are declaredly that gentleman's, as the dates cf all com.e within a reasonable compass as to time, as it was no uiicommon practice at that period for known authors to subscribe only initials to their works, and lastly as Mr. Langbaine seems to hint at Plr. Porter's hav- ing written more than had come to his knowledge ; we liope we shall be pardoned> on all these, circumstances of probability, if we presume to attribute these two pieces to him. Their respective titles are, 1. Witty Comlat. T.C. 4to. ages. 2. French Conjuror. C. 4to. 1678. Palsgkave, John. This learn- ed and ancient vrrlter flourished PAL in the reigns of Henry VII, and Henry Vill. He received his grammatical learning at London, where he was born. He studied logic and philosophy at Cam- bridge, at which university he re- sided till he had attained the de- gree of bachelor of arts, after which he went to Paris, where he spent several years in the study of philosophical and other learning, took the degree of master of arts, and acquired such excellence in the French tongue, that in 1514, when a treaty of marriage was ne- gotiated between Louis XII. King of France, and the Princess Mary, sister of King Henry VIII. of England, Mr. Palsgrave was chosen to be her tutor in that language. But Louis XII. dying almost im- meftiately after his marriage. Pals- grave attended his fair pupil back to England; where he taught the French language to many of the young nobility, obtained good ch.urch preferment, and was ap- pointed by the King one of his chaplains in ordinary. In the year 1531 he settled at Oxford for some time, and the next year was incorporated master of arts in that university, as he hed before been in that of Paris, and a few days after was admitted to tha degree of bachelor of divinity. „ At. this time he was highly esteemed for his learning; and, what is very remarkable, though an Englishman, he was the first author who reduced the French tongue under grammatical rules, or that had attempted to fix it, to any kind of standard. This ha vmdertook, and executed with great ingenuity and success, in a. large work which he published in that language, at London, entitled n Ecclaircissemerd de la Language Francois, containing threo books. 561 PAR in a thick folio, 1530, to which he has prefixed a large introduction, in English. So that the French nation seems to stand indebted to our country originally tor that universality which their language at present possesses, and on which they so greatly pride themselves. These works, however, vvould not have entitled him to a place in (his register of authors, had he not translated into the English a Latin play, written by one Will, FuUo- nius (an author then living at Hagen, in Holland), entitled Acolaslns. Com. 4 to. 1540. When Mr. Palsgrave was born, or to what age he lived, are ptirti- culars which we have not been able to trace j yet, from the concur- rence of various facts, we caftnot suppose him to have been much less than sixty years of age at the time of his publishing the above- mentioned translation. Papendick, George, trans- lated from the G^^rman of Kot- zebue, Tke Stranger. D. Svo. l/QS. Parfre, Ihan. Concerning this person, who seems to be the oldest dramatic author in the Eng- lish language, our biographers are totally silent. He wrote one piece, which has been presented to the public in Mr. Hawkins's Collection of Old Plays, and is called Candlemas Day ; or. The Kill- ing of the Children of Israel. A Mystery. 1512. Printed 1/73. Parker, Henry, Lord Mor- LEY, was the son of Sir William Parker, by Alice, sister of Love), Lord Morley, by which title this Henry was summoned to Parlia- ment, in the twenty-first of Henry the Eighth. Except being a pretty voluminous author, we find nothing remarkable of hinij but that he VOL. I. PAR was one of the barons who signed the memorable letter to Clement the Seventh, threatening bun with the loss of his supremacy in Eng- land, unless he proceeded to dis- patch the King's divorce ; and having a quarrel for precedence with the Lord Dacre, of Gillesland, had his pretensions confirmed by Parliament. He lost the favour of Henry VIIL by means of his daughter, who was married to George Lord Rochford, brother to Queen Ann Bulleu ; and died in the month of November 1556, aged SO. A list of his works may be seen in Mr. Walpole's Catalogue rf Royal and Noble Authors, vol. i. p. 93, among which are several tragedies and comedies, the very names of which are lost. Parsons, Mrs. was the only daughter of Mr. Phelp, a wine- merchant, in Plymouth, Devon- shire. At an early age she mar- ried Mr. Parsons, a turpentine- merchant, at Stonehouse, near Plymouth, by whom she had a numerous family; and, until the brer-iking out of the American war, lived in happiness and affluence. Mr. Parsons at that time had con- tracts with Government for naval stores, and had ships in America to be loaded when the disturbances broke out ; two were detained in the country, two sent home in ballast ; and this great loss and disappointment was the first blow to their prosperity ; beino^ com- pelled to resort to the London markets to fulfil the contracts, at considerable los"? and disad\ antage. In consequence of these unpleasant circumstances, Mr. Parsons thought it advisable to remove his family from Stonehouse to the neighbour- hood of London, near Bow Bridge, to the house formerly known as the Bow China House. At this o e 5(53 PAR f)lace he built warehouses^ small dwellings for workmen, erected stills, and other expensive works, nearly to the amount of his re- maining fortune ; and, for three year?, had every prospect of suc- cess. About the expiration of that time, in the year 17S2, a dread- ful fire broke out in the still-house, then filled with spirits of turpen- tine, tar, and pitch, which soon destroyed all the buildings and their contents ; and unfortunately communicated to a large quantity of stores, rolled out from distant warehouses, lor the purpose of be- ing shipped the next tide, and en- tirely consumed them j and, in all probability, the town of Bow was saved from the conflagration, by the orders Mrs. Parsons gave to pull down the workmen's houses, and stifle the fire. Mr. Parsons happened to be in town, and re- turned only to witness his entire ruin — for, unhappily, the still- houses and annexed buildings, and the stores drawn round them for convenience of being shipped in a few hours, had no claims on the insurers, only the warehouses and goods in them being insured. This dreadful blow, and a combi- nation of unpleasant events at- tached to it, compelled Mr. Par- sons to relinquish business ; and having, a few months previous to this accident, had the misfortune to lose their eldest son in Jamaica, who had j'.ist been made a captain of marines ; domestic sorrows, added to the loss of his remaining pro- perty, had nn effect upon the spi- rits of Mr. Parsons, which he never recovered. He obtained a place at St. James's, in the Lord Chamberlain's depavtment ; and soon after, through the favour of the Marchioness of Salisbury, Mrs. Parsons had also a small place, in FAR same' department. the same' department. But the health of Mr. Parsons visibly de- clined ; the total loss of a hand- some fortune, his anxiety for the provision of eight children born to happier prospects, and a con- sciousness of his broken con- stitution, and inability to leave any thing for his family, all together occasioned a depression of spirits, which brought on a paralytic af- fection, under which he languish- ed nearly three years, when a second stroke terminated his exist- ence ; by which Mrs. Parsons was left, with her young family, whol- ly unprovided for, and dependent on her exertions alone for their future subsistence. In circum- stances like these, involved in pe- cuniary difficulties, she had no resource but to become a candi- date for public favour as an author. It was imperious necessity, not inclination, or vanity, that led Mrs. Parsons to take up the pen ; and the liberal indulgence she met with from her friends and the public, encouraged her to proceed in her employment, while strug- gling with many sorrows and heavy afflictions. In the beginning of this war she lost a very promising youth by the yellow fever, oft' St. Domingo; about 1803, a most ami- able daughter, wife of an eminent surgeon; and, in 1604, her only surviving son, a brave and deserv- ing young officer, just appointed to the command of His Majesty's gun-vessel the Hecate, who un- happily perished in a gale of wind, ofl WhitstableBay. Mrs. Parsons had then four daughters left, all married ; one to a Norwegian merchant; another to Henry Mar- tin, Esq. a wholesale ironmonger, near Smithtleld Bars, now retired from business; a third to an officer in the garrison itt Gibraltar; and a £63 PAT fourth to a gentleman of rank and fortune in Copenhagen. Mrs. Par.ions wrote above sixty volumes of novels, viz. Memoirs of Miss Mereditk, 1 vols, j The Errors of EducnUnn, 3 vols. ; The Castle of if' ft-nbach, 2 vols, j El- len and Julia, 1 vols. ; Lacy, 3 vols. ; Tile Voluntary Exile, 5 vols. ; IVoman as she should le, 4 vols, ; The Girl of the Mountains, 4 vols. ; IVomen as they are, 4 vols, ; The Mysterious learning, 4 vols. ; An eld Friend with a new Face, 3 vols. ; Anecdotes of two well-known Fami- lies, 3 vols.; The Valley of St. Go- thard, 3 vols. ; 77ic Miser and his Family, 4 vols. ; The Peasant of Ardenne For est, 4 vols.; The Myste- rious Visits, 4 voh.; Murray House, 3 vols. ; Love and Gratitude , or. Traits of the Human Heart, 3 vols. "VVe believe that she also wrote The Wise Ones luhbled; or. Lovers Triumphant, 2 vols. ; and another novel, tntirled Rosetta. But her claiuj to a place in this work she owes to The Intrigues of a Morning. F. 8vo. 1792. This lady died at Laytoustone, Feb. 5, 1811. Paterson, William, was a native of Scotland, and an inti- mate friend of Mr. Thom.son, the author of The Seasons. When that gentleman received hii ap- pointment of surveyor of the Lee- ward Islands, he made Mr. Pa- terson his deputy ; and on Mr. Thomson's death he succeeded him in that office. He wrote one play, called Armmius. T. 8vo. 1740. Paton, . A Scotch gen- tleman, who printed one piece at Edinburgh, called IVilliam and Lucy. O. 8vo. 17SO. Patrick, Dr. Samuel. This PEA gentleman,at the time of his death, which happened on the 20th of March 1748, was usher of the Charter-house school. He super- intended some editions of Hederic's Lexicon and Ainsworth's Diction- ary, and gave to the public A Complete Transl;ition of 7V- rence, 2 vols. 8vo. 1745. Patsall, , is said to have written Marcus Tullius Cicero. T. A specimen of it was published in The Oxford Magazine, for January 1773. ^ Paul, George. This name is affixed to The Antic hristian Opera. 1/35. Payne, Nevil. An author who lived in the reign of King Charles the Second, ai:d was the re- puted writer of three plays, called, 1. The Fatal Jealousy. T. 4to. 1673. 2. The Morning Ramble. C, 4to. 1673. 3. The Siege of Constantinople^ T. 4to. 1675. Peaps, William. Langbaine, who.lived the nearest to the time o{ publication of the dramatic piece we are on the point of mentioning, has inserted it in his Catalogue of P;:iys by unknown Authors, and only tells us, that it was supposed by Kirkman, but on what ground he knows not, to have been writ- ten by one Peaps. Jacob, Gildon, and Whincop, however, have, on this authority, positively affixed the right of it to that naine. JBu( Chetwood, in his British Theatre, has gone still farther, and annexed the Christian name we have made use of at the head of this article. How far he is right in this parti- cular, or on what foundation he has so done, we know not. It is however, agreed by all the writers^ that our author lived in the reiga Q 0 % 564 PEC of Charles I. and was a student at Eton, as also that the piece was composed when he was but seven- teen years of age j which informa- tion they derive from the title- page and preface to the piece itself. It is entitled Love in its Ecslacy. Past. 4to. 1649. Coxeter, in his MS. notes, has made a query with regard to the spelling of the author's name, sup- posing that it n-iight have been one Pepys, of Cottenham, in Cam- bridgeshire, of which family was Secretary Pepys. Pearce, William, a pretty PEE tershire. In the same year he suc- ceeded to the rectory of Goadby ]\Jarwood, also in Leicestershire, and died there the 13 th of August 1/43 J having published one dra- ma, called Herod the Great. D.P.4to.l740. Printed in a volume, entitled " New " Memoirs of the Life and poetical " JForks of Mr. John Milton." His publication, entitled Deside- rata Curiosa, the most useful and entertaining of any which he pro- duced, was reprinted, in quarto, by T. Evans, in 1779. [See Riblioth. Topogr. Brit. No. 50, p. 430, and No. 51, p. 1100, 1109. It is successful dramatic writer, but of proper to observe, that his epitaph. whose life we have not been able to learn any particulars. His pieces for the stage ar^ as follow : 1. The Nunnery. CO. [Songs only.] 8vo. 1785. 2. Midnight IVandcrers. C, O. 8vo. 1793- 3. Arrived at Portsmouth. M. E. 1794. N. P. 4. Netley Abbey. Op. F. Svo. 5. Windsor Castle. Op. Svo. 1795. 6. Hartford Bridge. Op. F. 8vo. 1796. He seem* to have had a piece in preparation for the stage, but which never appeared, called, 7. The Fall of Harold. Dr. Rom. 1792. N.P. Peck, Francis. Of this labo- rious compiler but little is known. He was born at Stamford, in Lin- colnshire, on the 4th day of JNIay 1692, and received his education at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he took the degrees of bachelor of arts, 1715, and mas- ter of arts, 1727. In 1721 he was curate of King's Clifton, in the county of Northampton ; and ia 1725, of Eastwell, in Leices- which is printed in p. 1 110, states that he was a prebendary of Lin- coln, and that he died on the Q\\\ of July 1 753. "We have given the date of his death from the periodi- cal publications of August 1743 j and therefore 1753 must be aa error of the engraver.] Peele, George, M. A. This poet, who flourished in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, was a native of Devonshire; from whence being sent to Broadgate's Hall, he was some time afterward made a stu- dent of Christ Church College, Ox- ford, about the year 1573, where, after going through all the several forms of logic and philosophy, and tdking all the necessary steps, he was admitted to his master of arts degree in 1579. After this it appears that he removed to Lon- don, where he became the city poet, and had the ordering of the pageants. He lived on the Bank Side,over-against Black Friars, and maintained the estimation in hi« poetical capacity which he had ac- quired at the university, and which seems to have been of no incon-^ siderable rank. He was a good pastoral poet ; and Wood informs PEE us, that his plays were not only often acted with great applause in his lifetime, but did also endure reading, with due commendation, XTiany years after his death. He speaks of him, however, as a more voluminous writer in that way than he appears to have been, mention- ing his dramatic pieces by the dis- linction of tragedies and comedies^ and has given us a list of those which he says he had seen ; but in this he must have made some mis- take, as he has divided the several incidents in one of them, viz. his Edward I. in such manner as to make the Life of Llewellin, and the Sinking of Queen Elinor, two de- tached and separate pieces of them- selves j the error of which will be seen in the perusal of the whole title of this play. (See Vol. II. Edward I.) He, moreover, tells us, that the last-mentioied piece, together with a ballad on the same subject, was, in his time, usually sold by the common ballad-mon- gers. The real titles of the plays written by this author, of which iive only are known, are 1. The Arraignment of Paris. D. P. 4to. 1584. 2. Edward the First. 4to. 1593; 1599. 3. The Old Wives Tale. C, 1595. 4. The Loue of King David and Fair Bethsahe. T. 4t()., 1599. H.O. 5. The Turkish Nlahomet and Wren the Faire Greek. N. P. See Vol. III. p. 359. Peele was also author of the Pageants of 1585, 1590, I59I. See Vol. III. art. Pageants. Wood and Winstanley, mis- guided by former catalogues, have attributed to him another tragedy, entitled AJphonsus, Emperor of Germamf . But this Langbaine assures us was 565 PEN written by Chapman, he himself having the play in his possession, with that author's name to it. About the year 1593, Peela seems to have been taken into the patronage of the Er^rl of Northum- berland, to whom he dedicated, in that year, The Honour of the Garter, a PoemGratulatorie — the Firstling consecrated to his noble name. He was almost as famous for his tricks and merry pranks as Scoggan, Skelton, or DickTarleton; and as there are books of theirs in print, so there is one of his called, Merrie conceited Jests of George Peek, Gent. somefi?ne Student in Oxford; wherein is shewed the Course of his Life how he lived, zsfc, 4to. 1627. These jests, as they are called, might with more pro- priety be termed the tricks of a sharper. Peele died before the year 159S. Meres, in his JVit's Treasury, p. 286, says, "As Ana- " creon died by the pot, so George " Peele by the pox." Oldys says, he left behind him a wife and a daughter. He seems to have been a person of a very irregular life ; and Mr. Steevens, with great pro- bability, supposes that the charac- ter of George Pieboard, in The Puritan, was designed as a repre- sentative of George Peele. See a note on that comedy, p. 58/, as published by Mr. Mal6ne, Bvo. 1780. Pembroke, Countess of. See Herbert, Mary. PenNj John, is a grandson, we believe, of the memorable gover- nor of Pennsylvania, and has pub- lished one play, viz. The Battle of Eddington. Trag. 8vo. 1792; 1796, To the second edition are append- ed Letters on the Drama. Mr. Penn has also published a volume of Poetical Translations o o 3 566 PER PES and Miscellanies, containing many In 1771 liis Lordship published, odes aird sonnets from Petrarch. anonymously, in 4to. The Herviit PENNEcuiK,ALEXANBEK,wrote nf IVctrkworth, a Northumberland Cofydon and Cockrania. Past, bailad. 1723. PiiSTELL, Thomas, vicar of Penny, Anne, This lady's Packington, in Leicestershire, was first husband was Captain Hrgh author of a Latin play, called Christian, a gallant naval officer, FersipcUis. C. l631. N. P. who commanded the batteries at See Mr. Nichols's valuable i/fj/or^ Rhode Island when Count D'Es- of Leicestersldre. taing was repulsed. Her second This worthy old man (srsys Mr. husband also was in the navy, Nichols) appearuo have tested bit- and had the misfortune to lose one terly of the cup of affiict'on. From of his legs; in consideration of 1638 to lG40, we find him con- which he obtained a small pen- tinually employed in preaching be- n thus with life : " If I do lose thee, I do lose a thing " That none but tools would keep : a breath thou art " P H 1 terson in the market-place at Cof- Chester, who made bis demand, as he bad done many times before. The debtor, turning pee\ ishly from Iiim, said, '•' Hang it, I '11 pay you " to-day in some shape or other.'* Mr. Peterson good-humouredly re- joined, " I shall be much obliged "■ to you, Tom, to let it be as like *' tiro shi'lings as ijou can.'' He was interred at St. Edmond's Bury; and on his grave-stone ara the words of his iinal exit. A similar end was that of Mr, John Palmer, ofDrury Lane The- atre. On the 2d of August 179S, while performing in the play of The Stranger at the Liverpool the- atre, after uttering the line, " There is another and a better world," here he dropped into Mr. Moody's ^rms, and never spoke more ! He was in private life a gen- tlemanly, atfable, and good-na- tured man, and much beloved. The following anecdote exhibits him as a humourist : A brother co- median, who was in his books the capital sua:i of 'Is. was met by Pe- he fell on his back, heaved a con- vulsive sigh, and instantly expired. See also Zaka. It would seem that Mr. Moody had been a second time destined to receive the last breath of a fel- low-performer. According to Mr. Daviea (Life of Garrick , ch.xxxii.), Mrs. Jefferson, an actress, the most complete llgure, for beauty of countenance and symmetry of form, that he ever lieheld, while looking on a dance that was prac- tising at the Plymouth theatre, was seized, in the midst of a hearty laugh, with a sudden pain, and expired in the arms of Mr, Moody, who happened to stand by, and saved her from falling oa the ground. Mr. Peterson wrote one drama, entitled The Raree Show ; or. The For trapt. O. 8vo. 1739. Printed at York. Philips, Ambrose, was de^^ scended from a very ancient and considerable family of that name in Leicestershire. He was horii 004 568 P H I ab«ut the year 167I, and received his education at St. Joian's College, Cambridge. From the manner in which IV'Jr. Pope mentions him, in the treatise on the Bathos, as a zealous Protestant deacon, he seems to have been inte:;ded for the church, and to have ir.ken the first orders iherein. Daring his itay at the university he wrote his Pastorals, which acquired him at the time a high reputation, con- cerning the merits of which the critical world has since been much divided. He also, in 1/00, pub- lished a life of John Williams, h-rd keeper of the great seal, Bishop of Lincoln, and Archbishop of York, in the reigns of King James and Charles 1. in which are related some remarkable occurrences in those times, both in church and slate ; with an appendix, giving an account of his benefactions to St. John's College. This work Cibber seems to imagine Mr. Phi- lips made use of, the better to di- vulge his own political principles ; which, in the course of it, he had a free opportunity of doing ; as the Archbishop, who is the hero of his work, was a strong opponent to the high church measures. When he quitted the university, and came to London, he became a constant attendant at, and one of the wits of. Button's coffee-house, where he obtained the friendship and intituacy of many of the cele- brated geniuses of that age, more particularly of Sir Richard Steele, who, in the first volume of his Taller, has inserted a little poem of Mr. Philips's, which he calls a Winter Piece, dated from Copen- hagen, and addressed to the Earl of Dorset, on which he bestows the highest encomiums ; and, indeed, so m'lch justice is there in these his commendations, that even Mr. P H I Pope himself, who, for reasons that we sliall presently mention, had a fixed aversion for the author, while he affected to despise his other works, used ahvays to except this from the number. The first dis- like Mr. Pope conceived against Mr. Philips, proceeded from that jealousy of fame which was so con- spicuous in the character of that great poet ; for Sir Richard Steele, who, as we have before observed, was an admirer of Phihps, had taken so strong a liking to the pastorals of the latter, as to have formed a design for a critical com- parison of them with those of Pope, in the conclusion of which the pre- ference was to have been given to Philips. This design, however, coming to Mr. Pope's knowledge, that gentleman, who could not bear a rival near the throne, deter- mined to ward off the stroke by a stratagem of the most artful kind, which was no other than taking the same task on himself, and, in a paper in The Guardian, by draw- ing the like comparison, and giv- ing a like preference, but on prin- ciples of criticism apparently falla- cious, to point out the absurdity of such a judgment. However, not- withstanding the ridicule that was drawn on hitn in consequence of his appearing as it were in compe- tition with so powerful an antago- nist, we cannot help giving it as our opinion, that there are, in some parts of Philips';; pastorals, certain strokes of nature, and a degree of simplicity, that are much better suited to the purposes of pastoral. than the u'ore correctly' turned periods of Mr. Pope's versification. Mr. Piiilips and Mr. Pope being of different political principles., was anoiher cause of enmity be- tween them, which arose at length to so great a height, that the for- 569 PHI mer, finding his antagonist too hard for him at the vveapon of wit, had even determined on making use of a rougher kind of argument, for which purpose he went so far as to hang U[) a rod at Button's for the chastisement of his adver- sary whenever he should come thi- ther ; which, however, Mr. Pope declining to do, avoided the argii- merilufii lacidinum, in which he would, no doubt, have found him- self on the weakest side of the question. Besides Mr. Pope, there v/ere some other wTiters who have writ- ten in burlesque of Mr. Philips's poetry, which was singular in its manner, and not difficult to imitate, particularly Mr, Henrv Carey, who, by some lines in Phiiips's style, and which were for a time thought to be Dean Swift's, fixed on that author the name of Namby Pam- by ; and Isaac Hawkins Browne, Esq. in his poem called A Pipe of Tobacco, which, however, is writ- ten with great good humour, and, though intended to burkscjuc, is by no means designed to ridicule Mr, Philips, he having taken the very same liberty with Swift, Pope, Thomson, Young, and Cibber. As a dramatic writer, our author has certainly considerable merit. All his pieces of that kind met with success ; and one of them is still a standard of entertninraont at the theatres. The titles of them a]l, being three in number, are, 1. Distrest Mother. T. 4to. 17J2. 2. The Briton. T. Svo. 1722. 3. Humphreij Duke of Gloucester. T. Svo. 1/23. Mr. Philips's circumstances were in general, through his life, not only easy, but rather affluent, in consequence of his being conncct- P H I ed, by his political principles, with persons of great rank and conse- quence. He was concerned with Dr. Hugh Boulter, afterwardsArch- bishop of Armagh, the Right Ho- nourable Richard West, Esq. lord- chancellor of Ireland, the Rev. Mr. Gilbert Burnet, and the Rev. Mr. Henry Stevens, in writing a series of papers called The Free-Thinker, which were all published together by Mr. Philips, in three volumes in octavo. In the latter part of Queen Anne's reign, he was se- cretary to the Hanover clubj a set of noblemen and gentlemen, who had formed an association in ho- nour of that succession, and for the support of its interests, and who used particularly to distinguish in their toasts such of the fair-sex as were most zealously attached to the illustrious House of Brunswick. In honour of wiiich ladies our bard wrote the following lines : " While thfse, the chosen beauties of our isle, " Propitious on the cause of freedom smile4 *' The rash Pretender's hopes we may desj)ise, " And trust Britannia's safety to their fjes," Mr, Philips's station in this club, together with the zealsliown in his writings, recommending him to the notice and favour of the new go- vernment, he was, soon after the accession of King George I. put into the commission of the peace j and, in 1717j appointed one of the commissioners of the lottery: and, on his friend Dr. Boulter's being made primate of Ireland, he ac- companied that prelate across St. George's Channel, where he had considerable preferments bestowed on him, and was elected a member of the House of Commons there, 57b V H 1 as representative for the county of Armagh. In Sept. 1/34 he was appointed register of the Preroga- tive Court in Dublin. At length, having purchased an annuity for life of four hundred pounds, he came over to Eng- land some time in the year 17^8, but did not long enjoy his for- tune, being struck with a palsy, of which he died June 18, 17-^9, in his seventy-eighth year, at his lodgings near Vauxhail. " Of his personal character (says *' Dr. Johnson) all I liave heard " is, that he was eminent for " bravery and skill in the sword, *' and that in conversation he was " solem.n and pompous." He is somewhere called Quaker Philips, but, however, appears to have been a man of integrity ; for the iate Paul Whitehead relates that, when Mr. Addison was Secretary of State, Philips applied to him for some preferment, but was coolly answered, that it wasthoughl that he was already provided for by being made a justice for West- minster. To this observation our author, with soine indignation, re- plied, " Thougli poetry was a " trade he could not live by, yet *•' he scorned to owe subsistence to " another which he ought not to *' live by." Philips, John. This name is put to the-iJiree following pieces, none of which were ever acted. The first two of them, howe'tcr, being written entirely on party subjects, and at a time when every rict of zeal shown for the interest of the House of Hanover, which Avas as yet not so firmly establish- ed in the hearts of the people as it has since most happily and rtiost deservedly been, met with a generous and kind return. Mr. Chetwood has intbrmed us, that P H I the author received a handsomft present from the Government in consideration of them. The com- piler of Whincop's catalogue seems to surmise, that this name of Phi- lips was not a real, but only an assumed one ; and Curll, in an ad- vertisement to the play of The Maid 's the Mistress, ascribes them to Dr. Sewell. But on what ground this supposition and assertion are built, does not appear, nor can a reason easily be suggested, why an author, who only wrote in con- tempt of an unjustifiable rebellion, and in ridicule of the professed or detected enemies of a just and an amiable monarch, should either be afraid or ashamed of as openly de- claring his name as his opinions. Be this as it may, the titles of the pieces, published under his name, are as follow : 1 . Earl of Mar marr'd. F. 1715, 1716. 2. PrelL'fide/s Flight. F. 1/1(3. 3. Inf/!/isidon. F. Bvo. 1717' Philips, KAXHEiiiNE, was the daughter of Mr. Fowler, a mer- chant of London, and was born Jan. 1, 163 1. She was educated at a boarding-school in Hackney, where she very early distinguished herself f(;r her skill in poetry. She was married, while very young, to James Philips, of Cardigan, Esq. and after>Aards went with the Viscountess of Duncannon inrr> Ireland. This amiable hdy died r)f the small-pox. in London, June 22, Id'dA, to the regret of all who knew herj and, among many others, the great Cowley, who ex- pressed his respect for her nie- morv, by an elegant ode upon her death. Her works were printed in Svo. I0"(i4, in folio, under the title of, " Poems by the most de- " serve where he be- came a great favourite. After a short absence, he resumed his si- tuation at Covent Garden, which, till lSOl-2, he retained, with credit to himself, and advantage to the theatre. The cause of his dis- mission was unknown 5 but he soon after procured, upon applicirtion to the managers of Drury Lane, an engagement for himself and wife. His figure is good, his voice pow- erful, and his delivery full of ani- mation and feeling ; but his coun- tenance wants expression, and his deportment grace and dignity. He was one of the performers who complained of the manager's new regulations. See Holman. He is not, however, on the stage at the time of this article being writ- ten. Mr. Pope altered, for his own benefit. Miss Plumptre's transla- tion of The Count of Burgundy. Trag. 1799. N.P. Pope, Miss, a very eminent comic actress, above 40 years at Drury Lane theatre, but now re- tired from the stage with an unble- mished character and easy fortune, formed an afterpiece out of the comedy of Tlic Discovery, called The Young Cvupy. F. J7&7. N.P. 76 P O R Popple, William. This gen- tleman was for many A^ears go- vernor of Bermudas, to which post he was appointed in the year 1/45. He had before been in the Cof- ferer's office, and, in June I737, was made solicitor and clerk of the reports to the commissioners for trade and plantations. He died the Sth of February 1/64, having written, 1. The Lady's Revenge; or. The Rover reclalwcd. C. 8vo. 1734. 2. The Double Deceit ; ox, A Cure for Jealousy. C. 8vo. 1736. There are also several pieces in verse, written by this gentleman, in a Collection of Miscellaneous Poems, published by Richard Sa- vage, in Svo. 1726. He was like- wise concerned in some periodical papers J particularly The Prompter ; in which he was jointly connected wnlh the celebrated Aaron Hill. Mr. Popple also published a trans- lation of Horace's Art of Poetry, 4to. 1753. PoRDAGE, Samuel, a writer in the reign of King Charles IL He was son of the Rev. Mr. John Pordage, rector of Eradfield, in Berkshire, and formerly head stew- ard of the lands to Philip, the second Earl of Pembroke. He was probably born at Bradfield; where he received his education we are unable to trace, but find him men- tioned by Wood as a member of the honourable society of Lincoln's Inn. Besides an edition with cuts (published after the author's death) of Reynolds's God's Revenge against Murder and Adultery, he has fa- voured the world, of his own pro- ducts, with a romance, entitled Eliana, two plays of original com- position, and a translation of a third. The titled of the said dra- matic pieces are, 1. Troudes. T. 12mo. I66O. PO R 2. Herod and Mariamne.T. 4[o. 1673. 3. Siege of Bahylon. T. C.4to. 1678. PoRRET, Robert, is author of Clarissa. T. Svo. 17S8. Portal, Abraham, was the son of a clergyman, and for some time carried on the business of a goldsmith and jeweller on Ludgate Hill. Failing in this, he com- menced bookseller in the Strand, in which he was not more success- ful. He finished his career as a Box-keeper atDrury LaneTheatre, but we cannot learn the time of his death ; having written, 1. OUndo and Sophronia. T. 8vo. 1753. 2. The Indiscreet Lover, C. Svo. 17G8. 3. The Cady of Bagdad. C. O. J77S. The Songs only printed. 4. For timer. T. Svo. I796. Porter, Miss Anna Maria, besides some good poems and no- vels, is author of The Fair Fugitives. M. E. 1803. N. P. Porter, Henry, author of a dramatic piece which made its appearance in the latter part of Queen Elizabeth's reign, entitled The Two angry Women ofAlhig- ton. Hist. 4to. 1599. Wood fAthen. Oxon. vol. i. p./Sl.) mentions a Mr. Henry Porter, of Christ Church College, in the uni- versity of Oxford, and bachelor of music, who, he tells us, was fa- ther to Mr. Walter Porter, some time gentleman of th6 royal cha- pel, and master of the choristers at Westminster, in the reign of King Charles I. And, although Wood does not mention that gentleman as a writer, yet, as the date of his degree, which was in July 16OO, is but one year subsequent to that of the above-iwenlioaed play;, we ^1f POT think it no very far fetched con** jecture that he might be the authot of it. ToHenry Porter also areascribcd. Love [jr evented. P. I59S. N.F, The Spencers. P, 1598. N. P. The Two merry Women of Alington, P. 159S. N.P. Pouter, Stephen, translated Lovers' Fotus. P. Svo. 1/98. PoRTEP-, Thomas, a major in the army In the reigns of Kings Charles I. and II. was the avowed author of two dramatic pieces, entitled 1. The Villain. T. 4to. 1663. 2. Carnival. C. 4to. l664. With respect to a conjecture of his having written more in the drama* tic way, sec p. 500, under the ini- tials P. T. Porter, Walsh, a gentleman of con.iiderable celebrity in tha fashionable and literary world, publislied Traveh thro2igh Russia, and wrote the following dram.atic pieces : 1. The Chimney Corner. M.Ej 1797. N. P. 2. Voluntary Contrihulions. Occ, Int. 179s. N. P. He was found dead in his bed. May 9, I8O9, at Dawlish Villa, near Bath, supposed by the burst* ing of an ab-cess on his liver. Pott, Joseps Holden, pte- bendary of Lincoln, archdeacon oC St. Alban's, and formerly of St, John's College, Cambridge, is a son of the late eminent surgeon, Mr. Percival Pott. He has writ- ten several Sermons and Charges to the Clergy : and published, in Svo. 1/82, a volume of Elegies, with Seimane. Trag. Potter, Heney. Of this au- thor we know no particulars. H» wrote one piece, c;dled The Decoy. O. Svo. 1733. Potteh, Jo^n, M.3, was a soa p i 575 POT of a branch of the late Archbishop Potter's family : his father was author of A System of Mathema- tics, published many years since, in octavo ; The Authority of the Old and New 7'estament, &c. &c. This son was born in London, about 1734; for so early as the year 1/54. he published some poems, in one of which it was as- serted that the writer was only twenty years of age. Having re- ceived the best classical education, he studied mathematic; and physic principally with his father, and afterwards made some progress in the science of music. About the year 1/56 he settled in the west of England, in a situation by no weans suited to one whose mind was perpetually engaged in a va- riety of pursuits. Here he pri- vatel}' continued the study of phy- sic, aiid established a periodical paper, printed weekly at Exeter, entitled The Devonshire Inspector ; in which, though so yo-jng a man, he discovered much genius and solidity of understanding. In 1762 he left Devonshire, re- turned to London, and for a time read the music lecture at Gresham College. Soon after this, his en- terprising genius introduced him to the acquaintance of Mr. Gar- rick 3 and he occasionally con- nected himself with the theatre, by writing several good prologues end epilogues ; having also a con- siderable hand in the pantomime of The Rites of Hecate ; or, Har- hquin from the Mooji ; and the ii;asque of Hymen, written on tlie •marriage of the Princess Au- gusta with the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, raid jointly set to music by himself and Mr. Arne. His connexion with Mr. Garrick : brought him acquainted with tfee late proprietor of Vauxbali POT Gardens; and he enlisted under his banner, to assist that gentle- man in the management of thos» Elysian scenes, which he con- tinued to do for Mr. Tyers during his life, and many years afterwards for the family of Mr. Tyers, during which he wrote several hundred songs, ballads, cantatas, &c. ; but a difterence happening between him and them about the year I777, he resigned and retired. At different intervals between those periods, for relief from % strict application to the duties of his station, his playful genius painted with comic humour the real scenes of life, under the titles of Arthur 0' Bradley, The Curate of Coventry, The Virtuous Vil- lagers, The Favourites of Felicity^ and Frederic ; all novels. About the year 1768 he pub- lished a critique on the dramatic performances at both houses, in a newspaper, which was afterwards collected and printed in two vo- lumes, under the title of Tht Theatrical Review, said to have been written by a society of gen- tlemen, but in reality the sols work of our author. But, whil« he soared on the pinions of genius, his sedulous industry did not dis- dain to stoop to more laborious efforts, where utility bears the palm from novelty, and accuracy super- sedes the splendid excursions of the imagination. Of this, his cor- rections and additions to The Ge- ?ieral Gazetteer of Salmon, Ogilvy'g Book of Roads, the copious and ela- borate indexes to Dryden's Trans- lation of Virgil's Works, Sec. &c. are proofs in general circulation. From what cause we know not, but soon after his resignation of the appointment at Vauxhall, his circumstances suffered an unfortu- nate revolution, when he lelt Eng- 579 POT land and went to the continent, where he was not innttentive to the interests of his country, in communicating what intelli:;ence he could procure for the service of Government; and at Leyden, or Lovain, he renewed his medical stuiJies, and took a degree in phy- sic. From this time, it is said that he devoted himself entirely to the practice of physic, and the study of polite literature. To his pul)lications mentioned already may be added, liis Olser- vations on Music and Musicians, published in 8vo, iu I7G2, which were extracted from his Music Lectures, read at Gresham College, in that year ; The Hohhy Horse, a characteristical satire on the times, in Hudibrastic verse, published in 4to. ; a weekly pap^- in The Led- ger, entitled The Humourist, but we do not recollect how long it was continued. About the year 176s he published The I fords of the IVise, a little book in 12mo. consisting of moral subjects, di- gested into chapters, under differ- ent heads, in the manner of The Economy of Human Life. In I768 he produced The Festivous Notes on Don Quixote, printed in one volume 12mo. This work had been published by one Edmund Gay ton, Esq. as early as the year 1654, the language of which was almost obsolete, and many parts of it too indecent for the virtue of the present age. Mr. Potter's task was to revise this work, modernize the language, cleanse the Augean stable, and adapt the notes to the texts in the late translations of Cervantes, to which he added many notes, applicable to modern times and manners, and affixed a copious index, not in the original work. He was also author ( 1 7 80) qfa burlesque satire against a cer- P O T tain Mus. Doct. entitled Music in Mourning; or. Fiddlestick in the' Suds ; and of The Choice of Apollo. Ser. 4to 1 7Q5. Potter, Robert, was of Ema- nuel College, Cambridge, B. A. 1/41, M. A. 178S, and preben- dary of Norwich. His first pre- ferment was the vicarage of Seam- ing, Norfolk. He was a character of the higiiest distinction as a clas- sical scholar. The literary world is most intrinsically indebted to him for excellent poetical versions of the three Greek tragedians. He pubhshed, 1774, an 8vo. volume of poems, most of whicli had be- fore appeared separately, many very pretty compositions,' particu- larly a beautiful farewell hymn to the country, in imitation of Spen- ser. Three years after . this, his translation of ^Eschylus made its appearance in a 4to. volume, and has since been reprinted, with the addition of notes, in two volumes 8vo. Of the excellence of this translation, it is hardly possible to say too much ; many of the parts are so exquisitely beanriful as to leave us in doubt whether any poet could have accomplished the task with greater success, fn 1/81 he pubhshed the first volume or his translation oi Euripides, in 4io, . and, the following year, the se- cond; and, 1788, that of Sopho- cles, in the same size. These last- mentioned versions are, on the whole, inferior to his first produc- tion, yet they are each of them ex- cellent performances, and even su- perior to those of Mr. Wodhull and Dr. Francklin. Besides these very laborious works, Mr. P. ]>ublish- ed, in 4to 1783, Jn Lupdry into some Passages in Dr. Johnson's Lives of the Poets; and, in 1785, in 4to. a translation of TAe Oracle r F 2 880 POT toncerning Bahylon, and the Song cf Exultation, from Isaiah, chap. 3[iii. and xiv. ; A Sermon on the Thanksgiving Jfor the Peace, 1802. By his death the republic of letters has lost one of its best and most unassuming ornaments. His man- ners were simple, and his life ex- emplary. He was a scholar of the «ld school ; and nothing tempted Lim to relinquish divine and polite literature. It was not till after he Lad completed his last translation. ? G W Euripides and Sophocles ; for list* of whose plays, see Wodhull and Fkancklin, respectively, iu this volume. PoTTING^R,IsRABL,^yasbrought up to the trade of bookselling, and served his apprenticeship to Mr. Worral. He for some time kept a shop in Paternoster Row, wher« he projected a variety of periodical publications; many of which prov- ing unsuccessful, he was under the necessity of relinquishing that that of Sophocles, that Mr. Potter branch of his business, and opened .obtained any preferment in the a circulating library near Great church higher than that of vicar cf Turnstile. This also not succeed- Lowestofr. He had been a school- fellow of Lord Thurlow, and had constantly sent his publications to that great man, without ever solicit- ing a single favour from him. On receiving a copy of the Sophocles, however, his Lordship wrote a short note to Mr, Potter, acknow- ledging the receipt of his books from time to time, and the pleasure they had afl'orded him, and re- ing, he delivered Stevens's Lecturt on Heads, at Islington ; and after- wards derived his principal support from bis pen, in which he unhap- pily met with occasional interrup- tions from a disorder iu his mind. He has published, 1. The Methodist. C, Svo. N.D. [1761.] 2. The Humorous Quarrel-, or. The Battle of the Greubeanls. F. guested Mr. Potter's acceptance of Svo. N.D. [1761.] a prebendal stall in the cathedral The following also has been ascrib- cf Norwich, which, with his vi- carage, rendered him comfortable for the remainder of a life devoted to those pursuits which best be- come a profound scholar and a true Christian. He was found dead in his bed, at Lowestoft, aged 83, August p, 1S04. His translation of JEschylus conldins the following plays, viz. 1 . Prometheus chain' d, 7: The Supplicants. 3. The Seven Chiefs cgcrlmt Thebes. 4. S. 6. 7- Svo. yigamemnon. The Choephorce. The Furies. The Persians. 17/9. 4to. 17-75 He also published, as we have ed to him 3. The Duenna. Com. Op. Svo. 1776. PowBLL, Geokgb, was both an author and actor. His father, says Giidon, was an ancient player, who was then (169S) lately dead. His abilities as a performer, were, much .superior to those which h» possessed as a writer. When it is considered that he was esteemed at one period of his life a rival to Betterton, his excellence on iho stage will scarcely be disputed. The irregularities of his lite fre- quently disabled him from exert- ing the talents which he was al- lowed to possess; and his negli- gence permitted a rivisl to obtain a Kuperiority over him, which in ueutioned s.]iO\e, tr^Riktiou^ cf the «nd attached him so strong)/ ^t TOW to the bottle, (hat he lost the favour of the public, and died some time in the year 1714. He was buried in the vault of St. Clement Dane?. His character as a performer ■will be clearly seen, by the follow- ing account of the respective me- rits of Wilks and himself, ex- tracted from the Apolo^v for the Life of Colley Cither: "'"■'Though " in voice and ear nature had been " more kind to Powell, yet he so " often lost the value of them by *' an unheedful confidence, that " the constant wakeful care and *' decency of Wilks left the other *' far behind in the public esteem " and approbation. Nor was his '' memiorj' less tenacious than that " of Wilks ; but Powell put too " iimch trust in it, and idly de- "■ ferred the studying his parts, as *•■ school-boys do their exercise, to " the last day ; which commonly " brings them out proportionably "■defective. But Wilks never lost *' an hour of precious time, and " was, in all his parts, perfect, to " such an exHCiitude, that I ques- *' tion, if in forty years he ever " five times changed or misplaced " an article in any one of them. ** To be master of this uncom- " nion diligence, is adding to the " gift of nature, all that is in an " actor's pov.'er ; and this duty of " studying perfect, whatever actor *' is remiss in, he will propor- *' tiotially find, that nature may " have been kind to him in vain ; *' for though Powell had an as- " surance that covered this neg- *' lect much better than a man of " more m.odesty might have done, " yet with ail his intrepidity very " often the ditFidence and concern "■' for what he was to say made " him lose the look of what he " was to be. '* But besides this indispensable P O W "■ quality of diligence, Wilks had " the advantage of a sober cha- " racter in private life, which " Powell not having the least re- " gard to, laboured under the un- " happy disfavour, not to say con- " tempt, of the public, to whom *' his licentious courses were no " secret : even when he did well, *' that natural prejudice pursued " him ; neither the hero nor th» " gentleman, the young Ammoa " nor the Dorimant, could conceal " from the conscious spectator the " true George Fouell." An instance of Powell's intern-* perance is recorded in the prefac» to The Relapse of Sir John Van- brugh. The characters which ho performed with the most applausa were Alexander *, and the heroes of Dryden's wildest tragedies ; h© was not, however, unsuccessful ia the representation of comic scenes* having, as Gibber observes, no in* considerable portion of humour. He wrote, 1. Alphonso, King of Naples, T. 4to. 1691. 2. A very good Wife. C. 4to. 1693. 3. The Treacherous Brothers. T. 4to. 1696, 4. The Impostor defeated; or, A Trick to cheat the Devil. 4to. 1698, Besides these, he was the pub- lisher of the following perform- ances : 1. The Cornish Coinedi/. 4to< 1696. 2. Bofidiica ; or. The British Heroine. T. 4 to. 169G. 3. A New Opera called Brutus of Alba; or, Augusta's. Triumph, 4to. i6g7. * Powell, James, is author of, 1. The Narcotic. F. 8vo. N. D, [1/87.] * Spectator, No. 31.40. T%tl5.r| No. ji. 582 ? R A 2. Private Theatricals. F. 8vo. N.D. [173/ .] Powell, James, The follow- ing play has tx en published by a person of this name: T/ie Venetian Outlaw his Corni- iry's Frieiid. Dr. 8vo. 1S05. But whether he is the same as mentioned in the preceding article, we know not. Powell, Martin. The name of this person is very familiar to the English reader, from the fre- quent mention of it in The Spec- tator, He was the master of a ce- lebrated puppet-show, and is said, in the title-page of the following piece, to be the author of it : Venus and Adonis ; or. The Triumphs of Love. Mock Opera. 8vo. 1713. Pratt, S. J. This is a living author, long known under the assumed names of Courtney Melmoth. We are informed, that he is a native of St. Ives, in Huntingdonshire, r.nd was born on Christmas Day, ] 749-50. We are told, that he was brought up to the church, but threw off the gown to attempt the stage, and, assuming the name of Melmoth, performed the characters of Phi- laster and Hamlet at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, in 1774> but with little or no success. After his failure in this attempt, he suL'>iHted for some time chiefly by writing. He then became a bookseller at Bath ; in which city, and at other places, he occasionally delivered lectures on the English langunge. As an au- thor, he assumed the name of Courtney; and both his assumed names have frequoptlybeen united. He has produced numerous works, both in poetry and pro.se, possess- ing considerable merit and popu- larity j but our limits will not ad- P R E mit, and the- plan of our work xloes not require, our giving a list of any but his dramatic produc- tions, whic!) are as follow : 1 . Joseph Andreivs. F. 1 778. N.P. 2. The Fair Circassian. T. 8vo. 1780. 3. School for Vuniti/. C. 6vo. 1735. 4. New Cosmetic. C. 8vo. I79O. 5. Fire and Frost. C. O. 8vo. 1805. 6. Hail Fellow, well met. D. 8vo. 1805. 7. Love's Trials. C. O. 8vo. 1805. 8. The Mine. Dr. Bal. N. P. 9. The Saxon Piincess. Trag, N.P. 10. The Vale of Petrarch. Dr. Poem. N. P. Preston, Mr. an itinerant ac- tor, who published in Dublin one piece, called The Rival Father. F. 8vo. 1/54. Preston, Thomas, LL. D. flourished in the earlier part of Queen Elizabeth's reign, was first m.^ster of tirts and fellow of King's College, Cambridge, and after- wards created a doctor of civil law, and master of Trinity Hall in tlie same university. In the year 15(34, when Queen Elizabeth was entertained at Cambridge, this gentleman acted so admirably well in the tragedy of Dido, a Latin play, con: posed by John Bitwise, one of the fellows of King's Col- lege, and did moreover so genteelly and gracefully di-pute before Her Majesty, that, as a testimonial of her approbation, she bestowed a pension of twenty pounds per an- num upon him J a circumstance which Mr. Steevens supposes to have been ridiculed by Shakspeare in the Midsummer Night's Dream , at the conclusion of act the iburth. On the 6ih of Sept, 1506, when PRE the Oxonian Muses, in their turn, were honoured with a visit from their royal mistress, our author, with eight more Cantabrigians, were incorporated masters of arts in the university of Oxford, Mr. Preston wrote (about 1561) a dramatic piece, in the old metre, entitled A Lamentable Tragedy, mixed ful of pleasant Mir lit, co7iteyning the Life of Camhises King ofPercia, from the Beginning of his King- dome unto his Death, his one good Deed of Execution after the many wicked Deeds and tirannous Mur- ders committed by and through him, and, last of all, his odious Death by God's Justice appointed, doon on suck order asfolloweth." B.L. 4to. N.D. This performance, Langbaine imagines, Shakspeare meant to ri- dicule, when, in his play of Henry IF. Part I. act II. he makes FalstafF talk of speaking in King Cavibyses" vein. In proof of which conjecture he has given his readers. a quotation from the beginning of the play, being a speech of King Cambyses himself, which, on the same account that he quoted it, and also as being a good specimen of the manner of writing of many authors at that period of time, we shall take the liberty of transcrib- ing. The words are as follow : My counsaile grave and sapienr. With lords of legal train ; Attentive eares towards us bend, And mark what shall be sain. So you, likewise, my valiant knight. Whose manly act? doch fly ; By brute of tame the sounding trump Dooth perse the azure sky. My sapient woords, I say, perpend. And so your skil delate : You knowe that Mors vanquished hath Cirus, tha* Icing of state ; And I, by due inheritance. Possess that princely crown; Ruling, by sward of migiity force. In place of great renown. 5SS P R I Pkeston, William, a barris- ter at law, and one of the com- missioners of appeals, in Dublin, gave the world, in 1793, tv/o 8vo. volumes of his poetical works. He also published a letter to Bryan Edwards, Esq, containing obser- vations on some passages of his History of the IFest Indies; and died in Dublin, February 2, ISO/. He was author of the following dramatic pieces ; three of which are printed in the second volume of the above-mentioned collection of his poems : 1 . OJ'a and Ethelhert. T. 8vo» l79iri7P3. 2. Messene Freed. T. 8vo, 1793. 3. Rosmunda. T. 8vo. 1793. 4. Democratic Rage. T. 8vo. 1793. 5. The Adopted Son. T. 6. Siege oflsrnaeL T. Prkstwich, Edmuno, a wri- ter of King Charles 1,'s reign, who was author of one dramatic piece, entitled HippoUtus. Trag, 12mo, 1051, By some writers he is said to have been author of The Hectors. T. l650. Price, John, the author of An Historical and Topographical Ac- count of Leominster and its Vici- nity, 1 yQ5 ; and of An Historical Account of the City of Hereford^ 1 jgQ ; wrote also The Seaman's Return. Op. F. 8vo. 1795 Pritchard, Mr. This name appears to one piece, called The Fall of Phaeton. 8vo. 1736. The author is only said to be the inventor in the title-page ; but whether this term is confined to the pantomime intermixed with it, entitled Harlequin Restored; or, Tastg A-la-Mode\ or is to be extended to the whole 9 9 4, 5U P Y E f^erformance, does not seem quite certain. Peoby, the Right Hon. John Joshua, Earl of Cakysfort, K. P. born August 12, 1/51, is Joint Guardian of the Rolls in Ireland, and brother-in-law to the IMarquis of Buckingham and Lord Granville. In the year 1/80 his I,ordship published yi Letter to the HunLwgdonsh'ire CovDvittee, in- tended to show the legality, as Well as necessity, of extending the right of election to the whole body of the people, and of abridging the duration of P.irliament. About three years afterward he wrote thoughts on the Constiiuiion, with e view to the proposed reform in the representation of the people, end duration of Parliaments. On the 24th of May 1800, he was appointed Ambassador to the Court of Berlin ; and in 1801, to that of 6t. Petersburg. In ISIO his Lordship published, in 2 vols. 8vo. the following dramatic pieces; 1. CabfS Grccchris. T. 2. Fall of Carthage. T, 3. Moiiimia. T. 4. Polyxena. T. Procter, W. T. is the au- thor of Joseph. S. D. 8vo. 1802. PaxTENHAM, George. This iuthor lived in the reign of Queen Elizabetii, and was one of the band of her gentlemen pensioners. He is also supposed to have been the writer of The Arte of English PoeAe, 4to. \5SQ ; in which he niejuions the following pieces as of his oun composition, though none of them have been published : 1 . Lusty London. Int. 2. The IFocff. jnt. 3. Glnecocraiia, C. Pye, Henry James. This gen- tleman is descended from one of tlig most ancient and respectable PYE families in Berkshire. His fathef was representative of the county in Parliament. Our author was born, we believe, at Faringdon. He afterwards went to Magdalen College, Oxford, and was created M. A. July 3, 1/66. The first piece, we can discover, by him, is^n Ode on the Prince of IVales" s Birth, printed in the Oxford Collection. In 1/66 he published Beauty, a. poetical essay ; and this was fol- lowed by Faringdon Hill, in 17/4} Odes of Pindar, omitted by Mr. West, 1775 : The Art of War, trans- lated from the French of the King of Prussia, I77S ; The Progress of Refinement, 17S3; Aristotle s Poe- tic, translated, with a Commen- tary ; and two volum.es of poetry, 178/, including several of the be- fore-mentioned pieces. We must also 3dd,^//>t'(/,an epic poem, 1 802 ; and a translation of the Hynir.s and Epigrams of Homer, 1810. These works, many of which have great merit, and all of them are entitled to praise, will show that Mr. Pye has not lived an idle or useless life. In his poems he has displayed taste, fancy, and a polished versifi- cation, and all his writings are favourable to the great interests of virtue and public spirit. Mr. Pye represented Berkshire in Parlia- ment many years ; and was some time in the Berkslnre militia. On the death of Mr. Warton, in 17P0, he succeeded that gentleman as Poet Laureat. On the reform which took place in the West- minster magistracy, JN'Ir. Pye was appointed one of the commissioners of tlie Police, and is, we are in- formed, a diligent and useful ma- gistrate. As a dramatist we are indebted to him for the following pieces : 1. The Siege rf MeauT. 'jf, 8vo. 179^. ov* ? YE 5'. Jdelaide. T. 8vo. 1900. 3. Prior Claivi. C. 8vo. 1S05. (Assisted by Mr. S. J. Arnukl.) Pye, Mrs. wife of the just- luentioned gentleman, wrote PT E The Capricious Lachj, T. N. P. She was the sister of Lieutenant* colonel Hooke, and died Dec. 2 J?^ 1796. Q. a u A QtTARLEs, Francis, was son of James Quailes, Esq. clerk of the board of Green Cloth, and pur- veyor to Queen Elizabeth. He was bora in 1502, at Stewards, an ancient seat of the fLimily, near Romford, in Essex ; from whence he was first sent to Peter House, and afterwards to Christ Church College, Cambridge, for the com- pleting of his studies ; and, on his return to London, became a mem- ber of Lincoln's Inn. He was some time cup-bearer to the Queen of Bohemia, and chrono'oger to the city of London ; and went over to Ireland as secretary to that truly great prelate James Lusher, Arch- bishop of Armagh. Bijt the trou- bles in that kingdom forcing him from thence, he returned to his native country, where he died, on the 8th day of Sept. I(i44, setat. S2, and was buried in the parish- church of St. Vedast, Foster Lane. His works, both in verse and prose, are numerous and well known, particularly his Divine Emllems, v/hich has been a good copy to the old booksellers, and is to this day in great request with one sort of pious readers ; though, on account of the obsolete quaintness of style, which most of the v/riters of that age made use of, his works, with iljose pf many of his cpnt^roporj^- G U A ties once in high repute, are no'^ totally neglected, or at least held in but slight estimation. x\mong his other works was a piece, en- titled The Loyal Convert, for the writing of which he underwent a very severe prosecution, from the usurped authority then in being. *' It is the fate of many (sayj " Mr. Headley) to receive from " posterity that commendatioa "■ which, though deserved, they " missed o^ during their lives ; " others, on t'^e contrary, take "■ their full complement of praise *' from their contemporaries, and " gain nothing from their succes- " sors : a double payment is rarely " the lot of any one. In every " nation, few indeed are they who, " allied, as it were, to immorla- " lity, can boast of a reputation f sufficiently bulky and well- " founded to catch, and to detain, " the eye of each succeeding ge- " neration as it rises. The revo- " lutions of opinion, gradual im* " provements,andnew discoveries, ** will shake, if not demolish, the f fairest fabrics qf the human in- " tellect. Fame, like virtue, is '* seldom stationary ; if it ceases " to advance, it inevitably goes " backward j and speedy are the "■ steps of its receding when com* *' pared with those of its adya^^efc Bb6 QUA " Writers who do not belong to ^' the first class, yet are of distin- ** guibhed merit, should rest con- *' tented with the scanty praise of " the few for the present, and " trust with c'-.nfidence to poste- *' rity. He who writes well leaves " a yriv^cx, I; au * behind him : the " partial and veering gales of fa- *\ your, though silent perhaps for '' one century, are sure to rise in " gusts in the next. Truth, how- " ever tardy, is infallibly progres- *' sivc} and with her walks Jus- "■ tice. Let this console deserted " Genius ; those honours which, " through envy or accident, are *' withheld in one age, are sure to " be repaid, with interest, by Taste " and Gratitude in another. These <' reflections were more imme- " diately suggested by the memory *' of Quarles, which has been *' branded with more than com- «' mon abuse, and who seems <' often to have been censured •'' merely from the want of being "" read. If his poetry failed to *' gain him friends and readers, *' his piety should at least have se- '' cured him peace and good will. '■' He too often, no doubt, m.is- *' took tiie enthusiasm of devotion *■' for the inspiration of fancy. To " rrsiK the waters of Jordan and " Flelicon in the same cup was *' reserved for the hand of Milton ; " and for him, and him only, to <' find the bays of Mount Olivet *' equally verdant with those of " Parnassus. Yet, as the effusions ** of a real poetical mind, however ** thwarted by untowardness of *' subject, will be seldom render- " ed totally abortive, we And in " Quarles original imageiy, strik- " ing sentiment, fertility of ex- " pression, and happy combina- *^ tions J together with a compres- * Thucydidti. QUA " slon of style that merits the ob- " servation of the writers of verse. "■ Gross deficiencies of judgment, "■ and the infelicity of his subjects, ^' concurred in ruining him. Per- *■' haps no circumstance whatever "■ can give a more complete idea " of Quarles's degradation, than " a late edition of his Emhlems', " the following passage is extract- " ed from the preface : ' Mr. *' Francis Quarles, the author of " the Emblems that go under his " name, was a man of the most " exemplary piety, and had a deep " insight into the mysteries of our "■ holy religion. But, for all that, " the book itself is written in so "■ old a language, that many parts '' of it are scarce intelligible in the '' present age; many of his phrases " are so affected, that no person, " who has any taste for reading, "■ can peruse them with the least " degree of pleasure; many of his '' expressions are harsh, and sorae- " times whole lines are included " in a parenthesis, by which the '■'■ mind of the reader is diverted " from the principal object. His " Latin mottos under each cut can •' be of no service to an ordinary *' reader, because he cannot un- " derstand them. In order, there- " fore, to accommodate the public *' with an edition of Quarles's " Emlilems, properly modernized, " this work was undertaken.' Such " an exhibition of Quarles is chain- " ing Columbus to an oar, or " making John Duke of Marlbo- '' rough a train-band corporal. His " Enchiridion, Lond. l65S, con- '• sisting of select brief observa- *' tions, moral and political, de- *•' serves republication, together "■ with the best parts of his other ** works. Had this little piece been " written at Athens or at Rome, *' its author vs'ould have been 58f QUA '* classed with the wise men of his •' countiy. His suft'eiings, both *' in mind and estate, duri^ig the " civil wars, were considerable. *' Winstanley tells ns, he wtis •' plundered of his books and some •' rare mauu^cri^jts, which he in- " tended for the press. Mr. Wal- " pole and Mr. Granger have as- *' serted, that he had a pension " from Charles the First, though "they produce no authority: it " is not improbable, as the King " had tnste to discover merit, and " generosity to reward it. Wood, in *' mentioning a publication of Dr, " Burgess, which was abused by " an anonymous author, in a pam- *' phlet, called /I IVhit), and an- " swered by Quarles, styles our ** author ' an old puritanical poet, *' the sometimes darling of our •* plebeian judc^jments.' — Philips " says of his works, that ' they " have been ever, and still are, in " wonderful veneration among the " vulgar.' Theat. Poet. p. 45, '* edit. 1660. His death was la- *' mented, in a copy of Alcaicks, *' by J. Duport, Greek professor " to the university of Cam*^ .ge, " and one of the first writers of *' that tongue this country has " produced. See A Relation of the *' Life and Death of Mr. Frar ns ** Quarles, by Ursula Quarles. his ** Widow, to which these verses " are subjoined. See Lloyd's Meyn. I' p. 621 ; and Fuller's Worthies, " p. 335. " Langbaine, a great admirer of QUA his works, gives him this amiable charjiCter : " He was /^says he) a " poet that mixed religion and " fancy together ; and was very " careful in all his writings not to ■■' intrench upon good manners by " any scurrility in his works 3 or " any ways offending against his " duty to God, his neighbour, or " himself." In dramatic writing he only pro- duced one piece, to which even his zealous advocate Langbaine gives no higher commendation than styling it an innocent, inoffensive play. It is entitled The Virgin Widow. Com. 4to. 1649. Mr. Quarles had, by one wife, no less than eighteen children} one of whom, John, inheriting both his father's genius and his loyalty, received his education at Exeter College, Oxford ; and, in 1642, being then but eighteen years of age, bore arms within the garrison of O.xfnrd, for Kmg Charles I. in whose army 0 is said, he afterwards had a captain's commission. But, on the declen- sion of His Majesty's cause, he retired to London, where, in con- sequence of his attachment to the royal party, he wa«! reduced to write for a bare subsistence, and there continued in a poor and mean condition, till the great plague, which, raging in and about London, swept him' away, with many thousands more, in the fa- tal year 1665. S9i R. K A D I\. C. These initials are pre- fixed to a volume of poems, in vhich occurs the following Ora- torio : Ruth. 4to. 1769, In which volume also mention is made of another, called ylLsalom. N. P. R. J. See Shepherd's Holi- day. R.T. These initial letters stand in the title of one dramatic piece, entitled Tlie Extravagant Shepherd. Past. Com. 4to. lQ5i. There is no author who wrote about thai time who';e name would suit with these initials, excepting Thomas Rawlins, of whom here- after : yet, without some further concomitant circumstances, we cannot think ourselves authorized to father this play upon him. Radcliff, PiALPH, was de- scended from an ancient family of bis name in Cheshire, and received part of his education at Oxford, as Wood supposes at Brazen-Nose College, but it is ijucertain whether he took any degree. He afterwards Ix^.t his attention to the education oi youth, and obtained part of tlje Carmelites' house at Hitchin, in Hertfordshire, anno 153S, which, on the dissolution of the monas- teries, had become unoccupied. Here he opened a school, in which he had great success, soon grew rich, and was much respected in the neighbourhood. He formed one of the lower rooms into a stage for his scholars to act Latin and English comedies, in order that they might acquire confidence in public speaking. He lived se- veral years after 1553, a"d dipd R A L and was buried at Hitchin. It does not appear that any of his dramatic pieces were ever publish- ed, though he had many by him in the reign of King Edward VL which he often told his friends be would never publish until they had remained by him nine years. Th« names of them are as follow; 1. Dives and Lazarus. C. 2. Patient Griseld. C. 3. Friendship of "Pitus and Ge^ sipp'js. C. 4. Chaucer's Melilee. C. 5. Job's Affiictions. T. 6. The Burning of Sodom. T. 7. The Dflivery of Susannah. 1'. 8. The Burning of John Huss. T. 9. Jonas. T. 10. Fortitude of Judith. T. Ralph, James, one of the greatest political, though not one of the greatest poetical, writers of the present age. Of his family we can trace no particulars ; but it is said his descent was but mean, and that he solely raised himself from obscurity by his merit j a circun^stance which redounds more to his honour than would a long bead-roll of great ancestors, '* stuck " o'er with titles, and hung round f with strings." Mr. Ralph's first appearance la the world, before he became dis- tingui;?hed for his writings, was, as we are informed, in the cha- racter of a schoolmaster, at Phila- delpliia, in North America : which renjote situation pot suiting his active mind, he came io England, about the beginning of the reiga of George II. We have not learnt what was then the immediate ob- ject of his pursuit, but it was pro* babl^ sompthing m the public ftf« oSiJ HAL f cei dependent on the court ; for he soon became a frequenter of the levees, and attached to some great men, to whom his abilities recom- mended him. He did not, how- ever, at first make any figure in the poUtical world, but rather ap- plied himself to writing for the ftage, in which he was not very successful. He also produced some pieces of poetry, particularly iV^i,' A/, a poem, of which Mr. Pope thus takes notice in his Dunciad : " Silence, ye wolves I while Ralph to Cynthia howls, '* And makes night hideous ! Answer hiin, ye owls 1" This passage Mr. Pope has il- lustrated by a very abusive note, wherein Mr. Ralph's character is most unmercifully torn to pieces ; ■nhich severity, it seems, was oc- casioned by a piece attributed to our author, entitled Saivney, a poem, in which the sacred trium- virate. Dean Swift, Mr. Pope, aud Mr. Gay, were attacked. Tliis was high treason itself. Mr. Ralph was very falsely and injuriously re- presented in The Dunciad. ItAr. Pope says, he was so illiterate, that he did not even understand French : whereas it is very certain tiiat he was master of the French and La- tin languages, and noi altogether ignorant of the Italian ; and was, in truth, a ver/ ingeiiious prose- writer, although he did not suc- ceed as a poet. His Huiorij of Eiiglaiid, comraenci.ng at the Re- storation, is much esteemed, as were his political pamphlets, so r.e of which were looked upon as mas- terpieces. He WAS likewise con- cerned in writing essays in several periodical papers ; in wiijch he be- came so for.ijidable lo the ministry, tovva'ds the end of Sir Robert Wal- pole'o time, that it was deemed ex- pecjient to take him off by a pen- 2, R A L slon. He had great cxpectatiorr* from the late Prince of Wales, who frequently made use of Mr. Ralph's pen in the controversies in which it is well known that prince v,as engaged : but, by the death of his Royal Highness, all our author's views of preferment were entirely cut off. At the accession of Geo. HI. however, Mr. Ralph, though considerably advanced in years, be- gan to be again taken notice of, and his hopes were revived j but, alas ! the great circumventor of human expectations, death, put 3 final period to all his schemes, January 24, 1702, at his house in Chiswick5 after suffering a long and severe affliction from the gout j of which disorder also his only daughter, about eighteen, died ia a few weeks after hi.m. Plis dramatic v-^ritings are, 1 . Fashionable Lady ; or, Harh" quins Opera. 8vo. 1730. 2. Fall of the Earl of Essex. T. Svo. 1731. 3. Lanyer's Fea?t. F. Svo. 1714, 4. yhtrologer. C. Svo. 17-44. One of Mr. Ralph's last produc- tions had also some relation to the stage, and was esteemed a very excellent and very entertaining performance. It w^as entitled The Cass of Authors by Prcfcs- sion, &c. Among other great political cha- racters, Mr. Davies tells us fLfs of GarrickJ, Ralph " was fie- '' quently with Lord Melcombe j " but ic is paid, that a silly ir.is- " take of a donjestic had very near " caused a rupture between them. *' Tvly Lord gave orders to his ser- " vant to go to the historian, who " lived not far from his Lordship, *' at Isleworth, and take a card " with him for a dinner iuvitatioa "■ to Mr. Ralph and his wife : ihe " fellow mistook the word card 390 RAN " for cart, and set out with one *' full speed to bring them to his *' Lord's house. This supposed in- *' dignity offended the pride of *' Ralph, who, with great gravity, " sent back the messenger and his " carriage, with a long expostu- " latory letter. However, I can- " not vouch for the truth of this " story." Rawkins, William. To a per- son of this name are ascribed, 1. Mulmii'ius Dunwallow. P. 159s. N. P. 2. Hannibal and Sc'ipio. P. 16OO. N. P. 3. Scogan and Sktlto?i. P. 16OO. N. P. Ramsay, Allan, is said to have been a barber in Edinburgh. His taste in poetry, however, has justly raised him to a degree of fame that may in some me^isure be con- sidered as a recompense for the frowns of fortune. His songs are in some esteem ; as is also one of his dramatic pieces, which pos- sesses merit enough to have been suspected not to be his production. The names of them are as follow : 1. The Nuptials. M. 8vo. 1/23. 2. The Gentle Shepherd. Past. Com. 12mo. 1729. Our northern bard, who died in January 1758, was father to the ingenious Mr. Ramsay, a portrait- painter of the present age, and who has likewise distinguished himself by some tracts on various branches of polite literature, particularly The Investigator. Randall, John, was the au- thor of one trifling piece, called The Bisappointinent . B. O. 8vo. 1732. Raxdall, Thomas, To a per- «on of this name is ascribed The Prodigal Scholar. C. 166O. N. P. But see the next article. Randolph, Thomas. This va- R A N luable poet was a son of William Randolph, of Hamsey, near Lewes, in Sussex, Esq. steward to Edward LordZouch, byEhzabetb his wife, daughter of Thomas Smith, Esq. of Newnham, near Daventry, in Noiihampton .hire, at \vi ich placa our ciuihor was b irn, on the 15th of June 1605. lie received the early parts of his education at Westminster school ; from whence, being one of the King's scholars, he removed to Trinity College, in Cambridge, at the age of eighteen; in which college he obtained a fellowship, and afterwards com- menced master of arts, in which degree he was inct>rporated at Ox- ford. Very earlv in lite he gave proofs of ail amazing quickness of parts, and he was not only esteem- ed and admired by persons of ge- nius at the university, but likewise highly valued and beloved by se ray master, " who died of a distemper not un- " common in this island, a scold- " ing wife. A successor was im- " mediately called from that groat *' nursery of bum-brushcrs, Ap- " pleby school. With tills pre- " ceptor, after the first half year, ♦' I lived in perpetual un^^asiness, " on account of his notorious, not " to say viilanons, partiality to the *' vicar's nephew, between whom " and myself there v/as as great an " emulation as, perhaps, was ever " known in those great seminaries *' of literature, the schools of Eton " and Westminster. Under this " grammatical tyrant, learning be- " came the most insupportabl« " burden : . however, being wea- " ried out by the usage of tliis ••' rascally pedagogue, I broke *' Uirouj;h my slavery, and was put S05 REE *' to a school in my native town. " Here I began to recover my " small relisii of the clasrsics} but '*■ my brother unfortunately dying " before I had been four months " fixed in my new situation, I •■' was most barbarously torn from " school to supply the place of the *' deceased. All my Latin books " were immediately seized by the " order of the council, and inhu- " manly kept from me with as " much strictness as pen and ink " from a slate-prisoner: by which REE " and learning, had catight th« " comraon infection, auJ was " of opinion, that the know- " ledge of Snakspeare was alto- " gether unnecessary to a halter- " maker, Weii, what was to be '' done ? I was so charmed with " my cousin Shakspeare, that I '' could not forget him j and to ' " read him openly was downright " defiance to my mother and her " ministry. In {his exigence I " had recourse to a variety of " wiles, by which I secured to means my progress in that Ian- " myself the pleasure of perusinf " gnage hath been no further ser- " my.favourite authur without dis- " viceable to me than in teaching " covery^" " me to write tolerable grairsmar It v/ould be endless, Mr. Reed " in my mother.-tongue. This, adds, to give an a<;coant of all the " though it seemed to me an act contentions, embarrassments, and *' of great oppression, was no more uneasinesses, he underwent foe " than the elFect of sound policy 3 many years j all which were in- " for it was very sagely concluded, suiiicient to divert him from dra- '' that my love of learning would matic poetry, w.'iich through ewsry " naturally increase my aversion period of his life seems to have ** to business. However, under been the object of his pvirticular " these restraints I could not be regard. In I747 he made a visit *' easy} and, as Latin authors were to London, led to it most probabir " denied me, with my small al- by his affection for the drami. Iii " Iowa nee I purchased an odd, l/^O he married j and havino- a " crabbed, unfashionable book, desire to transplant himself to the *' called Paradise Lost, v/ritten by neighbourhood of the metropolis, *' a son of darkness, one John he, in the begi ming of 17 57, ac- " Milton. This author at first " was too hard for me, but by *' freqiient reading I began to un- *' derstand and relish him. After *' I h;id finished old Com.mon- " wealth. I hired, at the import- complished his design, and settled himself in Sun Tavern Fields, where he continued during the remainder of his life. Mr. Reed, at all times, had de- termined that his attention to his " ant sura of two-pence a week, trade should not be diverted by his " a queer, obsolete author, that theatrical amusements. In a pub *' you may perhaps have heard of, *' one Wiilian) Sbakspeare, a great **■ playwright; but unluckily, while " I was perusing the first volume, '* 1 was detected by a dissenting ** clergyman, who, was loved in ** our fiiiuily. This gentleman. lication of his, in 1/59, called A Sop in the Pan, he sivs, " I hate *' a lazy life, and must have my " hands or head employed. W;.ea " my kempea call.-, are brisk, I a,n " not, at home to the Mu ^nd very near the whole of the first impression "was so)ii on the day of publication. Mr. Richards has publislied Songs of tfie Alorlginal Bards of Britain, R I C 4to. 1/92; Modern France, a po- em, 4to. \7^o ; ^Muiilda, or The Dying Penitent, a poetical epistle, -Jto. 1795. We have also of this gentleman's production two plays, viz. 1. Emma. Dr. 12mo. 1804. 2. Odin. Dr. ]2mo. 1S04. RiCHAEDS, NaTHANAEL. Of this author we find nothing further on record than that he was of Caius College, Cambridge, where, in 1634, he took the degree of LL. B. and, about the beginning of the civil war, published one dramatic piece, entitled Messalina, the Roman Emperesse. T. ]2mo. 1640. Richardson, Elizabeth, the daughter of a tradesman in the city of London. She died of a consumption in the month of Oc- tober 1779> -^ ^'sw months after the appearance of her only play, called The Double Deception. C. 1779» N. P. RiCHARDSON,JosErH,wasborn, we believe, at Hexham, in North- umberland, about 1756. He en- tered at St. John's College, Cam- bridge, in the year 1774. Dr. Ferris, the present Dean of Battle, and Dr. Peerce, now Dean of Ely, were his tutors at the university. Under the superintcndance of these tv/o excellent scholars, Mr. Ri- chnrdson acquired sound learning and a correct taste. He possessed, indeed, an excellent understand- ing, and a sort of intuitive know- ledge of mankind. No man pe- netrated more immediately into the motives of conduct, or more readily suggested the true prin- ciples of action. He distinguished himself at college by the elegance, beauty, and vigour, of his prose and poetical compositions. In- deed, a love of the Muses very early in life took possession of bis 59$ R I C mind, and often interfered ■with the laborious duties of study. He entered himself a student of the Middle Te.nple, in the year 1779, and was called to the b:ir in 1764. Literary pur.Hiils and political con- nexions tuuk up too much of his time to admit of his pursuing with siitiicient diligence the study of the law: otherwist*, it is highly probable that he would have be- come a distinguished ornament of the bar. Tlie chief works, in vhicii he was publicly known to have taken an ostensi!)le part, were The Riiliad and The Prolulinnary Odes, in the composition of which his talents were conspicuous. — Mr. Richardson, who was a lirm friend to the British Constitution, had the merit of perfect consistency in his political conduct j and faithful attachment, but no slavish devo- tion, to his party. So happily was the suavity of his temper blended ■with the vigour of his understand- ing, that he was esteemed by his adversaries in political principles, as well as by a very Inr^ge circle of friends. He was brought into Parliament as a member for New- port, in the county of Cornwall, by His Grace the Duke of Nor- thumberland, in whose friendship he held a distinguished place. Mr. Richardson was proprietor of a fourth part of Drury Lane Theatre, and author of one drama, viz. The Fugilioe. Com. 8vo. 179'2. He died June g, 1S03, in his 47th year, at an inn in the neigh- bourhood of Bagshot Heath ; hav- ing for three or four years suffered severe shocks by the rupture of a blood-vessel. Richardson, William, M.A. Professor of Humanity in tlie University of Glasgow, was born at Abertoyle, in Perthshiie, the son pf a clergyman, Ht was himself Tx I C also educated for the church at the university of Glasgow j but had scarcely commenced the study of theology, when he was appointed by the late Lord Cathcart, tutor to his sons. He accompanied hi-; Lordship and his family to St. Petersburg, on his Lordship's em- bassy to Russia, where they re- mained four years. This residency aftbrded him the opportunity of collecting the materials for a'li entertaining book of Rtusinn Anecdotes. On Lord Cathcart's return to Great Britain, Mr. Rich- ardson accompanied his pupils to the university of Glasgow, where, on the deatli of Professor Muir- head, he was appointed his suc«« cessor in the chair of humanity. To some of our readers, perhaps, it may be useful to state, that by professor of humanity is meant in Scotland, as it is on the continent, professor of the language, litera- ture, and antiquities, of ancient Rome. In 1774 Mr. Richardson pub- lished A Philosnpiucal Analysis and Ulustrallin of some of Shak- speare's Dramalic Char-actcrs. In 1779 3nd I78O he contributed the following papers in The Mirror and Lounger : in The Mirror, Nos. 8, 24, and 29 : in The Lounger, No. 42. Li 1734 he gave the public Essays on Shnhspeare's Dra- in a tic Characters of Richard the Third, King Lear, and Timon of Athens ; with an Essay on the Faults ofSbahpeare, and additional Observations on the Character of Harnlet. Soon after were publish- ed Essays on Shakspeare's Drama- tic Character of Sir John Falstaff; and on his Imitation of Female Characters, tvitk Observations on the chief Oljccts if Criticism in the Works of Shahpcarc. All these different produciious of dramatic collected into one volume, with an uniform title of Essays on some of Shak- speare^sDramaticCharar lets, which R I D Horatio, and Moneses, with dis- tinguisiied applause; a circumstance that will be readily believed by those who are no strangers to his has passed through several editions, judicious and graceful manner of His dramatic pieces are two in number, viz. 1. The Indians. T. 8vo. 1790. 2. The Maid of Lochlin. L. D. Svo. 1801. Rider, William, M. A. All we can learn with relation to thi.'r' author is, that he took his degree of master of arts some time in the reign of James I. and that he wrote one dramatic piece, entitled The Twins. T. C. 4ro. 1 6o5. It had, however, been acted as early as l6l3. Ridley, Dk. Gloster. This worthy divine was descended col- laterally from Dr Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London, who was burnt in the reign of Queen Mary. He •was born at sea, in the year 1702, on board the Gloucester East India- iDan, to which circumstance he was indebted for his Christian name. He received his education at \\"\n- chester school, and from thei.ce was eleccfd to a fellowship at New College, Oxford, where he pro- ceeded B. C. L. April 29, I729. In those two seminaries he culti- vated an early acquaintance with the Muses, and laid the foundation of those elegant nnH solid acquire- ments for which he was afterwards so eminently distinguished, as a poet, an historian, and a divine. Dr. Ridley, in his youth, was much addicted lotheatrical performances. Midhur<;t, in Sussex, was the place where they were exhibited ; and the company of gentlemen actors to whicli he belonged, consisted chiefly of his coadjutors in a tra- gedy hereafter mentioned. He is said to have performed the cha- racters of Marc Antony, Jaffier^ speaking in the pulpit. Young Cibber, being likewise a Wyke^ hnmist, called on Dr. Ridley soon after he had been appoiuled ch.i plain to the East India Com- pany at Poplar, and would have persuaded him to (juit the churcli for the stage, observing that it usually paid the larger snlaries of the two. For great part of "js'life he had no other preferment than the small collegf living of Westow, in Norfolk, and the donative of Poplar, in Middlesex, where he re- sided. To these his college add- ed, some years after, the donative of Romford, in Essex. Between those two places the curricle of his life had (as he expressed it) rolled for some time ahijost per- petually upon post-chaise wheels, and left him not time for even the proper studies of economy, or the necessary ones of his profession. Yet in this obscure situation he remained in possession of, and con- tent with, domestic happiness j and was honoured with the inti- mate friendship of some who were not less distinguished for learning than for worth : among these, it may be sufficient to mention Mr. Christopher Pitt, Mr. Spence, and Dr. Berriman. To tlie last of these he was curate, and executor. In 17.36 he docliiied. an oiler of going to Ireland as first chaplain to the Duke of Bedford ; in return for which he was to have^ had the choice of promotion, either at Christ Church, Canterbury, West- minster, or Windsor., His mo- desty inducing him to leave the choice of these to his patron, the consequence was, that he obtained 60 1 R I D no one of them all. In lyGS he published The Life of Bhfiop Rid- ley, in 4to. by subscription, and cleared by it as mu(.h as bought him 800/. in the public funds. In the latter part of his life he had the misfortune to lose both his sons, each of them a youth of abilities. The elder, James, was author of The Tales of the Genii, and some other literary perform- ances. Thomas, the younger, was sent by the East India Company as a writer to Madras, where he was no so >pijr settled th?.n he died, of the sma:l-pox. In J 705 Dr. Ridley published his Review of Philips s Life of Cardinal Pole; and, in 176S, in reward for his labours in this controversy, and in another, which The. Confessional produced, he was presented by Archbishop Seeker to a golden prebend in the cathedral church of Salisbury (an option), the only reward he received from the great, during a long, useful, and laborious life, devoted to the duties of his function. At length, worn out ■with infirmities, he departed this life Nov. 3, 1774, leaving a widow and four daughters, of whom the only married one (Mrs. Evans) has published a novel, in two volumes. He was burled at Poplar ; and the following epitaph, written by Dr. Lowth, Bishop of London, is in- scribed upon his monument : H. S. E. Gi-osTCR-.. 5 Ridley, Vir cptimus, intej;crrimus ; Vtrbi Divini fvlinister Pe'itus, fidelis, iudetcssus: Ab Academic Oxon.cn.si Pro nieritis, et prceier ordiiiem, In sacra Theologia Docuiiatu ii.sit;nltus. Poeta nati'S; Oratorise facuhati impei sius studuit. Quam fi^erac in conciorando facundus, Plurimorum animis diu insidebit; Quam varia eruditione iiistructus, Scripta ipsius semper testabuntur. Obiit terti& die mensis Novembris, A. D. 1774, ittatis 72. R I T Two poems by Dr. Ridley, one styled Jovi Eleutherio ; or. An Of- fering to Literty ; the other called Psyche ; are in the third volume of Dodsley's Collection. The se- quel of the latter poem, entitled Mdampus, which he left behind him, was, after his death, pub- lished in 4to. by the late George Steevens, Esq. for the benefit of his widow and family, with a portrait of the author, engraven by Hall. His claim to a place in this work arises from the following dramatic performances yet remain- ing in MS, viz. 1. Jugurtha. T. 2. The Fruitless Redress. T. This latter play was written du- ring a vacation in 1728, and was the joint production of Dr. Ridley and four friends, viz. Dr. Thomas Fletcher (fellow of All Souls, Ox- ford, afterwards Biihop(^fKildare), Dr. Eyre, Mr. Morrison, and Mr» Jennings, each of whom wrote an act, on a plan previously concert- ed. When they delivered in their several proportions, at their meet- ing in tlje winter, so uniform vva« the style, that few readers would have known that the whole was not the production of a single hand. This tragedy was offered to Mr. Wilks, but never acted. It is observable, that the fourth act, by Jennings, which is dispropor- tionably long, contains a passage extenuating suicide, which after- wards proved to be bis ownun- happy fate. RiroN, John Scott. See Byerley. RiTwisE, John, born at Saul, in Norfolk, educated at Eton school, elected fellow of King's College, Cambridge, 1j07, married Diony- sia, daughter of Wm . Lilye, whom, in 1522, he succeeded as master of St. Paul's school. He compiled, in Latin, one play out of Virgil^ 602 R O T5 w1)ich wa? acted before Cardinal Vv'ol'.ey with great applause, and is called Dulo. T. RivEKS, Mr. This author was aJe.su,it, who lived, wc believe, in the reign of James I. and wrote one play, entitled T/ieTrapor. T. 4to. l635. whichjWe imngine,wasneveracted in its original form } but, filling into the hands of I\Ir. James Shir- ley, he, with very considerable al- terations and improvements of liis own, brought it on the stage, and published it among his own works. Mr. Rivers composed this piece while hs was in confinement in Newgate, oji account of some po- litical and religious concerns, in which prison he died. It was af- terwards, viz. in 1692, revived \with success; and after that again, with some alterations, by Mr. Christopher Bullock, the comedian. Robe, J. Of this lady we can iearn no account. She v/rote one j)!ay, called Thf FaUd Lfgccy. T. 8vo. 1 723. Ros£RD2A.u, John Pete.i. A Jiving writer, residing in Hamp- shire, descended of a very ancient and respectable French Prote:it3nt family. After receiving a liberal education, he was for some years successful!)' engaged in commer- cial pursuits J but by the earjy decline of an hereditary arthritic constitution, he was induced to quit the temple of Plu.tus for that of Apollo, and his priestesses the Muses. He has two sons upon the civil establish'^vont of the Hon. East India Company ; a third, who died a year or two ago, had much distinguisb.ed himself in po- lite literature in Bengal. Our au- thor is an active literary member ; nnd, besides an infinity of jcu:c ^esprits, in ver^e and prose, scat- 11 O B tered through the most popular miscellanies of the day, he was the originator and principal sup- port nf a literary weekly sheet of considerable merit, published at Chichester; as well as the founder of a prominent library society, upon proprietary shares, at Ports- mouth. His dramatic effusions, at the Lewes, Chichester, and Ports- mouth theatres, are numerous; and as an amateur performer upon oc- casions of charity or beneficence, he has several times been received with great applause, particularly in his own Alarmist. Besides a principal part in a most poignant satirical poem, and a collection of Fugilive Verse arid Prose, dedicated to his school-fellow the Eirl of Moira, he has produced the fol- lowing pieces as his claim to a place in the present work : 1. Point of Honour. F. 1/92. N.P. 2. St. Andrc7vs Festival. Dr. Sat. 1795. N. P. 3. The Alarmist. Int. 8vo. 1 803. 4. The Maniac Maid. M.I.I 804 . N.P. 5. Thermopylce.Tr^Dxavn.lSQS. N.P. 6. CorneUa. D.A. 12mo. 1810. Roberts, William, brother of the present high master of St. Paul's school, wrote Atradates and Panthea. Trag. 1770. N.P. "ihis gentleman was formerly an officer in the army ; but iias for many years quitted the service, and devoted his attention, with considerable success, to the educa- tion of youth en Wandsworth Common, in Surrey. He publish- ed, in 1/82, Thoughts u/}07i Crea- tiov, &c. and two years afterward, an 8vo. volume of Poetical At- icJnpts. floBERTS, James, is author of (kis K O B Rale Bntcn::ia. Loyn! Shetch. €vo. 1794. KoBERTS, Miss R. This lady- was tlie sister of Dr. Rrherts, high niaster ot" St. Paul's schoui. Be- sides having written Sfnnnns, fy a Lady ; and trat^slated Sriecl Talcs from Mannmitcl, and Milol's Ele- ments nf the Hiitory of France, she was author of a play, not act- ed, called MataJm. T. Svo. \77g. She died January 14, I788. RoEHKTS, William. O.f this person we know no more than that he is a barrister at Manchester, and author of The Fugidves. C. Svo, 1791. Robertson, , was the .son of a lady, who, in an account of her life, printed at Derby, in the year \'/Q\, declared herself to be the grand-daughter of Charles If. She was married to a Mr. Robert- son, grandson of a gentleman at Perth, and fur some time lived in affluence; but her husband failing, she was obliged to exercise her industry in pointing and filagree, and other employments, to support herself and her numerous family. Our author was apprenticed to Mr. Carr, architect, at York, and is described by his mother as thoughtless and extravagant. He went to France about the year '^79^; after which period, we be- lieve, he was never heard of. While he resided at York, he pub- lislied there one drama, entitled The Heroine of Love. A Musical Piece, Svo, 17/8, RoBEKTsoK, Mrs, This lady, a performer in the Newark com- pany, has produced EIRnda. Dram. Romance, ISOO. N. P, Rob IN SOX, Mr. — — . A gen- tleman, we believe, formerly living at Rpndal^ la Westmorland. In his ROB yon^h he wrore on'^ piece, called The Intriguing MiUiners and At- torniei Clerks. Mock Trag. rirao, 173s ; 1740. Robinson, , To a gentle- man of this name is ascribed a translation from the French, of The Test of Love. M. E. I787. RoKiNsoN, , an actor in the Plymouth company, who had a farce of his performed there, ia 1793, called yi Trip to Phjmnulh Dock. Robinson, Mary. This lady was a native of Bristol, and the daughter of a captain of a whaler there, of the name of Darby, Her father, at one period of his life, was in circumstances which, promised our authoress a more respectable situation than that ia which she wa? afterwards distin- guished. She was educated by Ivliss Hannah More, whose name we have already mentioned in the present work, and under whom she made a considerable proficiency iq. the elegant accomplishments of her sex. About the tim.e that she had finished her education, the misfor- tunes of her father commenced. He failed in his business, and, dy- ing s(X)n after, left our authoress totally unprovided for. The beauty of her face, the elegance of her figure, and her taste for poetry and music, naturally pointed out the stage as a resource from the dis- tresses in wliich she had become involved. Sr.e was accordingly re- commended to Mr. Garrick, who proposed her first appearance to be in the character of Cordelia ; but before the night fixed upon for her performance, she became acquainted with Mi''. Robinson, then a young lawyer, who pre- vailed upon her to marry him, and relinquish her design of ap- pearing on the stage. A union 004 ROB vbich had for its foundation pas- sion, poverty, and extravagance, was not likely to produce any happy effects. Dissipation and im- providence soon reduced them to great difficulties, which suggested a retTirn to the former scheme of her devoting herself to the stage. She accordingly appeared in the part of Juliet at Drury Lane, and, improving in her profession, soon became a favourite with the pub- lic. The part in which she chiefly distinguished herself was Perdita, in I'he JVinter's Tale; a part of little importance in itself, but which was rendered uncommonly interesting, by the beauty, grace, and delicacy of the performer. On this occasion, a distinguished, blooming, and persuasive florizel stepped in from the heights of lite ; and Mrs. Robinson was induced to retire from the stage in l/SO, to live iii a state of ignominious splendour. She paid, however, in her latter days, l>y neglect, po- verty, and decrepitude, for the vanity and vices of her youth, and died at her cottage on Englefield Green. Dec. 25, ISOO, aged about 40- Si;e wrote many novels and poems, and three dramatic pieces, viz. J . The Lucky Escape. M. F. 377s. The songs only printed. 2. Nohocly. Cum. 1794. N.P. 3. Sicilian Lover. Trag. 8vo. J 79(5. RosiNsoy (Morris*), Mat- thew, Lord Rokeby, of Ar- magh, in Ireland, was born at York in March J 7 13, educated * He took the adilitional name of Morris, in compliance with the will of a relation ; but was so attached to his first name, that, in the title of a pamphlet ■which he published in 1777, on a politi- cal subject, he gave only the initial of his second name, writing himself Mai- fheto lioh'iiiicn M. ROC at the public school of West- minster, and thence 'removed to Trinity Hall, in Cambridge; of a lay college of which in due time he became fellow, and so remain- ed till his death. He represented Canterbury in two Parliaments, and succeeded his cousin Dr. Ri- chard Robinson, Primate of Ire- land, as an Irish peer and English baronet, in October 1/94, in con- sequence of the collateral remain- der inserted in the Primate's patent. He was author of several political pamphlets, at variovis periods of his life, and was much looked up to by the party in his county (Kent) whose cause he espoused. His Lordship died at his seat ?t Monks Horton, uesr Hythe, Nov. 30, ISOO, in his S8th year. Lord Rokeby was the brother of the late celebrated Mrs. Montagu. His heart was the very seat of simplicity, integrity, and inde- pendence, and his intellect power- ful and commanding. He had a few peculiarities, how^ever, which gave scope for mn ny silly crmments and misrepresentations. He is introduced to our readers as the author of a play, published a few years after his death, viz. The Fall of Mortimer. T. 8vo. 1806. RoBSON, Horatio, is author of" 1 . Too loving by Half. Int. 1784. N. P. 2. Look before you Leap. C. 8vo. 1788. 3. Money at a Pinch. M. E. 1793. N. P. Roche, Eugenius, has written two dramatic pieces, viz. 1. William Tell. T, 8vo. 1808. 2. Livasiov. P. 8vo. 1808. See Dramatic Appellant, in Vol. If. We believe that this gentleman was lately editor of The Day Newspaper. 605 R O L RoDD, Thomas, translated from the French of Le Fevre, Zuma. T. 8vo. 1800. Rogers, Robbrt. This au- thor was better known as an otHcer in the army, wherein he acquired the commission of a major, than by any of his literary productions. His name is frequently to be met with during the course of the American war. He published a book containing an account of his several campaigns, and a descrip- tion of the British colonies in that part of the globe. His claim to a plaq^ in this work arises from one dramatic performance, entitled Ponteach ; or. The Savages of America. T. Svo. 1766. RoKEBY, Lord. See Robin- soar (Morris), Matthew. RoLT, Richard, was born in 1724, or 1725, and is believed to have been a native of Shrewsbury, but descended from a respectable family of that name in Bedford- shire. A lady of this family being married to John Orlebar, Esq. one of the commissioners of the excise, this gentleman, who was of a very cultivated taste, and had probably leen some early productions of joung Rolt, intended to provide for him, in an advantageous situa- tion in that department. To qua- lify him for this, he was placed under an officer of the excise in the North of England, This hap- pened about the time the Preten- der made his inroad into that country in the winter of the year 1745 ; when Rolt, and one or two young excisemen, quitted their stations, and went to the rebel army; as they alleged, only out of curiosity, but, as was reported to their superiors, with an imencion to join them. He was in conse- quence superseded, and obliged to give up all expestations from that R O L quarter. Being also related to th« celebrated poet Ambrose Philips, then resident in Ireland, he soon after went over to him in Dublin. But Philips was then preparing to leave Ireland, whence he removed to his native country in 1748, and soon after died; so that Rolt failed of procuring any establishment in that country. Rolt had probably been bred to the law J but he had early recom- mended himself to persons of dis- tinction ; for his poem, entitled Cambria) which had originally been composed (in 1748) in five books, and was then intended for the patronage of Sir Watkin Wil- liams Wynne, Bart, the popular patriot of Wales, to whom Rolt was well known, was afterwards, when it had been corrected, and reduced to three books, shown to Frederick Prince of Wales, by General Oglethorpe and Lord Mid- dlesex (who was himself an ele- gant poet) ; and he had per- mission to inscribe it to Princ* George, his present Majesty, when it was printed, in 4to. in the spring of the year 1749. By the above-mentioned, and some other eminent persons, Rolt was encouraged to vindertake hig History of the General War, which terminated in 1748. This was published in four successive vo- lumes, Svo. and procured him a correspondence with Voltaire. He was also engaged to write The Life of John Earl of Crauford, a a officer of distinction. The above publications do him no discredit. Being an autiior by profession, he was constantly employed by the booksellers in successive compila- tions, historical, commercial, &c. and in periodical publications, in which he was concerned with Smart and others. In one of these. 606 R O L The Universal Visitor, be and Smart are said to have been bound by a contract, to one Gardiner, a publislier, to eug?.ge in no other undertaking, and that this contract was to remain in force " for the " term ot ninety-nine years." So absurd an engagement we can only impute to the dictate;^ of rapacious avarice and submissive poverty. Of the expedients to which the trade of book-making compels its professors to have recourse, we have a curious instance in one publication of Mr. Holt: — Mr. Woodington, a relation of his wife, being in I:)di:i, became ac- quainted with Captain John Nor- thall, of the royal regia:ient of ar- tillery, the second in command at the siege of Surat, where he died of an apoplectic rii in the rtiarch to that city, in February IJdQ. This gentleman, having been stationed at Minorca, had made an excur- sion, in 17-53, to Italy, of which he completed an entire tourj and being a man of curiosity and taste, noted down in his pocket-book all the line pictures, statues, S:c. with such remarks as eyaxy where oc- curred to Jiim. This pocket-book fell into the hands of Mr. Wood- ington ; v'ho, at his return to England, gave it to Kolt, and be from this manuscript journal, with the help of fornjer printed travels, compiled a large octavo volume, which he published under the title of Travels through liahj ; contain- ing new and curious (DbservatiGJis on that Country : witli the most authentic Account yet puUished of capital Pieces in Painting, Sculp- ture, and Architecture, that are to he seen in Italy. By John Nurthall, Esq. &c. CSfc. fe'c. 1766. But Rok's chief supplies were from writing cantatas, songs, Ike. for the Theatres^ Vauxhall, Sad- R o d ler's Wells, and other placej ot public resort. Of these he com- posed above an hundred} supply- ing, at the shortest noiice, tha demands of musical composers for those diurnal entertainajents during many years. Mr. Rolt was likewise employed with Smart in some theatrical en- terprise, at the Little Theatre in the Haymarket. He was after- w-ards said to have joined with Shuter in a scheme of the like na- ture. This circumstance indeed is recorded by Churchill, in one of the later editions of his Ro^ad: " Secret as night, with Roll's experienc'd aid, " The p'au of future operations laid." Mr, Rolt died March 2, 1770. He was the author of, 1. Eliza. M. E. Svo. 1/54. 2. The Royal Shepherd. O. Svo. [1704.] 3. Abiiena. O. Svo. 1704. Room?,, Edward. This au- thor w-as the son of an undertaker for funerals, in Fleet Street, and was brought up to the law. In th^ notes to The Dunciad. b, iii. 1. 153^ where he is introduced, he is said to have been a virulent party writer, and to have oli^'euded Mr. Pope by some papers, called PaS" quin, wherein that gentleman was", represented as guilty of malevolent practices with a gieat man (Bishop' Atterbury), then und-er the prose- cution of Parliament. By the fol- lowing epigram, he appears to have been more fortunate in con- versatioji than in writing : " You ask why Roonie diverts you with his jokes, " Yet if he write?, is dull as other folks. " You wonder cit it — Tliis, Sir, is thS case, " The jest is lost unless he prints his lace," Mr. Roome, the iSth of October 607 R O W 1729, succeeded his friend Hnr- neck as solicitor to the treasury, and died the 10th of December 1729. After his death, one piece by him, in which he received some assistance from the celebrated Sir William Yonge, was brought on the stage, h wns called The JaviaL Crtiv. C. O. Svo. 1/31. This performance, with further alterations, was revived and acted some yejirs ago at Covent Gar- den with amazing success. Rose, Kev. John, one of the masyjrs of Merchant Tayujrs' school, and rector of St. iVIailiu's Outwich, is author of, 1. A Quarter of an Hour Icfore Dinner. Dr. Ent. Svo. 1788. 2. T/ie Family Compact. F. 1792. N. P. 3. PriiUTier. Mas. Rom. Svo, 1792. 4. Caernarvon Cmtle. M, E. 8vo. J 793. Ross, Ann.\. Sec Brunton. Ross, LlEUTEXANT WiLLIAM, Viote JP'hat would She not? C. I79O. Rough, Willi.^tvi, a gentle- man of Gray's Inn, formerly of Westminster school, and Trinity Colles^e, Cambridge, is author of Lorenxino di Medzci. D. Svo. Rows, Harry. This very sin- gular character was born at York, in ti;e year 1720. He was a truinneter to the Duke of King- ston's light horse, at the battle of Culloden, in the year 17-4^, and attended the high sheriffs of York- shire, as a trumpeter, at t!ie as- sizes, upwards of forty-six years. He was the master of a puppet- show, and for many saccessive years opened his little theatre in that city, daring the summer sea- sons, and attended his. artificial R O W comedians to various other parts of the kingdom during the course of the winter. In \7'j7 ^'^ published, at York, an edition of Shakspeare's Alaibeth, 12mo. " with vott^s and " emendatioria," ly /ujnselj', and embellished with his portrait : a second edition of this work ap- peared in 1 799, Svo. His reason for this publication, he relates in the preface 3 — the following are his words : " I am master of a " puppet-show ; and as, from the *' nature of my employment, I am " obliged to have a iew stock- " plays ready for representation, " whenever I am accidentally vi- " sited by a select party of ladies " and gentlemen, I have added " the tragedy of Macbeth to my " green-room collection. The al- " terations that I have made ia " this play are warranted, from a " caretul perusal of a very old " manuscript, in tl;e possession of " ray prompter, oi^e of whose an- " cestors, by the mother's side, was " rush-spreader and candle-snuf- " fer, at ti)e Globe Play-house, as " appears from the loilowing me- " morandum on a !)lank page o{ " themanu:=cript : Tk's day , March " the fourth, 150S, received the " sum nf seven shillings andfour- '• pence, f.r six lit 'idles of rushes " and two pair of brass snufers." Our commentator's erudition like- wise manifested itself in a drama- tic piece v/hich he wrote and pub- lished, entitled No Cure, no Pay. In tlie early p:irt of his life, he distinguished himself by his filial affection, in the support of his poor and aged parents, through tlie various means above detailed ; yet, bowed dov.'n by age, poverty, ititirmily, and a long and painful illness, poor Harry Rowe expired in the poor-house, at York, Oct 2, L^OO. Though we have i^lreiijiy G03 ROW mentioned, we must here again re- cord, his dramatic productions, viz. 1. Nn Cure, no Pay. M. F, 8vo. 1794. 2, Macbeth. T. Svo, 17f)C), These pieces, however, we have lieard ascribed to a medical gentle- man (Dr. Hunter) at York ; and that they were publi Jied for the purpose of procuring a temporary rehef for Hairy Rowe, who at that time was in extreme distress. RowE, Rkv. Henry, LL. B. rector of Ring.shall, in Suliblk, ROW attempt at comedy he failed so ignominiously, that his Biter is rot inserted in his works ; and his oc- casional poems and short compo- sitions are rarely worthy of either praise or censure ; for they seem the casual spoits of a mind seeking rather to am. use its leisure than to exercise its powers. In the construction of bis dra- mas there is not much art ; he is not a nice ob-erver of the unities. He extends time and varies place as his convenience requires. To and formerly of Eton school, is vary the place is not (in the opi- author of The Montcm. Mus, Ent. Svo. 1808. He also published, in 17Q(5, two volumes of Ponns, in which, in The Poet's Lnmentaiion, he is un- derstood to have described his own melancholv situation. RowE, i\iCHOLAs, son of John Rowe, Esq. serjeant at law, was born at Little Berkford, in Bed- fordshire, anno 10/3. His edu- cation was begun at a private se- minary in Highgate, from whence he was removed to Westminster school, where he was perfected in classical literature under Doctor Busby. His father, designing him for his own profession, entered him, at sixteen years of age, a student of the Middle Temple. He soon made considerable pro- gress in the law, and might have cut a tigure in that profession, if the love of poetry and the belles leitres had not too much attracted his attention. At the age of twenty-five he wrote his first tra- gedy, Tlie Ambil'ious Sti'p-viother; the gieat success of which made hitu entirely lay aside all thoughts of the law. Rowe is chiefly to be considered (as Dr. Johnson ob- serves) in the light of a tragic writer, and a translator. In his nion of the learned criticn^rom whom these observations are bor- rowed) any violation of nature, if the change be made between the acts ; ff)r it is no less easy for the spectator to suppose hinjself at Athens in the second act, than at Thebes in the first ; but to change the scene, as is done by Rowe, in the middle of an act, is to add more acts to the play, since an act is so much of the business as is transacted without interruption. Rowe, by this license, easily ex- tricates himself from difficulties 5 as in Lady Jane Gray, when we have been terrified with all the dreadful pomp of public execution, and are wondering how the he- roine or the poet will proceed, no sooner has Jane pronounced some prophetic rhymes, than — pass and be gone — the scene closes, and Pembroke and Gardiner are turned out upon the stage. I know not (says Dr. Johnson), that there can be found in his plays any deep search into nature, any accurate discriminations of kindred qualities, or nice dispUiy of pas- sion in its progress; all is general and undefined. Nor does he much interest or affect the auditor, ex- cept in Jane Shore, v.ho is always seen and heard with pity. Alicia 609 ROW .is a character of empty noise, with . no resemblance, to real sorrow or to natural madness. Whence then has Rowe his re- .putation ? From the reasonableness ■and propriety of some of his scenes, from the elegance of his diction, and the suavity of his verse. He seldom moves either pity or terror, but he often elevates the senti- ments 5 he seldom pierces the breast, but he always delights the ear^ and often improves the under- standing. Being a great admirer of Shakspeare, he gave the public an edition of his plays ; to which he prefixed an account of that great man's life. Bnt the most considerable of Mr. Howe's per- formances, was a translation of Lucan's Pharsalia, which he just lived to finish, but not to publish ; for it did not appear in print till ten years after his death. His attachment to the Muses, however, did not entirely unfit him for business ; for when the DukeofQueensberry was secretary of state, he made Mr. Rowe his under-secretary for public affairs : but, after the Duke's (ieath, the avenues to his preferment being stopped, he passed his time in re- tirement during the rest of Queen Anne's reign. On the accession of George I. he was made poet laureat, and one of the land-sur- veyors of the customs in the port pf London. He was also clerk of the council to the Prince of Wales, and the Lord Chancellor Parker made him his secretary for the pre- sentations ; but he did not long enjoy these promotions, for he died Dec. 6, 1/18, in the 45ih year of his age. His dramatic pieces are, . 1. The Amlitlous Siep-mother, T. 4to. 1700. VOL. i. R O W Tamerlane. T. 4to. 1702. Fair Peiiitint. T. 4to. 1/03. The Biter. C. 4to. 1/05. Ulysses. T. 4to. ]7oG. . Royal Convert. T. 4 to. 1/08. Jane Shore. T. 4to. N. D. [1713.] 8. Lady Jane Gray, T. 4to. 1/15. Mr. Rowe was twice married j had a son by hi* first wife, and a daughter by his second. He was a handsome, genteel man 5 and his mind \vas as ami- able as his person. He lived he- loved, and at his death had the honour to be lamented by }lr. Pope, in an epitaph, which is print- ed in Pope's works, although it was not atlixed on Mr. Rowe's monument in Westminster Ab- bey, where he was interred in the Poets' Corner, opposite to Chaucer. Rowley, Samuel. This gen- tle:.-,an lived in the reign of James I. and consequently was contempo- rary with another writer of the same name, of whom we shall give an account in the next article; but, whether he was any way re- lated to him, is not apparent. He styles himself servant to the Prince of Wales, but we know not what place he enjoyed under His Royal Highness. There are two plays printed as his, the titles of which are, 1. JFhen You see vie You know 7ne. Hist. Play. 4to. l605. 2. Xoble Soldier. T. 4to. l634. The following also are ascribed to his pen : 3. Joshua. I6O2. N. P, 4. Hymens Holiday. l6i3.N.?. RnwLEV, William, who stands in the third class of drama- tic writers, liv-ed in the reign of King James I, and was one of the company of players belonging to R R 610 ROW the Prince of Wales. The parts which he used to perform were chiefly comic ones. There are few particulars preserved in regard to him, more than his close in- timacy and connexion with all the principal wits and poetical gen- Biuses of that age, by whom he was well beloved, and with some of whom he joined in their writ- ings. Wood and Meres, if they mean the same person, which is not likely, style him " the orna- " ment for wit and ingenuity of " Pembroke Hall, in Cambridge." In a word, he was a very great benefactor to the English stage, having, exclusive of his aid lent to Middleton, Day, Heywood, Web- ster, &c. left us five plays of his own composing, and one in which even the immortal Shakspeare's name is affixed as affording him some assistance. Their titles are as follow : 1. A Neiv TVonder, a JFoman Tiever text. C. 4to. 1632. 2. JU's lost hy Lust. T. 4to. 1633. 3. Match at Midnight. C. 4to. 1633. D. C. 4. A Shoemaker'' s a Gentleman. C. 4to. 163S. 5. JFitch of Edmonton. T. C, 4to. 1658. 6. Birth of Merlin. T. C. 4to. 1662. He also wrote five plays which are not printed, hut were entered in the book of the Stationers' Company, gih of September 1653, and 29th of June 166O. They ^re entitled, 1 . The Fool without Book. 2. .4 Knave in Pnnt ; or^ One for another. 3. The Nonesuch. C. 4. The Booke of the Four ko- noured Loves. 6. The Parliament of Love. C. RUG Of these the last three were de- stroyed by Mr. Wgrburton's ser- vant. The plays in which he was con- cerned with others (but, not hav- ing the principal hand, are not ascribed to him) are the follow- ing, to which we have added each author's name who joined with him. 1. Travels of Three English Broiliers. John Day and George Wilkins. 4to. 1607. 2. Fair Quarrel. C. Thomas Middleton. 4to. 1617. 3. The World toss'd at Tennis. M. Thomas Middleton. 4to. l620. 4. Changeling. T. Thoraai Middleton. 4to. l653. 5. Old Law. T. C. Philip Massinger and Thomas Middleton, 4to. 1656. 6. Cure for a Cuckold. C. John Webster. 4to. I661. 7. Thracian JFonder. C. H. John Webster. 4to. 1661. 8. Spanish Gipsey. C. Thoma* Middleton. 4to. l663. 9. Fortune ly Land and Sea. C Thomas Heywood. 4to. I665. RuGGLE, George, A. M. wa» bornatLavenham,or,as it is usual- ly called, Lanham, in the county of Suftblk ; the eighth child and fifth and youngest son of Thomas Rug- gle and Margery his wife. His father, "Arho is imagined to have followed the occupation of a clo- thier, was descended from an an- cient and reputable fmiiiy of the name of Ruggeley, though since gradually corrupted to Ryggeley, Ryggele, Rugle, and lastly to Ruggle, who were originally of Staffordshire, and were, as it ap- pears, says Sir William Dugdale, gentlemen of good note. George, the subject of our pre- sent inquiry, was born most pro- bably about the month of Novera- i^h nV G %fer 15^5; for, on the 13th of that month, we find that he was bap- tized. At a competent age he was sent, for grammatical instruc- tion, to the free grammar-school at Lavenham> where his industry, in the prosecution of his studies, and the modesty and sobriety of his behaviour, soon attracted the notice and conciliated the affection of Mr. William Greenhall, the then master, and produced be- tween them a friendship which was terminated only by the death of Mr. Ruggle. The progress which he here made in grammati- cal erudition, affording a good ground forexpectation, that in time he would attain to a distinguished eminence for literature, induced his father still further to encourage his propensity to learning, by su- peradding to the instruction which he had already received, the addi- tional advantage of an university education j and the vicinity of Cambridge to the place of his re- sidence naturally pointing that out for the purpose, in preference to Oxford, it was resolved to send him to Cambridge. In pursuance of this resolution, and with a view, as it is conceived, that he should enter into holy or- ders, the younger Mr. Ruggle v/as, in the year 1589, ^"d in the 14th of his age, placed in St. John's College, Cambridge, and entered in the matriculation-book of the university, in the rank of a pen- sioner, as it is called, on the 20th of June, in that year : but not having here the good fortune to obtain any schnlarship or other provision, he removed to Trinity College, and was there admitted to a scholarship, on the 11th of May 1503. la this year, 15g3, or the subsequent one, young Kuggle is imagined to have taken RUG the degree of bachelor of arts; for it appears that, in 1597^ be took that of master, being at that time still of Trinity College, and soon after entered into holy orders ; but from Trinity College he, in the next year, 1 598, removed to Clare Hall, and was there elected to a fellowship. The natural bent of his inclina- tion seems to have led him to the study of polite literature ; in the prosecution whereof he set himself to acquire a competent knowledge of the French and Italian lan- guages, in the latter of v/hich he has left behind him evidence of his skill, as will hereafter appear, and to form an intimate acquaintance with the writings of the ie'veral Greek and Roman poets, histoi ians, and orators. Of the Roman poets, he seems to have been more espe- cially conversant with the works of Virgil, Ovid, Lucan, Terence, Plautus, Catullus^ Juvenal, Persius, and Martial j and among the Ita- lian writers, the productions of Gianibattista Porta, a Neapolitan philologist, and partic'ularly his comedies, are found to have at- tracted his notice and engaged his attention. His reputation for learn- ing and skill in all polire literature- was not confined to his own col- lege, nor indeed to the university of Cambridge, but became so ge- neral, that it was an inducement with many parents and guardians for placing young men at Clare Hall, in preference to any other seminar}'; and it was doubtless osving to the same circumstance that the two sons of Pallavicini, knight of Baberham, in Cam- bridgeshire, were committed to his tuition. To these testimonies in favour of his literary merit, his college themselves added theirs with ie» S R 2 6\t RUG Spect to his justice and integrity, by nominating him to the office of One of the two taxeis in the uni- versity for the year 1(304; but his success in the university does not, on the whole, seem to have been adequate to his merit, nor does it appear that his deserts were of sufficient avail to raise him to any considerable rank; for the only emolument which they ever pro- cured him, excepting indeed the before-mentioned annuity, was a fellowship in Clare Hall, and this of taxer was the only public office to which we find that he was ever elected ; but, in addition to his academical honours in his ow'n university, it is found that, when King James, in August 1005, vi- sited Oxford, Air. Ruggle, being then a master of arts of Cambridge, \vas admitted to the same degree in this latter. About the beginning of the year 1611, the university of Cambridge became engaged in a contest with the mayor of the town and the corporation, on the question, which of the two, the vice-chancellor of the university, or the mayor of the town, was entitled to precedence of the other. The incident which gave immediate rise to this con- test, which was at length termi- nated in 1612, by a decision of the privy council in favour of the vice-chancellor, was this, that the then mayor, Thomas Smart, had, at the Guildhall of the town, in the presence of the vice-chan- cellor, claimed, and accordingly seated himself in, the superior place, as his due, which it was contended belonged of right to the vice-chancellor, but which, not- withstanding. Smart continued to occupy, till he was forcibly re- moved from it by the vice- chanc^lor's attendants. Jn the R U L conduct of the dispute, on be- half of the mayor and corporation, one Brakyn, a common la'.vyer, the then recorder of Cambridge, had shown himself very active, and might probably, if he did not at first set it on foot, at least contri- bute to keep it alive. This latter circumstance, as it is imagined, first introduced 10 Mr. Ruggle's notice and acquaintance the pro- fessional character of the practisers of the common law ; so far, how- ever, is certain, that It suggested to him the thought, and induced him to form a resolution of expos- ing it to ridicule, in a representa- tion on the stage before Kinij James, who had long been, and still was expected, to pay a visit to Cambridge, and to whose preju- dices against lawyers such a sub- ject was peculiarly suited. With good materials, and such a stock of extraneous knowledge as he was besides possessed of, Air. Ruggle began his intended comedy, which, for many reasons, he had resolved should be in Latin ; and completed his design by the pro- duction of a humorous comedy, which was acted at the university of Cambridge, before King James I. on the 8th of March, and again the 13tli of May, 16" 1 4, entitled Ig7ioramus. C. I2mo. 1630. The King was highly delighted with this admirable piece. Mr. Ruggle died sometime be- tween the 6th September 1021, and the 3d November 16'22; the former being the date of his will, and the latter the day on which his executor proved it. The following pieces are also ascribed to our author : Club Law. C. 1597-8. N. P. Rcvera; or, Verilij. Com. N.P. Rule, John, M. A. A school- master at Islington. As the fol- 613 R U S Towing piece was acted by his pu- pils at their breaking-np, it is probable he was the author of it. it is entitled The A^reealle Surprise. C.l2mo. i/OO". RussEL, William, LL.D. el- dest son of Alexander Russel and Cliristian Ballantyne, was born in iha year 1740, at Windydoors, a farm-house, in the county of Mid Lothian. He was sent to the school of Tnverleithen, wiiere he acquired a slender knowledge of the Latin and Greek languages. In 1756 he was removed to Edin- burgh, in order to be instructed in writing and arithmetic. Having studied these useful branches of education for about ten months, he was bound apprentice to the bookselling and printing business, for five years. While engaged in this occupation, he discovered the utmost ardour in literary pursuits, and seems to have delighted his fancy with the hopes of future eminence. While ernployed as a journey- man printer, he made an attempt to adapt Crebillon's Rkadamisthe el Zenolie to the British theatre. His tragedy was oftered to the manager of Drury Lane Theatre ; but, as Murphy's Zenobia was at that time in rehearsal, it was deemed imprudent to accept of another p^ay on the same subject. In 1765, Lord Elibank having in- vited him to his seat in East Lo- thian, he spent there the greater part of the autumn. He now re- linquished his original employ- ment, and resided with his father. In 1707 he set out for London. His hopes in this expedition did r.ot answer his expectations ; and he felt himself under the ne- cessity of engaging as a corrector efihe press to Mr. William Stra- R U S han, afterwards His Majesty''s printer. Llis Sent'nncntat Tales appeared in 177O. From this time he wrote many essays, in prose and verse, in the monthly publi- cations. In 1772 he published a collection of Falles, Moral and Sentitneutal, and An Essay on the Character, Manners, and Ge- nius of JFomen, from the French of M. Thomas. Julia, a poetical Romance, appeared in 1774; and The History of America, published in numbers, was completed ia 1779- I" the course of the same year he also published the two first volumes of his History of Modern Europe. During the following year his studies met with a temporary interruption : he embarked for Ja- maica, in order to recover some money due to him, as heir to his brother, who had died in that island. In 1783 he published The Tragic Muse, a poem addressed to lilrs. Siddons. The three volumes which complete The History of Modern Europe, made their ap- pearance in i7S4. In 1/37 he formed a matrimonial connexioa with Miss Scott, iind fixed his re- dence at Knotty Holm, a farm belonging to the Duke of Euc- cleugh, and situated at a small distance from the town of Lang- holm- In 1702 he obtained fioin the university oi St. Andrews the honorary degree of doctor of laws. Encoviraged by the reception of his last performance, he had be- gun to digest Tiie History of An- cient Europe ; two volumes of which appeared in the course of the following year. This work was less f ivourablv received ; but the period was now appro-aching, when to him ar^plause and censure were to be alike indifferent. A stroke of the palsy quickly termi- nated his lifcj Jan. 1, 1/94, ia R R 3 6l4 R Y A the 47th year of his age. He was interred m the churchyard of Wes- terkirk. Dr. R. left behind him the fol- lowing dramatic productions, viz. 1 . The Earl of Strafford. Trag. Is^. P. 2- The Love Marriage. Op. N.P. 3. Modern Life. Com. [Un- finished, MS.] 4. Pyrrhus. Trag. N.P. 5. Zenobia. Trag. N.P. RuTTER, Joseph. This au- thor lived in the reign of King Charles I. and was a dependent on the family of Edward Earl of Dorsetj lord chamberlain to the Queen, being tutor to his son. At the command of his patron, he undertook a translation of the tirst part of The Cid, from the French qf Corneille, which, when execut- ed, was so well approved of by the King, to whom it was shown, that, at His Majesty's own desire, the second part of the same piece was put into Mr. Rutter's hands, with an injunction to translate it, which he immediately obeyed. He be- sides wrote one original dramatic piece 3 so that the works of this Icind which he has left behind him are, 1 . The Shepherd's Holiday. Past. T. C. 8vo. l6'35. 2. Cid. T. C. in Two Parts. J2nio. 1637, and ItJ^O. Ryav, Lacy. This gentleman, though generally esteemed a native of Ireland, was born in the parish of St. Margaret, Westminster, aboat the year l6g4. He was the son of Mr. Daniel Ryan, a tailor, and had his education at St. Paul's school, after which it was ihlenJed to bring him up to the law, for which purpose he was a short time with Mr. Lacy, an attorney, his godfather. He had R Y A once some thoughts of going to the East Indies with his brother (who died there l/ig) ; but a stronger propensity to the stage prevailing, by the friendship of Sir Richard Steele, he was introduced into the Haymarket company, 1710, and was taken considerable notice of in the part of Marcus ii> Cato, during the first run of that play, in I712, though then but eighteen years of age. He froni that time increased in favour, arose to a conspicuous rank in his profession, and constantly main- tained a very useful and even im- portant cast of parts, both in tra- gedy and comedy. In his person he was genteel and well made ; his judgment was critical and cor- rect ; his understanding of an au- thor's sense most accurately justj, and his emphasis, or manner of pointing out that sense to the au- dience, ever constantly true, even to a musical e.\.aetness. His feelr ings were strong, and nothing could give more honourable evi- dence of his powers as an actor, than the sympathy to those sensa- tions, which was ever apparent in the audience when he thought proper to make them feel witli him. Yet, so many are the requisites that should go to the forming a capital actor, somewhat so very near absolute perfection is ex- pected in those who are to convey to us the idea, at times, of even more than mortality, that, with all the above-mentioned great quali- ties, this gentleman was still ex- cluded from the list of first-rate performers, by a deficiency in only one article, viz. thatof voice. It is probable that Mr. Ryan'a voice might not naturally have been a \ery good one, as the ca- dence of it seemed always inclin-*. 615 R Y A R Y A lible to a sharpshriil tj^ble; but an some present to make him some unlucky fray with some watermen, amends for the injury he must re- at the very earliest part of his ceive from being out of employ- theairical life, in which he re- nient ; and several of the nobility ceivcd a blow on the nose, which and gentry followed the laudable turned that feature a little out of example set -them by His Royal its place, though not so much as Highness. to occasion any deformity, made The following anecdote will an alteration in his voice also, by serve to show that the profession no means to its advantage ; yet of an actor is not always without still it continued not disgusting, serious inconvenience, and perhaps till, several years afterwards, being will display the character of a attacked in the street by some ruf- manager in no very amiable point fians, who, as it appeared after- of view. Between the years 1/40 wards, mistook him for some other and 1/50 a favourite nephew of person, he I'eceived a brace of poor Ryan died, and was to be in- pistol bullets in his mouth, which terred at Poplar, near London. broke some part of his jaw, and prevented his being able to per- form at all for a long time after- wards : and thouiih he did at The survivor petitioned Rich to be excused from playing on that night ; but the tyrant was inexo- rable. The funeral therefore was length recover from the hurt, yet appointed at an early hour, that his voice ever retained a ire- sufficient time might be gained for mulum or quaver, when drawn out our author's return to the theatre. to any length, which rendered Unluckily, however, the under- his manner very particular, and, takers were so dilatory, that the by being extremely easy to imi- mourner could only attend the re- tate, laid him much more open to mains of the deceased as far as the the powers of mimickry and ri- chapel door, where he dropped a dicule, than he would otherwise silent tear over them, that was long have been. Notwithstanding this, remembered by the spectators of however, by being always ex- this distressful occurrence, tremely perfect in the words of The friendship subsisting be» his author, and just in the speak- ing of them, added to the sensi- bility we before mentioned, an ex- act propriety in dress, and an ease tween him and his great theatrical contemporary JSIr, Quin, is well known to have been inviolable, and reflects honour on them both. and gentility of deportment on the That valuable and justly-admired stage, he remained even to the last a very deserved favourite with many; to which, moreover, his amiable character in private life did not a little contribute. And a veteran of the English stage, even when he had quilted it as to general performance, did, for some years afterwards, make an annual ap- pearance in his favourite character very striking instance of the per- of Sir John Falstatf, for the bene- sonal esteem he was held in by fit of his friend Mr. Ryan ; and the public, showed itself on nc- when, at last, he prudently de- casiou of the accident we related dined hazarding any longer that above, at which time His late Royal reputation which he had in so Highness, Frederick Prince of many hardy campaigns nobly pur- Wales, contiibated a very bcjud- chased, by adventuring ifAo the P B 4 6\d R Y A £eld under the di.^advantages of age and infira.'ity, yet, even then, in the service of that friend, he continued to exert hiir.self j and, ■when his person coiild no longer avail hira, he, to speak in F.ilstatf's language, us'd ids credit } yea, and so us'd it — that he has been known, by his interest with the nobility and gentry, to have disposed, in the rooms of Bath, among persons who could very kw of them be present at the play, of as many tickets for Mr. Ryan's benefit as have amounted to an hundred gui- neas. Indeed, all Mr. Ryan's connec- tions were such as served to show bow far he preferred the society of ■worthy men to that of more fashion- able characters. He is l:nown to have been a great -vvalkerj and ■when he meditated a sally of un- usual length, as often as he could he would prevail on the late Mr. Gibson, of Covent Garden theatre, to be his companion. But n;uch exercise not exactly suiting the dis- position and rotundity of this gen- tleman (who chose a book and his ease before a stock of health purchased at tlie rate of such un- jnerciful agitation), he was rarely to be tempted further than the out- skirts of London. Were it ovir task to describe Mr. Gibson as an actor, justice would compel ns to allow that his mode of utterance (an habitual defect) threw every line he pronounced, asTlmon savs, " into strong shudders and im- " mortal agues." Yet we should likewise add, that he was never iibsurd or ridiculous in his deport- ment, unless when driven by the tasteless obstinacy of I^Ir, Rich into parts frou) which no man, however skilful, could escape with repulation. On this account, his performance of Aper, in the tragedy E Y A of Diodesian, wocld have forced a laugh from the tortured regicide expiring on a wheel. But, " CUT inficiatus honora *< Arcuerim fama ?" In a few characters of age and simplicity, he was at once natural and affecting. We must likew ise add, that his understanding was scund, his reading extensive ; and, what should outweigh ail other eulogiums, his temper was bene- volent, and his integrity without a blemish. He died in the year 1771, during one of his aniuial excursions to Liverpool, vhere he lisd been long the decent n.aras'er of a summer theatre, fii.st raited, into consequence by Isimself, and licensed at his own personal soli- citation. After the death of an intimate friend, he bequeathed the greater part of his f./riu:ie, r n^ount- ing to upwards of eight thousand pounds, which his prudence had accuiuukited, to the poor of the town already mentioned. H'siomb in one of the churches there is marked by a few of Mr. Garrick's lines ; but the worth of the de- ceased might have entitled him even to the lasting honour wi^ich an epitaph by Dr. Johnson would certainly have conferred. Perhaps, on fu'.ure inquiry, Mr. Gibson will take his place in this work as the author, at least as the alterer, of some dr.imaiic "performance. Yet there may be readers singular enough to think that his good qualities alone were sufficient to ai.thorize our notice oi' him in the.-e contracted annals of the :-'age, and under tiie article appropriated to his friend Mr. Ryan, who, at length, in the ('/bth year of a life, fifty years of m hich he had spent in the service and entertainment of the public^ paid the great debt to 617 R Y D R Y D r.ntnre at B^th, to which place he h:;d retire i lor hib heahjj, llie 15lh of Augu«L 1 760. What entitles him to a niche in this work is, his having given to the staire a little dramatic piece^ of one act, entitled The Call trs Opera. Svo. I729. RiDEK, Thomas, is said to liave been born at Nottingham, where bis Either, who've name was Darley, M'as a printer, to which business he had brought up his son ; but who resigned the typographical for ihe mimic art, and having practiced in the country, particularly York, made his first appearance on the Irish stage, in Captain Plume fUe- crniting OJJicerJ, Dec. 7. 1757j then under the management of Mr. Sheridan : and was afterwards engaged by the succeeding ma- nager, Mr. Brown, at a handscm.e salar}' ; when he performed all the first comic parts, with Mrs. Abing- ton. He commenced manager after the death of Mr. Mossop, in 1771, and both these gentlemen held the reins about the same length of time. Mossop became director in 170I, Ryder finished his reign in 1782, and both ex- perienced the vicissitudes attend- ing Irish managements, during their ten years' government. The latter was more successful in his onset, having derived considerable assistance from an unexpected prize in the lottery. This fortunate ticket was lying for several weeks neglected, till at last Mrs. Ryder, meeting with it accidentally at her toilet, reminded her husband of it, who made inquiry, both to his surprise and satisfaction. The the- atre in Fishamble Street was now opened in opposition to him by Messrs. Vandermere, Waddy, &c. j however, he got the better of a owing to a inanccuvre. [See art. Governess, in Vol. II. p. 269.] Notwithstanding these smiles of fortune, exirava^ance soon render- ed him a distressed man. He kept his carriage, a splendid equipage, his country-house, ike. He began to build a most elegant town-house, on which he expended four thoupr^ sand pounds; and which, having been afterwards sold, unfinished, for about six hundred, very justly bore the name of Rijder's Folly. The business of a printer he for some time added to that of an actor, and set up a theatrical news- paper, which was published three tioies a week ; he also printed some of the plays in which he performed himself, altering his characters, and adapting them to his own taste and humour. Pecu- niary embarrasbUients at length ren- dered him incapable of paying his performers their salaries, and this naturally occasioned green-room disturbances J and one night that the play was commanded by the Lord Lieutenant, on the appear- ance of his Excellency, and when the bell rung for the curtain to rise, Mr. Clinch, one of his players, came on the stage, and informed the audience, that the company would no longer perform, as they had been for sonje time without receiving their money. His Ex- cellency and suite accordingly de- parted, and, to add to the insult, tJie play was ihen performed. At tills time Mr. Ryder was just re- covered from a severe fit of illness, and still kept his room ; but, on being acquainted with this singular event, he advertised, that, ill as he still was, he would appear on the stage, and lay before the public the whole circumstances. The night was fixed for his benefit : spirited contest, though chiefiy and when he canje guI, his pallid 618 R Y I> countenance so moved the audi- ence, that they called to the prompter for a chair for him. Ry- der then read several papers, for be could not, he said, trust to his memory j \vhen it appeared, that thev who were the most clamorous had the least cause for complaint. The play did not begin till almost nine o'clock ; and each performer, on his or her appearance, was re- ceived vith either applause or disapprobation, according to the manager's report. Mr. Owenson wished to have replied to Mr. Ry- der, but was not permitted. Mr. Vandermere, in consequence of this business, withdrew himself from the theatre. The poor ma- nager still endeavoured to enter- tain the public. At this time, in crder to prevent any rivalship, he rented both theatres. Smock Alley and Crow Street, the latter of which he kept open ; but not be- jng able To discharge some arrears of the former, he was persuaded to give it up; and soon found an opponent in Mr. Daly, who being too powerful for him, bankruptcy ensued, and he was at length obHged to become one of Daly's company ; but with extraordinary privileges, particularly that he was to play only what and u-heji hs pleasedj and that he was to choose whatever character he liked in every new piece. In the season of 1/8/, he made his first appear- ance at Covent Garden in Sir John Erute f Provoked IVifeJ. As he played the character in a ditferent style from that in which it had been generally represented, the critics were divided in their opi- nion, but in other characters they acknowledged his m.erit. In low comedy he was excellent, and justly admired. He died at Sandy Mount, Dublin, November 2^, l/^lj and R y M was buried in the churchyard of Drumcondra. His dramatic pieces are, 1. Like Master like Man. C. 12mo. 1770. 2. Such Things have been. Int. 1739. N. P. Ryley, SamuelWilliam. This gentleman, in the year 1793, had some concern in the liquor-trade at Manchester, which terminated unfavourably in the beginning of 179-ij since which time, we be- lieve, he has been principally oa the stage. He is author of an en- tertainment, or lecture, under the title of New Brooms '. similar to Collins's Evening Brush, which he has occasionally delivered in va- rious parts of the kingdom, but chiefly in Lancashire. The songs of this entertainment, with others, have been published in one volume 12mo. at Huddersfield, but with- out any date. The sam® volume also contains the following dra- matic pieces : 1. The Civilian; or. The Farmer iurn'd Footman. Mus. F. ] 792. 2. Roderic Random, Cora. Op. 1793. In 1808 Mr. Ryley published aa entertaining work, in three vols. 12mo. called The Itinerant ; or. Genuine Memoirs of an Actor ; in which he has very forcibly painted, from experience, the miseries in- cident to the lifp of a strolling player. Rymer, Thomas, was born in Yorkshire, and educated at the university qf Cambridge, but in what college we know not. On his settling in London, he became a member of the society of Gray's Inn, and, in 1692, succeeded Mr. Sliadwell as historiographer toKing William III. He was a man of great learning and a lover of po- etry y but, when he sets ujti for % 6ig R Y V crUi(:r, seems to prove that he has very tew of the requisites lor that character ; and was indeed almost totally disqaalllied for it, by his want of candour. The severities which he has exerted, in his Fiew pf the Trcgedie^ nf the last Jife, against the inimilabJe Shakspeare, are scarcely to be forgiven, and must surely be considered as a Jvind of sacrilege committed on the Sanctum Sanctori/m of the Muies: and that his own talents for dra- matic poetry were extremely in- ferior to those of the persons whose writings he has with so much ri- gour attacked, will be apparent to any one who will take the trouble of perusing one play, which he has given to the world, entitled Edgar. Trag. 4to. I673. But, although we cannot subscribe either to his fame or his judgment as a poet or critic, yet it cannot be Henied that he was a very ex- cellent antiquary and historian. Some of his pieces relating to our constitution are remarkably good; and his well-known, valuable, and most useful work, entitled The Fcbdera, printed in seventeen vo- lumes in folio, will stand an ever- lasting monument of his worth, his indefatigable assiduity, and clear- ness of judgment as an historical compiler. He died on the J4th day of December 1/13, and was buried in the parishrchurch of St. Clement's Danes. Ryves, Elizabeth, was the author of three dramatic pieces. R Y V \. The Prude. CO. 8vo.'l777. 2. The Triumph of Hymen. M. Svo. 1777- 3. The Debt of Honour. Com. N. P. This lady, who possessed great literary talents, died of disappoint- ment and neglect, at her lodgings in Store Street, in April ] "/QJ. She is supposed to have been the au- thor of The Hermit of Snowdon. Her poetical Ciompositions are dis- tinguished by vigour, taste, and even an air of originality. She was well acquainted with Italian and French literature, and had mada no small progress in the classics. She translated from the French, Eousaeau's Treatise on the Social Compact, and many other works of acknowledged merit, and was thought by many to have been employed several years in con- ducting the historical department of Dodsley's Annual Register ; but we believe that was not the case. A writer in The Gentleman's Ma- gazine has said of her, " A woman " more benevolent God never cre- " ated. When her affairs were " in a most poetical posture (as in- " deed tliey often were, for she " managed them but inconsider- " ately), and she lodged in an ob- " scure part of the city, she would " spend her last shillings, herself " unprovided with a dinner, in the ■' purchase of a joint of meat for a " starving family that occupied the f floor aboye her ;" yet, it seems, she herself was forsaken on her death-bed ! o. E. These initial letters are prefixed to a piece which appears jto have been ascribed to Shak- sppare^ though at that tini^ con« sidered as an imposition, contrived with a view to promote the sale of the book. Yet there appears a degree of inconsistency in tlae story^ 520 as Sliakspenre's Chrihtian name was too universally knou-n to admit of any impositioxi under flilse initiare, or for any one to mistake E. S. lor William Shakspeare. The title of the piece is Cupid's Jrhidig'ig. C. 4to. 1607. Phillips and Winslanley have coai- mitted a mistake in regard to this play, hy attribuling it to Mr. Thomas Goff, whose genius and manner of writing were as oppo- site to comedy as light to dark- ness 5 and still more so, if possible, to that ludicrous turn which runs through great part of this piece, and is particularly conspicuous in the epistle dedicatory. S. J. We find two dramatic pieces with these initials in the title-page. Coxeter, in conse- quence of some lines written by Mr. Stanley, seems of opinion that the Fi/li di Sciro was translated by Sir Edward Sherbourne ; yet, as the initials affixed to the piece do not agree w'ith that gentleman's name, and correspond perfectly with that of James Shirley, we are rather inclined to ascribe them to him. They are called, 1. FiUi di Sciro; or^ Phillis of Scyros. Past. 2. Prince of Prig's Revels. C. S. 8. Tliese initials only stand in the title-page of one play, writ- ten, or at least printed, in the reign of King James I. ; nor do we find any known author of that period with whose name these let- ters correspond. The play is en- titled The Honest Lawyer. C. 4to. 1616. S. T. These initials are affixed to the following pieces : \. Youth's Tragedy. Poem. 4to. ia7i- 2. Youth's Comedy. Dr. Poem, gvo. i6ao. SAC Sackville, Thomas, Lord BucicHURsr. This noble author, who from a private gentleman waS before his death advanced to a very high rank both in honour, fame, and fortune, was son of Richard Sackville, Esq. of Buckhurst, in the parish of Withiam, in Sussex, at which place our author was born, in the year 1536. His mo- ther's name was Winifred, the daugliter of Sir John Bruges, some time Lord Mayor of London. From his childhood he was dis- tinguished for a liveliness of wit and manliness of behaviour. He received the first part of his uni- versity education at Hart TrlaU, Oxford, yet took no degree there, but removed to Cambridge, where he did not reside long, but had the degree of master of arts con- ferred on him. He afterwards entered himself a student in the Temple, and at an early time of life was called to the bar. Here it was, probably, that his friendship and intimacy commenced with Mr, Thomas Norton, in conjunction with whom he wrote a tragedy, entitled Ferrex and Porrex, T. Svo. N. D. [1571.] It had been before surreptitious- ly printed under the title of Gorboduc. 4to. B. L. [1565.] This piece, in its original form, of which Mr. Norton wrote the first three acts, and Mr. Sackville the last two, was performed by the gentlemen of the Inner Temple at Whitehall, before Queen Eliza- beth, on the 18th of January 1501, long before' Shakspeare appeared on the stage, and when Mr. Sack- ville was only in his twenty-sixth yeai". Although the sprightliness of Mr. Sackville's genius had thus induced hira to dedicate some cf 621 SAC Jbis hours to poetry and pleasure, yet history was his favourite study, more especially that of his own country, '\n consequence of which he had formed a design of a kind of Biographia Ulu^lrium Firorum, or the lives of several great per- sonages hi verse, of which some specimens are printed in a book published in !550, called The Mir- roiir for Magistrates, the induction to which is wholly his own. This design, however, Mr. Sack- ville had not leisure or opportunity to p'.nvsue ; for his great abilities being distinguished at court, he was called forth into such a con- tinued connexion with public af- fairs, as left him no time for the execution of any of his literary plans. In the fourth and fifth years of Queen Mary, we find his name on the parliamentary lists ; and in the fifth of Queen Elizabeth, anno 15(54, when his father was elected knight of the shire for Sussex, he was returned as one of the members for Buckinghamshire. Not long after this, however, he went abroad to travel, and was de- tained for some time prisoner at Rome ; but his liberty being pro- cured him, he returned to Eng- land, to take possession of a very large inheritance, which, by his fvither's death, in 1366, devolved to him. On his return, he was knighted in 156/, in the Queen's presence, by the Duke of Norfolk, and at the same time promoted to the dignity of the peerage by the title of Baron Buckhurst. His Lordship was of so profuse a temper, that though his income was a very large one, yet his fondness for magni- ficence and expense would not per- mit him to live within it, and sometimes subjected him to con- Biderabie inconveniences. The SAC Queen's frequent admonitions on this subject, however, at length made some impression on him, and induced him to become more care- ful of his affairs. In 1573 his royal mistress sent him ambassador to Charles IX. King of France, to congratulate that prince on his marriage with the Emperor Maximilian's daugh- ter, and on other important af- fiiirsj where he was received and entertained with all those honours Avhich were due to his own merit, and the dignity of his sovereign. In 1574 we find his name men- tioned as one of the peers who sat on the trial of Thomas Howard, Duke of Non'blk, who was con- demned and executed for being concerned in a plot for recovering the liberty of Mary Queen of Scots, at which time he was also in the privy-council. He was nominated one of the commissioners for the trial of that unhappy Queen her- self j and though it does not appear that he was present at her con- demnation at Fotheringay Castle, yet, after the confirmation of her sentence, he was the person made choice of, on account of his address and tenderness of disposition, to bear the unhappy tidings to her, and see the decree put in execu- tion. In 1567 he went ambassador to the States-general, to accommodate differences in regard to some re- monstrances they had made against the conduct of the Earl of Leicester. This commission he executed with the utmost fidelity and honour j yet by it he incurred the displea- sure of Lord Burleigh, whose in- fluence with the Queen occasioned him not only to be recalled, but confined to his house for nine months. On the death of Lord Leicester, however, his interest at 62'i SAC court was renewed j be was made knight of the garter, vas one of the peers who snt on the trial of the Earl of Arundel, and was join- ed with Lord E'jrleigh in the pro- moting a peace witli Spain ; in consequence of which a treaty was Renewed with the States-general, •which, as Lord Burleigh then lay sick, was negotiated solely by Lord Bnckhurst j whereby the Queen, besides other advantages, was eased of a charge of at least 120,000/. per annum ; which, according to the value of njoney then, was not much less than equal to half a million now. On Dec. 17, 1591, he was, in consequence of several letters from the Queen in his favour, elected chancellor of the university of Ox- ford, in opposition to the Earl of SAC lilies, renewed liis patent for Iffcf as lord high treasurer, and in the ensuing year created him Earl of Dorset, and a[;pointed him one of the commissioners for executing the office of earl marshal. He did ilot, however, very long enjoy these additional honours, for on the 19th of April I6O8 he died suddenly, at the council-table/ Whitehall ; and on the 26th of May following was interred with great solemnity in Westminster Abbey, bis funeral sermon being preached by the famous Dr. Abbot, at tliat time his chaplain, but after- wards Archbishop of Canterbury. The suddenness of his death afforded some little grounds for conjecture andsuspicionj butthose were immediately put a stop to, Avhen, on opening his head, the Essex, and incorporared master of cause of his disease was found to arts ; and on Lord Burleigh's death, the Queen, as a just reward for his merits, for the service he had done his country, and the vast sums he had expended, was pleased to con- stitute him lord high treasurer. In the succeeding year he was joined in a commission with Sir Thomas Egerton and Lord 'Essex for negotiating affairs with the senate of Denmark. When the last-named nobleman and his fac- tion dispersed libels against the Q-ueen concerning the affairs of Ireland, Lord Buck hurst engaged in Her Majesty's vindication j and •when at last that poor, misguided, rash, unhappy favourite was, with his friend Southampton, brought to trial, this nobleman was consti- tuted lord high steward on the oc- casion. After the death of the Queen, her successor King James L who, even before his arrival in England, had the highest sense of Lord Buckhurst's services and great abi- be a. hydrocephalus, or little bags of water collected about the brain, which by sudden bursting must ne- cessarily occasion ihe catastrophe that followed. ilis character as a statesman and a man we need iict expatiate on, as the chronicles of our own na- tional aflV.irs during his time are all L;vibh in his praise. As a wri- ter (in which light, however, it is probable he would have shone with superior brilliance, had not ajatters of much more material importanca stopped his pen) •we have but few i^raains of hia) left ; yet, concern- ing what we have, we cannot bet- ter guide the judgment of our readers with respect to them, than by repeating the character given of \\\sFerrex andPorrex , by that elegant writer and acknowledged judge of literature. Sir Philip Sidney. " It is " (says he) full of stately speeches, " well-sounding phrasts, climbing " to the height of Seneca's style, '' and as lull of notable moraliiyj 438 SAD *' which it doth most delightfully " teach, and so obtain the very end " of poetry." Wood says, he was buried at Withiam above mentioned j but our antiquary is mistaken. Sadler, Anthony, D.D. This gentleman was son of Thomas Sadler, of Chilton, in Wiltshire, Esq. at which place he was born towards the beginning of the reign of James I. At seventeen years of age, viz. in the Lent term of the year 1O27, he was entered batler of St. Edmund's Hall, in Oxford, and, in l631, was ad- mitted to the degree of bachelor of arts, and received into holy orders ; soon after which he be- came chaplain to a gentleman in Hertfordshire, his namesake^ and most probab?y a relation. To- wards the beginning of the civil war he was curate of Bishopstoke, in Hampshire, and was afterwards chaplain to Letitia, Dowager Lady Paget ; till at length, in the year 1654, being presented to the living of Comptcn Hanway, in Dorset- shire, he was refused to pass by the Triers, which was the occasion of a troublesome contest between him and those gentlemen. Soon after this he was made vicar of Mitcham, in Surrey. But, indeed, he seems to have been a man of a turbulent disposition, for we hnd him, in the year l664, engaged in a violent quarrel with one Robert Cramer, a merchant of London, but an inhabitant of Mitcham, of whose behaviour he complains, in a little pamphlet of one sheet in quarto, eniided Strange Neivs in- deed from Mitchavi, in Surrey. Af- ter this, however, lie took Xhc de- gree of doctor of divinity, and was appointed one of His Majesty's chaplains extraordinary, in which Tank we imaciue he continued tii'l c 2 " S A I his death, which happened about the year 168O, and the 70th of his age. He was no very voluminous writer, but has left one small dra- matic piece beiiind him, written on a loyal occasion, but which we imagine, from a circumstance in the title-page, was never repre- sented. It is entitled The Suljects Joy for the King's Restoration, M. 4to. I66O. Sadler, J. was of Emmanuel College, in Cambridge. He was the author of the following play, which is ascribed to him on the authority of Archbishop Sancroft, who had subscribed the name of the writer to a copy of it in the library of the aforesaid college. It is called Masquerade du del. M. 4to. 16-10. Sadler, Thomas, appears to have been a Shropshire man j there being in print a volume of poems published at Salop, wherein is con- tained The Merry Miller ; or. The Countryman' s RamLie to London. F. 8vo. 1765. St. John, Hon. John, was brother to the late and uncle to the present Lord Viscount Bolingbroke. This gentleman was many years surveyor of the crown lands ; and in J787 published, in 4to. Obser- vations on the Land Revenue of t/i£ Crown, a very v/ell written book. His claim to notice in this work, however, rests on two dramatic production':, viz. 1. Mary Queen of Scots. T. 8vo. i/Sg. 2. h (and of St. Marguerite. O. Svo. 1739. Mr. St. John diod Oct. 8, 1703. St. Serfe, Sir Thomas. This title Jacob h.'!s given to a gentle- man v.'honi neither Langb?ine nor Gildon 'has 'dignified with any 624 SAM tiling but his plain name. He was a native of Nnrtii Britain ; and it appears, by the dedication of a pKiv which he wrote, and will be presentlj' mentioned, tljat he was in the King's service in the North of Scotland in the times of the troubles, thongh in what post is not mentioned ; yet it is evident that he ventnred his person on a service of considerable danger, no iess than that of a spy, from the following four lines which Coxecer lias quoted concerning him from .The Covent Garden Drollery, 8vo. 16/2, p. 84, viz. •' Once like a pedlar they * have heard thee brag, •' How thou didst cheat their sight, and save thy craia; ; " When to the great Montross, under pretence *' Of godly bukes, thou broughtst intel- ligtnce.'' The title of the above-mentioned play, the groundwork of which, however, is borrowed from tlie Spanish, is Tarugd's JFiles. C, 4to. l668. Langbaine gives it a good cha- racter; and among the poems of the Earl of Dorset will be found one in compliment to Sir Thomas St, Serfe, on its publication : whence we may gather, that he had been honoured with a knight- hood, though in the title-page of his play he is called Thomas St. Serfe, Gent. Sampson, William. All we can trace relating to this author is, that he lived in the reign of King Charles I. and was for some time retained in, and a dependent on, the family of Sir Henry Wil- loughby, of Richley, in Derby- shire. He was the author of, 1. The Vow Breaker. T, 4to. 163(3. * The Covenanters, SAN 2. The IFidow's Prize. C.N.?. He was also assistant to Mr. Mark- ham, in the composition of his tragedy of Herod and Antipater. 4to. l622. San])ers,Chaklotte, has writ- ten, 1 . The Little Gamester. D. 2. The Bird's Nest. D. both of which she introduced in a book for young persons, called The Little Family, 12mo. l/Q/, Sandfoud, Mr. In Mears's catalogue the following play is as- cribed to a jjerson of this name : The Female Fop ; or. The Falsi One fitted. C. 8vo. 1/24. Sandys, George. This very accomplished gentleman was a younger son of Edwin, Archbishop of York, and was born at Bishops- Thorp, in that county, in 1577. At eleven years of age he was sent to the university of Oxford, where he was matriculated of St. Mary's Hall. In the year l6lO, remarkable for the murder of that great and good prince, Henry IV. of France, Mr. Sandys set out on his travels, and, in the course of two years, made a very extensive tour, having not only travelled through several parts of Europe, but also visited many cities and countries of the East under the Turkish empire, as Constantinople, Greece, Egypt, and the Holy Land; after which, taking a view of the remote parts of Italy and the islands adjoining, he went to Rome, where he met with one Nicholas Fitzherbert, bis countryman, and formerly his fellow-student, by whom he was shown all the an- tiquities of that once renov/ned city. From thence he went to Venice, and being by this time very greatly improved, and become not only a perfect scholar but a complete gentleman^ he returned 625 SAN to his native country, where, after properly digesting the observations he had made, he published an ac- "connt of his travels in folio, which is held in very considerable esti- mation. He had also an inclina- tion for poetry ; his exercises in which, hov/ever, seem to have been mostly on religious subjects, except his translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses. He also para- phrased the Psalms, and has left behind him a translation, with iiotes, of one sacred drama, written originally by Grotlus, under the title of Christus Patiens, and which Mr. Sandys, in his translation, has called Christ's PassioT^. T. 8vo. 1640 j Svo. 1OS7. There are but few incidents known concerning our author, but all the writers who have mentioned him agree in bestowing on him the character, not only of a man of genius, but of singular worth and piety. For the most part of his latter days he lived with Sir Francis Wenman, ofCoswell, near Wit- tiey, in Oxfordshire, to whom his sister was married; probably choos- ing that situation in some measure on accotint of its proximity to Bur- ford, the retirement of his inti- mate acquaintance and valuable Yriend Lucius, Lord Viscount Falk- land. He died, however, at the house of his nephew, Sir Francis Wyat, at Bexley, in Kent, in 1643 ; and was interred in the chancel of that parish-church. He had no monument erected to his memory} but various writers have handed down the following inscription, as one that Vv'as due to his merit : *' Georgius Sandys, pcetarum Anglomm SUi CffiCuli princeps." And the high commendations given ©f him by the above-meutioneu in* YOi.. I. S A V genious nobleman, in a copy of verses addressed to Grotius on hi* Chris tus Patiens, are a most honour- able tribute to, and an imrriortal record of, our author's great worth and abilities. Sargent, John. Of this gen- tleman we only know that he is author of The mine. D. P. 4to. 1785. Savage, J. was the translatot of Celestina. T. C. Svo. I707. Savage, Puchard, one of the most remarkable characters that we have met with in all the records of biography. He was the unfor- tunate son of the most unnatural of mothers, Anne, Countess of* JNtacclesfield, who confessed that her husband, the Earl of Maccles- field, was not the father of the child, but that he was adulterousl/ begotten by the Earl of Piivers, whose name was Savage. This declaration she voluntarily made, anno 1697 (on the l6th day of January in which year our author was born, in Fox Court, Hoi born, and was christened on the ISth, under the names of Richard Smith), in order to procure a separation from her husband, with whom she had lived, for some time, on very uneasy terms. As to the truth of the fact, there was no doubt made of it ; for Lord Rivers acquiesced in her declaration, and appeared, hy the measures hs took to provide for him, to consider the child as his own. But Lady Macclesfield, who was certainly his mother, whoever was the father, had other, and less natural, sentiments, with respect to the duty which all parents owe to their offspring. Strange as it vrnj appear, the Countess looked upon her son, from the moment of his birth, with a kind of resentment and abhorrence. She resolved to s s €26 disown mitted SAY him, and therefore com- him to the care of a poor ■woman, whom she directed to educate him as her own, enjoining her never to inform him who were his real parents. The hapless infant, however, •was not wholly abandoned. The Lady Mason, mother to the Count- ess, took some charge of his edu- cation, and placed him at a gram- mar-school near St. Albans, where he went by the nan-e of his nurse. While he was at this school, his father, the Earl of Rivers, was seized •with a distemper which threatened his life 5 and, as he lay on his death-bed, he was desirous of pro- viding for this, among olhers of his natural children. Accordingly he »ent to the Countess, to inquire af- ter her son ; and she had the mon- strous cruelty to declare him dead ! The Earl, not suspecting that there could exist in nature a mother who- could thus causelessly ruin her child, without procuring any advantage to herself by so doing, believed her wicked report ; and thereupon bestov/ed upon another the sum of sis thousand pounds, which he had before bequeathed to his son by Lady Macclestield. This unnatural woman did not stop here in her enmity to, and e%en persecution of, her son. She formed a scheme, on his quitting the above-mentioned school, to have him kidnapped away to the Plantations; but this contrivance vas, by some accident, defeated. She then hatched 'another device, with the view of burying him in poverty and obscurity for the re- mainder of his days, and had him placed with a shoemaker in Hol- born. In this station, however, he did not long continue 3 for his nurse dying, he went to take care ^ the effects of his supposed rao- • S A V ther, and found in her boxes somt of Lady Mason's letters to the good woman, which informed young Savage of his birth, and the caus* of its concealment. From the moment of this dis- covery, it was natural for him to grow dissatisfied with his station and employm.ent in Holborn, He now conceived he had a right to share in the affluence of his real mother, and therefore he directly, and perhaps indiscreetly, applied to her, and made use of every art to awaken her tenderness and at- tract her regard. But in vain did he solicit this unfeeling parent; she avoided him with the utmost precaution, and took measures to prevent his ever entering her house- on any pretence whatever. Savage was at this time so touched with the discovery of his birth, that he frequently made it his practice to walk in the evening before his mother's door, in this hope of seeing her by accident ; and often did he warmly solicit her to admit him to see her; but all to no effect — he could neither soften her heart, nor open her hand. Meantime, while he was assidu- ously endeavouring to rouse the afiections of a mother, in whom all natural affection was extinct, he was destitute of the means of support, and reduced to the mi^ series of want. We are not told by what means he got rid of his obligation to the shoemaker, or whether he ever was actually bound to him ; but we now find him very difterently employed, in order ta procure a subsistence. In short, the youth had parts, and a strong in- clination toward literary pursuits, especially poetry. Necessity, how- ever, first made him an author; and he wai very oddly initiated p2^' S A V into the mysteries of the press by a little poem on a very singular subject for such a person as our young author to meddle with ; viz. the famous Bangorian con- troversy, then warmly agitated by the polemical writers of that time. This was, however, but a crude effort of uncultivated genius, of which the author was afterwards much ashamed. He then attempt- ed another kind of writing ; and, at only eighteen years of age, of- fei-ed a comedy to the stage, en-« titled Woman's a liiddlc, which, was refused by the players ; for, in fact, the piece was not Savage's pro- perty, it not being his own per- formance, but the work of a lady •who had translated it from the Spanish, and given Savage a copy of it : the story is circumstantially related in our third volume, under the above-mentioned title of this play. Two years after this, he wrote Love in a Veil, borrowed likewise from the Spanish, but with little better success than before; fcr it was acted so late in the year, that S A V In the mean time some officious person informed the good-natured knight, that his intended son-in- law had ridiculed himj which, whetlier true or notj so provoked. Sir Richard, that he withdrew his friendship from Savage, and never afterwards admitted him into his house. Mr. Wilks, however, still re- mained in his interest ; and even found means to soften the heart of Savage's mother, so far as to ob- tain from her the sum of fifty pounds, with a promise of further relief for th's her outcast offspring} but we do not find that this pro- mise was performed. Being thus obliged to depend on Mr. Wilks, he became an assiduous frequenter of the theatres j and thence the amusements of the stage ' took such possession of his mind, that he was never absent from a play in several years. In 1723 he brought on the stage his tragedy of SirThofriasOuerlury • in which he himself performed the principal character; but with so the author received scarcely any little reputation, that he used to other advantage from it than the acquaintance of Sir Richard Steele, and Mr. Wilks, the celebrated co- median, by whom he was pitied, countenanced, and relieved. The foi-mer espoused his interest with the most benevolent zeal, declar- ing that the inhumanity of his mother had given him a right to find every good man his father! Steele proposed to have established hitti in a settled scheme of life, and to have married him to a natural daughter of his, on whom he intended to bestow a thousand pounds ; but Sir Richard conduct- ed his own affairs so badly, that he found too much difHcuity in raising so considerable a sum ; on which account the marriage was delayed. blot his name out of the dramatis person3e,whenever any of the print- ed copies of the play fell into his hands. The whole profits of this performance, from the acting, printing, and the dedication, amounted to about 2Q0l. The ce- lebrated Aaron Hill was of great service to him in correcting and fitting this piece for the stage and the press; and extended his pa- tronage and good offxes still fur- ther. Savage was, like m.any other wits, a bad manager, and was ever in distress. As fast as his friends raised him out of one ditBcuhy, he - sunk into another ; and when ha found himself greatly involved, h& \yould ramble about like a vaga-« bond, with scarcely a shirt on his s s 2 6t9 S A V feSck, He was in one of these situations all the time wherein he wrote his tragedy above mention- ed; without a lodging, and often without a dinner; so that he used to scribble on scraps of paper picked up by accident, or begged in the shops which he occasionally stepped into, as thoughts occurred to him, craving the favour of the pen and ink, as it were just to take a memorandum. Mr. Hill also earnestly promoted a subscription to a volume of Mis- cellanies, by Savage ; and likewise furnished part of the poems of which the volume was composed. To this miscellany Savage wrote a preface, in which he gives an ac- count of his mother's cruelty, in a yery uncommon strain of humour. The profits of his tragedy and his miscellanies together, had now, for a time, somewhat raised poor Savage, both in circumstances and cr6'dit ; so that the world just began to behold him with a more favour- able eye than formerly, when a misfortune befel hinij by which not only his reputation but his life Kvas endangered. On the 20th of November 1727, Mr. Savage came from Richmond, •whilhei he had for some time re- tu'ed, in order to pursue his studies without interruption ; and acci- dentally meeting with two ac- ^viaintances, whose names were Marchant and Gregory, he went in with them to a cofiee-house, •where they sat drinking till it was iate. He would willingly have gone to bed in the same house, but there was not room for the whole company, and therefore they agreed to ramble aboul the streets, and divert themselves with such in- cidents as should occur, till morn- ing. Happening to discover a 3^ht in a coffee-house near Ciiar- S A V ing Cross, they went in and de- manded a room. They were told the next parlour would be empty presently 3 as a company were then paying their reckoning, in order to leave it, Marchant, not satis- tied with this answer, abruptly rushed into the room, and behaved very rudely. This produced a quarrel ; swords were drawn, and in the confusion one Mr. James Sinclair was killed. A woman servant likewise was accidentally wounded by Savage, as she was endeavouring to hold him. Savage and his companions, be* ing taken into custody, were tried for this offence, and both he and Gregory were capitally convicted of murder. Savage pleaded his own cause, and behaved with great resolution ; bvat it was too plainly proved, that he gave Sinclair his death's wound, while Gregory commanded the sword of the de- ceased. The convicts, being reconducted to prison, were heavily ironed, and remained with no hopes of life but from the royal mercy i but, can it be believed ? this his own mother (yes, it may be be- lieved of her) endeavoured to in- tercept. She was now in hopes of entirely getting rid of him for ever; and that the last chance for his life might be totally turned against him, she had the horrible inhumanity to prejudice theQueen against him at this critical junc- ture, by telling Her Majesty the most malicious stories, and even downriglit falsehoods, of her un- happy son ; which so far answered her diabolical purpose, that for a long while the Queen totally re- jected all petitions that were offer- ed to her in favour of this un- happy man. At length, however, compassion 659 S A V raiseJ him a friend, whose rank and character were too eminent to fail of success : this was the ami- able Countess of Hertford, after- wards Dutchess of Somerset, who laid before the Queen a true ac- count of the extraordinary story and sufferings of poor Savage ; and, iu consequence of such sea- sonable and powerful interposition in his favour, he was soon after admitted to bail ; and in March 1/28 he pleaded the royal pardon, to which also tlie petition deli- vered to His Majesty by the Lord Tyrconnel, and the solicitations in his behalf made to Sir R. Wal- pole by Mrs. Olufieid, were not a little conducive. Though misfortune made an im- pression on the mind of tlie indis- creet Savage, it had not suflicient weight with him to produce a thorough change in his life and manners. He seems to have been fated to be wretched throughout the ■whole of his life. He had now recovered his liberty, but he had no means of subsistence. The lucky thought now struck him (lucky indeed, had he known how to have improved it to the most advantage), that he might compel his mother to do something for him, and extort from her, by a lampoon, what she refused to na- tural affection. He threatened, that he would severely expose her, and the expedient proved success- ful. Whether shame prevailed with her, or whether her relations had mere delicacy than herself, is not very clear j but the event might have made Savage happy for tlie remainder of his days, had he pos- sessed b\Tt common prudence. In short. Lord Tyrconnel received him into his family, treated him upon an equal footing, and allowed him 5100/. a year. S A V Savage wns now, for once, r^n the top of Fortune's wheel ; but, alas ! his head soon grew giddy, his brain turned, and down he came headlong, with such a fall as he never could recover. For some time he lived with his noble friend in the utmost ease and af- fluence ; and the world seemed to smile upon him, as though he had never experienced the shghtest of its frowns. This interval of pro- sperity furnished him with oppor- tunities of enlarging his know- ledge of human nature, by con- templating life from its highest gradation to iis lowest; and in this gay period of his days he publish- ed The If'andeiTr, a moral poem, which was approved by Mr. Pop«, and which the author himself con- sidered as his masterpiece. It was addressed to the Earl of Tyrconnel, with the highest strains of pane- gyric. These praise;, however, in a short time, he found himself in- clined to retract, being discarded by the nobleman on whom he had bestowed them. The cause assigned by his Lord- ship, for withdrawing his protec- tion from this ill-fated man, was, that Savage was guilty of the most abandoned behaviour, introducing; company into his house, with whom he practised the most licen- tious frolics, and committed all th« outrages of drunkenness : more-? over, that he pawned or sold the books of which his Lordship had made him a present, so that he had often the morti.hcation to see therri exposed to sale upon stalls. On the other hand, Savage alleged, that Lord Tyrconnel quarrelled with him, because he would not subtract from his own luxury what he had promised to allow him j but this is by no means probable-. Our author's kno\i-a charactisf 630 S A V plenc^s too strongly against him ; Jor his conduct was ever such as made all his friends, sooner or later, grow weary of him ; and even forced most of tliem to be- come his enemies. Being thus once more turned jadrift upon the world. Savage, whose passions were very strong, and whose gratitude was very small, became extremely diligent in ex- posing the faults of Lord Tyr- connel ; and he, moreover, now thought himself again at liberty to take his revenge upon his mo- ther. Accordingly, be wrote The Bastard, a poem, remarkable for the vivacity in the beginning, where he finely enumerates the imaginary advantages of base birth, and for the pathetic conclusion, wherein he recounts the real cala- mities which he suffered by the crime of his parents. The reader will not be displeased with a tran- script of some of the lines in the opening of the poem, as a speci- men of this w riser's spirit and man- ner of versification : *' Blest he the bastard's birth ' throigh wondrous ways " He shines eccentric like a comet's blaze. " No sickly fruit of faint compliance he ; " He! stauip'd in Natuie's mint with ccsiacy ! •* He lives to build, not boast, a gen'rcus race; " Nottnth transmitter of a foolish face. — ** He, kindling from within, requires no flame, *' He glories in a bastard's glowing name. *' — ]Satu:e's unbounded son, he stands alone, " His heart unbiass'd, and his mind his own. ** — O mother ! yet no mother ! — 't is to you *' My thanks for such distinguish'dclaims are due." This poem had an extraordinary sale ; and its appearance happcn- S A V ing at the time when his mother was at Bath, many persons there took frequent opportunities of re- peating passages from The Bastard in her hearing ; so that she was obliged to fly the place, and take shelter in London. Some time after this. Savage formed the resolution of applying to the Queen j who having once given him life, he hoped she might further extend her goodness to him, by enabling him to support it. With this view he published a poem en her birih-day, which he entitled ThcViduntcer-Laureot. He had not, at thai lime, one friend to present his verses to Her Ma- jesty ; who, nevertheless, senthira fifty pounds, with an intimation that he might annually expect the same bounty. Accordingly he coii- tinucd to pay Her Majesty this compliment on every ensuingbirth- day, and had the honour of pre- senting his con^positions, and of kissing Her Majesty's hand. But satire was rather his turn than panegyric ; and, among other exercises of Iris propensity this way, was a lampoon upon the clergy, with a view to expose the Bishop of London, who was then en- gaged in a dispute with the Lord Chancellor, which, being the sub- ject of general conversation, fur- nished Savage with a popular to- pic. The piece was entitled The Progress of a Divine; in which he painted the character of a profli- gate priest in such odious colours, as drew upon him the utmost re- sentment of the ecclesiastics ; who ende::.voured to take their revenge on him by a prosecution in the King's Bench for obscenity, in re- gard to some passages in this per- formance. In answer to this charge. Savage justly pleaded that he had only iutroduced obscene ideas with 631 S A V tlje view of exposing them to de- testation, and of diseouniging vice by siiowing its deformity- As tlie reotitnde of this plea was obvions, it was readily admitced by Sir PhilipYorke, afterwards lord chan- cellor, who then presided in that court, and who accordingly dis- missed the information. But, though Savage found so many friends, and had so many resources and supplies, he was ever in distress. The Queen's annual allowance was nothing to a man of his strange and s-ingnlar extra- vasance. His usual custom was. SAY prime-minister, was warmly sa- licited in his tavour. But, thousk promises were made, nothing mora than promises were obtained from that celebrated statesman. Whe-. ther it was that some enemy to Savage hinted to Sir Robert, that any thing done for that unhappy- man would be a mere waste of benevolence, and charity utterly thrown away, or to whatever cause it was owing, certain it is, that our author's disappointment, with respect to his expectations from this minister, could not pro- ceed from any want of generosity as soon as he had received his pen- in Sir Robert, who was confessedly sion, to disappear with it, and a most munificent patron and secrete himself from his most in- bounteous rewarder of literary me- timate friends, till every shilling rit, especially where men of let ■ of the fifty pounds was spent ; which done, he again appeared, pennyless as before : but he would never inform any person where he Lad been, nor in what manner his money had been dissipated. From the reports, however, of some who found means to penetrate his haunts, it would seem that he ex- pended both his time and his cash ill the most sordid and despicable sensuality ; particularly in eating and drinking, in which he u^ould indulge in the most unsocial man- ner, sitting whole days and nights by iiiniseJf, in obscure houses of of a glasshouse ters employed their talents in his service. His poverty still increasing, he was even reduced so low as to be destitute of a lodging; insomuch that he often passed his nights in those mean houses which are set open for casual wanderers ; some-' times in cellars, amidst the riot and filth of the most profligate of the rabble ; and not seldom would he walk the. streets till he was weary, and then lie down (in sum- mer) on a bulk, or (in winter) with his associates among the ashes entertainment, over his bottle and trencher, immersed in filth and sloth, with scarcely decent apparel; generally wrapped up in a horse- man's great coat; and, on the "whole, with his veiy homely coun- tenance and figure altogether ex- hibiting an object the most dis- gusting to the sight, if not to some other of the senses. His wit and parts, however, still raised liim new friends as fast a? bis misbehaviour lost him his old Yet, amidst all t!)is penury and wretchedness, had this man so much pride, so high an opinion of his own merit, that he ever kept up his spirits, and was always rea- dy to repress, with scorn and con- tempt, the least appearance of any slight or indignity towards him- self, in the behaviour of his ac- quaintance, among whom he look- ed upon none as his superior : he would he treated as an equal, even by persons of the highest rank! cn©i } and Sir R. Walpole^ the We have an iu&tance of this pre*- S s 4 e^% S A V posterous ajid inconsistent pri Jc^ in Iiis refusing to wait upon a gen- tleman wIjo was desirous of reliev- ing him when at ihe lowest ebb of distress, only because the mes- sage signified the gentleman's de- sire to see him at nine o'clock in the morning : Savage could not bear that any one should presume to prescribe the hour of his at- tendance, and therefore he ab- solutely rejected theprofl'ered kind- ness. This life, unhappy as it may be already imagined, was yet render- ed more unhappy by the death of the Queen in 1738 ; which stroke deprived him of all hopes from the court. His pension was dis- continued; and the insolent man- ner in which he demanded of Sir Kobert Walpole to have it restor- ed, for ever cut off this consider- able supply ; which possibly had been only delayed, and might have been recovered by proper appli- cation. His distress now became so great and so notorious, that a scheme was at length concerted for procuring him a permanent relief. It was proposed that he should retire into Wales, with an allowance of 50/. per annum j on Avhich he was to live privately, in a cheap place, for ever quitting his town-haunts, and resigning all further pretensions to fame. I'his offer he seeuied gladly to accept ; but his intentions were only to de- ceive his friends, by retiring for a •while, to write another tragedy, and then to return with it to Lon- don, in order to bring it upon tlie stage. In 1739 he set out for Swansey in the Bristol stage-coach, and was furnished with lifteen guineas to bear the expense of his journev : ^ut, on the i4th day after his S A V departure, his friends and bene* factors, the principal of whom wa« no other than the great Mr. Pope, who expected to hear of his ar- rival in Wales, were surprised with a letter from Savage, inform- ing thetii that he was yet upon the road, and could not proceed for want of money. There was no other remedy than a remittance ; wliich was sent him, and by the help of which he was enabled to reach. Biistol, from whence he was to proceed to Swansey by water. At Bristol, however, ho found an embargo laid upon the shipping ; so that he could not im- mediately obtain a passage. Here, therefore, being obliged to stay for some time, he, with his usual fa- cilitVj so ingratiated himself wili^ the principal inhabitants, that he was frequently invited to their houses, distinguished at their pub- lic entertainments, and treated with a regard that highly gratified his vanity, and therefore easily en- gaged his affections. At length, with great reluctance, he proceed- ed to Swansey, where he lived about a year, very pnuch dissatis- fied with the diminution of his salar}'^ ; for he had, in his letters, treated his contributors so inso- lently, that most of them with- drew their subscriptions. Here he finished his tragedy, and resolved to return with it to London ; which was strenuously opposed by his great and constant friend Mr. Pope; who proposed that Savage sliould put this play into the hands of Mr. Thomson and Mr. Mallet, in order that they might fit it for tlie stage ; that his friends should receive the profits it might bring in ; and that the author should receive the produce by way of annuity. This kind and prudent scheme was rejected by Sava^i^ p33 S A V Vith the utmost contetTipt. He declared he would not submit his works to any -one's correciicn ; and that he would no longer be kept hi leading-strings. Accord- 'ingly he soon returned to Bristol, in his way to London j bur at Bristol meeting with a repelitioa of the same kind treatment he had before found there, he was tempt- ed to make a second stay in that opulent city, for some time. Here he was again not oidy caressed and treated, but the sum cf thirty pounds w^as raised for him, with which it had been happy if he had immediately departed for London : but lie never considered that a fre- quent repetition of such kindness was not to be expected, and that it was possible to tire out the ge- nerosity of his Bristol friends, as Jie had before tired his friends every where else. In short, he remained here till his company was no longer welcome. His vi- sits in every family were too often repeated ; his wit had lost its no- velty, and his irregular behaviour grew troublesome. Necessity came upon him before he was aware ; Jhis money was spent, his clothes were worn out, his appearance was shabby, and his presence was disgustful at every table. He now began to lind every man from home at whose house he called, and he found it difficult to obtain n dinner. Thus reduced, it would have been prudent in him to have withdrawn from the place; but Prudence and Savage were never acquainted. Hestayedjinthe midst of poverty, hunger, and contempt, till the mistress of a coflee-house, to whom he owed about eight pounds, arrested him for the debt. He remained for some time, at a great expense, in the house of the «|iCii|f's o^cerj in jio^^es of pro- S A V curing haO ; which expanse hs was enabled to deiVay, by a present of five guineas from Mr. Nash at Bath. No bail, however, was ta be found; so that poor Savage was at last lodged in Newgate, a prison so named, in Biistol. But it was the fortune of thi» extraordinary mortal always to find more friends than he deserved. The keeper of the prison took compassion on him, and greatly softened the jngours of his confine- ment by every kind of indul- gence J he supported him at his own table, gave him a commo- dious room to himself, allowed him to stand at the door of the gaol, and even frequently took him into the fields, for the benefit of the air and exercise : so that, in reality. Savage endured fewer hardships in this place than he had usually suffered during the greater part of his life. While he remained in this not intolerable prison, his ingratitude again broke out, in a bitter satire on the city of Bristol, to which he certainly owed great pbligations, notwithstanding the affair of iiis arrest, which was but the act of an individual, and fhat at- tended with no circumstances of injustice or cruelty. This satire he entitled London and Bristol com^ pared; and in it he abused the in- habitants of the latter with such a spirit of resentment, that tlie rea- der would irnagine he had never received any other than the most injurious treatment in that city. But this is ever the behaviour of ungrateful people. If a thousand favours are bestowed on them, and afterwards but the smallest oifenca is given, all the previous obliga- tions are immediately cancelled, and the single offence, perhaps top an imaginary one^ is returned witk 6H S A V S5 miich r.'.ncoar and resentment as if no act of friendship or kind- uess had ever existed, or Iiad the least right to be brought irAo the account j as though injuries only, •whether real or supposed, ought to be remembered, and favours to be as readily forgot, as they were liberally conferred ! When Savage had remained Sbout sis months in this hospitable prison, he received a letter from Mr. Pope (who still continued to allov/ him 20/. a year), contain- ing a charge of very atrocious in- gratitude. What were the parti- culars of this charge, we are not informed ; but, from the notorious character of the man, there is rea- son to fear that Savage was bat too justly accused. He, however, so- lemnly protested his innoce:ice 5 but he was very unusually affected on this occasion. In a few days after, he was seized with a disor- der, which at first was not suspect- ed to be dangerous; but, growing daily more languid and dejected, at last a fever seized him, and he ex- pired on the first of August 1/43, in the 46th year of his age. Thus lived, and thus died, Richard Savage, leaving behind him a character strangely chequered with vices and good qualities. Of the former we have seen a variety of instances in this abstract of his life J of the latter, his peculiar sitnation in the v.'orld gave him but few opportunities of making any considerable display. He was, however, undoubtedly a man of excellent parts ; and, had he re- ceived the full benefits of a liberal education, and had his natural talents been cultivated to the be-;t advantage, he might have made a respectable figure in life. He was ha[)py in an agreeable temper, and A Uvelv flow of wit, which made S A V his company much coveted ; nor was his judgment, both of writings and of men, inferior to his wit ; but he was too much a slave to his passions, and his passions •were too easily excited. He was warm in his friendships, but implacable in his enmity ; and his greatest fault, which is indeed (he greatest of all fiudis, was ingratitude. He seemed to suppose every thing due to his merit, and that he was little obliged to any persons for those favours which he thought it their duty to confer on him ; it is therefore the less to be wondered at, that he never rightly estimated the kind- ness of his many friends and be- nefactors, or preserved a grateful and due sense of their generosity towards him. The dramatic works of this un- happy bard, which are only two in number, have been already men- tioned ; but we must, in confor- mity to our method, here recapi- tulate them : 1. Love in a Veil. Com. from the Spanish. 8vo. 1719. 2. Sir Thomas OverLury. T. 8vo. 1724. To which may be added a second tragedy on the subject of the lat- ter, which he had begun to writ* daring his residence in Wales. This he left in pawn with the gaoler at Bristol, with whom it remained when our author died. On that event it was bought by Mr. Cave for seven guineas, and laid by among his own papers, where it was found many years after. It was then put into th« hands of Mr. William Woodfall, who made some alterations in it himself, and received others from both Mr. Garrick and Mr. Col- man. These, however, consisted chiefly of transpositions. When completed^ it wa* produced » ait CSS SAY Covent Garden, in the year 17/7, and acted with ;ippl3U:-e. The works of this original wri- ter, after having long lain dispersed in magazines and fugitive publica- tions, were collected and published by Mr. T. Evans, bookseller, iu the Strand, in an elegant edition, in 2 vols. Svo. to which are pre- fixed, the admirable INIemoirs of Savage, written by Dr. Samuel Johnson. Saville, Johk, was author of Ki?2g James his Entertainment at Theolalds. 4to. l603. Saunders, Charles, a young gentleman, who lived in the reign of King Charles II. whose wit, Langbaine informs us, began to bud as early as that of the incom- parable Cowley 5 and was, like him, a king's scholar at Westmin- ster school at the time when he vrote a play, viz. Tamerlane the Grea/.T.4to.l(3S 1 . Mr. Banks has complimented our young author in a copy of verses prefixed to this play ; and Mr. Dryden did him the honour of writing the prologue to it. Whe- ther the stroke of fate deprived the world soon of this promising geniu';, we know not; but there are no later fruits of it on record in the dramatic lists, Sayeus, Frank, M. D. This gentleman has obliged the world with an Svo. volume of Miscella- nies, Antiijuarian and Historical ; and also (which gives him a place in our work) with Dramatic Sketches of the Ancient Northern Mi/lhology, 4to, 1790; exhibiting much genius and taste, in the fol- lowing pieces: '• ' Frea. Moina. Stamo. They had reached a fourth edition itt itiO/. S C H ScAWEN, John, an officer ift the army, who wrote two drami* tic pieces, viz, 1. The Girlin Siylc. F. 1786". N. P. 2. New Spain. Op. Svo, I7g0. This gentleman will be remeni- bered by some of our readers, at having fought a duel at Lisle, ia 1773, with the famous George Ro- bert Fitzgerald, of Ireland, whos© vindictive disposition brought him at last to an ignominious end. The quarrel began at Vauxhall ; where Fitzgerald's companion. Captain Croft, had high words with the Rev, Mr. Bate Dudley, en account of some misbehaviour to Mrs. Hartley, an actress who be- longed to Covent Garden Theatre. ScHiNK, A. This gentleman translated The Stranger, Com. Svo. 1793. SCHOMBEKG, RaLPH, M, D, A son of Dr. Isaac Schomberg, who was not more remarkable on account of his contest with the college of physicians, than for his engaging manners and his social virtues. These indeed were hap- pily transmitted in the person of the late Dr. Isaac Schomberg, ano- ther of his sons, who by death escaped the lasting disgrace which his brother's conduct accumulated on a very amiable family. Our author had been long a scribbler without genius orveracity, Happy, at least in point of fortune, and his ovv'u conceit, he might have remained, if the rollery ofaspital, hereafter alluded to, had been the only one upon record against him. In the year 1767 he published a work, entitled A Critical Disserta- tion on the Characters and Writings of Pindar and Horace : in a Letter to the Right Honouralle the Earl of B . This, as the Monthly fie\7ewers truly observe, ia a r^ 635 S C H msrisable instance of plagiarism. *• We have now (say these gentle- •' men) before ns a little duode- '-* cimo, printed at Paris in 1073, *• and entitled Cnmparaison de *' Pindare et d' Horace, dedk'e a ** Mons. le Premier President. Par *' Mons. Blonde //., Muistre dcs Ma- *' ihematiques a Monseigneur le ** Dauphin. From this work has *' Dr. Ralph Schoniberg, of Bath, *' pilfered and translated what he " has given to the public as his *' OWN Crilical Dissertation on the *• Characters and JPYuings of Pin- " dar and Horace : a procedure " which requires no further ex- " planation ! But it is hoped we *' shall hear no more of this ho- *' nouraile gentleman in the repnb- *' lie of literature." The charitable hope expressed by the Reviewers, however, was not fulfilled. We did hear of our author again, and in a transaction of which we shall be forgiven if we do not le- iate the particulars. But why, it may be asked, is any page in this book encombered with his name ? As dramatic biographers, we are compelled to its insertion ; for our Doctor wrote the three follow- ing piece.5, designed for the stage. The iirst two are such wretched eftbrtsat pleasantry, that none will dispute his claim in them ; and the other performance, it was said by Mr. Garrick, who refused it, deserved as Lad a character. Their titles are, 1 . The Death of Bucephalus. Burl. Trag. 8vo. 17(55. 2. The Judgment of Paris. Burl. 6vo. I7O8. 3. Romulus and Hersilia. T. This last play was recommended by some paragraph-writei' in the public prints,, asht for immediate exhibition. There is difficulty, kowi^vcTj in ascribing tli£ slightesi SCO notice of it io any other pen th.-^n that of its author. An anonymou* drama, indeed, on the same sub- ject, and with the same title, was published in 4to. 1683; a piece concerning which the original compiler of the present work ex- pressed himself in favourableterms. Perhaps Dr. Schomberg, witli his usual freedom, might have bor- rowed, and with his usual awk- v.ardness might have spoiled it. Compare also his Life of Mcecenas with that written by Meibomius, and then esciaira with Horace; — inoveat cornicula risura Furtivis nuJata coloribus ! Even the all-swallowing vase at Bath Easton was found to nauseate our Doctor's compositions. V^'hen it was first opened, he was a constant candidate for the myrtle wreath. The wreath, however, as if endued with prescience of his future shame, persisted in avoid*» ing the .'ilightest contact with his head. Jle died at Reading, June 22, 1 7p2, in his /Sth year. Scott, Thomas, was educated a t West m i n ster sch ool , from w hen ce he was removed to the university of Cambridge, in the reign of King William III. and, during the latter part of Queen Anne's reign, he was secretary to the Earl of ilosbutgii. He was author of tlid following dramatic pieces: 1 . Mock Marriage. C. 4to. 1 696. 2. Unhappy Kindness. T. 4to. I6cj7. Scott, Thomas, wrote Edu'iii and Catherine. T. 8vo. 1793. Scott, Walter. This gentle- man is an advocate at the Scottish bar, and one of the principal clerks of the Court of Session. His claim to a place in this work he owes to a translation into English of Goethe's Gernaan play, callsd 037 SEA Cnetz of Berlichingen. T. 8V0. 1799- But he is much better known to the public as the inventor of an interesting species of })OCtry, whicli has become exreedingly j.opular. Of the old ballad itself ue had had several n)ere ii.iitatiou.s, in which the manners of antiquity were pre- served, in a style formed^ but not copied, from ancient simplicity j but Mr. Scott, we think, was the first who produced ballads of he- roic and romantic adventure, in- teresting from the faitfiful repre- sentation of the manners of former days, and the description of indi- vidual and local scenery, and at the same lime ennobled with all the poetry of an animated and fer- tile fancy. Our readers will, of course, suppose that we allude to his Minstrtlsy cf the Scottish Bor- der, Lay of the last Minstiel, Marmion, Lady of the Lake, and Duti Roderick. Mr. Scott has also appeared as an editor of Dryden's Works, in 18 vols. 8vo. and is at present, we believe, engaged on an edition of Swift's Works ; but he certainly has best distin- g,uished himself by his original compositions. Seally, John, LL. D. was born in Somersetshire, about the year IJ-^Zj ^tid received the rudi- ments of classical learning at the grammar-school in Bristol, with a view to the church. But his uncle and patron dying while he was a minor, and his father having violent objections to the idea of a poor curate, wished him to turn his thoughts to the law. He served some part of his clerkship ; bat his aversion lo that study was guch, that, by consent of parlies, his articles v.'ere cancelled. Bu- siness, therefore, being his de- signation, he was put under the ce- S K .«L lebrated Mr. PostJethwayle, whose rigid principles and conduct were so little relisiied, that, by the private assistance ot his mother, lie com- menced the lazy gentleman, the author, and dramatic censor. Her death cutting oft" his principal re- sources, he seriously began to think of turning his talents to profit. Previously, however, to this un- expected incident, in an excursion to Manchester, he was on the point of possessing an accomplish- ed young lady, with a fortune of 40,000/. J but was overtaken in their elopement by the father, at Worcester, where he lost both his mistress and prospect. The young lady was hurried into Scotland, where, about twelve months after, she fell a victim to her attachment. The lover, inconsolable for his ]o>,s, gave himself up to solitude, and the deepest melancholy. By the pressing solicitation of his friends, he again returned to the capital, and was united to a cha- racter so opposite to his own, as to poison his health, happiness, and pursuits. He was at last advised to go into the south of France; from thence he made the tour of Italy, and at Rome was chosen a memberof that celebrated academy called the Arcades. His introduc- tion vv'as by the eulogium on Go- rilla, who was, about 177-J . crown- ed the poetess of Italy. Fie began his literary career by a number of tugiiive pieces of poetry, scattered up and down in the magazines and public prints. He atterwnrds wrote, for a length of time, a po- litical paper, under the signature cf Britannicus. He also conducted for several years The Universal Museum, The Freeholder s Aloiia- zine, and was concerned in Th$ St. James's, published by Lloyd. He was also the author c: Drama- 639- S E D fic Strictures, and a great number of novels, particularly Calisto and Emira, The Favourite of Fortune, and The Young Philosopher. He likewise published two volumes of Moral Tales, two volumes of 5e//e5 Lettres (which he dedicated, by permission, to the Princess Royal), with several other works on dif- ferent branches of education. He also wrote The Jllarriage of Sir Gawaine, Op. 17S2. Sedley, Sir Charles, one of the gay wits that enlivened the pleasurable court of King Charles II. was grandson of Sir William Sedley, Bart, the muni- ficent founder of the S'ed'eian lec- ture of natural philosophy at Ox- ford, and son of Sir John Sedley, Bart, of Aylesford, in Kent, by Jiis wife Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Sir Henry Saville, Knt. the learned warden of Ivlerton Col- lege, in Oxfordj and provost of Eton. Sir Charles was born about the year iSSQ j and, after a pro- per foundation of grammar learn- ing, was sent to Oxford, wliere he was admitted a fellow-commoner of Wadham College, in LentTerm, IQj5-Q. But lie left the univer- sity without taking ?.iiy degree, and, retiring into his own coun- try, lived privately there, out of humour, as it should seem, with the governing powers, till the Re- storation of Charles II. when he came to London, in order to join in the general jubilee, the gaiety of which was both agreeable to his years, and exactly suitable to his taste and temper. He v/as soon introduced to the King; and it was not long before they, who recommended hiai to His Majesty, found they had thereby, in some me;isurc, supplanted llsemsclvcs. Sir Charles had such a distinguish- SE D ingly polite easiness in his mannffP and conversation, as set him higher in the royal notice and favour than any of the courtiers his rivals, notwithstanding they all aimed at the same turn, and some of them even excelled in it. Shadwell says, that " he has heard Sedley speak '' more wit at a supper, than all " his (Shadwell's) adversaries, put- " ting their heads together, could " zvriie in a year." The produc- tions of his pen were some plays, and several amorous poems, in which the softness of the verses was so exquisite, as to be called, by the Duke of Buckingham, Sed- ley's IFitchcrcft. " There were no " marks of genius or true poetry " to be descried (say the authors " of the Biographia BritarLuicaJ j *' the art wholly consisted in rais- " ing loose thoughts and lewd de- " sires without giving any alarm, " and so the poison worked gently " and irresistibly. Our author, " we may be sure, did not escape " the infection of his own art, or " rather was first tainted himself, '•■ before he spread the infection to " others." A very ingenious writer of th« present day, however, speaks much more f;ivourably of Sir Charles Sedley's writings. " He studied " human nature, and was distin- *•■ guished for the art of making " /iiwz5f//'agreeable, particularly to " the ladies; for the verses of Lord *' Rochester, beginning with, Sed- " ley has that prtvailing gentle art, " &c. so often quoted, allude not " to his writings, but to his per^ " sonal address" Langhorne's Effusions, &:c. Dissoluteness and debauchery were the scandalous characteristics of the times; and itwns Sir Charles's ambition to distingu'.hii himself among the forexBOst iu the fashion* OBQ S E D la June l663, our author. Lord Iiuckhurst, and Sir Thomas Ogle, were convened at a public-house in Bow Street, Covent Garden ; and, being inflamed with strong liquors, they went up to the bal- cony belonging to that house, and there showed indecent postures, and gave great ottence to the pas- sengers in the street, by very un- mannerly discharges upon them ; •which done, Sedley stripped him- gelt naked, and preached to the people in a gross and scandalous manner : whereupon a riot being raised, the mob became clamorous, and would have forced the door next to the street ; but being op- posed, the preacher and his com- pany were driven from the bal- cony, and the windows of a room into which they retired were bro- ken by the mob. The frolic being soon reported abroad, and, as per- sons of fashion were concerned ^n it, it was so much the more ag- gravated, the company were sum- moned to appear before a court of justice in We.-itniinster Hall , where, being indicted for a riot, they were all fined, and our ri\- thor was sentenced to pay 500l. After this affair. Sir Charles took a mf»re serious turn, applied himself u> business, and became a member of Parliament, in which he was a frequent speaker. We find him also in the House of Commons in the reign cf James II. whose attempts upon the con- ittitution he vigorously withstood. When the defeat of the rebels un- der the Duke of Monmouth made it necessary, in the language of the court, to have a standing army, it was opposed strongly by the gentlemen of the country party, among whom were the Earl of Dorset and Sir Charles Sedley ; QUQ of whom bore a great sway in S E D the House of Peers, and the other in that of the Commons. Their interest was so considerable in both, especially Sir Charles Sedley 's, that the King, foreseeing it v/ould be a work of the greatest difHcuky to gain their consent for the pay- ment of more troops than what were upon the establishment of the last reign, contented Jiirnself with dropping the pursuit of it, by a dissolution of the Parliament. In the same spirit, our j^atriot was very active in bringing on the Pie volution. This was thought m.ore extraordinary, as he had re- ceived favours from James : but that Prince had taken a fancy to Sir Charles's daughter (though it seems she was not very handsome), and, in consequence of his in- trigues with her, he created Miss Sedley Countess of Dorchester. This honour, so far from pleasino-, greatly shocked Sir Charles. How- ever libertine hiniself had been, yet he could not bear the thoughts of his daughter's dishonour: and, with regard to this her exaltation, he only considered it as reiidering her more conspicuously infamous. He therefore conceived a hatred for. the King J and from this, as well as other motives, readily joined to dispossess hiiu of ths throne. A witty saying of Sedley's, nri this occasion, is recorded. " I hato " ingratitude (said Sir Charles) ; "and therefore, as the- King has " made my daughter a countess, I '' will endeavour to m.ake his ''daughter a queen:" meaning the Princess Mary, married to the Prince of Orange, who dispossess- ed James of the throne at the ever-glorious Revolution. Sir Charles lived many years after the Revolution, in full pos- session of his wit and humour, and Oio SET \r^%, to the last, an agreeable companion. He died August 20, l/Oi. His drnmntic wrliii-jgs are, 1. The jMulLcrry Garden. C. -410. 1(}08. 2. Anil my and Cleopatra. T. 4to. 1677. 3. Bellamira) or, The Mistress. C. 4to. 1687. 4. Beauty the Conqueror ; or, TAf' Death of Mark Antony. T. Svo. 1702. 5. The Grumbler. C. Three Acts. Svo. 1702. 6. The Tyrant King of Crete. T. 8vo. 1702. Serres, Olivia. This lady- has published a volume, entitled Flights of Fancy, 8\"0. 1805, in which is contained The Castle of Avola. Op. There appears to be some difficulty in knowing whether we have given our fair writer her proper Chris- tian name ; for beneath her por- trait, prefixed to the above volume, and at the foot of the dedication, is Olivia Serres; while in the title-page she is called Mrs. /. 7"". Serres ; and she has lately adver- tised herself as yhs. IFilmot Serres, landscape-painter to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, au- thoress of Flights of Fancy, St. Julien, Olivias Letter of Advice to her Daughter, &:c. Settle, Elkaxah, son of Jo- seph Settle, of Dunstable, in Bed- fordshire, was born in l648 ; and, in tlie ISth year of his age, was entered commoner of Trinity Col- lege, Oxford ; but he quitted the university without taking an}'' de- gree, and came to London, where he applied himself to the study of poetry; in which he lived to make r.o inconsiderable figure. Finding the nation divided between the opiuioiio oi Whig and Tory, lie SET thought proper, on first setflng rralj in life, to join tiie Whigs, who were then, though the minor, yet a powerful party, and in support . of which he employed his talents as a writer. Afterv.-ards he chang- ed sides, turned Tory, and wroto for that party with as much zeal as he had formerly shown for the interest of the Whigs; by which we see that politicians and pa- triots were made of the same sort of stuft' in those times, as in the present. He also wrote an heroic poem on the coronation of the high and mighty monarch James 11. l685; commenced a journalist for the court, and pub- lished weekly an essay in behalf of the administration. Poor Elkanah was unfortunate in the change of his party ; for, before he had derived any solid advantage from abandoning his old friends, the Revolution took place ; and from that period, having lost his credit, he lived poor and despised, subject to all the miseries of the most abject state of indigence, and destitute of any^ advantageous and reputable connexion. In the year 1080 he was so violent a Whig, that the famous ceremony of pope-burn- ing, on the l/th of November, was intrusted to his management, and he seems to have been at that time much in the confidence of those Avho opposed governments After his change, like other con- verts, he became equally violent against those with whom he had before associated, and actually en- tered himself a trooper in King James's arm^y.at Hounslow Heath, In the latter part of his life he was so reduced as to attend a booth in Bartholomew Fair, kept by Mrs. ^Nlynns and her daughter, Mrs, Lee, and leceived a salary from iMI SET iihem for writing drolls, which generally were approved of. He also was obliged to appear in his old age as a performer in these wretched theatrical exhibitions, and, in a farce called Si. George for England, acted a dragon, en- closed in a case of green leather, of his own invention. To this circumstance Dr. Young refers in the following lines of his Epistle to Mr. Pope : " Poor Elkanah, all other changes past, •' For biead in Srtiithfield dragons his->'d at last, " Spit streams of fire to make the butchers gape, *' And found his manners suited to his shape. " Such is the fate of talents misapply'd, &c." In the end, he obtained admission into the Charterhouse, and died there, Feo. 12, 1723-4. The wri- ter of a periodical paper, called The Briton, Feb. ip, 1/24, speaks of him as then just dead, and adds, " he was a man of tall sta- " ture, red face, short black hair, " lived in the city, and had a nu- " merous poetical issue, but shared " the misfortune of several other '.' gentlemen, to survive them all." Mr. Settle's dramatic works are, 1. Carnlyses, King of Persia. T. 4to. 1671. 2. The Empress of Morocco, T. 4 to. IG73. 3. Love and Revenge. T. 4to. 1675. 4. The Conquest of China ly the Tartars. T. 4to. ld7(i. 5. Ibrahim, the Illustrious Bassa. T. 4to. 1677. 6. Pastor Fido ; or. The Faith- ful Shepherd. Past. 4to. 1677. 7. Fatal Love 5 or. The Forced Inconstancy. T. 4to. I6SO. 8. The Female Prelate: being the History of the Life and Death «f Pope Joan. T, 4to. I68O. vol.. I. S E \t Q. The Heir of Morocco. Tv 4to. 1682. 10. Distressed Innocence; ov,Th(.* Princess of Persia. T. 4to. I691. 1 1. New Athenian Comedy. 4to. 1693. 12. The Ambitious Slave ; or, A Generous Revenge. T. 4to. i.6Q4. 13. Philaster ; or. Love lies a bleeding. T. C. 4to. I695. 1-4. Yhe JVbrld in the Moon. O. 4to. 1697. 15. The J'l.rgin Prophetess ; or The Fate of Troy. An Opera. 4to. 1701. 16. The Siege of Troy. Dr.Perf. Svo. 1707. 17. City Ramble ; or. The Play house Wedding. C. 4to. N. D. [1711.] 18. The Lady's Triumph. A Comic Opera. 12mo. 1/18. This author had a pension from the city, for an annual panegyric to celebrate the festival of the lord mayor ; in consequence of which he wrote various poems, called Triumphs for the Inaugura' tion of the Lord Mayor ; the last of which was in the year 17O8, but was not represented, on ac- count of the death of Prince George, of Denmark, two days before. See Vol. III. art. Pa- geants. Besides his dramatic pieces, he published many occa- sional poems, addressed to his pa- trons. Some months before his decease, he offered a play to the managers of the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, but l.e lived not to bring it on the st?ge : it was called 19. The Expulsion of the Danes from Britain. Trag. N. P. Sewell, Dr. Geokge. This author was born, in what yerir we know not, at the college of Wind- sor, of which place his father, Mr. John Sewell, was treasurer and chapter clerk. He received his T T 643 SEW early education at Eton school, but was afterwards sent to the univer- sity of Cambridge, where he was entered ot Peter House, and there took the degree of bachelor of physic, in 1709. From thence he went over to Leyden, Avhere he studied under the famous Dr. Boer- haavej and, on his return to Lon- don, practised physic in that me- tropolis for several years; but his success wa? not sufficient to induce him to continue ihere. He then retired to Hampslead.and followed bis profc ssion with credit, reputa- tion, and profit, until three other physicians settled at the same place, after which his gains became very inconsiderable. He kept no house, but was a boarder ; was much esteemed, and so frequently invit- ed to the tables of gentlemen in the neighbourhood, that he had seldom occasion to dine at home. He died the Sth of February 1726, and was supposed at that time to be in very indigent circumstances, as he was interred on the 12th of the same month, in the meanest manner, his coffin being little better than those allotted by the parish to tlieir poor who are buried from the workhouse; neither did a single friend or relation attend him to the grave. No memorial was placed over his remains ; but they lie just under a holly-tree, which formed a part of ,a hedge- row, that was once the boundary of the churchyard. He wiis a man of an amiable disposition, and greatly esteemed anicng his acquaintance. In his political principles he was inclined to ihe Tory party, which might in some measure be the reason of his being so warm an antagonist to the Bishop of Salisbury, whose zeal had so eminently exerted itself in the cause of the Whigs. As an S H A author, he was undoubtedly pos- sessed of a considerable share of genius, and wrote in concert with several of his contt^mporary ge- niuses, pjrticuhirly in tlie Spfi tators and Tatlcrs, in the niiii volume of the latter, and the ninth of the former, in which he was principally concerned, as also in a translation of il;e Milai/iorphoses of Ovid, and an eJiiion of Shakspeare's Poems. He left oiilv one entire dramatic piece behind him, which met witii good success nt fir-;t, but has not been acted for several years past, eutitled, 1. Sir Waller Ralei oh. T. Svo. 1719- 2. Kit/g Richard the First. Svo. 172s. This consists only of a few fiagmeiits. SuAHWELL, Charles. This gentleman, Jacob tells us, was nephew to the poet laureat, whose lite we shall record in the next ar- ticle. But ^^'hincop makes him more nearly relited, being, as he says, his younger son. He had served in Portugal, and enjoyed a post in the revenue in Dublin, in which city he died on the 12lh of August 1726. He wrote seven dramatic pieces, the titles of which are, 1. Fair quaher of Deal. C. 4to, 1710. 2. Humours of the Army. C. 4to. 1713. 3. Hasty Wedding. C. 4. Shtitn Prime. C. 5. Ri:lheric O'Connor. T. . 6. f'.'otiiug Loners. F. 7. /risk Hospitalitj/. Com. AU these, excepting The Fair Quaker of Deal, and The Humours if the Army, made tlieir appear- ance on the Irish stage only, and are printed together in one volume, in 12nio. 1720. Mears ascribes to him auotbcr 643^ S H A play, which, we suppose, was never printed ; entitled, 8. The Conscientious Lovers. C. Shadwell, Thomas, Poet- laureat to King William III. was descended from an ancient family in Staffordshire, and was born ^bout the year lO'lO, at Lauton Hgll, in Norfolk, a seat belonging to his father, who was bred to the law; but, having an ample for- tune, did not trouble himself with the practice, choosing rather to serve his country as a justice of peace. He was in that commission for three counties, Middlesex, Nor- folk, and Suflblk, and discharged the otfice with distinguished abi- lity and exact integrity. In the civil wars he was a great sufferer for the royal cause ; so that, hav- ing a numerous family, he was re- duced to tl.e necessity of selling and spending a considerable part of his estate, to support it. In these circv\mstances he resolved to breed his son to his own profession ; but the young gentleman, having as little disposition to plod in the drudgery of the law, as his father had, quitted the Temple, and re- solved to travel. He had a taste, and some genius, for polite litera- ture ; and, upon his return home, falling into acquaintance with the most celebrated wits of the age, he applied himself wholly to cultivate those elegant studies which were the fashionable amusements of the times; and it was not long before he became en^.incnt in dra- matic poetry, a specimen of which appeared in a comedy, called The Sulkn Lovers ; or. The Imperti- nents ; which was acted at the Duke's Theatre. As the play was well received, he wrote a great many more comedies, which met with good success. In thi^ m'^r.n -.vhile, as it was S H A Impossible in these times to sliine among the great ones, which is the poet's ambition, without sid- ing with one of the parties. Whig or Tory, Mr. Shadwell's lot fell among the Whigs ; and, in con- sequence thereof, he was set up as a rival to Dryden. Hence there grew a mutual dislike between them; and, upon the appearance of Dryden's tragedy, called The Duke of Guise, in 1(JS3, our author was charged with having the prin- cipal hand in writing a piece, en- titled Some Reflections on the pre- tended Parallel in the Play called The Duke of Guise, in a Letter to a Friend; which was printed the same year, in four sheets, 4to. Mr. Dryden wrote a vindication of the Parallel ; and such a storm was raised, both against Shadwell and his friend Hunt, who assisted him in it, that this latter was forced to tly into Holland ; and Dryden, b)'' way of revenge upon Shadwell, wrote the bitterest sa- tire against him that ever was penned : this was the celebrated iMac-Flecknoe. See Dryden, John. In 16"8S, Dryden having dis- qualitied himself to retain the laureatship, by changing his reli- gion to that of the Pvomish church, Shadwell was made poet-laureat ; he had the misfortune, however, to enjoy his honour but a very few years ; for he died suddenly in 1692, in the fifty-second year of his age, at Clielsea, and was interred in the church there. His friend, Dr. Nicholas Rrady, preached his funeral serrnon ; wherein he assures us, that our autiior was " a man of great " honesty and integrity, and had " a real love of iruth and since- *•' vity, an inviolable fidelity and "■ strictness to his word, an un- " alterable friendship wherever he T T 2 644 S H A "■ professed it, and a much deeper " sense of reiigion, than many " others have, who pretend to it " more openl}'. His natural and *' acquired abilities (contirmes lije *•' Doctor) made hitn su:ficienuy *' remr.rkable to all that he con- *' versed with ; \try few being " equiil to him, in all the be- '' coming qualities and accom- " plisLments of a complete gen- *' tleman." After his death can^e out 7~/i? Volunteers, or. The Stock- Johbers, a comedy, acted by their Majesties' servants, with a dedica- tion to the Queen, by Mrs. Shad- well, our author's widow; and an epilogue, w'herein his character ^9 a poet is set in the best and most advantageous light ; which, per- haps, \^as judged necessary to ba- lance the very dift'erent drawing, and even abusive representation of it, by Dryden, who is generally condemned for treating our author too unmercifully, his resentment carr}'ing him beyond the bounds of truth ; for though it must be owned that Shadwell Idl vastly short of Ben Jonson, whom he set up to himself as a model of excellence, yet it is certain there are high au- thorities in favour of many oi his comedies, and the best judges of that age gave their testimony for ^hem. They have in them fine strokes of humour ; the characters are often originals, strongly mark- ed, and well sustained. Add to this, that he had the greatest ex- pedition imaginable in writing, and somelim.es produced a play in less than a month. Of iiis con- versation talents Lord Rochester gives us an idea (though with in- justice to the productions of his , pen), by saying, that if Shadwell had burnt all he wrote, and printed all he spoke, he would have had more wit and hu;noar than any S H A other poet. Besides seventeen plays, he wrote several other pieces of poetry, some of which have been comn.ended. An edition of hii v.'orks, with some account of his life and writings prefixed, was pubii.-^hed in 1 720, in four volumes, 13mo. His dramatic works are, 1 . The Sullen Lovers ; or, The Imperlhientx. C. 4to. lOdS. 2. The Royal Shepherdtss. T, C. 4to. \66g. 3. The Humourists. C. 4 to. 10'71, 4. The Miser. C. 4to. IQ72. 5. Epsom Wells. C. 4to. 16/3. Q. Isyche. T. 4to. 16/5. 7. The Liler tine. T. 4to. l^lQ. S. The Virtuoso. C. 4to. I676. 9- The History of Xinwn of Athens, the Manhatcr. P. 4to. I&78. 10. A True Widoic. C. 4to, 1079. 1 1 . The IVoman - Captain. C. 4to. 16^0. 12. The Lancashire IVitches, and Teague O'Divclly the Irish Priest. C. 4to. 1652. 13. The Squire of Alsatia. C. 4to. 16SS. 14. Bury Fair. C. 4to. I689. 15. Amorous Bigot, with the Second Part of Teague O'Divelly. C. 4to. 1690. 1(5. TheScowerers. C.4to. 1691, 17. The Volunteers ; or. The Stock-jobbers. A postluimous Co- medy, already mentioned. 4to. 1093. SHAKSPF.\i"E, William, the gre;U poet of nature, and the glory of the Biitish nation, was descend- ed of a reputable flimily •'^t Strat- ford-upon-Avon. His father was in the wool-trade, and dealt con- siderably that way. Ke had ten children, of whom our immortal poet was tl)e eldest, and was born the iStli of April 15(34. At a proper age he was put to the free- 645 S H A «chool in Stratford, where he ac- quired the rudiments of grammar- learning. Whether he ciiicovered at this time any extraordinary ge- nius or inclination for literature, is uncertain. His father had no design to make a scholar of him ; on the contrary, he took him early from school, and employed him in his own business 3 but he did not continue long in it, at lea-^t under control ; for at seventeen years of age he married, com- menced master of a family, and be- came a parent before he was out of his miriority. He is now sup- posed to have settled in business for himself, and to have had no other thoughts than of pursuing the wool-trade; when, happening to fall into acquaintance with some persons who followed the practice of deer-stealing, he was prevailed upon to engage with them in rob- bing Sir Thomas Lucy's park, near Stratford. The injury being repeated more than once, that gentleman was provoked to enter a prosecution against the delin- quents ; and Shakspeare, in re- venge, made him the subject of a ballad, which, tradition soys, was pointed with so much bitterness, that it became unsafe for the au- thor to stay anr longer in the country. To escape the law, he fled to LoHi'on, where, as might be expected from a man of wit and hufuour in his circumstances, he threw himself among the play- ers. Thus was this grand lumi- nary driven, by a very untoward accident, into his genuine and proper sphere. His fiist admission into the play- house was suitable to his appear- ance ; a stranger, and ignorant of the art, he was glad to be taken into the company in a very mean rankj nor did his performance SKA recommendhim to anydistinguish- ed notice. The part of an under- actor neither engaged nor deserved his attention. It was far from fill- ing, or being adequate to, the powers of his mind ; and there- fore he turned the advantage which that situation afforded him, to a higher and nobler use. Having, by practice and observation, ac- quainted himself with the mecha- nical economy of the theatre, his native genius supplied the rest: but the whole view of his first at- tempts in stage-poetry leing to procure a subsistence, he directed his endeavours solely to hit the taste and humour that then pre- vailed among the meaner sort of people, of whom his audience was generally composed ; and there- fore his images of life were drawn from those of an inferior rank< Thus did Shakspeare set out, with Rule advantage of education, no advice or assistance ot the learned, no patronage of the better sort> or any acquaintance among them. But when his performances had meri ed the protection of his prince, and the encouragement of the court had succeeded to that of the town, the works of l;is riper years were miinifij.^tly rai-ed atjove the level of his former pr<^duct!OP..s. In this way of writing he was an absolute original, and of Fuch a peculiar cast, as hath perpetually raised and confounded the emu- lation of his succes-sor-; ; a com- pound of such very singular ble- mishes, as well as beauties> that these latter have not more mocked the toil of every aspiring under- taker to emulate them, than the former, as flaws intimately united to diamonds, have balBed every attempt of the ablest artists to take them out without spoiling the whole. It is said, that Queen X T 3 64$ S H A so much Eiizabelh was so much pleaded with the delightful character of Sir John luilstaft", in the two parts of Henry the Fourth, that she com- manded tlie author to continue it for one play more, and to show the Knight in love ; which he executed inimitably, in The Merry Wives of irindsor. The late Dr. Gregory, in his Letters on Literature, Taste, aud Composition, has tlius panegyrised our author : " His dramas, after " a lapse of two centuries, are " still gazed at with unabated ar- " dour by the populace, are still *' read with animation by the " scholar. They interest the old " and the young, the gallery and " the pit, the people and the cri- " tic. At their representation, ap- " petite is never palled, expecta- •' tion never disappointed. The " changes of fashion have not cast ** him into shade, the variations " of language have not rendered " him obsolete. His plots are " lively, and command attention ; " his characters are still new and "striking; and his wit is fertile, " even to exuberance." The names of l)is patrons are now unknown, except that of the Earl of Southarnpton, who is par- ticularly honoured by him, in the dedication of two poems, Fenus and Adouis, and The Rape of Lu- crece; in the latter especially he expresses himself in such terms, as gives countenance to what is re- lated of that patron's distinguished generosity to him. In the begin- ning of King James I.'s reign (if not sooner) he was one of the principal managers of the play- house, and continued in it several years afterwards ; till, having ac- quired such a fortune as satisfied his moderate wishes and views in life, he quitted the stage and all S H A other business, and passed the re- mainder of his time in an honour- able ease, at his native town of Stratford, where he lived in a handsome house of liis own pur- chasing, to which he gave the name of New Place ; and he had the good fortune to save it from the flames, in the dreadful fire that consumed the greater part of the town, in lCJ14. In the beginning of the year I61G, he made his will, wherein he testified his respect to his quon- dam partners in the theatre. He appointed his youngest daughter, jointly with her husband, execu- tors, and bequeathed to them the best part of his estate, of which they came into the possession not long after. He died on the 23d of April following, being the fifty- third year of his age, and was in- terred among his ancestors, on the north side of the chancel, in the great church at Stratford, where there is a handsome monument erected for him, inscribed with the following elegiac distich in Latin : Judicio Pylium, Genio Socratem, Arte Maronem, Terra tegit, Populu? moeret, Olympus habet. In the year 17'40, another very noble one was raised to his me- mory, at the public expense, in Westminster Abbey, an ample con- tribution for this purpose being made, upon exhibiting his tragedy of Julius Caesar, at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, April 28, 1738. Seven years after his death, his plays were collected and pub- lished, in 1623, in folio, by two of his principal friends in the com- pany of comedians, Heminge and Condell ; who, perhaps, likewise corrected a second edition, in folio, 1032. Though both these were extremely faulty, yet they ar« m^ S H A much less so thnn the editions, in folio, of the yenrs 1004 and \6S5, nor was any better at- tempted until l/Of), when a fifih was published, in bvo. by Mr. Nicholas Rowe, but with few if any corrections ; only he prefixed some account of the author's lite and writings. But the plays being almost in t.he same mrmsjled con- dition as at first, Mr. Pope was prevailed upon to undertake the task of clearing away the rubbish, and reducing them to a better or- der; and accordingly he printed a new edition of them in 1/23, in ■4 to. Hereupon Mr. Lewis Theo- bald, after many years spent in the same task, published a piece, call- ed Skakstyeare restoreH, 4to. 1 /'iQ, which was followed by a new edi- tion of Shakspeare's works, in 1733, by the same author, repub- lished in \7A0. In 1744 Sir Tho- mas Hanmer published, at Oxford, a pomi)ous edition, with emenda- tions, in six volumes, 4to. The late Dr, Warburton, Bishop of Gloucester, added another new edition, with a great number of corrections, in 17*i7- This was succeeded by other editions, viz. that of Dr. Jnhuson, in 8 vols. Svo. \yQ5. Twenty of the old <]uartos by Mr. Steevens, 4 vols. Svo. lydQ. Of all the plays by Mr. Capell, 10 vols, crown Svo. 1768. Hanmer's quarto repub- lished at Oxford 177^ j 3 "cw edition in 10 vols. Svo. 1773, by Johnson and Steevens ; a second impression of the same work, with corrections and additions, 177^; a third edition of the same, edited by Mr. Isaac Reed, in 10 vols. 1785 ; an edition by Mr. Malone, in 10 vols. 1790 ; an edition, re- vised by Mr. Reed, in 15 vols. 1793; another, by Joseph Rann, A.M. in 8 vols. 1 784)- 1793 ; and S H A an enlarged edition, by Mr. Reed, with tlie last additions and correc- tions of Mr. Steevens, in 21 v81s. Svo. 1803. We have confined ourselves, in the foregoing detail, to editions by actual con.mentators ; for, room would fail us, to enumerate the endless variety of shapes and sizes in uhic.'i Shakspeare's dramas have been printed in this country. Of tllO'^e editions professedly pub- lished with notes selected from the labours of various commentators, we must restrict ourselves to the mention of two; namely, those by Mr. Nichols, in 8 vols. 1797, and by Mr. Alexander Chalmers, in 10 vols. Svo. 1805. The magnificent edition published byMessrs.Boydell and Nicol, however, it were unpar- donable to pass over unnoticed ; it is, indeed, a most splendid monu- ment to the fame of the sweet swan of Avon. Lest it should be thought sin- gular, that the plays of Shak- speare remain unindebted for the least correction, or explanation, to our heroes of the stage who have been so often styled his lest com- inentators, it is time to remark, that this sentiment, though long and confidently repeated, has little pretension to the degree of credit which it should seem to h:ive obtained. How far the rules of gram.mar have been observed or violated, cannot be known from attitude or grimace; nor can ob- scure or corrupted passages be il- lustrated or restored by gesture or vociferation. Tlie utmost a player can do, is, to deliver lines which he understands, with propriety, ener- gy, and grace. Here his power commences, and here it ends. It is necessary therefore that the loud and indistinct applause which has hitherto been lavished ou the T T 4 64$ S H A idea of histrionic commerilator- shrp, should be confined within its proper bounds, and that a line of separation should be drawn between the offices and requisites of the scholar and the nnmic, between the undertaking that demands some degree of capacity and learning, and that which may be satisfactorily executed by the mere aid of imitation and sensibi- lity. A late actress of unrivalled excellence in both tragedy and comedy, together with a young actor of the highest promise, were known to have possessed under- standings of no greater extent than the platform on which they trod. They were happy in a strong theatrical conception, and from that single circumstance their suc- cess was derived. — New monu- ments, however, are continually rising to honour Shakspeare's ge- nius in the learned world ; and we must not conclude, without adding another testimony of the veneration paid to his manes by the public in general, which is, that a mulberry-.tree, planted upon his estate by the hands of this revered bard, was cut down not many years ago, and the wood, being converted to several domestic uses, was all eagerly bought at a high price, and each single piece trea- sured up by its purchaser, as a precious memorial of the planter, after the feller of it had been driven out of the town. The following is a list of our author's plays, specifying the years in which they are severally sup- posed to have been written. The arrangement of them is adopted from that of Mr. Malone, the ac- curacy of which, not having been disputed, we presume has received liie sanciion of the learned. 1. Titus Andronicus, 158Q. S H A 2. Love's Lalour's Lost. 1591, 3 . First Part of King Henry Vl. 1591. 4. Second Part of King Henry FL 1592. 5 . Third Part of King Henry VL 1592. Q:^ Pericles. 1592. y.'^Locrine. 1593. 8. The Two Gentlemen of Z^- rona. 1593. J). The IFinter's Tale. 1594. lO.y/ Midsummer Night" s Dream^. 1595. 11. Romeo and Juliet. 1595. 1 2. The Comedy of Errors. 1 596. 13. Hamlet. I596, 14. King John. 1596. 15. King Richard H. 1597. 16. King Richard HL 1597. 1 7 . First Part of King Henry IK 1597. 18. The Merchant of Venice. 159s. 19. All's u'ell that ends well. 1598. 20.*Sir John Oldcastle. 1598. 21. Second Part of King Henry IV. 1598. 22. King Henry V. 1599. 23.*The Puritan. I6OO. 24. Muck ado almt Notkinr;: 1600. 25. As you like it. I6OO. 26. Merry IVives of Windsor^ 1601. 27. King Henry VIII. I601. 2S.* Life and Death of Lord Cromu'elL l602. 29. Troilus and Cressida. 1602. 30. Measure for Measure. l603. 31. Cymleline. l604. 32.'^The London Prodigal. l605. 33. Kiniy Lear. l605. 34. Macbeth. 1606. 35. The Taming of the Skrfiiv, 1606. 36. Julius Ccesar. I607. 37.* A Yorkshire Tragedy. \609. 3 8 . Antonx/ and Cleopatra. 160%. Q-ig S H A 39. Cori:)lams. \6og. 40. Timnn of Athens. I61O, 41. Othello. 10] 1. 42. The Tempest. lGl2. 43. Ticelftk Night. 10" 14. The ye:irs in which the above pieces were severally printed, may be seen in the subsequent volumes, under the title of each play. The seven plays marked thus * in the above list, are omitted in most of the editions of our author's works, on a supposition that they were not written by him. They have, however, been separately re- published with great elegance and correctness, and the advantage of an ample commentary (together with all his poems), by the inge- nious Mr. Malone, in two volumes 8vo. 1/80. At present therefore every reader has the power of judging for himself. — Pericles has been admitted into the late editions of Johnson and Steevens. In Mr.Warburton's list of MSS. destroyed by his servant, is A Play hy IVill. Shakspeare. What this might be, it is almost vain to conjecture, how much soever we may regret its loss. — Query. Might it not, hov/ever, be The History of King Stephen. P. Entered on the Stationers' Com- pany's book, June 29, loOO. N.P. Sharpe, John, is author of, 1. Laura. Op. 179I, N. P. 2. Too learned hy Half. F. l2mo. [1793.] Sharpe, Lewis. This gentle- man lived in the reign of Charles I. and wrote one play, entitled The Nolle Stranger. C. 4to. 1640. Shabpham, Edwakd, was a member of the Middle Temple in the reign of James I. and wrote a play much resembling, if not bor- rowed from, Marston's comedy of The Paroiitaster. It.is erilitled S H A ThcFIfire. C. 4to. lOlO. Shaw, Samuel, was born at Repton, in the county of Derby, in the year l635, and educated at the free-school there. At the age of fourteen years he was sent to the university of Cambridge, and became a membcrof St. John's Col- lege. When he had completed his studies, he removed to Tamworth, in Warwickshire, and was usher of the free- school there, in I65Q. From Tamvvorth he removed to Mosely, a small place on the borders of Worcestershire, being invited thither by Colonel Greaves of that place, who had a great re- spect for him, and showed him much kindness. At his coming thither, he was ordained by the classical presbytery at Wirksworth, in Der- byshire j and, in 105S, obtained a presentation from the Protector to the rectory of Long Whatton, which was in the gift of the crown. In June^ the same year, he had full and free possession of this living, in which he continued until the Restoration, in JGOO. At that junc- ture, apprehending some disturb- ance, he, in September, obtained a fresh presentation under the great sealof England j but,, notv.'ithstand- ing his title was thus corroborated, interest was made with the lord chancellor, and our author was turned out of his preferment about a year before the Act of Uniformity took place. Ke was afterwards oifered his living figain, without any other condition than reordi-. nation. But he u.sed to say he would not lie to God and inan, in declaring his presbyterian ordina- tion invalid. From Whatton he removed to Cotes, a small village near Lough- borough, and during his stay there both himself and his family were afflicted witii the pliigue., being 650 SHE infected by some relations from London who came from thence to avoid it. He buried two iViends, two children, and a servant, of that distemper, during tlie proi^ress of which lie and his wife attended the sick and each other, and he him- self was forced to bury the dead in his own garden. Towards the latter end o{ the year l6G6, he removed to Asliby de la Zouch, and was chosen in loOS to be sole schoolmaster of the free-school there, which lu4 piety, learning, and temper^ sOon raised into such reputation, that the number of his scholars in- creased in so great a degree, that he had often l60 boys or more under his care. Many of these af- terwards became distinguished cha- racters in the three professions of law, physic, and divinity. He died Jan. 22, lOpf), in the 59th year of his age, leaving be- hind him the character of an up- right, modest, sensible, and mo- derate man, an ornament to his profession, and a benefactor to his country. He was the author of two dramas written for his scholars, and acted SHE soldier, a statesman, and a writer, was born in the year I0'4(). At nine years of age he lost hisfaiher; and his mother marrying again soon af- ter, the care of his education was left entirely to the conduct of a go- vernor, who, though himself a man of learning, had not that happy manner of communicating ])is knowledge whereby his pupil could reap any great improvement under him. In consequence of whicli, when became to part from his go- vernor, after having travelled with him into France, he quickly dis- covered, in the course of His con- versation with men of genius, that though he had acquired the po- liter acconiplishmenls of a gentle- man, yet that he was still greatly deficient in every part of litera- ture, and those higher excellencies, without which it is impossible to rise to any considerable degree ol eminence. Piqued at this reflection, and resolved by his own application to make amends for the fault of his governor, and recall the time he had lost, he determined, though in the height of youthful blood, and in possession of an ample fortune. by them at their breakingS'Up for two strong allurements to dissipa "" " tion, to lay a restraint on his ap- petites and passions, and dedicate for some time a certain number of hours every day to study. By this means he made an amazing pro- gress, and soon acquired a de- gree of learning, which justly en- titled him to the character he ever after maintained, of a very fine scholar. Not contented, however, with this acquisition, but as eager in the pursuit of martial as of literary glory, he again obtained a mastery over even the most irresistible of the holidays. They are called, J. JFords madevisille; or, Gram- mar and Rhetorick accommodated to the Lives and Manners of Men. Svo. ltJ7y- 2.nOIKIAO-D- January 2S, 17^-5, and that of D. D. since. He has written se- veral poetical and other perform- ances. His first publication was an Odi to Love, which :ippeared in 175ti, and wis republished under the title of The Phihgaviist. Soon after this he was engai^cd in a con- troversy with the author of y/ fVfe Inquiry into the Nature and Origin of Evil ; . and twenty years after the above date he piibiislied two octa- vo volumes, entitled Miscellanies, which contained Iiis various pro- ductions, in verse and prose, pub- lished separately during the ititer- v^al. One of these, a did.'.ctic poem, was particularly admired on its first api.»arance. His sui>sc- quent publications have been The Dyitig Here, n poem ; An Essay onEducaliun, in a letter to the late Sir William Jones ; a volume of Bivrpton Lecture Sermons on the ground and credibility of tlieChris- tian religion; additional Z)/.ermon, which hail for its text, Sajficwntfor the day is the evil thereof. On this being known, he was struck out of the list of chaplains to the Lord Lieu- tenant, and forbidden the Castle. This li\ ing Dr. Sheridan after- wards changed for tliat vf Dun- boync, which, by the knavery of the farmers and power of the gen- tlemen in the neiglibourhood, fell as low as SO/, per annum. lie gave it up for the free-school of Cavan, where he might have lived well in so cheap a country on SO/, a year salary, besides his scholars ; but the air being, as he said, too moist and unwholesome, and being disgusted with some persons who lived there, he sold the school for about 40Q/. and having soon spent the money, he grew into diseases, and died Sept. 10, 173S. Lord Corke has given the fol- lowing character of him : " Dr. " Sheridan was a schoolmaster, "■ and in many instances perfectly " well adapted for that station. " He was deeply versed in the " Greek and Roman languages, *' and in their customs and anti- " quities. He had that kind of " good nature, which absence of " mind, indolence of body, and " carelessness of fortune, produce ; " and although not over-strict in " his own conduct, yet he took " care of the morality of his "■ scholarSjwhomhesenttotheuni- " versity remarkably well found- *' ed in all kinds of classical learn- *■•' ing, and not ill instructed in the " social duties of life. He was " slovenly, indigent, and cheerful. " He kn^^^' books much better 636 SHE *' than men; and he knew the " value of money lease of all. In " this situation, and with this dis- " position. Swift listened upon '* him Lis upon a prey with which " he intended to regiJe himself *• whenever his appetite should •* prompt him." His Lordship then mentions the event of the unlucky seriiion, and adds, "This ill-starred, " good-natured, improvident man " returned to Dublin, unhinged " from all favour at court, and " even banished from the Castle. " But still he remained a punster, *' a quibbler, a fiddler, and a wit. " Not a day passed without a re- " bus, an anagram, or a madrigal. " His pen and his fiddlestrck were *' in continual motion, and yet to •' little or no purpose, if we may '' give credit to the following " verses, which shall serve as the " conclusion of his poetical cha- " racter : " With music snd poetry equally blessM, *' A bard thus Api>ll.> snobt humbly ad- cires."'d : " Great Author of poetry, music, and light, " Instructed by tbce, 1 both fiddle and writt ; •' Yet unheeded 1 scraj)c, or I scribble all dj.y, " My tunes are neglected, niy verse flung uway. -' Thy substitute heie, Vice-Apollo, dis- dains " To vouch for my numbers, or list to my stra.ins. " Thy manual sign be refuses to put " To the aits 1 produce from the pen or the f,'ut : " Be thou then propitious, great Phcebus, and grant " Relief, or reward, to my merit or want. •• Though the Dean and Delany trans- cendcntly shine, 'i O ! brighten one solo or sonnet of mine : " Make one work immortal, 't is all 1 request. •.'.Apollo iook'd pkas'd, and, resolving to jest. SHE " Replied — Honest friend, I 've consi- der'd your case, " Nor dislike your unmeaning and inno- cent face. " Your petition I grant, the boon is not g.ear.. " Your works shall continue, and heme's the receipt ; " On Rondeaus* hereafter your fiddle- strings spend, " Write verses in circles, they nevef shall end," Dr. Sheridan translated Persius, and claims a place in this work as the translator of Pliiloctetes. T. from Sophocles. Svo. 1/25. SHERIDA^J, Thomas, M. A. was son of the former, and made himself well known by his several endeavours for the promotion and improvement of the art of oratory in these kingdoms. He was, we- beiieve, born at Quilca, a little estate in the county of Cavan in Ireland, which came into the fa- mily in right of his mother, the daughter of one Mr. M'Pherson, a Scots gentlernan, who became pos- sessed of it during the troubles in Ireland. He had the honour to have Dean Swift for his godfather. The early parts of his education he received from his father, who afterwards sent him to Westminster school, at a time when he could very ill afford it. Our author was there immediately taken notice of upon examination; and, although a mere stranger, was by pure merit elected a King's scholar. But tiieir main- tenance sometimes falling short, the Doctor was so poor, that he- could not add fourteen pounds tr> enable his son to finish the year; which if he had done-, he would have been removed to a higher * A song, or peculi;ir kind of poetry,, which returns to the l.egi:init:g of the first verse, and continues in a perpetuui rotation. 657 SHE SHE class, and in another year would from his fellow-collegiansj who, in have been sped off (as the phrase »s) tiiat city, bear great sway in all the to a feilovvshij) in Oxford or Cam- bridge. Bv"ing thus recalled to Dublin, he was sent to the uni- versity there, and was chosen of the foundition; soon after obtained an exhibition, and, in \'/[iS, pro- posed to stand lor a fellowship. atfairs of public entertainment, forced him into notice and appro- bation : and, as if one period had been fixed on by Fate for awaken-" ing the almost expiring taste of both kingdoms, it was nearly at the same time that our great bril- He likewise took his degree of liant star appeared at once with M.A. Tliis course of education tinisiied, it was time for Mr. Sheridan to set forward in lifej but having no kind of interest to procure preferment had he thought of going into orders, nor any for- tune to provide for himself in any of ti)e other liberal professions till such time as his own talents might have insured his success, what step dazzling lustre in the east, and this otiier new phenomenon shone forth with almost equal lustre from the west of the theatric hemisphere. But there was a piece of service still remaining to be done to the Irish theatre, even of more im- portance than the acquisition of capital performers, and which was reserved i'ov Mr, Sheridan to ac- was to be taken became a point of complish. This was the curbing some consideration. The young gentleman's inclinations, added to the applause that he had frequently met with trom those who had been present at the delivery of some of his academical exercises, in which, though very young-, he had ac- quired great reputation as a just and critical orator, pointed his thoughts towards the theatre. That of Dublin was indeed, at t!iat time, at a very low ebb, not only with respect to the emolutnents arising from it, but also as to the theatri- cal merit of the performers, and still much more so as to the internal economy and conduct of it, and the private characters of the great- er part of its members, and con- sequently not much frequented, excepting by the younger and more licentious members of the com- munity, who went there more for the sake of indulging an inclina- tion for riot and intrigue, than from any other motive : notwithstand- ing these disadvantages, however, Mr, Sheridan's merit, and the strong support his interest met with VOL. I. ot that licentiousness which had long reigned with an unlimited empire behind the scenes, and the putting a stop to the liberties daily taken by the young and unruly among the male part of the audi- ence, who, by the prescription of custom almost immemorial, had constantly claimed a right of coming into the green-room, at- tending rehearsals, and carrying on gallantries in the most open and offensive manner, with such of the actresses as would admit of them ; while those who would not, were perpetually exposed to insult and ill-treatment. These grievances Mr. Sheridan, as soon as he be- came manager of the theatre, which was not long after his first coming on the stage, determined by degrees to remove ; and he at last happily etfected it, though not till after his having been involved in contests with perhajis the most tu- multuous audiences in the world, not only at the hazard of losing hi8 means of subsistence, but even at the risque of his life, from the re- w u C5S' SHE sentment of a set of lawless rioters, who were however, through a noble exertion of justice in the magistracy of Dublin, in the sup- port of so good a cause, at length convinced of their error, or at least of the impracticability of pursuing it any further with impunity : and thus to Mr. Sheridan's care, judg- ment, assiduity, and spirit, the theatre of Dublin stands indebted for the regularity, decorum, and propriety, with which it has since been conducted, and the reputa- tion it has acquired; it having been brought to that strictness of conduct, that neither powers of in- terest nor of violence could procure an admittance for any one behind the scenes during the time ehher of performance or rehearsal. Nor has the public been under less con- siderable obligations to this gentle- man, not only for the easy and quiet enjoyment of their most rational amusement, belt also for the very merit of the performances, in con- sequence of his introducing such a degree of regularity into them, as became a temptation to other per- sons, as well as himself (possessed of amiable characters, descended from good families, whose educa- tions had been liberal, and who were endowed v/ith those vir- tues and at I'omplishments, without v;hich theatrical excellence can never be attained), to offer their services to the public, in a pro- fession, which, for a long time, with respect to that kingdom, none but persons, indifferent to that most valuable of all earthly possessions, tiie good opinion of the world, ¥,ould venture to ;ippear in. During the space of about eight years, Mr. Sheiidan possessed this important office of manager of ilie Theatre Royal of Dublin, with all the success byrh with respect to SHE fame and fortune that could well be expected ; till at length an un- fortunate occurrence overthrew a? once the seemingly stable fabric he had so long and with so much pains been rearing, proved the shipwreck of his private fortune, and indeed hitherto the destruction of all those flourishing prospects the Irish stage seemed then to have of an established success. In the summer of the year 1 7>'54, in which the rancour of political party arose to the greatest height that it had almost ever been known to do in Dublin, Mr. Sheridan unfortunately revived a tragedy, viz. Miller's. ^l/a/iOTne^ In this play were many passages, which, though no more thaa general sentiments oi liberty, and the detestation of bri- bery and corruption in those who have the conduct of public affairs: yet being fixed on by the anti- courtiers as expressive of their own opinions in regard to certain per- sons at that time in power, thos« passages were insisted on by them to be repeated ; a demand which, on the first night of its represent* ation, was complied with by jMr. Digges, by whom the part of Al- canor, in which most of them oc- curred, was then performed. On the succeeding night, however, in consequence ofsome remonstrances which had been made by the ma- nager, on the impropriety and in- conveniences attending on such a practice, the same speeches, whea again called for by the audience, ■^ere refused by the actor j and, on some hints which he could not avoid giving of his inducement for that refusal, the manager became the object of their resentment. On his not appearing to mollify their rage by some kind of apology, thejr flew out into the most outrageous violeiiee, cut the scenery to pieces SHE M'itili their swords, tore up the benches and boxes, and, in a word, totally despoiled the theatre ; con- cluding with a resolution never more to permit Mr. Sheridan to appear on that stage. In consequence of this tumult he was obliged to place the ma- nagement of his ravaged play- house in other hands for the en- suing season, and come himself to England, where he continued till the opening of the winter of the year 1750", when the spirit of party being in some degree subsided, and Mr. Sheridan's personal opponents somewhat convinced of the im- petuous rashness of iheir proceed- ings, he returned to his native country; and, having preceded his first appearance on the stage by a public apology for such parts of ins conduct as might have been considered as exceptionable, he was again received with the high- est favour by the audience. But now, though once more seated on the throne of theatrical sovereign- ty, his reign, which had been thus disturbed by an insurrection at home, was yet to undergo a se- cond shock, from an affair still, if possible, more fatal, being no less than an invasion from abroad. Two mighty potentates from Eng- land, viz. Mr. Barry and Mr. Woodward, having found means to sound the disposition of the people of Dublin, with whom the former, exclusive of his allowed 'theatrical merit, had great interest by being their countryman, and ■finding it the opinion of many, that a second theatre in that city would be likely to meet with encourage- ment, if supported by good per- formers, immediately raised a large subscription among the nobility and gentry, set artificers to work, -erected a new playhouse in Crow 653 SHE Street during the summer season., and, having engaged a company selected from the two theatres of London, were ready for opening by the beginning of the ensuing winter. And now, at a time when Mr. Sheridan needed the greatest increase of theatrical strength, he found himself deserted by some of his principal performers, who had engaged themselves at the new house ; and, as if fate were deter- mined to combat against him, some valuable auxiliaries, which he had engaged from England, among whom were Mr. Theophilus Gib- ber, and Mr. Maddox the wire- dancer, lost their lives in the at- tempt to come to Ireland, being driven by a storm, and cast away, on the coast of Scotland. This was the finishing stroke to that ruin which had begun to Vike place, and had been so long im- pending over his head. He was now compelled entirely to throw up his whole concern with that theatre, and to seek out for some other means of providing for him- self and family. , In the year 1 757, Mr. Sheridan had published a plan, whereby he proposed to the natives of Ireland the establishment of an academy for the accomplishment of youth in every qualification necessary for a gentleman. In the formation of this design he considered the art of oratory as one of the principal essentials ; and, in order to give a stronger idea of the utility of thic art, by example as well as theory, he opened his plan to the public in two or three orations, which were so well written, and so admirably delivered, as to give the highest proofs of the abilities of the pro- poser, and his fitness for the office of superintendant of such an aca- demy ; for ^vhich post he oflfered V u 2 G60 SHE ins service to the public. Yel how it happened we know not, but, though the plan itself was in some degree carried into execution, Mr. Sheridan was unfortunately exclud- ed from any share in the conduct of it. He then came over once more to England, where he composed a course of excellent lectures un elo- cution and oratory, which he pub- licly read in the theatres of the uni- versities of Oxford and Cambridge, to numerous andelegant audiences, very considerably to his emolu- ment, and still more so to his re- putation. From thence he again came to London, where, for seve- ral years, his time seems to have been divided between the avoca- tions of his former profession (having performed frequently in some of his most favourite charac- ters in the several theatres royal), and that of reading lectures. Jn the winter of 17D3, also, he pub- lished proposals for establishing an academy for introducing the English language in its purity, both of grammar and pronunci- ation, into the kingdom of Scot- land, where moreover he had met with success in his lectures. Mr. Sheridan, in 177^> piih- iished -^ Pronoundii^ Dktionary of the English Language, and after- wards exercised the office of ma- nager of Drury Lane Theatre, un- der his son, one of the patentees. \^Sef. the next article.'] He en- tered upon this otRce with a de- termination to reform some abuses which had crept in, and particu- larly such as had arisen from the caprice of several favourite ac- , tresses. In. this pursuit, however, .he found himself counteracted; when, disdaining to continue in bis post on such ignominious i&sjiXit be r<^ipquisbe^ his sltua- S H E tion, after holding it about threa years. — ^The theatres being shut against him as a performer, he now returned to his literary avoca- tions, and engaged in a design of giving the public a complete edi- tion of the Works of Dean Swift, together with a Life of the Author, which was published in I7 vols. Svo. l/ij-i. He also read at Hick- ford'.-i Rooms, at Coachmaker*' Hail, and, in the spring of 1/85, at Free-Masons' Hall, in conjunc- tion with the late Mr. Henderson. This was his last public exhibition. The same year he visited Ireland; but during his residence there, he found his health decline, and, in the hope of re-establishing it, he came to England, and went to Margate ; intending from thence, if he found no ameuditient, to proceed to Lisbon. A short time, however, showed that he was past recovery. His strength gradually failed, he died August 14, ]78«„ and was interred at Margate. As an actor, the high station he so long maintained in the good opinion of audiences who valued themselves highly on being critical judges of theatrical performances, is surely sufficient to authorize our allowing him, if not a place in the very first rank, at least de- serving of one superior to those in the second. Nature was indeed rather niggard of her favours to him with respect to voice and person^ but the judgment in ora» torical execution, and the critical understanding of his author, which were so essentially his characteris- tics, always afforded delight to the judicious and discerning. — As a scholar, all who knew him ac- knowledged his excellencies ; and as a writer, his Es^ay on British Education, and his Course ojOrO' taricai Lectures, a* weil as tike 661 SHE SHE many little pieces, which in his own defence he was at times obliged to send forth into the world, show a depth of reasoning, a fulness of imagination, and a command of language, which are not often excelled. In the dra- matic way he only produced one original piece, and prepared three more for the stage from the works of other authors ; viz. 1. Captain 0' Blunder. Farce, 12mo. about 1/54. 2. Coriolanm. Trag. Svo.l 755. 3. Loyal Siiljecl. T. C. altered from Beaumont and Fletcher. N.P. 4. Rnuieo and Juliet. T. altered from Sh^kspeare. N. P. Sheufdan, the Right Hon. Richard Bkinsley, who has been with great propriety styled the Congreve of the present day, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Sheri- dan, mentioned in the preceding and subsequent articles. He was born atQuilca, near Dublin, about the year 1752; and at the age of six years was brought to England, and placed at Harrow school, where he received his education, under the care of Dr. Sumner. After having finished his studies at that seminary, he entered him- self of the Middle Temple society, with a view to the profession of the law; but the attractions of draniatic poetry seem to have sus- pended his ardour in that pursuit. 'At the age of eighteen, he joined with another gentlem.-in in trans- lating the epistles of Aristaf.netus from the Greek ; and, before he arrived at the age of twenty-two, his first play, The Rivals, was acted. In the year 177t>. Mr. Garrick, having resolved to quit all his thea- trical connexions, entered into a treaty with Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Linley, and Mr. Ford, for the sale «f his share and interest in- (he patent, which agreement was snftn afterwards finished, and our au- thor became one of the managers of Drury Lane Theatre. On the 13th of April 1773, he was mar- ried to Miss Elizabeth LiuIey, an accomplished lady of exquisite mu- sical talents Amidst the cares of a theatre, Mr, Sheridan had not kept clear of the concerns of the political drama. Among the con- nexions that he had formed in this way was t he late Right Hon .Charles James Fox. To that great man, then at the height of his talents, we may most probably attribute Mr. Sheridan's commencement of senatorial honours. After a variety of expectations from parliamentary interests, he offered himself a can- didate for the independent borough of Stafford, in the election of 17 80, against the gentleman who had for some years represented it, and succeeded. His connexion with Mr. Fox naturally led him to the support of his party, at that time in opposition. His first effort in Parliament was on the subject of the employment of the military during the riots arising from the Protestant petition. On the ac- cession to power of the second administration formed under the Marquis of Rockingham, in 1782, when Lord Shelburne and Mr. Fox were principal secretaries of state, and Burke was paymas- ter of the forces, Mr. Sheridan became under -secretary to his friend, and with him resigned, when the death of that Noble Marquis again changed the dispo- sition of power. Again Mr, She- ridan returned to his former exer- tions with new vigour, and, in conjunction with other persons, set up a periodical paper, called The Jesuit, which had not been long established, when its authors ren- u u 3 662 SHE dered themselves liable to a pro- secution. This was not long de- layed ; for Mr. Pitt, then just twenty-three years old, was at the head of the administration, Mr. Dundas was the treasurer of the iiavy, &:c. and Lord Shelburne at the head of the treasury-board. The powerful party under Lord North was now in opposition as well as that of Mr. Fox. A coa- lition was therefore brought about by means of Edmund Burke, the mutual friend of both, for the purpose of creating a majority against administration. — This was that celebrated coalition, against which every party joined in mu- tual recrimination. On the debate of the preliminary articles of peace (February 17, 17S3), Mr. Sheri- dan had warmly seconded Lord John Cavendish, in an amendment of the address, which went to omit the approval of the treaty. Mr. Pitt, in answer to him, thought proper to commence his speech with the following exordium : "■ No man (he said) admired " more than he did, the abilities " of that Honourable Gentle- '' man, the elegant sallies of his " thought, the gay effusions of his *' fancy, his dramatic turns, and " his epigrammatic points : and *' if they were reserved for the *' proper stage, they would no " doubt receive, what theHonour- " able Gentleman's abilities always " did receive, the plaudits of the " audience : and it would be his " fortune, * Sui plausu gavdere " tlieatri.' Bat this was not the " proper sceue for these elegan- " cies J and he therefore called " the attention of tlie House to ** the quesiion," &c. In bis reply to this, Mr. Sheri- dan said, that " On the particu- " lar sort of personality which the SHE '' Right Honourable Gentleman " had thought proper to make use " of, he need not make any com- " ment ; the propriety — the taste " — the gentlemanly point of it, " must have been obvious to the " House. But (continued he), let " me assure the Right Honourable " Gentleman, that I do now, tind " will at any time, when he " cliooses to repeat this sortof allu- " sion, meet it with the most sincere " good humour. Nay, I will say *' more — flattered and encouraged " by the Right Honourable Gen- " tleman's panegyric on my ta- " lents, if ever I again engage in " the composiiions to which he " alludes, I may be tempted to an " act of presumption — to attempt " an improvement on one of Ben " Jonson's best characters^that " of the Angry Boy in The Alchy- " mist." The Coalition triumphed for a time, and Mr. Sheridan again returned to place (April 1783), as secretary to the treasury, of which the Duke of Portland was first lord. Mr. Fox, at the same time, was secretary for foreign affairs, and Lord North for the home de- partment, while Mr. Burke, as before, was paymaster. In de- fence of the Bill for the Govern- ment of India, of his friend Mr. Fox, Sheridan evinced powers which appeared to astonish equally his auditors and the public. The time was, however, arrived when the whole men and measures of the English government were to experience a change, and Mr. Sheridan, with his friends, reced- ed into a long exile from power, on Mr. Pitt's more general assump- tion of it. — ^The latter gentleman, now became first lord of the trea- sury and chancellor of the exche- quer, with a number of new .cha,- racters in. the highest dep^rtmen^ ^§3 SHE «f the state. This did not, how- ever, interrupt Mr. Sheridan's ca- reer to excellence and importance as a parliamentary orator; for, on the trial of Mr.Haslings,arisingout C)f tlie disorders in the government of India, on which he had already distinguished himself, he was ap- ppinted a manager. The great estimation in which he then stood, may be readily conceived by the following eulo- gium, pronounced on him by Burke, upon his exertions in the above business : " He has this day surprised the " thousands, who hung with rap- " ture on his accents, by such an " array of talents, such an exhi- *' bition of capacity, such a display '' of powers, as are unparalleled " in the annals of oratory j a dis- " play that reflected the highest " honour upon himself — lustre " upon letters — renown upon Par- " lianient — glory upon the coun- " try. Of all species of rhetoric, '' of every kind of eloquence that •■' has been witnessed or recorded, *' either in ancient or modern " times ; whatever the acuteness *• of the bar, the dignity of the " senate, the solidity of the judg- *' ment-seat, and the sacred mo- "■ rality of the pulpit, have hither- " to furnished, nothing has sur- " passed, nothing has equalled, " what we have heard this day in " Westminster Hall. No holy " seer of religion, no sage, no " statesman, no orator, no man of " any description whatever, has " come up, in the one instance, *' to the pure sentiments of mo- " rality ; or in the other, to that " variety of knowledge^ force of V imaginatiop, propriety and viva- ^' city of allusion, beauty and ele- */ gance of diction, strength and " copiousness of ?tyle, pathos and SHE " sublimity of conception, to " which we have this day listened " with ardour and admiration. " From poetry up to eloquence, " there is not a species of compo- •' sition, of which a complete and " perfect specimen might not from " that single speech be culled and " collected." — Mr. Pox said, that " all he had ever heard or read, " when compared with it, dwin- " died into nothing." — Mr. Pitt acknowledged, " thai he had sur- " passed all the eloquence of an- " cient or modern times, and that " his speech (on the third charge " against Mr. Hastings) possessed " every thing that genius or art " could furnish, to agitate and " control the human mind." The next great occasion in which the powers of his eloquence were called forth, was the question of regency; in which he support- ed with great dignity the rights of his Royal Patron. Throughout the whole of this important period, the Prince of Wales honoured Mr, Sheridan with his confidence, and which has since remained with a steady constancy. About the same time he also lost his father, who died at Margate, August 14, 178S. The tnie friend of liberty. Jig always displayed himself as a ge- nuine loyalist. Duiing the me- lancholy period of the naval aiu- tiny, he said — " Whatever dif- 'f ference in political sentiments '* might prevail in the country, •" the moment was come when " His Majesty had an undoubted " right to call upon all his subjects " for their zeahnis co-operation in " niaintainiiig the due execution " of the laws, and in giving every ♦' possible efficiency to the mea- ♦' snies of Government." In all questions that regard the liberty of the subject, Mr, Sheridai) h^ 664 SHE ever been prominent and active ; and in questions of commerce ?.nd finance, as well as military affairs, he has surprised his most intimate friends. Mr. Sheridan had, previous to his entering into Parlianient, in- creased his property in the Tlieatre Royal, Drury Lane, by the pur- chase of Mr. Lacy's share in the patent, in addition to his own ; yet the increased expenses of nn establishment calculated for all that wa'; great and gay, rendered the increase of fortune unequal to their support, and produced em- barrassi-^enls, of which, however they may, on some occasions, de- light in the recital, we should not feel warranted in the insertion. In 1792 he lost his lady, who died of a lingering decline. Mr. Wilkes said of her, she was " the •* most modesi, pleasing, and de- " licate flower" he had seen. Once more he lent his aid to the interests of Drury Lane Thea- tre, as well as the drama at large. In the latter end of the season of 1799, appealed the tragedy of Pizarro, translated from the Ger- man of Kolzebue ; but translated with such freedom and additional beauties, that it might be said to be his own. It was most happily adapted to the times and to the genius of the British nation, with all the graces and combinations of dramatic interest ; hence the ap- plause it met with was unbounded. Notwithstanding the success of the establishment for which Mr, Sheridan's talents were so ably exerted, its finances were in a state that required ttie frequent inter- ference of the Lord Chancellor ; the decision? of whom were, how- ever, alvt'ays to the honour of Mr. Sberidfin. It was about this time that he SHE purchased the pleasant villa of Polesden. near Leatherhead, in Surrey, formerly the residence of Admiral Geary ; soon after which he was appointed receiver-general ot tlie Duichy oi Cornwall, to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. On the retiiement of Mr. Pitt, Mr. Sheridan nried as usual in ac- cordance with Mr. Fo.K ; and on the return of Mr. Pitt to ottice, he did not fail of liis wonted rigour against him. On ihedoalh of that great states- man, Mr. Fox, afttr an absence from power of twenty-three years, was, by the unaninious voice of the Sovereign and the people, called into oflice, and Mr. Sheridan was invited to share the honours of his friend. He became a member of the privy council, and treasurer of tlie navy, and applied himself to the important dniic.-) of his situation with great diligence. But an event soon took place that check- ed the apparent serenity of his progress, as well as that of his co- partners : this was the death of Mr. Fox. The pleasing prospects which hopdur, popuhiritv, and power, might have given to the view of Mr. Sheridan, now soon faded be- fore him. On the subject of the Roman Catholic question a differ- ence in the cabinet took place, which occasioned a sudden dis.so- lution of Parliament ; in con.se- quence of which Mr. Sheridan again was found in oppns'tion, in which he has continued ever since. Mr. Sheridan is the author and alterer of the following pieces : 1. The Rivals. C.^Svo. 1775. 2. St. Patrick's Day ; or, The Scheming Lieutenant. F. 1 7/5 . N.P. .3. The Duenna. C. O. 1775. 8vo. 1794. 665 SHE 4. yf Trip to Stnrlnro:/gh. C. altered from Vanbrugh, 1/77 i 8vo. 17S1. 5. The School for ScaJidaL C. 1777- NP t). The Tempest. Altered, I777. N.P. 7. The Camp. Dr. Ent. 1778. N P. 8. The Critic ; or, yl Tragedy reheaned. D.P. 1770; Bvo. 1781. p. Pizarro. T. 8vo. 17()p. 77ie Camp is very gf-nerally attiibiited to Mr. Shericlaiv'i pen ; though Mr. Tate Wilkinson posi- tively denies that it was written by him. I'o this gentleman likewise has been ascribed, 10. Robinson Crusoe. Pantom. 1781 ; 8vo. 1797- Sheridan, Frances. This lady was wife to Mr. Sheridan the elder. She was born in Ireland, about the year 1724, but descend- ed from a good English family which had removed thither. Her maiden name was Chamberlaine, being the grand-daughter of Sir Oliver Chamberlaine. The first literary performance, by which she distinguished lierself, was a little pamphlet at the time of a violent party dispute relative to the theatre, in wliich Mr. Sheridan had newly embarked his fortune. So well-timed a work exciting the attention of Mr. Sheridan, he pro- cured himself to be introduced to his fair patroness, to whom he was .soon afterwards married. She was a person of the most amiable cha- racter in every relation of life, with the most engaging manners. After lingering some years in a very weak state of health, she died at Blois, in the south of France, in the year 1767. Her dramatic works are, 1. The Discovery. CSV o. 1763. 2. The Dupe. C. 8vo^ 1764. S H I Mrs. Sheridan was also the ati- thor of Sydney Biddulph, a novel, in 5 volumes, which maybe ranked with the first productions of that class in ours, or in any other lan- guage. She wrote also an e.Kcel- lent Utile romance, in one volume, called, Nourjahad, in which there is a great deal of imagination, pro- ductive of an admirable moral. Sheridan, Miss. This lady is daughter of Mr. Sheridan the elder, and sister to the patentee of Drury Lane. She has produced one dramatic performance, called The Amiiguous Lover. F. 178I. N, P, Shillito, Charles, has pub- lished several poetical pieces, par- ticularly The Sea-Fight, an elegiac poem, written at sea ; The Coun- try Book-C/ub, a poem ; a trans- lation of A Sonnet supposed to have been icritten by Mary Queen of Scots to the Earlof Bothwell; and The Man of Enterprise. F. 8vo. 1789. Shipman, Thomas, Of this gentleman we have no farther in- formation, than that he was de- scended of a very good family, and had, by dint of an excellent education, acquired all those ac- complishments which were neces- sary to tit him for conversation, and render his company desirable by the best wits of the age. We find only one dramatic piece of his extant, whose title is Henry III. of France.T.4f 0.16/3. Yet it appears, from a collection of his poems, entitled Carolina, that he was held in high esteem by Mr. Cowley, aod had written other tragedies. But what they 'vere called, or whether ever pub- lished, it is not easy to trace. He lived in the reign of Charles II, and has been supposed to hav« being written in a sort of stilted prose, have obtained him the name of yipollo on Hursehack. He is, however, a very w'orth)' character; and, besides some rhymes, of which one may say, •' On peutctre honnete homme, et f'aire mal des vers," has contributed several pieces of novel goods to the light summer manufactory of Lane and Co. and iias also produced the following dramatic pieces : I -. The Dream. Serio-Dramatic Piece. Svo. 1797. 2. Quarter Day. Interl. Svo, );98. 3. Sallinlanco. Op. Svo. 179S. 4,The Cottage Maid. O. 1798. S I D 5. Aloukir Bay. M. D. Svo. ^799> 6. Sketches from Life. C. 1802. 7. A Birth-day Tribute. Int. 1805. N. P. Nos. 4, 6, and 7, were acted at Brighton in 1798, 1802, and 1805 ; but we have not seen them in print. SiDDONS, Henry, is the son of the highly-gifted actress of that name with whom the British stage has long been adorned. Mr. Sid- dons was born at Wolverhampton, October 23, 1774. His mother brought him up to London when an infant ; and he was at Drury Lane in 1788, where he performed the Child to his mother's Isabella. Having been sent to school at Croydon in Surrey, and from thence to Dr. Barrow's academj in Soho Square, he was, by the favour of the Queen, shortly after placed upon the foundation of the Charterhouse, where he remained five years, and acquired a compe- tent knowledge of the classics. Immediately after he quitted school^ his father took him to France, and he was placed with a gentleman at Amiens in Picardy. The troii- bles, however, then commencing in France, he was compelled to return to England ; when, having joined his uncle Mr. Stephen Kem- ble's company, he n)ade his ap- pearance on the stage, Nov. 1792, as Zanga, in The Revenge; aftet which he performed at Lancaster, Liverpool, Bath, cVc. The talents that he displayed in the parts of Holla and the Stranger at length induced his mother to recomroetwi him to Mr. Harris, who immedi- ately engaged Mr. Siddons for three years. In October 1 802, he appeared in a comedy, called //<- tegrity, sustained his part with great ability, and the audience 670 S I D marked bis efforts with the warm- est eulogium and applause. The iartie season he performed Ham- ■ let, Othello, Edgar, Egerton, Hot- «pur, Alonzo in Tht Revenge, and Wiiie other material characters} all of which proved his posses- sion of great requisites for the stage. But this gentleman has, \vhat very often accompanies men of real talent, a fine contexture of nerve, which often renders the execution of the best intellectual designs abortive 5 at least disables fh'e artist from communicating that warmth, energy, and beauty, \vith which the subject has in- spired his soul, but which he feels a difficulty to impart. It was this delicacy of feehng which rendered Mr. Siddons"s descriptive powers not so interesting to an audience, as at first they would have been, 'had he possessed less talent and more confidence ; the latter qua- lification is known to do more in almost every department of life than modest merit. At Drury Lane, however, he exhibited many traits of improvement, and sup- sported several characters with con- siderable ability. In June 1802 Mr. Siddons took for his partner in life the amiable Ijnd accomplished Miss Murray, whose merits as an actress are held in high estimation, and whose pri- vate character stands in no need of \)ur eulogy. c Since the destruction of Drury X.ane Theatre by fire, Mr. Siddons 'has taken the New Theatre Royal, 'Edinburgh, where, we understand, he is pursuing a successful career, "as author, actor, and manager. ^e ha^ published some novels of "considerable merit, as JFilliam Wallace, Leon, Somerset, &c. ; and 'tiie following dramatic pieces: 1. Modern Breakfast, int. 8vo. 1790- O. Sro, N. P. Rom, 8vo. I8O9. s r N 2. Sicilian Romance. 3. Adventures of Tom Trip. F. N. P. 4. Jl^hat we have leen, and what we may be. F. 1796'. N. P. 5. Zelida. S.C.O. 1799. 6. A Tale of Terror. D. 8vo. 1803. 7. Time's a Tell-tale. C IS07. 8. Russian Impostor. O. N. P. 9. Friend of the Family. C. 1810. N. P. Silvester, , is author of Ranger in Wedlock. C. 1788, N. P. Simeons, , has writtetl Idelia. T. 1802. N. P. Simon, , is author of, 1. National Prejudice. C. 1/9*. N. P. 2. Village Coquette. F. I792. N. P. Simpson, Joseph, wrote The Patriot. T. 8vo. I785. Sinclair, the Right Hon. Sir John, M. P. one of His Ma- jesty's Privy-council, President of the Board of Agriculture, and au- thor of many useful works on agri- cultural, statistical^ and fiscal sub- jects, was born in the year 1/54, and received his education at the High School, Edinburgh, and at the universities of Edinburgh, Glas- gow, and Oxford, He is said to be the author, in the dramatic way, of A Scene from Ossian. Singer, John, wrote, 1, The Conquest of Brute. P. 1598. N, P. 2. Singer's Voluntary. P. l602. N. P. Singleton, Rev, Thomas, M. A. was an assistant master at Eton school in lO'sSj and was chosen waster of the free-sdiool »7i S K E S K E at Reading, Oct. 2f), l6nO. He afterwards quitted Reading, and became a private Icaolier in Clerk- enwell Close, near the Duke of Albemarle's house ; where, about 10'S3, the celebrated Dr. Mead became one of his scholars. At one time his school was so flou- rishing, that he had nearly 3(X) scholars under his care ; but at liist, becoming distressed in his circumstances, he was much in- debted to the liberality of Dr. Mead. He was the author of a Latin play, entitled Talpie ; sive, Conjuratio Pa- pistica. 1G88-9. N. P. Skeffingtom, Lumley St. George. This gentleman is the only surviving son of Sir William Charles Farrell Skeffington, Bart. otSkeffington Hall, Leicestershire, the elder branch of the Massarene 'family, by his late wife Catherine- Josepha, who died July 26. 1811. Our author was born in London, in March 17/8, and received the rudiments of education under Mr, Henry Newcome, at Hackney. At an early age he discovered a taste for composition and poetry ; and^ though commonly negligent of his own exercises, he would very cheerfully write verses for his school-fellows. It has happened, notunfrequently, that he has been reprimanded for not having per- formed his own task, when, at the same instant, another boy has re- ceived the highest applanst for lines which jyere given to him by our author. In declamation, whrch was particularly studied at the above school, he eminently ex- cel led j his voice, possessing both compass and sweetness, enabled him to give the most powerful effect to whatever he undertook. The theatrical representations, for which the school haH, for above a century, been noted, afforded our young candidate for fame a more than ample opportunity of proving his abilities in elocution. Almost on his first coming to the schod, the l;ite elegant poet, George Keate, Esq. wrote for >him an epilogue, ia which the fashionable manners of the day were well depicted, and were pourtrayed, even at that early age, by the performer with the most admirable effect. Frona this era Skeffington rose rapidly in the opinion not only of his master, but also of his young associates. Not long afterwards, his graceful re- presentation of Hamlet, and his no less remarkable energy in Phocyas, in Hughes's Siege of Damascus, established his reputation. He was one of those boys who had the good fortune to make friends 0/ all, and to be the favourite of many. His talents w-ere of a showy description ; and, to an im- partial observer, he might be said to possess more brilliancy thaa depth. Yet, on serious points, where exertion of understanding was required, he always evinced more than was expected, and ge- nerally as much as was requiredr If his compositions did not always manifest that profundity of argu- ment, and depth of thought, whicli m.^rked the writings of some of his contemporaries, yet, in his most careless moments, there constantly shone forth a grace of manner, and an air of elegance, which they could never reach. After leaving school, he passed at least two or three years in the closest applica- tion, and most unremitting assi- duity. Being now arrived at that period, when young men, in hts line of life, are introduced into tlw world, by a presentation at court, he, for a time, forgot the Muses; and, by a very successful courtship. 672 S K E of the Graces, burst forth a dis- tinguished figure ill the higher circles of fashionable society. After passing a few years in a round of gaiety, the charms of his early ■friends, the Muses, again attracted bis attention ; ar.d he returned to .them with the delight of a lover. In May 1S02 he produced, at Co- vent Garden theatre, a comedy in five acts, entitled Tlie JVord of Honour. Previously to its appear- ance, the greatest curiosity was ex- cited among all ranks of people; for they found it ditlicult to ima- gine how a man, who uas im- mersed in crowds, and harassed by engagernents, could find time to write. Indeed, many consider- ed his success as most precarious ; but his school-fellows, and those \vho were more particularly ac- quainted with hira, were of a very .different opinion. At length the inoment of trial arrived, and, on that occasion, one of the most ■fiplendid assemblages which had ever adorned a theatre was col- lected. The comedy, as is well known, was received with great ■applause ; and from that hcTur he has continued occasionally to write. The products of his labours have teen as follow : 1. The Word of Honour. Com. 1802. N. P. 2. High Road to Marriage. C. 1803. N. P. 3. The Sleeping Beauty. Leg. Mel. DVam. [Songs only] 8vo. 1805. 4. Maids and Bachelors. Com. 1806. N. P. 5. Mysterious Bride. P. 1808. N. P. An elegant andg^ry respectable publication, The Monthly Mirror, to the biographical pages of which we have been occasionally indebted S K E for nasista;ice in our labours, speaks thus of INIr. Skeffington : '• Tho-,e '' who best know him declare, ♦' that, in point of temper, he may " be equalled, but nut surpassed, " As to his manners, the suffrages " of the most j)olished and poHte " circles in this kingdom have pro- " nouiu-ed him one of the best " bred men of the prisent time, " blending at once the det;orum " of what is called the vicillc cour, " with the careless gracefulness of "■ the modern .school : be seems to " do every thing by chance ; but " it is such a chance as study could " not improve. In short, when- *' ever he trifles, it is with ele- " gance, and whenever occasion " calls for energy, he is warm, " spirited, and animated. Let it " be further added, that he is a " zealous friend r.nd supporter of " the theatres and the performers ; " evincing, on everv occasion, an " ardent inclination for the en- " couragement of merit. it is " also a fact well ascerfained, that " he was never known to say, even " in the most renune way, a dis- " respectful or unkind word of any " person." Skkltox, John, a poet, who was descended from the Skehons of Cumberland, and flourished in the reigns of Henry \ll. and VIII. He was laureated at Oxford, and was permitted to hold the same honour at Cambridge. Having studied (says Mr. Warton) in both our universities, he was promoted to the rectory of Diss, in Norfolk. That he was a learned man, Eras- mus has confirmed ; who, in a let- ter to King Henry VIII. calls him Britannicarum litcrarum lu- men iff dccus. Though his style is rambling and loose, yet he was not without invention, and his satire is strongly pointed. Q7^ SLA But Tor his buffooneries in the pulpit, and his satirical ballads against the mendicants, he was severely censured, and perhaps suspended, by Nykke his diocesan, a rigid Bishop of Norwich, from exercising the duties of the sacer- dotal function. Wood says, he was also punished by the Bishop for " having been guilty of certam " crimes, as most poets are," But these persecutions only served to quicken his ludicrous disposi- tion, and to exasperate the acri- mony of his satire. As his ser- mons could be no longer a vehicle for his abuse, he vented his ridi- cule in rhyming libels. At length daring to attack the dignity of Cardinal Wolsey, he was closely pursued by the olficers of that powerful minister J and, taking shelter in, the sanctuary of West- minster Abbey, was kindly enter- tained and protectea by Abbot Islip, to the day of his death. He died, and was buried in the chancel of the neighbouring church of St. Margaret, in the year I5'ig. With the general coarseness, ob- scenity, and scurrility, that dis- tinguish his smaller poems, our readers cannot fail to be acquaint- ed. He takes his place, however, in this work, as author of four dra- matic pieces, entitled, 1. The Nigramansir. Int. 2. Magnificence. Int. 3. The Comedy of Virtue. 4. The Comedy of Good Order. Of the second, an imperfect copy is in the collection of the late David Garrick, Esq. and a perfect one in the universitv library at Cambridge, D 4. 8. The two latter seem not to have been printed. Slade, John, was a lieutenant in the tenth regiment of marines, and lost his life in the Ramillies, when that ship was cast a>vay the VOL, i. S M A 15th of February 1/60. He wrote a play, acted one night at the Hay- market by himself and his friends. It was called Love and Duty. T. 8vo. 1756. Slaughter, Martin, was an actor, and one of the Lord Admi- ral's Servants, at the latter end of the l6th century. He wrote, 1. Phncas. T. {5g6. 2, 3. Hercules. P. in two parts. 159S. 4. Alexander and Lodowyke. P. 159s. 5, Pythagoras. P. 1508. None of these plays were print- ed, or are now perhaps in exist> ence. Smart, Christopher. This unfortunate author was born at Shipborne, in the county of Kent, his father being steward to Lord Vane. He was once the favourite of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, where, he received a part of his education, took t!i3 degree of M. A. and became a fellow. At this early- period of his life he was not more remarkable for his learning than his humour, of which many ex- amples, like the following, are still remembered by his academical ac- quaintance. The thr^e bedels of the university being men of un- usual bulk, he is said to have cha- racterized them in this extempore, spondiac, which ho afterwards in- troduced into a c^r-}' of Tripos verses, printed in his poems : " Pinguia tergetriinorutn abdomina be- del lOrum." He lost his fellowship, however, by marrying Mr. Newbeiy the book- seller's wife's (^Mghter h^ a former husband ; yet to this event his suc- ceeding miscarriages are not to be injputfcd ; ashe had previously quit- ted the university on account of debts he had contracted by his eX"_ 6/4 S M A travagance and attachment to the bottle. This unfortunate habit of in- temperance had a fata! effect upon him. It was carried to such ex- cess, that about the year 1757 he was obliged to be confined in a madhouse, where he continued about two years, and during that time is said to have completed his translation of the Psalms. In 1 759 he had a benefit at Drury Lane theatre, when Mr. Garrick's farce «f The Guardian was acted for the first time. After his release from confinement, he published many pieces, and was reduced to the most deplorable state of poverty. At length, after suffering the accu- mulated miseries of debts, disease, and insanity, he was released by death on the 21st of May 1771. Not long before his death he wrote thvis to the Rev. Dr. Jackson : *' Being upon the recovery from a "■ fit of illness, and having ?iothing " to eat, I beg you to lend me " two or three shillings, which " (God willing) I will return, with " many thanks, in two or three " days." His translation of Pope's Ode on St. Cecilia's Day has been cele- brated much beyond its merit. Being written without regard to conformity of measure, it cannot be received as the legitimate repre- sentative of a Roman ode ; neither are some expressions in it author- ized by any writer in the same language. The success of his version of Pope's Essay on Criiidsin was suit- able to the wildncss of such an undertaking. Had he chosen The Temple ofFa?ne, or JFindsor Forest, for the experiment, being general subjects, the Latin language could easily have furnished him with cor- respondent expressions J but where could he expect to. meet with SMI phrases capable of conveying ideas cf the jingle of rhyme, and other peculiarities of modern English versification ? The performance that exhibits the highest flight of his genius, is one of those copies of Latin verses publinhed annually at Cambridge under the title of a Tripos. In this, his personifications of Ma- thesis, Atheia, &:c. abound with the most poetical iniagery, delivared in language that will abide the test of criticism. Smart was engaged with Rolt ia more than one literary enterprise, particularly in Mother Midnight's Entertuinment at the Haymarket theatre. This was first undertaken at the expense of the Mr. Newbery already mentioned, and was after- wards carried on with some degree of success. [See article Rolt.] Our author's claim to a place in this work is derived from a dra- matic piece written by him, and acted at Pembroke College under the following title : 1. The Grateful Fair. C. 1747. N. P. In this mock drama his well- known simile of the Collier, the Brickduslmen, and the Barber, was originally inserted. The prologue to it is printed in the fourth vo- lume of The Poetical Calendar. 2. The Judgment of Midas. M. 4to. 1752. 3. Hannah. Orat. 4to. 1764. Smith, , wrote Sir John Butt. F. 12mo. I79S. Smith, Adam, au actor at the Richmond theatre, and a singer at Bermondsey Spa, was the doer of a piece, called The Nolle Foresters. Int. 8vo. 1776. Smith, Charles. A gentle- man of this name has published, 1. The Count of Bur j^undy. T. 8vo. 1798. 675 S M I 2. J Day at Rome. M. E. 8vo. 179S- 3. J Trip to Bengal. M. E. 8vo. 1802. Smith, Dr. . Concerning this author we shall transcribe the account <^iven by Dr Johnson in his life of Savage : " Mr. Saiiih, •* a gentleman educated at Dublin ; " but being hindered, by an im- •' pediment in his pronunciation, ** from engaging in orders, for " which his friends designed him, '* he left his own country, and " came to London in quest of em- " ployment, where he found his •' solicitations fruitless, and his " necessities every day more press- *♦ ing. In this distress he wrote a •' tragedy, and offered it to the " player.s, by whom it was reject- *' ed. Thus were his last hopes " defeated, and he had no other " prospect than that of the most " deplorable poverty. But Mr. " Wilks thought his performance,. " though not perfect, at least '* worthy of some reward, and " therefore otfered him a benefit. " This favour he improved with so " much diligence, that the house " atJbrded him a considerable sum, " with which he went to Leyden, " applied himself to the study of " physic, and prosecuted his design " with so much diligence and suc- " cess, that when Dr. Boerliaave " was desired by the Czarina to " recommend proper persons to " introduce into Russia the prac- *♦ tice and study of physic. Dr. *' Smith was one of those he se- *' lected. He had a considerable ** pension settled on him at his *' arrival, and was afterwards one " of the chief physicians at the " Russian court." The play above mentioned was called s M r The Captive Princess. N. V. A grateful and amusing letter from Dr. Smith to Mr. Wiik, is printed in Chetvvood's Hhfi'ry of t/i:' Strige, p. 240. This letter, after describing liis situation, concludes thus: ** Capr. Pawlet will bring " you a few furs, with a small " quantity of ermine, the product " of Russia. Were 1 settled h\ " Greenland,! should dothesaime, " and land you a whale, or a white " bear. You will receive them " without any o'her weight but " themselves. Bat who gave me "these furs? this affluence? this '.' royal mistress? this happy situ- '^ ation ? A man just of your age " and stature. If yoa cm't find " him out, ask my dear and worthy *' friend Sir H-irry Wiidairj and " tell him at the sarne lime the " grain was his ; and the reaper " with the crop shall ever oe at " his command," &:c. Smith, E. appears to have writ- ten The Confratage: he enjoyed the longest life of all our poets, and died the richest of them, a very few excepted. His dramatic pieces are, 1 . The Loyal Brother. T. 4to. 1682. 2. The Disappointment. C. 4io. J 684. ■ 3. Sir Antony Love ; or. The Humhling Lady. C. 4to. lOpi. 4. The JVives' Excuse; or. Cue- holds make themselves. C. 4to. 1692. 5. The Maid's last Prayer ; or. Any Tiling rather thanfail. C. 4to. 1693. 6. The Fatal Marriage; ox, The Innocent Adultery. T. 4to. 1694. 7. Oroonoko. T. 4to. IdyO". 8. The Fate of Capua. T. 4to. 1700. 9. The Spartan Dame. T. 8vo. 3719- 10. Money the Mistress. Play. 8vo. J726'. Gildon, in his continuation of |jangbaine (says Mr. Oldys in his SOU MS. additions to that book), in- fora)s us, that our author was the son of George Southern, of Stratford upon Avon, in Warwick- shire ; ana iliat Ijp became a ser- vitor of Pern bn Ac Hall, Oxford, in the year 168O, ai;,tJ .seventeen, or more, according to Wood. Mr. Oldys adds, that he remembered Mr. Southern " a grave and ve- " nerable old gentleman. He lived " near Covent Garden, and used " often to frequent the evening *' prayers there, always neat and " decently dressed, commonly in " black, with his silver sword and " silver locks; but latterly it seems " he resided at Westminster." The late excellent poet Mr. Gray, in a letter to Mr. Walpole, dated from Burnham, in Buckinghamshire, September 1737, has also the fol- lowing observation concerning our author : " We have old Mr. " Southern at a gentleman's house " a little way off, who often comes " to see us ; he is now seventy- " seven years old, and has almost " wholly lost his memory; but is ," as agreeable an old man as can " be, at least I persuade myself '-*' so when I look at him, and " tliink of Isabella and Oroonoko." Mr. Mason adds, in a note on this passage, 4 to. edition, p. 25, that " Mr. Gray always thought highly " of his pathetic powers, at the " same time that lie blamed his " ill taste for mixing them so in- " judiciously with farce, in order " to produce that monstrous spe- " cies of composition, called tragi- " comedy." Mr. Southern, bow- ever, in the latter part of his life, was sensible of the impropriety of blending tragedy and comedy, and used to declare to Lord Corke hi» regret at complying with the li? centious taste of the times. His dramatic writings were, for 682 S T A the first time completely published by T. Evans, in 3 vols. J2mo. Spateman, Thomas. This gentleman was rector of Wilton, in Northamptonshire, and author of one drama, called The School Boys Mask, designed for the Diversion of Youth, mid their Excitement to Learning. 8vo. 1742. Speed, John', son of John Speed the chronologer, was born in Lon- don, and elected scholar of St. John'sCoUeoe, Oxford, from Mer- chant Taylors' school, in 1612, at the age of seventeen. He afterwards became fellow of tliat college, and took his degrees of M. A. and B. and D. M. In this last faculty he became eminent among the acade- micians, but was snatched away at an early age. He died in May 1640, and was buried in the cha- pel of St. John's College. He is the author of Sfonehenge. Past. lG3(). N. P. This was acud before Dr. Richard Baylie, the president, and fellows of the college, in their common refectory. Spencer, Wslltam Robert, published, in ] 790, in a very splen- did folio voknne, with designs h\' Lady Diana Beauclerc, a tr.m'la- tion of Leonora, a tale, from the German of Burger, He is also author of Urania. C. Svo. 1802. Spencer, Edmund, the younger (probably a fictitious name), has written The Ugly Clul. Dr. Carle. Svo. 1798. SauiP.E, John, was author of the Pcrn^ea/z^ of 1 620. See Vol. III. p. 118. Stanfield, James Field, is a native of Ireland. In the early part of his life he appears to have been a mariuer in the African S T A trade. (See notices of publications by him respecting the slave-trade, in The M^.nthly Review, vol. Ixxix. p. 70, and vol. Ixxxi. p. 277.) He for several years held a principal situation in the Scarborough the- atre, which he resigned when Mr. Kemble obtained the manage- ment, and has since had the di- rection of a small company, whose circuit is in the north of York- shire, and some of the adjoining counties. He is author of one dramatic piece, viz. The Fishermen. C. O. 1786. N. P. Stanley, Edward, B. A. was author of Elmira. Dr. Poem. Svo. 1790. Stanley, Thomas, was the son of Sir Thomas Stanley, Knight, and was bo''n at Comberlow, in the parish of Clothall, iji Plertford- shire. After an education in gram- mar-learning in his failier's own house by the ingenious Mr. Edward Fairfax, the translator of Tasso, he was adn)i!ted a gentleman-com- moner of Pembroke Hall, in Cam- bridge, at the age of thirteen years, and be.^ame an early proficient in all kinds of polite literature. In 1040 he was incorporated M.A. at Oxford, having taken before that degree at Cambridge. He then travelled into foreign coun- tries, and on his return lived, during part of the civil wars, in the Ivliddle Temple, where he be- came acquainted with Sir ^dward Sherburne. He died the 12th of April IO78, at his lodgings in Suffolk Street, and was buried at St. Martin's in the Fields. He translated The Clouds. C. from the Greek of Aristophanes, folio, I656. Printed iu his History of Philo- sophy. Stapylton, Sir Robert, was -ess S T A the third son of Richard Stapyl- ton, Esq. of Carleton, in York- shire, add was educated a Roman Citholic, ill the college of the Englioli Benedictines, at Douay ; but, being born with a poetical turn, and too volatile U) be con- fined within the wa.ls of a cloi- ster, be threw off the restraint of his education, quitted a recluse life, caiiie over to England, and turned Protestant. Sir Robert having good interest, the change of his religion having prepared the way to preferment, lie was made f^entleman -usher of the privy- chi.morr to the Piirce of Vv'ales, afterwards Charles II. We find him constantly adhering to the interest of his Royal Master; for u'hen His Majesty was driven out of London, by the threatenings and tumults .of the discontented, he followed him, and, in l642, he received the honour of knight- hood. After the battle of Edge- hill, when His Majesty was obliged to retire to Oxford, our author then attended him, and was creat- ed doctor of the civil laws. When the royal cause declined, Stapyl- ton thought proper to retire and apply himself to study ; and, as he was rot among the most con- spicuous of the royalists, he was suffered to enjoy his solitude un- molested. At the Restoration he was ag'^in promoted in the sw- vice of Charles II. and held a pl.oe in that monarc'i's esteem till his death. Langbaine s.nys, that his writings have made him not only known, but admired, throughout all England; and while Musaius and Juvenal are in esteem with the learned, Sir Rooert's fame will still survive; the tinns- lation of these two authors hiiving placed his name in the temple of immortality. As to Musaeus, he had bo great a value for him. S T A that, after he had translated him, he reduced the story into a dra- matic poem. He died the 10th of July 1669, and was buried at St. Peter's, Westminster. He is the author of, 1. The Slighted Maid. C. 4to. lees. 2. The Step-mother. T. C. 4to. 1664. 3. Hero and Leander. T. 4to. iGGg. In the book of the Stationers' Company, the 2gth of November 1653, is entered, as the produc- tion of this author, a play, called, 4. The Roy at Choice. K. P. SxAKKE, Makiana. This lady, wr.ose father was sometime gover- nor of Fort St. David, in the East Indies, is the writer of three dra- matic pieces, viz. 1 . The British Orphan. T. l/pO. N. P. 2. The irtdow of Malabar. T. 8vo. 1791. 3. The Tournament. T. 8vo. 1^00. Stayley, George. This au- thor condescended to be his own biographer, in The Life and Opt' ■nions of an ^ctor, 2 vols, printed in Dublin, 1762. He was born at Burton upon Trent, the 1st of March 1727, of parents in mode- rate circumstances. In 1752 hft^ went to Dublin, and commenced actor. His success in this profes- sion seems to have been such as not to render him an object of envy. He early got embroiled with his managers, and employed his pen to gratify his resentment against some or other of them. He wrote, 1. The Court of Nassau. C. 8vo. 1753. 2. The Rival Theatres ; or, A Playhouse to he Let. Farce. 12mo. and 8vo. I759. 634 S T E He died sometime before tlie year 1/80, leaving a widow and several children, in very distressed circnmstances, Steele, Archibald, was au- thor of The S/u'lihL'rd's JVedding. Past. Com. Printed in Scotland, l/Sp. Steele, Sin Richard, was born about theyear 167^* inlreland, in which kingdom one branch of the family was possessed of a con- S T E of the soldiery, and procured him an ensign's commission in the guards. In the mean time, as he had made choice of a proftssion which set him free from all the ordinary restraints on youth, he spared not to indulge his inclina- tions in the wildest excesses. Yet his gaieties and revels did not pass without some cool hours of reflec- tion, and in these it was that he drew up his little treatise, entitled siderable estate in the county of The Christian Hero, with a design. Wexford. His father, a counsellor at law in Dublin, was private se- cretary to James Duke of Orraond, but he was of English extraction; and his son, while very young, being carried to London, he put him to school at the Charterhouse, whence he was removed to Merton College, in Oxford, where he was admitted a post-master in I692. His inclination and genius being turned to polite literature, he com- menced author during his residence in the university, and actually finished a comedy j which,' how- ever, he thought fit to suppress, as unworthy of his genius. Mr. Steele was well beloved and re- spected by the whole society, and had a good interest with them after he left the university, which he did without taking any degree, in the full resolution to enter into the army. This step was highly displeasing to his friends ; but the ardour of his passion for a military life rendered him deaf to any other proposal. Not being able to pro- cure a better station, he entered as a private -gen'leman in the horse- guards, notwithstanding he there- by lost the auccession to his Irish estate. However, as he had a flow of good-nature, a generous open- ness and frankness of spirit, and a sparkling vivacity of wit, — these qualities rendered him the delight if we may believe himself, to be a check upon his passions. For this use and purpose it had lain some time by him, when he printed it in l/Oi, with a dedication to Lord Cutts, who had not only appointed him his private secretary, but pro- cured for him a company in Lord Lucas's regiment of fusileers. The whole plan and tenonr of our au- thor's book was such a flat contra- diction to the general course of his life, that it became a subject of much mirth and raillery : but these shafts had no effect; he persevered invariably in the same contradic- tion, and, though he had no power to change his heart, yet his pen was never prostituted to his follies. Under the influence of that good sense, he wrote his first play, wliich procured him the regard of King William, who resolved to give him some essential marks of his favour; and though, upon that prince's death, his hopes were disappointed, yet, in the beginning of Queen Anne's reign, he was appointed to the profitable place of Gazetteer. He owed this post to the friendship of Lord Halifax and the Earl of Sunderland, to whom he had been recommended by his schoolfellow^ Mr. Addison. That gentleman also, lent him an helping hand in pro-i*; moting the comedy, called The Tender Hustandj which was actecj QS5 S T E in l/O-l-, with grent success. But his next play, The Lying Lover, toiuid a very different liite. Upon thisrebut^trom Uie stage, he turn- ed the niinie humorous current into another channel j and-, early in the year 17(MJ, hebegpn to publish 'riie2\itlcr; which admirable p;!per was undertaken in concert with I^r. Switt. His reputation was per- fecily established by this work; and, during tiie course of it, he was n^^de a commissioner of the stxunp- duties, in 17IO. Upon the change of the ministry the same year, he sided witli the Duke of Marlbo- rough, who had .leveral years en- tcrtnlned a friendship for him ; and, upon his Grace's dismission from all emplo^yments, in 1/11, Mr. Steele addressed a letter of thanks to him for the services done to his country. However, as our author still continued to hold his place in the stamp-office under the iiew administration, he forbore en- teritig with his pen upon political subjects. But, adhering more close- ly to Mr. Addison, he dropt The Taller; and afterv.aids, by the as- sistance chiefly of that.steady friend, li? carried on the s.i.i.e plan, under the title of The S/jcciator. The suc- cess of this paper was equal to that of the former, which encouraged him, before the close of it, to pro- ceed upon lije same design in the character of The Guardian. This was opened in the beginning of the year 17^3, and was laid down in October the same year. But, in the course of it, his thoughts took a strouger turn to politics ; he engaged with great warmth against the miniKtry, and, being determined to prosecute his views that way, by procuring a seat in the House of Commons, he imme- diately removed all obsiacies there- to. For that purpose, he took 2 S T E care to prevent a forcible disinis- sion from his post in the slamp- oftice, by a timely resignation of it to the Earl of Oxford ; and, at the same time, gave up a pension, which had been, till this lime, paid him by theQueen,as a servant to the late Prince George of Den- mark. This done, he wrote the famous Guardian, upon the demo- lition of Dunkirk, which was pub- lished August 7, 1/13; and tiifi Parliament being dissolved the next day, the Guardiuri was soon fol- lowed by several other warm poli- tical tracts against the administra- tion. Upon the meeting of the new Parliament, I\Ir. Steele having been returned a member for the borough of Stockbridge, in Hamp- shire, to(;k his seat accordingly in tiie House of Commons, but was expelled thence in a inw days after, for writing several seditious and scandalous libels, as he had been indeed forewarned by the au- thor of a periodical paper, called The Examiner. Presently after hh expulsion, he published proposals for writing the History pf the Duke of Mailboiough. At the same time he also wrote The Spinster; and set up a p:iper, called Thii Reader. He also continued pub- lishing several other things in ther same spirit, until the death of the Queen. Immediately alter which, a-j a reward for these services, he was taken into favour by her suc- cessor to the throne, K. George I. and appointed surveyor to the royal stables of Hampton Court, and put into the commission of the peace for the county of Middlesex ; and, having procured a license for chief nunager of the royal com- )>any of comedians, he easily ob- tained it to be changed the same year, 1714, into a patent from'Hiu Majesty, appointing him governoj S TE cf the said company during his life ; and to bis executors, admi- nistrators, cr assigns, tor the space of three years afterwards. He was also chosen one of the representa- tives for Borough bridge, in York- shire, in the first Pailiameiit of that King, who conferred the ho- nour of knightliood upon him, April 23, 17^55 and, in August following, he received five hun- dred pounds from Sir Robert Wal- pole, for special services. Thus highly encouraged, he tiiumphed over his opponents in several pamphlets, written in this and the following year. In 1717 he was appointedone of the commissioners for inquiring into the estates for- feited by the late rebellion in Sect- land. This carried him into that part of the united kingdom, where, how unwelcome a guest soever he might be to the generality, yet he received from several of the nobi- lity and gentry the most distin- guishing marks of respect. In 17 1 8 he buried his second wife, who had brought him a haijdsome fortune, and a good estate in Wales ; but neither that, nor the ample additions lately made to his income, were sutficient to answer his demands. The thoughtless vi- vacity of his spirit often reduced him to little shifts of wit for its support } and the project of The Fish Pool this year owed its birth chiefly to the projector's necessities. The following year he opposed the remarkable peerage bill in the House of Commons, and, during the course of this opposition to the court, his license for acting plays was revoked, and his patent ren- dered ineffectual, at the instance of the lord chamberlain. He did his utmost to prevent so great a loss, and, finding every direct avenue of approach to his Royal S T E Master effectually barred against him by his powerful adversary, he had recourse to the method of ap- plying to the public, in hopes that his complaints would resell the ear of his Sovereign, though in an in- direct course, by that canal. In this spirit he formed th-.^ plan uf a periodical paper, to be puolished twice a week, under ihe title of The Theatre; the first number of which came out on the 2d of Jan. 1719-20. In the mean time, tha misfortune of being out of favour at court, like oiher misfortunes, drew after it a ir'hile he was struggling, with all his might, to save himself from ruin, he found time to turn his pen against the mischievous South Sea scheme, which had nearly brought the nation to ruin, in 1720 ; and the next year he was restored to his office and authority in the playhouse in Drury Lane. Of this it was not lung before h« made an additional advantage, by bringing his celebrated comedy, called The Conscious Lovers, upon that stage, where it was acted with prodigious success ; so that the receipt there must have be»n very considerable, besides the profits accruing by the s:de of the copy, and a purse of five hundred pounds given to him by tlie King, to whom he dedicated it. Yet, notwith- staiyling these ample recruits', about the year following, being reduced to the utmost extremity, he sold his share in the play- 687 S T E S T E house, and sbon after commenced then one of the Welsh judges, a lawsuit with the managers, afierwardsBaronTrevor, ofBrom- which, in 17'-26, was determined to ham. Sir Richard was a man of his disadvantage. Daring these undissembled and extensive bene- misfortunes of Sir llichard, there volence, a friend to the friendless, was once an execution in his and, as far as his circumstances house. Being, however, under the would permit, the father of every necessity of receiving company a orphan. His works are chaste and few days afterwards, he prevailed manly. He was a stranger to the on the bailiffs to put on liveries, most distant appearance of envy or and to pass for his servants. The malevolence; never jealous of any farce succeeded but for a short man's grov.ing reputation, and so •time; for the knight enforcing far from arrogating any praise to his orders to one of them in a man- himself from his conjunction with ner which this vermin of the law Mr. Addison, that he was the lirst thought too authoritative, the in- who desired him to distinguish his Solent rascal threv/ c ff the m-Tsk, papers. His greatest error was and discovered his real occupation, want of economy. However, he Soon after. Sir Richard retired to was certainly the most agreeable, a small house on Haverslock Hill, and (if we may be allowed th» in the road to Hampstead. Part expression) the mo^t innocent rake of this building remains, and is that ever trod the rounds of in- now a cottage. Here Mr. Pope dulgence. and other members of the Kit-cat The dramatic works of Sit Club (which during summer was Richard Steele are the followino- • held at the Upper Flask on Hamp- 1 . The Funeral; or, GrhJ' A-lw stead Heath) used to call on him. Mode. C. 4to. 1/02. and take him in their carriages to 2. TheTeiuhr HusLavd; or, The the place of rendezvous. Having Jcmmplished Fools. C. 4to. 1703. now, therefore, for the last tin:e, 3. TLe Lying Lover; or. The brought his fortune, by the most Ladies" Friendship. C. 4to. 1704. heedless profusion, into a despe- 4. The Conscious Lovers. C rate condition, he was rendered 8vo. 1/21. 5. The Gentleynan. C. altogether incapable of retrieving the loss, by being seized with a paralytic disorder, which greatly impaired his understandin-z. ]x\ 6. The School of Action. C. The two last were left unfinish- ed in MS. ; but having fallen intq these unhappy circumstances, he the hands of John Nichols, Esq retired to his seat at Langunnor, F. A. S. have been, by that gentle- near Carmarthen, in Wales; where man, printed in a new edition of -he paid the last debt to nature, on Steele's Epistolaiy Correspondence the 21st of September 1729, and 2 vols. Svo. ISO9. was privately interred, according Stephens, Johv, lived in the to his own desire, in the church of reign of James I. was a member of Carmarthen. the honourable society of Lincoln's Of three children which Sir Inn, and author of one dramatic Richard had by his second wife, piece, entitled Elizabeth, being the only one then Ci/nthia's Revenge. Trag. 4to. living, wn? married young, in 1731, l6l3. to the Honourable John Trevor, Stebuncj, J. was the intimate 4 ess S T E friend of Mr. Conciinen, already mentioned^ and born in the same countiy. They appear to have visited England together; and in order to improve their fortunes, tliey a'j:reed to write for and against tue ministry; and that the side each of them was to take, should be determined by tossing' up a piece of money. It fell to our author's lot to oppose the ministry, but he was not equally succes.-^ful \^ii.h his friend. tie afterwards went into orders, and became a clergy n;an in ^Maryland. He v^'roto two pinys, called, 1. The Rh'id Generals. T. 8vo. 1/22. 2. The Parridd.\ Trag. Svo. 1/3(5. 6te VE ns,Gr OR GE Alexander, v/as born in London, somewhere about Hoiborn. He was the son of a tradesainn, and brought up" with a view to some mechanical employu ent ; but ihe obscurity of his birth has cast a veil ever the early part of hi.i life. Wheth.er dissipation, prodigality, want, idie- ress, profligacy, or inclination, led hiiii to employ his talents in public, we are unable to deter- mine ; but the first notice we meet "with concerning him, is as a strol- ling player, in one of tiie provin- cial companies, whose chief head- quarters -were at Lincoln, where he perfonr:ed some time. His own account of himself, extracted from a pooni, called Religion , or, the Lllcrtinc Repentant, Svo. 17-51, atfords us reason to suppose that the tenour of his life had not been much influenced by the rules of piety or virtue ; for thus he de- scribes himself: «• B}- chance condcmn'd to wander from my bii'h, " An tuiDg exile o'er the face of earth ; S T E " Wild through the world of vice, — > licentious race I "I've starred folly, and enjoy'd the chase : " PleasVi with each passion, I pursu'd their aim, *' Cheer'd the f;ay pack, and grasp'd the guilty g:inic; " Revei'd ret^ardless, kap'd reflection o'er, " Till youth, li'l health, fame, fortune, are no m^ire. ** Too late I feel the heart-corroding pdin " Of charp remembrance and severe dis- dain : " Each painted pleasure its avenger breeds, •' Sorrow's sad train to Riot's troop suc- ceeds ; " Slow-wasting sicl^r.ess steals on swift del.'aucl) ; '* Contcinpt on pride, pale want on waste approach." This poem was written during a fit of illness, and probably made .no longer impression than until health returned. The next year, ]/'52, he was playing in Dub- lin. The year following he came to London, and obtained an en- gagement at Covent Garden The- atre; where he acted without any applause, to v/hich indeed his performances on the stage were in no respect entitled. In 1/54 he published a poem, called The Birth Dny of Folly, injrnitation of The Dunciad ; but proceeded in the design no further than the first book. In January 1/55 the the- atre in the Hnymarket was opened with an entertainment ridiculing Macklin's British Inquisition, and called The Female Inquisition : By a Lady. It was supposed to. be written by our author, who deli- vered a proemium and peroration j but, though aided by the assistance of Miss Isabella Wilkinson's ex- hibitions on the wire, it ended without any advantage to the ad- venturers, after being four times CSD S T E repeated. At this period Mr. Ste- vens was celebrated at several con- vivial societies then in being, of which there was a great number j as, the Choice Spirits, High Bor- lace, Comas's Court, &c. and wrote many of the songs for which he has since been applauded. His linances were generally at a low ebb, and his person in durance. He experienced the extremes of mirth and joUiiy, as well as want and dependance ; and led a life, if unstained by crimes, yet despicable for its meanness and irregularity. He usually wrote pieces ot humour for Shuter to deliver at his benefit. In 1700 he published a novel, in 2 vols, called The History of Tom Fool; and, in I761, began a pe- riodical publication, entitled The Beauties of the Magaziries. In 1763 he gave the public some en- tertainment at the expense of his friend Shuter and Nancy D;nvson, in The Dramatic History of Master Edward, Mrs. Ann, Mrs. Uwnd- dwhydd, and others, the Extraor- dinaries of these Times, 12mo. — For Shuter he composed the tirst sketch of his Lecture on Heads, which is said to have owed its S T E to amass and remit home several large sums of money ; by which he secured himself in affluence during the rest of his life. Atter the Lecture on Heads had ap- parently been repeated often enough to lose some of iis efl'ect, he composed another entertain- ment of the like kind, called The Supplement, being a new Lecture up(jn Heads, Portraits, and Whole Lengths. It began in February 17QOJ but, notwithstanding the Lecturer's acknowleiged reputa- tion, it was coldly received, and ended with six nights performance. It was tried again the next year, but with little more success, being repeated only seven nights. la 1772, owing to a pirattd edition of his songs being published at Whitehaven, he printed a genuine collection of them at Oxford, in octavo. In 1773 appeared The Trip to Portsmouth .acovii'ic sketch, acted at the Haymarket, consist- ing of a tew detached scenes, be- gun and finished in five days. He performed in this piece for the last time himself, and afterwards re- pented his Lecture on Heads both in London and several other places ; origin to his meeting, in one of when, at length, finding his facu- his strolling excursions, with a country mechanic who described the members of the corporation with great force of humour. Wiie- ther the humour of the piece was not congenial with that of Shuter, or whether he was inadequate to the task, it is certain it was at first scarcely noticed. Luckily for the author, he was prompted to enlarge his plan ; and, having furnished himself with a complete apparatus, he went into the coun- try, and repeated his Lecture with so nm.ch success, at various places in Great Britain, Ireland, and America, that be was soon enabled VOL. I. ties become impaired, he sold the property in his work to Mr. Lee Lewes, a comedian of some emi- nence, who endeavoured, but without sncc'ess, tn catch the spirit of the original author. The Lec- ture on Heads will probably never again meet with the favour it for- merly obtained. It was the mis- fortune of Stevens that his mini and body did not keep pace with each other in their decay, Hs sunk by degrees into a state of all others the most distressing to those who have any connexions, either of friendship or consanguinity, with a person so unhappily cii- Y Y Ggo S T E curastanced. He retained his bo- dily faculties after bis mind had lost its powers, and exhibited a miserable spectacle of idiotism and fatuity. At length, after several years remaining in this condition, he died at Baldock, in Hertford- shire, September 6th, 17S4. His claim to a place in this work is on account of the following pieces : 1 . Distress upon Distress ; or. Tragedy in true Taste. Burlesque Trag. 8vo. 1752. 2. Hearts of Oak. Int. 1762. 3. The French Flogged; or, The British Sailors in America. F. 8vo. 1767- This is generally ascribed to him. 4. The Court of Alexander. Burl. O. Svo. 1770. 5. A Trip to Portsmouth. A Sketch of One Act. Svo, 1773. The foUovting characteristic let- ter has very lately appeared in The Morning Chronicle, as an original production of Stevens's, during a period of miserable incarceration : its humour, we hope, will atone for its length : *' Dear Sir, Yarmouth Gaol. " When I parted from you at " Doncaster I imagined, long be- " fore this, to have met with some " oddities worth acquainting you *' with. It is grown a fathion of " late to write lives — I have now, '* and for a long time have had, " leisure enough to write mine — *' but want materials for the latter " part of it. For my existence '* cannot properly be called living, *' but what the painters term still- *' life ; having, since February ** 13th, been confined in this town " gaol for a London debt. As a " hunted deer is always shunned *' by the happier herd, so am I " deserted by the company, my " sjbare taken off, and no support S T E /hat my wife caa *' left ; save ** spare me out of hers. *' Deserted, in my utmost need, " By those my former bounty ted." " With an economy, which till " now I was a stranger to, I have *' made shift hitherto to victual " my little garrison j but then it " has been with the aid of good '' friends and allies — my clothes. " This week's eating finishes my " last waistcoat j and next I must " atone for my errors on bread " and water. " Themistocles had so many " towns to furnish his table ; and " a whole city bore the charge of " his meals. In some respects I " lam like himj for I am fur- " nisiied by the labours of a mul- *' titude. A wig has fed me two " days — the trimmings of a waist- " coat as long — a pair of velvet " breeches paid my washerwoman, " and a ruffled shirt has found me in " shaving. — My coats I swallowed " by degrees : the sleeves I break- " fasted upon for weeks— the body, " skirts, &c. served me for dinner " two months. — My silk stockings " have paid my lodgings, and two " pair of new pumps enabled me " to smoke several pipes. It it " incredible how my appetite (ba- " rometer-like) rises in proportion " as my necessities make their *■* terrible advances. I here could " say something droll about a sto- " mach J but ii: is ill jesting with " edge-tools, and I am sure that " is the sharpest thing about me. " You may think I can have no " sense of my condition, that, " while I am thus wretched, I "should ofter at ridicule: but, " Sir, people constituted like me, " with a disproportionate levity of " spirits, are always most merry " when they are most miserable ; S T E '' and quicken like the eyes of the " consumptive^ which are always " brightest the nearer a patient *' approaches to dissolution. How- *' ever, Sir^ to show that I am not " entirely lost to all reflection, I '' think myself poor enough to **■ want a favour, and humble "■ enough to ask it. Here, Sir, I " might make an encomium on " your good nature, humanity, '' &c. ; but I shall not pay so bad " a compliment to your under- ^' standing as to endeavour, by a *' parade of phrases, to win it over *' to my interest. If you could, *•' any night at a concert, make *' a small collection for me, it " might be a means of obtaining " my liberty ; and you know. Sir, " the first people of rank abroad " will perform the most friendly " offices for the sick : be not, " therefore, offended at the re- " quest of a poor (though a de- " servedly punished) debtor. " G. A. Stevens, " To Dr. Miller, P. M. Dnncaster.'' Stevens, John. This person was by profession a bookseller; but, failing in business, applied for subsistence to the collecting together any materials he could meet with of the poetical produc- tions of his acquaintance, print- ing them for his private advan- tage, sometimes as his own, and sometimes without any mention of the authors ; but more frequently making use of their names for a sanction to pieces which he put forth without their consent, and, indeed, to their prejudice, being generally printed from spurious and incorrect copies, which he had by some clandestine means or other procured. Among the rest of his publications is one dramatic piece, tor which he took subscriptions in 691 s T r his own name ; but, indifferent ^i it is, we are much in duubt as to its being his production. It is entitled The Modern Wife. C. 8vo. 1744. Stevens, Captain John, the cotitinuator of Dugdale's Monas- ticon, and compiler of a Spanish Dictionary, He was a Roman Catholic, and, at the Revolution, followed the fortunes of his abdi- c.iting master, in whose service he accepted a commission, and ac- companied him in the wars in Ireland. He also was employed in several other services, and died the 27th of October 1/26. He translated several books from the Spanish, and one play, in which he made some alterations, called An Evening's Intrigue. C. 8vo. 1707. Stewart, James. This au- thor we believe to have been a printer, and to have written, J. The Two English Gentlemen. C. 8vo. 1774. 2. The Students. F, 8vo. 1779. Stewakt, Thovias. Of this author we only know that he wrote Valentin ; or. The Fatal Birth- Day. T. Bvo. 1772. Still, John, was the son of William Still, of Grantham, in Lincolnshire. He was admitted of Christ'sCollege,Cambridge, where he took the degree of M. A. He afterwards became rector of Had- leigh, in the county .of Suffolk, and archdeacon of Sudbury. He was also successively master of St, John's and Trinity Colleges, in the university already mentioned ; and two years after the death of Bishop Godwin, was appointed to the va- cant see of Bath and Wells, in which he continued till his decease, which happened Feb. 26, I607. His name as a dramatic writer has been hitherto unknown 3 but Y Y 2 C92 s T r there are circumstances to Induce a belief tbal he was the author of Gammer GitrtoJis Needle. C. 4to. Black letter. 1575. In the Bursar's books of Christ's College, 9 Eiiz. (i. e. 1566), is the following entry : " Item for the " Carpenters setting upp the scaf- " fold at the Plaie xx"^." As at that tijne there \vas no other master of arts of Christ's College whose ijame began with the letter S ; and as it is not probable that any other person than one belonging to the house where the play was acted, would be employed in writing it, there is httle reason to hesitate about ascribing this piece to our author. From the book of the Sta- tioners' Company, it might seem as though it had been composed some years before publication, there being an entry, in 1563, by Thomas Cohvell, editor to the above performance, of a play, en- titled Dyccon of Bedlam, which we imagine was not printed under that title. This circumstance, how- ever, is inconclusive. In the year 1598, an interlude, called Thcr- sytes, appeared, a production we have never met with ; but no one iias hitherto conceived it to be the same with Troilus and Cressida, because the character of Thersites has likewise been introduced in the latter. Bedlam beggars (as they were styled) we may suppose to have been characters common to many of our ancient dramas. See note on King Lear, edit. 1/78, vol. ix. p. 426. Stillingfleet, Benjamin', grandson to the well-known Bishop of Worcester, and equally distin- guished as a naturalist and a poet. His father Edward was fellow of St. John's College, in Cambridge, F. R.S. M.D. and Gresham pro- fessor of physic; but, marrying in S T I 1692, lost his lucrative fifHce=, and the bishop's favour ; a misfortune that affected both him and his posterity. However, going into orders, he obtained, by his father's means, the living of Newington Butts-, which be immediately ex- changed for those of Wood-Norton and Swanton, in Norfolk, He died in 17O8. Benjamin, his only son, was educated at Norwich schocl, which he left, in 1/20, with the character of an excellent scholar. He then went to Trinity College, in Cambridge, at the request of Dr. Bentley, the master, who had been private tutor to his father, domestic chaplain to his grandfather, and was much indebted to the family. Here he was a candidate for a ft-l- lowship ; but was rejected by the master's influence. This was a severe and unexpected disappoint- ment; and but little alleviated af- terwards by the Doctor's apology, that it was a pity that a gentleman of Mr. Stillingtleet's parts should be buried w^ithin the walls of a college. Perhaps, however, this ingratitude of Dr. Bentley was not of any real disservice to Mr. Stil- lingfleet. By being thrown into the world, he formed many ho- nourable and valuable connexions. The late Lord Barrington gave him, in a very polite manner, the place of master of the barracks at Ken- sington ; a favour to w-hich Mr. Stillingfleet, in the dedication of his Calendar of Flora to that nobleman, alludes with great po- liteness, as well as the warmest gratitude. His Calendar was form- ed at Stratton, in Norfolk, in 1755, at the hospitable seat of Mr. Marsham, who had made several remarks of that kind, and had co:r:municatcd to the public his curious Observations on the Growth of Trees. But it was to Mr. 6y3 S T I Wyndham, of Felbrig, in Nor- folk, that he appears to have had the greatest obligations. He tra- velled abroad with him ; spent much of his time at his house j and was appointed one of his exe- cutors ; with a considerable addi- tion to an annuity which that gen- tleman had settled upon him in his lifetime. Mr. Stillingfleet's genius seems, if we may judge from his works, to have led him princi- pally to the study of natural history, which he prosecuted as an ingeni- S T I concerning Happiness; and in 1/59 appeared a volume oi Miscella- neous Tracts, which is in much esteem, and does great honour both to his head and heart. They are chiefly translations of essays ia the Aina:nitates Acadcvncce, pub- lished by LinUceus, interspersed with some observations and addi- tions of his own. In this volume he shows a taste for classical learn- ing, and entertains us with some elegant poetical effusions. Ke annexed to it some valuable Gb- ous philosopher, an useful citizen,, servations on Grasses, and dedi- and a good man. Mr. Gray makes the following favnurabl-j mention of him, in one of his letters, dated from London, in \']Q\ : "■ I have " lately made an acqnaintance with " th's philosopher, who iives in a *' garret in the winter, that he " may support some near relations " who depend upon him. He is "■ ahvays employed, consequently *' (according to my old maxim) " ahvays ha[)py, always cheerful, " and seems to me a worthy honest " man. His present scheme is to " send some persons, properly " qualified, to reside a year or two " in Attica, to make themselves "■ acquainted with the climate, pro- "■ ductions, and natural history of " the country, that we may un- " derstand ArIstotle,Theophrastus, " &c. who have been Heathen " Greek to us for so many ages ; *' and this he has got proposed to " Lord Bute, no unlikely person *' to put it in execution, as he is " himself a botanist." A beauti- ful eulogium on him, by Mr. Pennant, is prefixed to the fourih volume of the British Zoology. An epistle by Mr. Stiliingfleet, in 1723, is printed in The Poetical Magazine, 1/64, p. 224. He pub- lished, about 1733} an anonymous pamphlet, entitled Some Thonghi-s cated the v/hole to George Lord Lyttelton. A second edition of it appeared in 1702 ; a third in 1775- Mr. Stiliingfleet likewise published Some Thoughts occasion- ed hy the late. Earthr/nakes, 1750, a poem, in 4to. ; and The Prin- ciples and Powers of Harmony^ 177 ^> 4to. a verv learned work, built on Tartini's Trattato di Mii- sica secondo la vera Scienza deW Ai-rnonia. These, and his Essay on Conversation, in the first volume of Dodsley's Collection of Poems, entitle him to a distinguished rank among our English poets. The Essay is addressed to Mr. Wynd- ham, with all that warmth of friendship which distinguishes Mr. Stiliingfleet. As it is chieflv di- dactic, it does not admit of so many ornaments as some compo- sitions of other kinds. However, it contains much good sense, shows a considerable knowledge of man- kind, and has several passages that, in point of harmony and easy ver- sification, would not disgrace the writings of our most admired poets. Here more than once Mr. Stiliing- fleet shows himself still sore from Dr. Bentley's cruel treatment of him ; and towards the beautiful and moral close of this poem (where he gives us a sketch of himself) y Y 3 694 S T O seems to hint at a mortification of a more delicate nature, which he is said to have suffered from the otht-r sex. This loo may perhaps account for the asperity with which he treats the ladies in the Ferses p'inted in the sixth volume of Mr. Nichols's Collection of Poems. To these disappointments it was perhaps owing that Mr. Stilling- fleet neither married, nor went into orders. His London residence was at a sadler's in Piccadilly, ■where he died in 177';. 3§^d above seventy, leaving several valuable papers behind him. To these Mr. Pennant alludes, when he says, *' 1 received the unfinished •' tokens of his regard by virtue " of his promise ; the only papers " that were rescued from the *' flames to which his modesty had *' devcled all the rest." He was buried in St. James's church, with- out the slightest monument of his having existed. He was the author of, 1 . Paradise Lost. Orat.4to. 176O. Mr. Stillingfleet, some time be- fore his death, printed a few co- pies of the following dramas for his particular friends : 2. Joseph. 3. Moses and Zipporah. 4. David, and Bathsheha. 5. Medea. All intended for oratorios^ and printed in Svo. N. D. Stockdale, Rev. Percival. Till- gentleman, a native of the northern part of the kingdom, vas some time chaplain to the factory at Leghorn, and resided in Italy. After his arrival in Eng- land, he bcrame acquainted with Mr. Ganick, by whose interest he procured the appointment of chap- lain to {he Leander man of war ; but this othce he afterwards re- •igned, and is now, we believe. S T R rector of Lesborough and Long Houghton, in Northumberland. He is the author of a translation from Tasso, called 1. Amyntas, Past. Svo. 1770i and of, 2. Ximenes. T. 8vo. 178S. Stoddart, J. SeeNoEHDEN, N. H. Storage, Stephen. A fo- reigner and a musician. He was, we think, at one time a proprietor of Mary-le-Bone Gardens ; during which period he produced, 1. La Serva Padrona. M. E. Translated. 2. The Coquet. M. E. Trans- lated. 8vo. 1771. He was father, we believe, of the late celebrated composer of the same name; the premature loss of whose musical talents will long be regretted. Strathmoee, Countess of. See Bowes. Stratford, Dr. was rector of Galston, in the county of Meath, Ireland J and wrote the following dramatic pieces : 1. Lord Russel. Trag. ]784. N.P, 2. Darim. Trag. N. P. 3. The Self- Important. C. Left unfinished. N. P. See Cyrus the Great, in Vol. IL Stkaycock, J. was author of The Loyal Peasants. C. Svo. 1804. Streeter, F. This author ap- pears to be a tradesman, and apo- logizes for the defects of his per- formances by his want of a liberal education. He is the author of one dramatic piece, entitled The Physical Metamorphosis ; or, A Treble Discovery. Farce* Svo. 1778. Printed at Rochester, with Hamp- ton Court, a descriptive Poem, in Three Cantos. 696 S T R Strode, Dr. William. This gentleman was only son of Philip Strode, Esq. sometime living near Plympton, and grandson to Sir llichard Strode, of Newenhara, in Devonshire, in which county he was born towards the end of Q.ueeu Elizabeth's reign, and, at nineteen years of age, was admitted of Christ Church College, Oxford, into which he had been received a stu- dent from Westminster school. He took, holy orders, and became a florid and celebrated preacher in the university. In l62Q he was chosen public orator of the uni- versity, being then one of the proctors of it ; and two years after, was admitted to the reading of the sentences. In 1638 he was installed canon of Christ Church, and, in the same month, created doctor in divinity. Dr. Strode died of a middle age, having only attained his 45th year, on the 10th of March l644, and was buried in the divinity chapel belonging to the cathedral church of Christ Church, Oxford. He was a good preacher, an exquisite orator, an eminent poet, and in- deed, in the general, a person of great parts; though, as Wood ob- serves, not equal to those of Wil- liam Cartwright, of whom see an account before. He published many sermons, speeches, orations, epistles, and poems, but has left behind him no more than one at- tempt in the dramatic way, which is entitled The Floating Island. Tr.-Com. 4to. 1655. Wood has given us the title of it as follows : Passmis calmed; or. The Set~ tling of the Flouting Island. Strouue, Mr. Downes, in his Roscius AngUcanuSy p. 31, men- tions a person of this name as the S T R author of one play, acted at the Duke's Theatre, between 1662 and 1671, entitled Ail Plot; or, The Disguises. C. probably not printed. SxRUTT, Joseph, an English artist, well known for the assi- duity with which he traced our national antiquities from illumi- natexl MSS. in the various public libraries of this kingdom j and thence compiled, in the manner of Montfaucon, The Regal and Eo' clesiastical Antiquities of England, 4to. 1773 J Horda Angelynnan y or, Complete Views of the Man tuts. Customs, Arms, Habits, iSc. of the Inhabitants of England, fro^n the Arrival of tlie Saxons to the Time of Henry VIU. 2 vols. 4to, 1774; Chronicle of England, 2 vols. 4to. 1777 j Glig Gamena Angel Treod; or. The Sports and Pastimes of the People of England, 4to. 1801. He also published A Biographical Dictionary of Engra- vers, 2 vols. 4to. 1735. Mr, Strutt was a pleasant as well as a studious man j for, though diligent in his researches concerning the manners of our ancestors, and the minor events of our national his- tory ; yet, when intermitting the labours of those inquiries on which his mind was bent, he was jocose and familiar : he could at pleasure mingle instruction with his good humour, and enrich his conversa- tion by grafting information on his gaiety. In Lord Lyttelton's por- trait of Thomson are many fea- tures that recall the image of Mr. S. and may pass for his reserti- blance with slight variations. An artist he, moie fat than art beseems ; Who, void of envy, guile, and lust of gain. On deep researches bent, and learned themes, The modes of ages past he did tx,^. plain ; V T 4 6g6 S T U The world forsaking v ich a calm disdain, He laugh'd full careless in his easy seat ; He quaft'd encircled with the joyous ' train. Oft moralizing sage ; his ditty sweet He loathed much to write, ne cared to repeat. But Mr. S. can with little justice be niched in the Castle of Indo- lence : tiie number and magnitude of his works vinJ.icate his memory from every imputation of that kind. We must also notice an instance of his benevolence : we learn, tohis honour^thatatTewing, a small village in Hertfordshire, about twenty-five miles from Lon- don, and four from Hertford, where Mr. S. resided fur upwards of five years, he instituted a Sunday-school, for the instruction of the poor children, at his own expense ; hiring a parlour for that purjiose of a farmer's widow, and purchasing easy books adapted to tiie capacities of his pupils. It is now a daily school, under stated superintendants, and is patronized by a noble family in the neigh- bourhood. Mr. Strutt died in London, Oct. 15, 1802, aged 55 ; leaving, besides the works that we have above mentioned, 1. Ancient Times. Dr. 8vo. 1808. 2. The Test of Guilt. Dr. Tale. 4to. ISOS. And the following p^cce : The Bumpkin's Disaster ; or, The IVhim- siral Adventures of Ploughshare and Chdpole, their Journey to London, including several humorous Dia- logues, legendary Narratives, &c. &c. Stuart, Charles, was a na- tive of Scotland, and had been concerned with a brother of his, in several newspapers. He died a few years ago, having written the following dramatic pieces : S T U 1. The Colder of Castlelury , M. E. Svo. 1779. 2. Damnation. Int. 176I. N.P. 3. Ripe Fruits. Int. 178I.N.P. 4. GretnaGreen. Mus. F. 1783. 5. The Box-lobby Loungers. Vii\. 1/87. N. P. 6. Disiress'd Baronet. F. Svo. 7. Stone Eater. Int. Svo, I78S. 8. Iii^fliman in Spain. F. Svo. 1791. We believe that he was also au- thor of, g. The Experiment. C. 1777. N.P. Stubbe, , a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, who wrote Fraus Honesta. C. Svo. 1632. Studly, John. Of this gentle- man we can find no farther men-? tion made by any of the writers, than that he stood in high estima- tion as a poet in the reign of Queen Elizabeth} that he receive ed his education at Westminster school, was afterwards a student at Trinity College, Can) bridge, and is, by Cbetwood, said to have been killed in Flanders, in 1587, at the siege of Breda, where he had a command under Prince Mau- rice. All the connexion he has with dramatic history, is his having translated the fourth, seventh, eighth, and tenth tragedies of Se- neca, viz. 1. Medea. Svo. 15t53, 2. Agamemnon. Svo. 15^1. 3. Hercules CEtceus. 4to. 1581. 4. Hilypolytiis. 4tQ. 1581. Stukmy, John, wrote three plays, which seem to have met with some success. Their respec- tive titles are, 1. Love and Duly. Trag. Svo. 1722. 2. The Compromise. Com. Svo. 1723. C97 sue 3. Sesosh-is. Trag. ho. 1728. Suckling, Sir John, was son of Sir Ji)hn Suckling, comptroller of the household laKing Charles I. and was born, it is said, after eleven moniJis gestation, in Feb. l608-9> most probably at Twickenham, as by the register of that parish we tind he was baptized there on Fe- bruary 10th of that year. He cultivated music and poetry, and excelled in both; for, though he had a vivacity and sprightliness in his nature, which would not sufter his attention to be long con- fined to any thing, yet he was made ample amends for this, by strength of genius and quickness of apprehension. In his 3'outh he travelled into foreign countries, and became a most accomplished gentleman. He was allowed to have the peculiar happiness of making every thing he did become him. Yet he was not so devoted to wit, gallantry, and the Muses, as to be wholly a stranger to the camp, [n his travels he made a campaign under the great Gustavus Adolj)has, where he was present at three battles, five sieges, and se- veral skirmishes; and, if his valour was not so remarkable, says Mr. Langbaine, in the beginning of our xivil wars, yet his loyalty was ex- ceedingly so ; for, after his return to his coimtry, he raised a troop of horse, for the King's service, entire- ly at his own charge, and so richly and completely mounted, that it is said to have cost him 12,000/. But these troops and their leader dis- tinguished themselves only by their iinery, for they did nothing for the King's service, which Sir John laid very much to heart. He died the 7lh (f May l641. Dr. Warton, in his Essay on Pope, says, ** Sir John " was robbed by his valet de " charabre: the moment he dis- S U L " covered it, he clapped on his " boots in a passionate hurry, and " perceived not a large rusty nail " that was concealed at the bot-? " tom, which pierced his heel, •' and brought on a mortification." The advantages of birth, person, education, parts, and fortune, with which this gentleman set out in the world, had raised the expecta- tions of mankind to a prodigious height ; and, perhaps, his dying so young was better for his fame, than if he had lived longer. He was a sprightly wit and a courtly write]-, as Dryden somewhere calls him ; but certainly not a great genius, as some have affected to represent him; a polite and easy versifier, but not a poet. His works consist of a few poems, let* ters, &c. and five plays. These last are, 1. Jglaitra. T. C. Fo. 1638. 2. T/ie Discontented Colonel. 4to. N.D. [1612.] 3. The Gohlins. C. 4. The Sad One. T. Unfinished. 5. Brejmorult. T. This is The Discontented Colonel, altered. The last three were printed ori- ginally in 8vo. 1646. His poems, plays, speeches, tracts, and letters, are all collected into one volume, in Svo. I709. Sullivan, William Feancis, A.B. is the son of Francis Stough- ton Sullivan, LL.D.. formerly se- nior fellow and royal professor of the common law in the university of Dublin; in which young Sulli- van was regularly bred, and de- signed for the church ; but, on the death of his parents (havinty lost his father before he was nine years, and his mother before he was nineteen), in 17/6, the Ame- rican war breaking out, he volun- teered in the army, where he continued U tbe peace of 1733. 698 S W I S W I He soon after married, and brought his family to England ; when he and his wife went on the stage, and performed at several provincial theatres of the first respectability. He has now relinquished the stage for literary pursuits ; more conso- nant, perhaps, to his feelings and studious disposition. He has pub- lished some fugitive poems, on his own account, which possess merit, and show a versatile genius. His wife is an actress of considerable estimation in the country, and his daughter bids fair to rise in the profession. His dramatic pieces are two in number, \iz, 1. Eights of Man. F. Svo. 1/92. 2. Test of Unmi mid Loyally. Svo. 1797. Swift, . To a barrister of this name has been ascribed The Five Lovers. C. O. 1800. Swift, Dr. Jonathan. This excellent writer has never yet been included in any list of dra- matic authors ; but though his temper and inclination seem not to have led him to pay much re- gard to the stage, yet we appre- hend him to h.ive an undoubted right to a place in this work, even on account of his Polite Conversation, which is carried on in a manner truly dramatic. He was born the 30th of November 1667, at Dub- lin, according to some writers j but, as he himself at other times used to assert, at Leicester. At six years of age be was sent to the school at Kilkenny, where he continued eight years. On the 24th of April l(iS2, he was enter- ed of the college of Dublin, but ■while there aiscovered no pro- mise of any superior abilities. In 1C)85, after having been refused his degiee of bachelor of arts for insufficiency, he was admitted speciali gratia, which in that uni- versity is considered as the highest degree of reproach and dishonour. This disgrace was attended with very good effects. To prevent a repetition of it, he bent all his faculties to the improvement of his mind, during the space of seven years, in which time he studied eight hours a day. la 1683, his uncle, who had sup- ported him, died; on which event he visited his mother, and by her recommendation made himself known to Sir William Temple, who received him with great kind- ness, and entertained him at his house. On the 14Lh of June ] 692, he was admitted B. A. at Ox- ford, and on the 5th of July took his master's degree there. In the year 16Q4, a difference arose be- tween him and Sir William Tem- ple, which occasioned their part- ing, and Dr. Swift soon after en- tered into holy orders. The first preferment he received was the prebend of Kilroot, worth about 100/. a year. This he soon after re- signed at the request of Sir William Temple, who desired to be recon- ciled to him, and undertook to procure him other preferment in England, From this time he re- sided chiefly at the house of Sir William, who at his death left to his care the publication of his posthumous works. Soon after the death of his patron, he accept- ed an invitation from the Earl of Berkeley, one of the lords justices of Ireland, to accompany that nobleman as his chaplain and private secretar}'. But the latter ofiice he never executed, another person being appointed to it. He, however, received the livings of Laracor and Rathbeggin, in the diocese of Meath j and, io 170I* 699 S W I took ihe degree of doctor of di- vinity. He soon becaoie eminent as a writer, and attached himself to the Whig party, by whom he was neglected, and, in consequence thereof, took the first opportunity of quitting them in disgust. In 1710 he was commissioned by the primate of Ireland to solicit the Queen to exonerate tiie clergy of Ireland from paying the twentieth parts and first fruits ; which oc- casioning his introduction to Mr. Harley, afterwards Earl of Oxford, he was received with open arms by the Tories^ to whom he became from that time a fast friend and steady adherent. He contributed by his pen in a great degree to the downfal of the Whig ministry, and supported in the same manner the measures of the four last years of Queen Anne. He had, however, no reward for his labours until the year 1713, when he accepted the deanery of St. Patrick's, Dublin ; and the Queen dying soon after, his friends fell into disgrace, and he obtained no further preferment during the rest of his life. From this period he resided almost wholly in Ireland, and, by devoting his attention to the interest of that country, acquired a greater share of popularity there than any private person had ever before possessed. In the latter part of bis life he was afflicted with fits of deafness and giddiness, which terminated in a state of idiotism. He died in October 1745, and left his fortune to endow an hospital for the re- ception of lunatics. Besides the Polite Conversation, already mentioned, it is asserted by George Faulkner, in a note on Mr. Ford's letter, dated Dec. 13, 1/32, that the Dean, in 1730, wrote two acts of a comedy, which he sent to lilr. Gay to finish, called S Y D The Players Rehearsal. SwiNEY, J. M. To a person of this name is ascribed The Alarm. But of the nature of the piece we are totally ignorant. SwiNHOE, Gilbert, a native of Northumberland, lived in the reigns of King Charles I. and King Charles II. and, during the Usurp- ation, published one play, entitled The Unhappy Fair Irene. T. 4to. 1658. SwiNY, Owen Mac. A gen- tleman born in Ireland, for- merly a manager of Drury Lane Theatre, and afterwards of the Queen's Theatre in the Haymar- ket. On leaving that office he re- sided in Italy several years, and at his return procured a place in the custom-house, and was keeper of the King's Mews. He died the 2d of October 1754, leaving his fortune to his favourite Mrs. Wof- fington. His dramatic pieces are, 1 . The Quacks ; or. Love 's the Physician. C, 4to. 1/05. 2. Camilla. O. 4to. 1706. 3. Pyrrhus and Demetrius. O, 4to. 1709. 4. The Quacks ; or. Love 's the Physician. F. Svo. 1745. An alteration of the former. Sydney, Sir Philip, the Mar- cellus of the English nation, was born at Penshurst, in Kent, in 1554. His father was Sir Henrj Sydney, Knt. and his mother was Mary, daughter of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland. He was educated at Oxford, where he con- tinued till seventeen years of age, when he set out on the tour of Eu- rope, and at Paris narrowly escaped the horrid massacre in 1572, by taking shelter in the house of the Eno;lish ambassador. Queen Eli- zabeth so highly prized his merit and abilities^ that she sent him am- 700 s y D bassador to Vienna, and to several other ccmrts in Germany ; and, ■when the tame of his valour be- came so extensive, that he was put in election for the crown of Po- land, slie refused to further his ad- vancement, lest she should lose the brightest jewel of her crown. The brevity we are confined to in this work, will not permit us to en- )arge on the transactions of his life. We shall therefore only add, that he was killed at the battle of Zut- phvn, in 1586, while he was mounting the third horse, having S Y M before had two killed under him. Beside his other works, he wrote one dramatic piece, which is print- ed with his poems, and called The Lady of the May. Masque, presented to Queen Elizabeth, in the gardens of Wanstead, in Essex. Symmonds, Rev. Charles, D.D. of Jesus College, Oxford, is author of Inez. T. Svo. 1796. Symmons, . To an au- thor of this name we find ascribed a piece, called The Sicilian Captive. 1800. T A Tx TAR T. to C. 12mo, These initials are annexed many of his fraternity, joined some huniour to a great deal of profli- gacy. He was born at Condover, in the county of Salop, and was originally brought to London, and introduced to court by a servant of Robert Earl of Leicester, who found him in a field keeping his father's swine; where, being high- ly pleased, says Fuller, with his happy unhappy answers, he took him under his patronage. He was Grim the Collier 1662. Tailor, Robert, wrote one play, called The Hug hath lost his Pearl. C. 4to. 161-L Talbot, J, Ln this manner, one of the initial letters, prefixed to a dramatic piece published in the l/th century, was filled up in a copy which had long been in (he an actor at the Bull, in Bishopsgate possession of a noble family. No Street, and performed the Judge's particulars are known of this au- character in the play of King thor, but he seems to have been Henry V. which was prior to that the same person who wrote some of Shakspeare. Stow says, in 1,583, verses, printed in the third volume when the Queen, at the suit of Sir of Mr. Nichols's 5e/ec.'C'j//fc/io7/ of Francis Walsingham, constituted a Poems, p. 89. The play, above dozen players at Barn Elms, al- inentioned, was a translation Irom lowing them wages and liveries as Seneca, entitled grooms of the chamber, Richard Troas. T. 4to. iGSS. Tarlton was one. Sir Richard Tarlton, Richard, was a ce- Baker says, that for the Clown's lebraled actor and jester, and, like part he never had his equal, nor TAR ever will. Bon Jotison, who libels the fraierriity, mealiuns him with some respect for supporting the chaiacter of theStage-keeper in ihe induction to Bartholomew Fair. He for some time kept an ordinary in Paternoster Row, and then the sign of the Tab(;r, a tavern in Gracechurch Street, where he was chosen scavenger, but was often complained of by the ward for neglect : he laid the blame on the raker, and he again on his horse, who, being blooded and drenched the preceding day, could not be ■worked. Then, says 1 arlton, the horse must suffer ; so he sent him to the Conipier, and when the raker had done his work, sent him there to pay the prison-fees, and redeem his horse. Another story is told of him, that l;aving run up a large score at an alehouse in Sandwich, he made his boy accuse him for a seminary priest. The officers catne and seized him in his chamber on his knees crossing him- self; so they paid his reckoning with the charges of his journey, and be got clear to London. When they brought him before the re- corder Fleetwood, he knew him, and he not only discharged him, but entertained him very courte- ously. Tarlton was married to a wife named Kate, who is said to have cuckolded hirn, wherefore a waterman once landed him at Cuck- olds' Point coming from Green- wich. Another tinie being in a great storm as they were sailing from Southampton, and every man being to throw his heaviest bag- gage overboard which he could best spare, he offered to throw his wife over, but the company res- cued her. Heywood says, he was gracious in his timewith theQueen, and in the people's great applause j and Fuller asserts, that " when TAR " Queen Elizabeth was serions (I " dare not say sullen) and out of *' good humour, he could un- " dumpish her at his pleasure. " Her highest favourites would in " some cases go to Tarlton before " they would go to the Queen, " and he was their usl;er to pre- " pare their advantageous access " unto her. In a word, he told *' the Queen more of her faults •' than most of her chaplains, and " curedher melancholy better than " all htr physicians." He, how- ever, was some time in disgrace, and discarded from court for scur- rilous reflections on Leicester and Raleigh. He was very famous for his extempore wit on the stage. Dr. Cave, De Politica, Oxford, 4to. 15SS, says, ** Aristoteles suuni '• Theodoretum laudavit quendani " peritum tragoediarum actorem, " Cicero suum Roscium, nos An- " gli Tarletonum in cujus voce et *' vulta orones jocosi affectus, iu " cujus cerebroso capite lepidae fii- ** ce!;iae habitant." Fuller says, " Much of his merriment lay in " his very looks and actions, ac- '* cording to the epitaph written " upon him : " Hie situs est cujus poterat vox, actio, vuitus, *' Ex Heraclito reddere Dsmocritum. " Indeed the self-same vvords spo- <■' ken by another would hardly " move a merr)'^ man to smile, " which uttered by him would «' force a sad soul to laughter." He was the author of one dra- matic performance, called The Sfven deadly Sins, which is now lost: but the scheme or plan of it was some years ago dis- covered by Mr. Steeveos, and is at pre-e!it in Mr.Malone's possession. In Gabriel Harvey's " Foure Lei- " ters and cctaiue Sonncis, cspv- ;o2 TAR " cialhj toudnrigRolerl Greene and ** other Parties ly him abused," 4to. 1592, p. 29, mention is made of a work written by Thomas Nasbe, " — right formally con- " veyed according to the stile and " tenour of Tarlton's president, his ** famous play of The Seven deadly *' Sinnes, which most deadly, but " most lively, playe I might have " seene in Loudon ; and was very *' gently invited thereunto at Ox- *' ford by Tarlton himselfe, of •' whome I merrily demaunding, " which of the seaven was his " owne deadlie sinne, he bluntly ** aunswered after this manner : " ' By G — d, the sinne of other " gentlemen, lechery.' — ' Oh, but *' that, Mr. Tarleton, is not your *' part upon the stage ; you are to " blame, that dissemble with the *' world, and have one part for ** your frends pleasure, another " for your owne.' — ' I am some- ** what of Doctor Perne's religion,' •' quoth he : and abrupilie tooke " his leave." Tarlton died in 1588, and was buried at St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, on theSd of September. On the 2J day of August 1589, Henry Kyikham had license unto *' A soro.vfull newe Sonnette, in- " titled Tarlton's Recantation upon *' this Theame, gyven him by a " Gent at the Bel Savage without " Ludgate(nowe or els never), be- *' inge the lasteTheme he songe." And on the l6th of October there •was licensed to Richard Jones, *• Tarlton's Repentance, or his " Farewell to his Friends in his *' Sicknes a little before his Death, *' &c." ■ (See the entries from the book of the Stationers' Company.) He was so celebrated in his time, that his portrait was hung out as a sign for alehouses. Bishop Hall, ill his Satires, has this line : T A S *' To sit with Tarlton on an alc-post'g signe !" Oldys, in his MS. notes, says, there is an alehouse sign of a Ta- bor and Pipe Man, witli the name of Tarlton under it, in the Bo- rough of Southwark, and it was taken from the print before the old quarto book of Tarlton's Jests. Lord Oxford had a portrait of him with his tabor and pipe, and it was probably taken from the pam- phlet called Tarlton's Jests, 4to. 1611, in the title-page of which there is a wooden plate of Tarlton at full length in his Clown's dress, playing on his pipe with one hand, and beating his drum with the other. This print is so well cut, that the flatness appears irj his nose which he got by parting some dogs and bears ; yet it did not affect him, he said, but he could smell an honest man from a knave. Tasker, William, was the son of a clergyman in the western extremity of Devonshire, and born in 1/40. He was educated at a grammar-school in one of the neighbouring towns, and finished his studies at Oxford. His father thought he had provided for his family, by leaving his son in pos- session of the advowson of a living of three or four hundred a year, subject to the payment of a small fortune to his sister, and to the maintenance of his mother on the spot. But poets have always had the faculty of involving themselves. On the marriage of his sister to an attorney (whom he calls, in his preface to a volume ofTranslations, his unlettered brother-in-law), the fortune was not produced ; and a law-snit commenced, which ha- rassed and impoverished our author extremely. However, these dis- tresses, it seems, first turned Mr. 703 TAT Tasker's thoughts to poetry. His Ode io the IVarlikc Genius of Great Britain, 4to. 1778> was written under the patronage of those ge- neral guardians of genius, the she- riffs' officers for the county of Middlesex, and was corrected and polished under the eye of Mr. Thomas, the marshal of the King's Bench. The ode, however, has great merit. Mr. Tasker publish- ed 3 vols, of Select Odes and Mis- cellaneous Poems, in 1/9^ i to which he added a series of Letters, containing much miscellaneous matter ; and, among the rest, proofs of the anatomical accuracy of Homer in his description of the wounds suffered by the heroes in the Iliad. Mr. Tasker also pub- lished Ai-viragus. Hist. T. 8 vo. 1/96 5 and died at Iddesleigh parsonage, Devon, of which he was rector, Feb. 4, 1800. Tate, Nahum. This author was the son of Dr. Faithful Tate, and was born at Dublin in l652. At the age of sixteen years he was admitted of the college there, but does not appear to have followed any profession. It is observed in the notes to The Dunciad, that he was a cold writer, of no invention, but translated tolerably when be- friended byDryden, v/ith whom he sometimes wrote in conjunction. He succeeded Shadwell as poet- laureat, and continued in that of- fice until his death, which hap- pened on the 12th day of August 1715, in the Mint, v/here he then resided as a place of refuge from the debts which he had contracted, and was buried in St. Georges church. Gildon speaks of him as a man of great honesty and mo- desty ; but he seems to have been ill qualified to advance himself in the world. A person who died in TAT 1763, at the age of ninety, re- membered him well, and said he was remarkable for a downcast look, and had seldom much to say for himself. Oldys also describes him as a free, good-natured, fud- dling companion. With these qua- lities, added to a meagre coun- tenance, it will not appear sur- prising that he was poor and de- spised. He is at present better known for his version of the Psalms, in which he joined with Dr. Brady, than any other of his works, among which are the following plays : 1. Brutus of Mia. T. 4to. I678. 2. The Loyal General. T. 4to. 16S0. 3. King Lear. T. altered from Shakspeare. 4to. 168I. 4. Richard 11. ; or. The Sicilian Usurper. Hist. Play. 4to. I6SI. Printed under the latter title, 4to. 1691. 5. The Ingratitude of a Common'' wealth ; or. The Fall of Coriolanus. 4to. I6'82. 6. Cuckold's Haven ; or. An Al- derman no Conjuror. F. 4to. l685. 7. A Duke and no Duke. F. 4to. lC85. Taken from Sir Astoa Cokain's Trappolin. 8. The Island Princess. Tragi- Com. 4to. 1687. g. Injured Love ; or. The Cruel Husland. T. 4to. 1707. 10. Dido and AiUneas. Op. Tatham, Johm, city-poet in the reign of Charles I. wrote four plays, viz. 1. Love crowns the End. Past. 12mo. 1640; 12mo. I657. 2. The Distracted State. T. 4to. 1651. 3. Scots Figaries ; or, A Knot of Knaves. C. 4to. 1652. 4. The Rump; or , The Mirrour of the late Times. C. 4to. J 66O. Taiham was, as city-poet, au- 704 T A Y ihor of the Pageants for 1 65"/, 1 658, lt)5g, I66u, ifibi, l6d2, 1663, 1664. See Vol. III. art. Pageants. Taubman, Matthew, suc- ceeded Thomas Jordan as city-poet in 1035, and was himself suc- ceeded in that office by Elkanah Settle, in I69I, who was the last. Tanbman was author of the city Pageants for 1685, 1686, I687, 1688, 1689. See Vol. III. art. Pageants. Taverner, William, the son of Mr. Jeremiah Taverner, a por- trait-painter, was bred to the civil law, which he practised in Doctors' Commons. He had also himself a genius for painting, but never exercised it with a view to profit. He died the 8th of January 1/31, and uas author of the following pieces : 1 . Tke Faithful Bride of Granada. Play. 4to. 1704. 2. The iMaid the Mistress. C. 4to. 170s. 3. The Female Advocates ; or, Th'; Frantick Stock- Jot bcr. C. 4to, 1713. 4. Tke Jrtful Hushand. Com. 4to. N. I). [1)16] ; 12mo. 3d edit. 1721. 5. The.4rtful Wife. C. 8vo. 1 7 1 8. 6. 'Tis well if It takes. C. Svo, 17'-9- Mer.rs, in his catalogue, men- tions him as the author of the fol- lowiijg two pieces, which, we be- lieve, wove never printed : 7. Ixion. M. S. Eveiy Body mistaken. F.1716. Taylor, -, of Norwich. To this gentleman have bet;n ascribed, 1. Jjjhigeiiia in Tauris. T. Svo. 1793. 2. h'alhun (he IPise. D. Piece. Svo. 1805. Tayi OF,, John. Thiiwri'eris usually (iistiiiguibhed by the title of T A Y The Water Poet, having been of no higher occnpntion than a stulltr on ihe river Thames. He was born in the city of Gloucester in 1580; but received hardly any education, as he declares he scarce- ly learnt his accidence. He was bound apprentice to a waterman in London, and at the intervals which he could spare from his business, used to employ himself in writing pamphlets, of which some are not destitute of merit. He was fourteen or sixteen years servant in the Tower, and once was mad enough to venture himself and a companion in a boat made of paper to Rochester; but before they landed tiie water soaked through, and if it had not been for corks or bladders, they had been both drowned. In the year 1632 a folio volume of his works was pub- lished, containing about half the number of pieces which he pro- duced. He was a violent loyalist ; and at the beginning of the re- bellion retired to Oxford, from whence, on the surrender of that place, he returned to London, and kept a pubiic-honse in PhoRnix Alley, by Long Arre. On the death of the King, he set up the sign of the Mourning Crown ; but that giving oftence to the reii^ning powers, he was obliged to pull it down ; on which he hung up his own pictnre, under which were written these two lines: *•' There's many a King's Htad hang'd up for a siu'ii, " And mniiy a Saint's Head too. Then why not mine ?' He difd in the year l654, in the seventy- filth year of his ace. and was buried in Co vent Garden churchyard. His nephew, a painter at Oxford, g;'ve his picture to the scl.oiil-ga''erv there. lu Hyde's Catalogue 01 the Bed- 706 THE lelan Library, two plays by our author are mentioned, wiiich are ill. no other collection. They are «al!eil, 1. The Sculler. 4to. 1(J14, 2. Fair and Foul Weather. 4to. 1615. But, on inspection, neither of these pieces appears to be dra- matic. Taylor perhaps may, ne- vertheless, claim a niche in this work as author of Triumphs of Fame and Honour. 4 to. lDc>4 ; which will be found in Vol. III. under its date, art. Pageants, No. (22.) Templetox, James, is author of The Shipwrecked Lovers. Trag. 12mo. 1801. Tenducci, ', an opera- Singer, to whom was ascribed Amyntas (jA't.exedi from The Royal Shepherd). 8vo. 1769. Teres, T. This author, who published a translation of Voltaire's poem of the civil war of Geneva, likewise wrote one play, called Richard in Cyprus, Trag. Bvo. N. D. [1769.] Thelwall, John, was intend- ed for the profession of the law, and articled to an attorney ; but whether he ever practised in the courts we know not. Upon the publication of Paine's Rights of Man, Mr. Thelwall was one of the first to display a zealous at- tachment to his principles; and he soon afterwards began to deliver a course of lectures of an inflamma- tory tendency, at Beaufort Build- ings, in the Strand. In the year 1794 these discourses were inter- rupted by the hand of Govern- ment, and the orator was conveyed to the Tower to take his trial, to- gether with Hardy, HorneToofee, and a few other suspected subjects. VOL. I. T H B During his confinement, Mr.Thel* wall wrote some poems, whicll were published after his release, having been tried at the Old Bailey in November 1/94, and acquitted with the other jirisoners. As aix author, Mr. Thelwall made his first appearance in 17S7> when he published OrlarAo and Ahneyda, a legendary ta'e in the manner of Goldsmith ; and also Poems on va-> rious Subjects, in two volumes. Mr. Thelwall did not seek the press again till the year 1794, when No. 1 of his Political Lectures made its appearance, and these were car-^ ried on to 3 vols. In the follow- ing year he published The natural and constitutional Right of Britons to annual Parliameius, univasal Sufrage, and the Fretdorn. of pO'<. pu/ar Association , the speech whicli he intended to have delivered oa his trial. His subsequent produc-« tions were chiefly political pam- phlets of a similar cast, and Tha Peripatetic, in 3 vols. 12mo. Hai is recorded here, however, as au- thor of> 1, The Incas. Hist. Op. J792. N. P. 2. The Fairy of the Lake. 8vo, 1802. Mr. Thelwall has for some year* quitted the troubled ocean of po- litics, and set up as a teacher of elocution, and a corrector of de-« fects in the organs of speech j which we hope he has found a much more profitable pursuit, Theobald, John. This gen- tleman had the degree of doctor of physic, but dees not appear to have been of the London college of physicians. He published a little volume of poetry in 1753, called Musa Pancgyrica ; died May 17, 1760 3 and, among manj* other performances, produced a translation of z 2 J'OQ THE Merope. T. from Voltaire. Svo. 1/44. Theobald, Lewis. This aa- tlior, who was born at Sitting- bourne, in Kent, was the son of Mr. Tlieobald, an attorney of that town, and was bred to his father's business. He was concerned in a paper, called The Censor, and pub- lished an edition of all Shakspeare's plays, which was once in great esteem, being preferred to those editions published by Pope, War- burton, and Hanmer. He died about the month of Sept. 1/44, leaving the following dramatic pieces : 1. Electra. T. 12mo. 1714. 2. The Persian Princess ; or, Moyal Villain. T. 12ma. 171.5, 3. The Perjldious Br other , T. 4to. l/lo. 4. CEd/pus King of Theles. T. 12mo. l/io. 5. Plutus; or. The Worlds Idol C. 12mo. 1715. 6. The Clouds. C. 12mo.l715. 7. Pan and Syrinx. O. Svo. 17 17- 8. Entertainments in the Lady's Triumph. D. O. fcvo. 171S. Q. Decius and Paulina. M. Svo. 1718. 10. Pdchard the Second. T. Svo. 1720. 1 1 . The Rape of Proserpine. P. 8vo. 1725, 12. Harlequin Sorcerer. P, Svo. 1725. 13. Apollo and Daphne. Pant. evo. 1720'. 14. The Doulle Fahhood; or, The Dlstrest Lovers. Play. Svo. 1728. 13. Orestes. D. O. Svo. 1731. 1(3. Merlin ; or. The Devil at Stonehevge. Pant. Svo. 1/34. 1/. The Fatal Secret. T. 12mo. 1735. 15. Orpheus and Eurydice. O. 4to. 1739. T H O If). The Happy Captive. O. Svo. 1741. 20. The Death of Hannibal. T. Not acted or printed. To him also has been ascribed, 21. Perseus and Andromeda. Pant. 4to. 1/30. TuOMASjMRS.ELIZABETHjWife of the Rev. Mr. Thomas, rector of Notgrove, Gloucestershire. This lady, who was a sister of Sir JetTery Amherst, Knight of the Bath, wrote a Dramatic Pastoral. 4to. I762. Thompson, A. wrote one play, called The East Indian. C. Svo. 1799. Thompsov, Bexjamin, is the son of Benjamin Blaydes Thomp- .son, Esq. a magistrate and mer- chant of Kingston upou Hull. His father gave him an education equal to the exercise of either a liberal or mercantile profession. Frona bis discovering, at an early pe- riod, great colloquial powers, Mr. Thompson's friends recommend- ed him to pursue the law ; but he felt an irresistible impulse to visit the continent.. No sooner had he arrived in Germany, than, with the assistance of a private tutor, he applied himself, with the great- est assiduity, to the attainment of the language; and he had scarcely been there three months, before he became enamoured of the beau- ties of Kotzebiie, and sent a trans- lation from tiiat author to England. This was succeeded 'oy others. It was long, however, before he had an idea of presenting them to the public, till, at the instigation of several friends, he transmitted Ths Stranger to Drury Lane theatre. Mr. Thompson remained in Ger- many several years, cultivating the study of the literature, and an in- timacy with the most celebrated men in that country. He then ro; T H O settled at Notlingharrij having mar- ried Miss Jane Bourne, daughter of the Rev. Mr. Bourne, of Ches- terfield, in Derbyshire. Mr. Thompson is the translator of twenty-one German plays, viz. 1. Slranger. D. 8vo. 1708. 2. La Peroiise. D. Svo. 1/99. 3. Happy Family. Dr. Svo. ^799- 4. Conscience. T, Svo. 1800. 5. Count Bt-nyou'sky. D. Svo. 1800. (J. Count Koenigsrnark. D. Svo. 1800. 7. Dagcjlert. T. Svo. ISOO. 8. Emilia Galotii. T. Svo. J 800. 9. The Ensign. C. Svo. 1800. 10. False Delicacy. Dr. Svo. 1800. 11. Ignez cle Castro. T. 12ino. 1800, ■ 12. Indian Eviles. C. Svo. ISOO. 13. Lovers' Vows. Dr. Svo. 1800. 14. OttooflFitlehiach. T. Svo. 1800. 15. Pizarro. Rom. T. Svo. 1800. 16. Robbers. T. Svo. 1800. 17. Adelaide of IViilJingen. T. Svo. 1801. 18. Deaf and Dumb. H. D. Svo. 1801. 19. Don Carlos. T. Svo. 1801. 20. Rolla. P. Svo. 1301. 21. Stella. D. Svo. 1801. Thompson, Edward. This meretricious bard, lest any dispute should hereafter arise about the place of his birth, has, in the in- troduction to one of his poems (The Courtezan) , given the world information on this subject. He says, " I am the ruan Cthe Naso of my time), " Born on the Humber, fam'd for lus- cious rhyms." In truth, Hull was his native town. His education, if we raay judge by T H O some of his writings, was in the stews; yet, strnnge as it may seem, he claimed the honour of having been a pupil cf Dr. Cox at Hamp- stead. He went early to sea, making his first voyage to India, in the year 1750, as (what is usu- ally called) a Guinea-pig. In July 1754 he was at Madras, and in August at Vizagapatam. From thence he went to Calcutta, where he stayed until the month of No- vembe-, and then proceeded to the island of Ceylon, at which place he arrived in JcUiuar)' 1755. In the month of JMay he arrived at St. Helena, and, during his stay there, involved himself in the ha- zard of a duel, and an actual arrest and couhnement on board his ship, on account of a pasquinade written to oblige a lady of the island at the expense of a rival. He finished his voyage in August, and in TSTo- vember we iind him on bt;:ird the Stirling Castle in the Downs, hav- ing, as he expresses himself, quit- ted penury and commerce for arms and glory, after remaining only one week on shore. By the pro- legomena to his Sailor s Letters, it appears that he was pressed into the service : " Next press'd on board a man of war ; " Where I (uiiknomi at any college) " Studied se\en vears, and got no know- ledge." In June 1755 his ship was or- dered to the continent of North America with money and troops, and he arrived the next month at New York, where his stay was very short ; yet he experienced a most disagreeable circumstance there, though the motive for the violence is not very clearly ex- plained : " When about three " leagues from the ship, the boat's " crew (consisting of ten men) " rose oh me, bound n-.e hand and z z 2 708 T H O *' foot, and run the boat on shore, " where I might have perished, *• had not two returned and un- *' bound me, which two I brought " to the ship again. They con- " fessed they had attempted to •' throw nie overboard (which I " never perceived) ; but something " always prevented. Had they " perpetrated thelrvillany, I should *' have died by the mouths of ten " thousand sharks, as I was at *' that time fishing on a bank where " nothing could be more nume- " rous." From New York he went to Antigua, then to Barba- does, and afterwards to Tobago. In June 1/57 he sailed from St. Kitt'i for England, having, as he informs us, after nine months cruising, received about three pounds Ibr his share of three prizes. On his return to England, he passed his examination, and on the 2(5tli of November received his .commission as heutenant of the Jason. He was immediately em- ployed in further service ; and ou the 19th of December arrived at Eraden with Brudenell's regiment to reinforce the garrison there. On his return home he quitted the T H a poem, celebrating the then most remarkable women of the (own. Merely to mention the title of this licentious peiformance, which, however, met with success, is as much as it deserves. It seems to have been the means of intro- ducing him to the acquaintance of Mr. Churchill, with whom he boasts on many occasions to hav« lived in terms of intimacy. In 1/62 he retired to a small house in Kew Lane, and cultivated bis Muse, which in \'jQ4 produced a poem called The Soldkr, 4to, He then resided sotne time in Scot- land, which he has described with that virulence which the examples of some eminent persons of that period had rendered fashionable, and which cannot be suthciently censured. At this time he medi- tated a work of considerable im-- portauce, for which lie circulated proposals. This was intended to be printed in folio, and to be en- titled Marilhne Ohservathns, loU L'ctedfrom the Years 1/53 lo 1763 inclusive, in a Nuviher of Voyages and Cruises in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. In ly'od he produced The Cout' Jason, where he had not one hope tezan, a uoem, 4to. j and this m of the golden fleece, for the Dor-, the next year was followed by The setshire, Captain Dennis 3 and in December l/oy was at Lisbon. He had a share in the victory ob- tained by Sir Edward Hawke over Mons.Confians, in Nov. 1 759, and arrived at Plymouth in December, after a cruise of eight months. He afterw^irds sailed with the same commander in the Bellona, and was present at the capture of the Courageux in August J7CI- This is supposed to have been the period of his naval career during that war;, as in the next month we find lie commenced author. His first Dewlrep, 4to. another poem of the same species, and possesaing as. much merit as could with pro- priety be ascribed to any of his preceding performances. At the end of this last poena, he an- nounced his intention of publish- ing three works, which, it is be- lieved,.never appeared : these were, Woviarip a poem ; The Devil in London, a satire ; and The History of the most remarkahle Ghosts that have appeared from the Creation to this Time. In this year he was more laud- publication was The Meretriciad, a ably employed in soliciting Par- 709 T H O . li.iment for nn increase of half-pav for the lieutenants of the navy, nn application which was attended Avith success. The succeeding 3'ear, 1767^ ^^ published yi SaHor's Letters, writ- ten to his select Fricyids i?7 England tluring his Voyages and Travels in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, froin the Year 1754io 175f), 2 vols. 12mo. In lyQg he produced a langh- atle account of the Jubilee at Strat- ford upon Avon, under the title of Trinculo's Trip to the JuLilee, 4to. ; and about the same time collected Ills most licentious performances into two volumes, which he called The Court of Cupid. The next year he published The IVorhs of John Oldhavi, in 3 vols, dedicated, from Purdisbourne, County Dnv/n, in Ireland, to the late Earl of Bristol. On the 7th of April 1772, by the interest of JMr. Garrick, he obtained the commission of a cap- tain. From the time of his leaving Scotland, to the year 1776, he seems to have devoted himself en- tirely to literary avocations, and produced with great celerity num- berless pieces, which it is impos- sible to enumerate, and which would, from their quantity and general insignificance, if practi- cable, not repay the pains they would cost to obtain. In 1777 ^^^ became editor of Paul Whitehead's Works, in 4to.j and in the same year, of Andrew Marveil's Works, in 3 vols. 4to. Neither of these undertakings was executed in such a manner as to afford room to commend the edi- tor, or add any thing to the repu- tation of the authors. Soon after the death of Mr. Garrick, a scheme was proposed for uniting him and Mr. Langford with Mr. Lacy in T H O the management of that gentle- man's share of Drury Lane theatre j but this plan, being opposed by the other parties concerned, was ren- dered abortive. Captain Thompson had for se- veral years experienced the incon- veniences of a contracted income ; and had with nome ditficulty, not- withstanding all his industry, pre- ser\'ed himself from feeling the pressures of poverty. Fortune at length noticed him. He was ap- pointed commander of the Hyena, and in the course of a cruise took a French East Indiaman, which placed him in a state of afRuence, and enabled him to repay obliga- tions to many persons who had before assisted him. This, we are informed, he did with great libe- rality and alacrity. He also re- ceived a reward as the messenger of the news of an important vic- tory ; but soon after was subjected to the inquiry of a court-martial for quitting his station, from which charge he was honourably acquit- ted. In 1785 he was named com- mander of the Grampus, and soon after sailed for the coast of Africa; from wliich station he had return- ed only in 1784, and where he died, on the 17th of Jan. 17S6. He was the author of the fol- lowing pieces : 1. The Holly Horse. F. 1-/QQ. N. P. 2. The Fair Quaker ; or, Th^ Humonrs of the Navy. C. altered. 8vo, 1773. 3. The Syrens. M, 8vo. 1 776. 4. Saint Helena ; or. The Isle of Love. M. E, 177*3. N. P. 5. The Besgar's Opera, altered. 1777. N.f. Tkompsont, William, was se- cond son of the ilev. Mr. Francis Thompson, thirty-two years vicar of Brongh, in the county of West- z 2 3 . 710 T H O morland. He received his educa- tion at Queen's College, in the university of Oxford, where he afterwards became a fellow, and took the degree of M. A. the 26ih of February i;38. In 17 51 he was a candidate for the poetry professorship at Oxford, but did not succeed in his application. He was rector of South Weston and Hampton Pyle, in the county of Oxford ; but we have not been able to discover when he died. He wrote one play, called Gondihert aTid Birtha. T. Svo. 1751. Printed also in a volume of poems, dated i/^/- Thomson, Adam, wrote The Disappointed Galiani. B. O. Svo. 1738. Thomson, Alexander, pub- lished, in l/Qlj a poem of con- siderable merit, called JVimt. He is also author of The Paradise of Taste, a poem ; and of :;n JLssay on Novels ; and editor of The German Miscellany , consisting of transla- tions of dialogues, tales, and no- vels ; and of the following dramatic pieces : 1. liianca Capelb. Dr. Narr. 2. German Tht-atre at p'enice. 3. Indians in England. C. Printed at Perth, Timo. l/OO". Thomson, James, was born 'he 3 1th of September I70O, at Ed- n-im, in the shire of Roxburgh, in Scotland, of which parish his fother was minister, and highly respected for his piety and dili- gence in the pastoral duty. Our author received his school educa- tion at Jedbnrgii, from whence he was removed to the university of E'linburgh. At this time tlie study o\ poetry was become general in Scotland, the best English authors being universally re;id, and imita- tuju. of them attemjJled. Tliom- £on's geniu3 led h'm ihi§, way, and T H O he soon relinquished his views of engaging in the sacred function ; nor had he any prospect of being otherwise provided for in Scotland, where the first fruits of his genius were not so favourably received as they deserved to be. Hereupon he repaired to London, where works of fancy seldoni fail of meet- ing with a candid reception and due encouragement. Nor were the hopes which Mr. Thomson had conceived, from his journey to the capital, in the least disap- pointed. The reception he met with, wherever he was introduced, emboldened him to risque the pub- lication of his excel-lcnt poem on JViiitei:, This piece was published in \'/2Q; and, from the universal apnlause it met with, Mr. Thom- son s acquamtance was courted by people of the first taste and fa- shion. But the chief advantage which it procured him, was the acquaintance of Dr. Rundle, after- wards Bishop of Derry, who intro- duced him to the Lord Chan- cellor Talbot ; and some years af- ter, when the eldest son of that nobleman was to make his tour of travelling, Mr, Thomson was chosen as a proper companion for him. The expectations which his IVinter had raised, were fuliy sa- tisfied by the successive publica- tions of tlie other seasons : of Slimmer, in the year 17-7 j of Spring, in the following year; and oi' ^ntnmn, in a quarto edition of his works, in 1 730. Besides the Seasons, and his tragedy of Soplio- vida, written and acted with ap- plause in the year 1/29, he had, iu 1727, published his poem to the memory of Sir Isaac Newton, with an account of his chief discoveries; in which he was assisted by his friend Mr. Gray, a gentleman well ■',o)-.,cd in the Newlunian phiiojo.- T H O phy. That .snme year the resent- ment of cur merchaius, for the in- terruption of their trade by the Spaniards in America, running very high, Mr. Tliornson zealously toolc part in it, ant! wrote his animating and pubUc-spirited Britannia, to rouse ihe nation to revenge. With the Hon. Mr. Charles Talbot, our author visited most of the courts in Europe, and returned v.'ith his views greatly enlarged ; not of exterior nature only, and -the v/orks of art, but of human life and manners, and of the con- stitution and policy of the several states, their coimexions, and their religious institutions. How par- ticular and judicious his observa- tions were, we see in his poem on Liberly, begun soon after his return to England. We ?ee, at the same time, to what a high pitch his love of his country vvas raised, by the comparisons he had all along been making of our happy government with those of other nations. To inspire his fellow-subjects with the like sentiments, t)nd show them by what means the precious freedom we enjoy may be preserved, and how it may be abused or lost, he emplo;,'ed two years in composing that noble work, upon which he valued himself mere than upon all his other writings. On his return to England with Mr. 'i'albot (who soon after died), the Chancellor made him his secretary of briefs j a place of little attendance, suiting his retired indolent way of life, and equal to all his wants. This place fell, when death, not long after, deprived him of his noble patron, and he then found himself reduced to a state of precarious dependence, in which he passed the remainder of his life ; except- ing only the last two years of it, during which he enjoyed the office 41 T H O of surveyor-general of the Lee- ward Islands, procured for him by Lord Lyttelton. His genius, how- ever, could not be suppressed by any reverse of fortune. He re- sumed his usual cheerfulness, and never abated one article in his way of living, which, though simple, was genial and elegant. The pro- fits arising from his works were not inconsiderable ; his tragedy of Agaynemnon ,i\cted in 1738, yielded a good sum. But his chief depend- ence was upon Frederick Prince of Wales, who settled on him a handsome allowance, and honour- ed him with many marks of par- ticular favour. Notwithstanding this, however, he was refused a license for his tragedy of Ediuard and Eleonora, which he had pre- pared for the stage in the year Mr. Thomson's next perform- ance was the masque of Alfred, written jointly with Mr. Mallet, by the command of the Prince of Wales, for the entertainment of his Royal Highness's court, at Clif- den, his summer residence, in the year 17-^0. Mr. Thomson's poem, entitled TheCaslle of Indolence, was his last work published by himself; his tragedy of Coriolanus being only prepared for the theatre, when a fatal accident robbed the world of one of the best of men and best of poets. He would com- monly walk the distance between London and Richmond (where he lived), with any acquaintance that offered, with whom he might chat, and rest himself, or perhaps dine, by the way. One summer even- ing, being alone, in his walk from town to Hammersmith, he had over-heated himself, and, in that condition, imprudently took a boat to carry him tolvew; appre- hending no bad consequence froiji Z z 4 713 T H O tlie chill air on the river, ♦-hich his walk to his house, towards the v.pper end of Kew Lane, had al- ways hitherto prevented. But now the cold had so seized hiin, that the next day he found himself in a high fever. This, however, by the use cf proper medicines, was removed, T H O 4. Alfred. Masque, written ih conjunction with Mr. Mallet. Svo. 1/40. 5. Tancred and Sigismunda, T. 8vo. 1745. 6. Coriolanus. T. Svo. 1748. Thomson, Thomas. All we can say of this author is, that 4to. so that he was thought to be out of he published the two following danger 3 till the fine weather hav- plays ing tempted him to expose himself once more to the evening dews, his fever returned with violence, and with such symjitoms as left BO hopes of a cure. His lamented 1 . The English Rogue. C. 1668. 2. Mother Shipton. C. 4to. N.D. Thoenton, Bonnell. Thia ingenious gentleman was the son death happened on the 27 th of of a physician, we thiiik, in Dor- August 1/48. His testamentary executors were tbe Lord Lyttelton, whose care of our poet's fortune and fame ceased not wjih his life ; and Mr. Mitchell, a gentleman equally noted for the truth and constancy of his private friendship, and for his address and spirit as a public minister. By their united interest, the orphan play of Corio- lanus was brought on the stage, to the best advantage; from the pro- fits of which, and the sale of ma- nuscripts and other cfiects, a hand- Siorae sum was remitted to his sisters. His remains were deposit- ed in the church of Richm.ond, under a plain stone, without any inscription. A decent monum.ent vas erected to him in West- minster Abbey, in the year 1762, the charge of which was defray- ed by the protits arising from a splendid edition of his works in quarto ; Mr. Millar, the booksel- ler, who had purchased all Mr. Thomson's copies, generously giv- ing up his property, on this grate- ful occasion. His dramatic works are, 1. Sophoinsl-a. T. Svo. 1/30. 2. ^gawemncii. T. Svo. 1/38. 3. Edward and Eltouvia. 1'r. Svo. 17391 setshire ; and he himself was in- tended for the same profession. He wa'? born in the city of West- minster, and educated at the school there ; from which he was re- moved to Christchurch, Oxford. At oiie or other of these semina- ries, it seems probable, he became acquainted with Mr. Colraan 5 in concert with whom he, in 1754, began that excellent periodical work The Comicisseur , which was carried on for two years with great spirit and success. From the date on his monument, he appears to have been born in 1 724 ; though, from the description of the an- thers of The Connouseur it"/ the last number, vvlsere his age is men- tioned to be then only thirty, it is rather to be fixed two years later. He had the degree of M. A. con- ferred on him, April 19, 1750; and B. M. May 18, 1754. Though he took one degree in physic, he never practised that scierce, but, being in easy circumstances, de- termined to indulge the bent of his inclination, un.-hackied by the fetters of any profession. Like Dr. Arbuthnot, he aniused him- self with laugliing at the follies of the times, with a degree of plea- iantry that enteruainment the pub* 713 T H U iic, without offending the individual at whom the ridicule was aimed. Scarcely a single popular topic of- fered which did not afford him a subject for a pamphlet, an essay, a copy of verses, or some whira- fiical paragraphs in the newspa- pers. Of some of these diurnal vehicles of intelligence he was the founder and conductor, as well as the chief support of others. Few persons possessed more wit and hunioiir ; still fewer exercised these qualities in a manner more harmless, or less offensive. He, at one period of his life, entered into a treaty with the late Mr. Kich for the purchase of Covent Garden theatre, but the negotia- tion proved abortive, for reasons to which we are strangers. The latter part of Mr. Thornton's life cannot be contemplated with plea- sure ; he indulged himself so fre- quently and immoderately in the pleasures of (he bottle, that he at last ruined his constitution, and died the gth of May 1768. A monument was soon afterwards erected to his memory in the Cloisters, Westminster, on which is an inscription written by Mr. Thomas Warlon. Though Mr. Thornton seems to have been so well qualified for comic writing, yet he produced nothing for the stage ; and his introduction into this work arises only from a trans- lation of Plautus, in which the following plays are indebted to Jiiin for their English dress; viz. 1. Amphytiion. 2. The Braggart Captain. 3. The 7\ ensure. 4. The ML^er. 5. The Shipwreck. Thurmond, John, was the son of Mr. John Thurmond, an actor of some eminence at Drury Lane tkeatre. He was bred a dajitii'S'- TIC master, and in that walk acquired considerable reputation. He wai the composer of several panto- mimes ; and Chetwood intimates that be was living in the year 1749, having quitted the practice of his profession before he was dis- abled by age or infirmities. The performances which he brought on the stage are, 1. Harlequin Sheppard. 8vo. 1724. 2. Harlequin Doctor Faustm ; uith the Masque of the Deities. 8vo, 1724. 3. Apollo and Daphne; or, Har- lequhi Mercury. Dr. Ent. Svo. 1725. 4. Apollo and Daphne; or, Hnr' lequin's Metamorphoses. Pantom. 12mo. 1725. 5. Harlequin s Triumph. Pant. The last three were printed to- gether, Svo, 1727. d. The Miser. Grotesque Ent. Svo. 1727. TicKELL, Richard, was de-> scended from the secretary of Mr. Addison, who is known to the poetic world by the poems which have been published in his name. Some fortune was made in the fa- mily; but our author's inheritance lay principally in his talents. Mr. Tickell's education is said to have been intended for the law ; but his disposition was too volatile and desultory for that study. The com- mon mother of invention (neces- sity) drove him to the booksellers, and he published The Project, a poem; The JFreflth of Fashion, 8;c. But poetry not being bis taste, these things hardly made hira known. Fortune, however, in one of her caprices, introduced him to Mr. Brnmmell, private secretary to Lord North, who conceived a strong friendship for our author, aud patrouised hiim with a gene* 714 T I rasUy and M-armth that did him boqour. After procuring him a pension ot" two hundred a year, which was a decent maintenance for him and a Mins B , by whom he had several children, he found hini :;ttached to an amiable young lady. Miss Mary, the se- cond daughter of Mr. Linley, the musician, of Drury Lane, whom he aiterwiirds married. Mr. Brum- luell exerted himself with addi- tional humanity when he found Jiim with so fair a prospect of hap- piness J he settled a part of his pension on his former fannly, from ? proper compassion to his chil- dren, and obtained for him a place in the Stamp- othce. These instances of favour ani- mated the genius of our autiior, and he produced a parody on the speeches at the opening of Parlia- ment, called Jntidpation. The thought was fortunate, and the imi- tations were happy. Administration was served, and his patron satis- ^ed. He made several subsequent attempts of the sauie kind, in the Cassette f^erte, the AduL'ntures of a political Louse, ^c. ; but they were loo much in the manner of Anti- cipation to succeed. At length, tnroui^h the interest of ])i3 friend ]Mr. Brumn^ell, and as a reward for bis political wrir- JDgs in support of ministry, he was made a commissioner of stamp- duties, with a salary of 500/. a year. After the death of his first wife, by whom he had three children, Mr. Tickell married a daugiiter of Captain Leigh, of the Berrington East Indiaman, who survived him. His death happened Nov. 4, i7p3, and was occasioned by a fall from a window of his apartments in flampton Court palace. His dra- pjaric pieces are twQ, yiz, T O B 1 . The Carnival of Fcnice. C. O. l/Sl. N.P. 2. The Gentle Shepy.rd. Past, altered. 1/81. N. P. TiGHE, Edward, was the al- terer of two dramatic pieces, called, 1. The Force of Love. T. 12mo. 178(5. 2. The Miser. F. Svo. 17S8. Toeix, John, the third son of Mr, James Tobin, of the island of Nevis, was born at Salisbury Ja- nuary 28, 1770' He received his early education at the free-school of Southampton, where he con- tinued seven years, and was after- wards pupil to the Rev. Mr. Lee, of Bristol, in which city his father, returning from the West Indies, em^barked in a comrnercial part- nership. In 1735 he was articled to an eminent solicitor of Lin- coln's Inn. After the death of that gentleman, he became a part- ner with three other clerks in the office J but, disagreements hap- pening which ended In a chancery suit, he entered into a new firm with Mr. Ange. By taking a part in school performances, and visit- ing the theatre at Southampton, he had acquired a taste for the drama, and his first piece was written before the year 1789- Constantly engaged after this pe- riod in dramatic compositions, they were ofi'ered to the theatres, but were all rejected, except a coniedy called T'he Faro Table, which was accepted at Drury Lane, though ne- ver performed. Finding hb iiealth decline, by the advice of his phy- sicians he went, in 1S03, and re- sided with a relation in Cornwall j but his disorder assuming the form of consumption, he was induced, in November 1801, at the earnest solicitation of his friends, to em- hark at Bristol for the West Indjci, T O L hoping benefit from n warmer climate. Detained at Cork some days, the vessel sailed tVom that port on the 7tli of December, and on that chv he died. Contrary winds obliged the ship to return to the Cove of Cork, and he was jthere interred. The dramatic pieces of his which have come to our knowledge are the following ; but, we under- stand, several others remain in MS. They prove him to have possessed an excellent taste, and a truly poetical mind 3 and leave us to regret his early removal from a sphere which he was so likely to have adorned. 1. The Faro Table. C. 1795. N. P. nor acted. 2. The Honey Moon. C. Svo. 1805. 3. The Curfew. P. Svo. IS07. 4. School for Authors. C, Svo. 1S08. TouD, THE Rev. Henry Johk, M. A. This gentleman, a minor canon of Canterbury cathedral, rector of Alhallows, in Lombard Street, Londdn, and of Coulsdon, in Surrey, is librarian to the Earl of Bridgewater, and to the archi- episcopal library at Lambeth. He has published an interesting Ac- count of the Deans of Canterbury ; from the neic Foundation of that Church by Henry VHI. to the pre- sent Time: Svo. 179^' The pub- lic is also indebted to him for ex- cellent editions, with notes, of the works of Spenser and Milton ; but his niche in this work he derives from an edition, with notes and other illustrations, of Comus. M. Svo. 170s. ToLLET, Elizabeth, was the daugiiter of George Toilet, Esq. conunissioner of the navy in the feigns of King William and Queen •15 T O L Anne. She was born in the year 1094; and her father, observing' her extraordinary genius, gave her so excellent an education, that, be- sides great skill in music and drawing, she spoke fluently and correctly the Latin, Italian, and French languages, and well un- derstood history, poetry, and the mathematics. These qualifications were dignified by an unfeigned piety, and the moral virtues, which she possessed and practised in an eminent degree. The former part of her life was spent in the Tower of London, where her father had a house ; the latter at Stratford and Westham. She died on the 1st of February 1754, aged sixty years, and was buried at the latter place. In the year I'j.'iS a volume of her poems was printed in 12mo. among which appeared Susanna ; or. Innocence Preserv- ed. A Musical Drama. She was honoured with th« friendship of Sir Isaac Newton, who was much pleased v/ith some of her first essays. It has been ob- served, that a few of her poeras have such a philosophical cast, and so great a depth of thought, that they will scarcely be understood by the beau monde. Her Latin po- ems are also written in a truly classical taste. She would not suf- fer her works to appear till she herself was beyond the reach of envy or applause. They abound with sentiment and simplicity, and yet are far from being destitute of spirit and poetical ornament. Her estate, which was a con- siderable one, she left to her youngest nepheu'. Her eldest ne- phew, George Toilet, of Betley, in Stafibrdshire, but formerly of Lincoln's Inn, who was well kuowi^ 7L6 T O L /or hh va1ii;ible notes on Shak- «peare, died the 21st day of Octo- ber 17/0. ToLsoN-, Fkaxcis, was a cler- gyman, and, we believe, a native of the county of Northampton. At an early period of life he was discarded by his father, who afferv.^nrds disinherited him, on ac- count, as it is s.nid, of the irregu- laritiee of his life ; and, indeed, ■when it is considered that, in the year 1723, he fell under suspicion of murdering abastard child, which he had by a young lady, though then in orders and a married man, for which a bill was preferred against him at the assizes, but throvvn out by the grand jury, the resentment of his father will hardly be supposed to be ill-found- ed. At the time his play appeared, he was much distressed. In his dedication to Lord Grimston he says, *' It is well known, that an " attempt of this nature, especially *' when the firsr, and that of one " whose years have not as yet *' been sutBcient to draw out to " his experience' the plan of hu- '"■ man life, is always attended *' with vast, and almost unconquer- *' able, difficulties, even among ■' those who can boast more to '* have shared the smiles of for- " tune than I can. How then " -shall I stem this tempestuous " sea ? How then shall I, almost *' o'ergrovvn with misfortunes, find •' a person whose unbiassed ho- " nour will smile on my poor en- f deavours ?" — Again: '* Nor was *' it a small motive to induce me " to lay my hibours at your feet, «* that your LordUiip had some •• knowledge of me before the un- *' happy difjercnces betwixt my " father and myself left me ex- " posed to the hard usage of an *' tjngrateful world," He after- T O P wards became chaplain to theE.irl of Susaex ; and in 1736, by the in- terest of Lady Longueville, vicar of Plislon Mauduit. He died in 1 7-i5-6, having, beside^ some other works, produced I'he Earl of Ifaru'ick ; or, Bri' tish Exile, t. Svo. N.D, [1719.] ToMKis, Mr. The fate of this author is singularly hard. Tiiough the comedy he has written is indis- putably an excelk-nt one, yet the whole we know of him is, that he was scholar of Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1594, and B. A. in 1598. He produced one play, called yllhimax-ar. C. 4to. l6l5. Toms, Edward, was celebrated for his pcrfoimiince on the trum- pet. He died about the year 1/79, having adapted to the stage La Buojia Figliuota, under the title of The Accomplished Maid. C. O. Svo. 1706. ToosEY, George Philip, a surgeon and apothecary, who at the time of his death, the 22d of April 1795, resided in High Street, St. Giles's. He published a vo- lume of poems, and one play (ne- ver acted), called Sebastian. T, Svo, 1772. ToPHAM, Edward, was for- merly a captain in the guards, was subsequently concerned in a daily newspaper called The IFbrld, and is at present, we believe, in the commission of the peace in the county of York. In the dramatie way he has produced four pieces, viz. 1. Deof Indeed! F. 178O. N. P. 2. The Fool. F. Svo. 1786. 3. SmallTalk. F: 1786. N. P. 4. Bonds without Judgmejit. F. 1787. N. P. C.'.pt. Topham also published i^ 1 776 Letters from Edinburgh, ■wr\t' leu in the years 177^ and 1775j 717 TOW an Accnunt of a remarkable Sto?ie that fell from the Clouds ; nnd a very entertaining Life of the late John Elices, Esq. the celebrated miser, TouKNEUE, Cykil, an author «f the reign uf King James I. the circninstances of whose lite are tot:illy unknown. A contempo- rary writer says of hiu], *' His fame unro that pitch was only rai>,"d, " As not to be cie5pis'd,norover-prais'd." yiQ wrote, ' 1. T/ie Revenger's Tragedy . 'Ito. 1607. D. C. 2. The Atheist's Tragedy. 4to. 1612. 3. The Nobleman. T. Com. TowNLEY, James, M. A. the second son of a merchant, was born in London in 171-1, and re- ceived his education nt Merchant Taylors' school, whence he was elected to St. John's College, Ox- ford. Soon after taking orders, be was chosen morning preacher at Lincoln's Inn chapel, and lec- turer of St. Dunstan's in the East. He married, in 1740, Miss Jane Bonnin, of Windsor, descended from the Poyntz family, and re- lated to the Dowager Lady Spen- cer, through whose patroiiage Mr, Townley obtained the living of St, Hennet, Gracechurch Street, Lon- don, and a vicarage in Esses. He afterwards became grammar-mas- ter to Christ's Hospital ; and in 1759 was chosen high master of Merchant Taylors' school, in which office he died July 15, 1778 j having been presented, in 1 777, to a living in Wales by Bishop Shipley, to whom he was chaplain. Mr, Tov.'nley, besides exemplify- ing every domestic viitue in the highest degree, was a most con- T O W vivial companion, and a man of much literary ingenuity. He was the close intimate of Garrick, fi'onj whom he held for sc^me years tb«s, valuable vicarage of Hendon, ia Middlesex; and it is supposed, that many of Mr. Garrick's best productions and revivals partook of Mr. Townley's assisting hand. He was the long-conce?led author of the celebrated i'arce of High Life below Stairs, in 1 759 : a piece which has held its reputation oa the stage during fifty-tvvo years, against all the variations of drama- tic taste and literary caprice. Mr, Townley slso (with Dr. Moreil) materially agisted his friend Ho- garth ir: his Analysis of Beauty ; as Hogarth's erudition was wholijr of the pencil. Mr, Townley, as a divine, was much admired. His manner of delivery was graceful, impressive, and energetic j the style of his dis- courses was correct, yet unstudied, and (what is the highe-;t praise of sacred oratory) adapted to the un- derstanding of a general auditory-— some single sermons only are in print. As a grammarian and tu- tor he has seldom been surpassed j and many of his pupils are now filling the highest stations in the three professions of law, physic^ and divinity. In him were emi- nently blended the attainments of the scholar and the demeanour of the gentleman : his talents wer^ considerable ; and the public, per- haps, have to regret that his suc- cessors have not given his works to the world. His dramatic produc- tions were, 1 . High Lfe below Stairs, f. Svo. l/oC}. 2. False Concord. F. 17G-t. N.P. 3. The Tutor. F. 4to. I'Jdj. We question if all the p;?ges of praise and compUiueat, ju:itly be-< 718 TOW t R A stowed upon that nnequnlled and immortal actor Gnnick, can fur- nish an eftlision of equal strength and point with the following by our author. — Within a few days of Garrick's departure, in 1764, for his continental tour, he was passing the evening with his friend Mr. T. and facetiously asked him jf he had no poetic adieu ready j which, in a few minutes, pro- duced the following : " When Garrick's steps the Alps have trod, " Prepar'd to enter mightjr Rome ; *' The Amphitheatre shall nod, ♦' And Roscius shurider in his tomb !"' The following poetical character of Mr. Tovvnley was written by the late Mr. Bishop, who succeed- ed him as high master of Merchant Taylors' school, and was spoken by one of the youihs (now the Rev. Mr. Gtirdne;) on a public day, Oct. 29, 177S: " for one lo«:t friend " A tear v.iil trickle. a:!d a si j;h ascend. — " Never did friend love mure parental prove ; <' Never did lather bear more friendly love ; " Largely b;;navoIent ; minutely just ; *♦ Above disguise, because tibove distrust : " Sure, if he eri'd, to err on candour's side ; " And only proud, to show contempt of pride ; " Frank, but not forward ; v.ithoat ri- gour, right ; «' With s;eiuus modcbt, a.:d witli truth polite. *« Lively, yet liberal, hi.s convivial joke ; •' W.iim humour pointed it; good-na- ture spoke. «« Rich was his fancy ; though unla- boui'd, neat *' His phrase ; and chaste, though comic, his conceit. «' His wit was satire, by address dis- arm'd ; " The manner won, ev'n whom th' at- tack alarm'd ; •' Save, when at vipe— to vice alone a foe— •« Full in the face of day, he aini'd liis blow ; — "Or spfd, tjn'een, th' effectual sbaff* while FaiTie, '* That hiii'd the triumph, knew not ivhose the claim." TowNLY, Charles. This name, which is probably fictitious, is pre- fixed to The Courtezans. C. in two acts. Svo. 1760, TOWNSEKH, AURELIAW, waS author of, 1. Albion s Triumph. M. 4to. 1631. 2. Tempe Restored. M. 4to. 1631., Tr.4cy, John, a gentleman of Stan way, in Gloucestershire, was author of Periander, King of Corinth. T. Svo. 1731. He died April I9, 1735. Trapp, Dr. Joseph, a cele- brated divine and poet, was the son of JNIr. Joseph Trapp, rector of Cherington, in Gloucestershire, where he w;as born in l679- He •was educated at Wadham College, Oxford, where he was chosen fel- low, and took the degree of M. A. T^Iay 13, 1/02, and was afterwards created D. D. by diploma, Feb. 1, 1727- In 1707 he was appointed (o the professorship of poetry founded by Dr. Eirkhead, formerly fellow of Ail- Souls College. He was the lirst professor, and pub- lished his lectures under the title of Prcelectiones Poetica;. He has shown there, in veiy elegant La- tin, how perfectly he understood evi^ry species of poetry, and how critically and justly he could give directions toward the formation of a poem on the most just and most established rules. He evin- ced afterwards, by his translation of Virgil, that a man may be able to direct, who cannot execute; that is, may have the critic's judg- ment^ without the- poet's anima- 19 T R I '' tion. While he was employed, however, hi th.is undertaking, he would often rise from bed, strike a light, and cumniit a number of lines to paper. Surely no pyrt of his work has merit enough to justify his frequent desertion and disturbance of his wife at such unseasonable hours ; but it should seem, from this example, thai a Pegasus of lead may sometimes be as restless as a Muse of fire. Dr. Trapp was rector of Ilarlington, in Middlesex, of Christ Chuich, in Newgate Street, and St.Leonai-d's, in Foster Lane, London j also lec- turer of S t . La w rence- Jewr}' ;i nd St . IVIartin's in the Fields, His very high-church principles were pro- bably the reason why he did not reach a more dignified station. He died November 2'2, 1/47, and left behind him the character of a pa- thetic and instructive preacher, an excellent scholar, a discerning cri- tic, and a very exemplary liver. He is author of a tragedy, called Ahramule; or. Love and Empire. T. 4to. 170-i. And in the l'2mo. edition, 1739, he is declared the author of King Saul. T. 4to. 1/03. Several occasional poems were written by him in English ; and there is one Latin production of his in the Altiscs AngUcance. He also translated Milton's Paradise Lost into Latin verse, but with little success. Trimmer, Mrs. Sarah, was born at Ipswich, in Suftolk, the otily daughter of Joshua Kirby, Esq. designer in perspective to their Majesties; and will long be remembered for her numerous works tending to the relig'ous in- struction and education of young people, and the poor. She died, the widow of Mr. James Tritnmer, of Old Brentford, Deceniber 15, tt R O IS 10, in her 70th year, while sitting in her chair, perusing the letters of a deceased friend. Thus, after a life spent in an indefatigable discharge of her duty to God and to her neighbour, she was re- moved to a better world, without experiencing the infiruiitiesof age, or the sufiering of any previous sickness. She published in The Juvenile Magazine, 17SS, The Liille Hermit. Drama. Her writings were much too nu- merous for a detail of them to come within the scope of the pre- sent work ; but those who wish to see a list of i!;em may consult The, Gentlemaii s Magazine, vol. Ixxsi. p. St) J or. The Lady's Alonthhj Museum, vol. i. p. 338— 340. Trotter, Catharine, was the daughter of Captain David Trotter, a Scots gentleman. He was a commander in the rovai navy, in the reign of Charles IL and at his death left two daugh- ters ; the youngest of whom, Catha- rine, our celebrated authoress, was born in London, August \Q. l6jy. She gave early marks of her ge- nius, and learned to write, and also made herself mistress of the French larguige, by her own application and diligence, without any instructor ; but she had so.r.e a>sistance in the study of the Latia grammar and logic, of which lat- ter she drew up an abstract tor her own use. The most serious and important subjects, and espe- cially religion, soon engaged her attention. Bat, notwithstanding her education, her intimacy with: several families of distinction, of the Romish persuasion, exposed her, while very young, to ioipres- sions in favour of that church ; which not being removed by her conferences with some eminent and learned members of thg church. t:r o of England, she embraced the Ro- mish couiinunion, in which she contmued till the year I/O/. In lOciQ she produced a tragedy, called Agnes de Castro, which was acted at the Theatre Royal, when she was only in her seventeenth year. The reputation of" this per- formance, and the verses which she addressed to Mr. Congreve upon his Mourning Bride, in 1697, were probably the foundation of her acquaintrince with that celebrated writer. Her second tragedy. Fa- tal Friendship, was acted in 16QS, at the New Theatre in Lincoln's Inu Fields. This tragedy met v/ith great applause, and is still thought the most perfect of lier dramatic perforfpances. Her talents, how- ever, not being contined to tra- gedy, she brought upon the stage, in 1701, a comedy, called Luve at a Loss ; or. Most Fates carry it. In the same year she gave the public her third tragedy, entitled The Unhappy Penitent, acted at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. But poetry and dramatic writing did not so far engross the thoughts of our author, but that she sometimes turned them to subjects of a very diflerent nature. Though en- gaged in the profession of a reli- gion not very favourable to so ra- tional a philosophy as that of Mr. Locke, yet she had read his in- comparable Essay on Human Un- derstanding with so clear a compre- hension and so unbiassed a judg- ment, that her own conviction of the truth and importance of the notions contained in it, led her to endeavour that of others, by removing some of the objections urged against them. She drew up, therefore, a defence of the Essay, a^^ainst some remarks which had been published againKt it in 1667 ; and farther dUtingubhed fceraejf iO T R O in an extraordinary manner, it defence of Mr. Locke's writings? a female metaphysician being z remarkable phenomenon in the republic of letters. She returned to the exercise of her dramatic genius in 1701, and, fixed upon the revolution of Swe- den, under G'.istavus Erickson, for the subject of a tragedy. This tragedy was acted in 1706, at the Queen's Theatre in the Haymar- ket. In 1 707, her doubts concern- ing the Romish religion, whicl\ she had so many years professed, having led her to a thorough ex- amination of the grounds of it, by consulting the best books on both sides of the question, and ad- vising with men of the best judg- ment, the result was a convicliou of the falseness of the pretensions of that church, and a return to that of England, to which she ad- hered during the remainder of her life. In 170s she was married to the Reverend Mr. Cockburn, then curate of St. Dunstan's in Fleet Street, but who afterwards obtained the living of Long Horse- ly, near Morpeth, in Northum- berland. He was a man of con- siderable abilities ; and, among several other things, wrote an ac- count of the Mosaic deluge, which was much approved by the learned. Mrs. Cockburn's remarks upon some writers in the conti'oversy concerning the foundation of mo- ral duty and moral obligation, were introduced to the world in August 1743, in the literary journal entitled The History of the Works of the Learned. The strength, clearness, and vivacity, shown in her remarks upon the most abstract and perplexed ques- tions, immediately raised the cu- riosity of all good judges about the eonseali?cl writer 3 and their admr- 721 T R O ration was greatly increased when her sex and advanced age were known. Dr. Rutherforth's Essay on the Nature and Obligations of Firtue, published in May 1/44, soon engaged her thoughts ; and, notwithstanding tlie asthmatic dis- order which had seized her many years before, and now left her small intervals of ease, slie applied herself to the confutation of that elaborate discourse ; and, having finished it with a spirit, elegance, and perspiciiily equal, if not su- perior, to all her former writings, transmitted her manuscript to IVIr. Warburton, afterwards Bishop of Gloucester; who published it, with a preface of his own, in April 1747, under the title of Remarks upon the Principles and Reasonings of Dr. Rutherforth's Essay on the Nature and. Ohligations of Virtue, in Vindication of the contrary Prin- ciples and Reasons inforced in the Writings of the late Dr. Samuel Clark. The loss of her husband, on the 4th of January 1/48, in the 7l3t year of his age, was a severe shock to her ; and she did not long sur- vive him, dying on the 11th of May 1749, in her 71st year, after having supported a tedious, painful disorder, with a resignation to the divine will, which had been the governing principle of her whole life, and her support under the various trials of it. She was in- terred near her husband, at Long Horsley. Mrs. Cockburn was no less ce- lebrated for her beauty, in her younr';er dnys, than for her genius and accomplishments. She was indeed small of stature, but had a remarkable liveliness in her eye, and a delicacy of complexion, which continued to her death. Her private character rendered her VOL. I. T R O extremely amiable to those who intimately knew her. Her conver- sation was always innocent, useful, and agreeable, without the least ailectation of being thought a wir, and attended with a remarkable modesty and diffidence of herself, and a constant endeavour to adapt her discourse to her company. Her disposition was generous and bene- volent ; and ready upon all occa- sions to forgive injuries, and bear them, as well as misfortunes, with- out interrupting her own ease, or that of others, with complaints or reproaches. The pressures of a very contracted fortune were sup- ported by her with calmness and in silence ; nor did she ever at- tempt to improve it among thoso great personages to whom she was known, by importunities, to which, the best minds are most averse, and which her approved merit and established reputation should have rendered unnecessary. But her abilities as a writer, and the merit of her works, will not have full justice done, without ?. due atten- tioa to the peculiar circumstances in which they were produced : her early youth, when she wrote some; her advanced age^ and ill state of health, when she drew up others; the uneasy situation of her fortune, during the whole course of her life ; and an interval of near twenty years in the vigour of it, spent in the cares of a fa^iily, without the least leisure for read- ing or contemplation; after which, with a mind so long diverted and incuinbered, resuming her studies, she instantly recovered its entire powers, and, in the hours of re^ laxation from her domestic em- ployments, pursued, to their ut- most limits, some of the deepest inquiries of which the human mind is capable ! Her works are 3 A 723 T U K TUT collected into two large volumes, dressers to Queen Mary, and pro- 8vo. by Dr. Birch, 1/51; who has bnbly a Roman Catholic, of which prefixed to them an account of her persuasion our author seems also to life and writings, from which we have been. He died at Somerset have extracted the imperfect nar- House,onthe20thof January 10/3, rative here given. and was buried in the vault under The following is a list of her the chapel there. Langbaine, by dramatic pieces : mistake, says he was alive at the 1. Agnes de Castro. Trag. 4to, time he published his account of l6f)0'. the dramatic poets. 2. Fatal Friendship. Trag. 4to. He was the author of l6gS; 8vo. 1751. 3. The Lhihappy Penitent, Trag. 4to. 1701. 4. Love at a Loss ; or, JMost Voles curry it. C. 4to. 17OI. This was afterwards revised, and in- tended to be brought again on the stage, under the title of The Honourable Deceivers; or, Jll right at the last. Com. N. P. 5. The Revolution of Sweden. T. 4to, 1700. TuKE, Richard, was author of one religious play, called llie Divine Comedian ; or, The right lire of Plays, a sacred Trngi- Com. 4to. 1C72. TuKK, Sir Samuel. This au- The Adventures of Five Hours. C. Folio. 1663. Turner, Mrs, Margaret, Anglicized the Gentle Shepherd. Past. Svo. 1 7 go. TuTCHiN, JoHtr, was a de- spicable scribbler, in the reign of King James the Second, and very early in life became noxious to the goveniraent from the viru- lence of his writings. He was prosecuted for a political perform- ance on the side of Monmouth, and, being found guilty, was sen- tenced by Jetferies to be whipped through several market-towns in tlie west. To avoid this severe thor was of Temple Cressy, in the punishment, he petitioned the county of Essex, and a colonel of King that the sentence might be horse in the service of King Charles changed to hanging. At the death the First, while the atfairs (jf that of this unfortunate monarch he monarch wore any appearance of wrote an invective against his me- success. He was very active in a mory, which even the severity of rising in the county of Essex, which ended fatally to some of the chief actors in it. So/jn after ths Restoration he intended to retire froin business, but was diverted his sufferings can hardly excuse. He was the author of The Olser- vator, which was begun April 1, 1702. Becoming odious to the Turies, he received a severe beat- from that design for some time by . ing in August I707, and died in His Majesty's recommendii.g him much distress, in the i^Jint, the to adapt a Spanish play to the 23d of September following, at the English stage, which he executed age of 47. In som.e verses on his with some degree of success. On death he is called Captain Tutchin. the 3 1st of March 1664, he was He wrote created a baronet. He married The Unfortunate Shepherd. Past. Mary, the daughter of Edward Svo. 1085. Printed in a collection Sheldon, a lady who was one of tlie of his poems, 723 u. U D A L'dal, Nicholas. This author is, by Leland^ styled OJovalius. He was born in Hampshire, tuid was admitted scholar of Corpus Christ! College, Oxford, the 16th of June 1520, at about tUL- age of fourteen. He then took tiie degree of bachelor of arts, and became probationer fellow the 3d of Sept. 1524 ; but lost the degree of master soon afterwards, on account of his inclination to the tenets of Luther. He then obtained ihe mastership ot Eton school, and, in the per- form^uice of his duty there, be- haved, according to the account of ThomasTusser, with great severity. He proceeded in arts in 1534, but in 1541 was near losing his pl-ice, being suspected of some concern in a robbery of plate belonging to the college, with two of his scholars. For this fact he was. examined by the king's council, but we do not U N D know the result of their inquiries. The charge probably was dis- covered to be ill-grounded. He afterwards was servant to Queen Catharine Parr, and, in the be- ginning of Edward VI.'s time, was promoted to a canonry at Windsor. Wood says he wrote several come- dies, and Bale mentions The Tic gedy of Popery. See in Vol. J II. p. 433, De Papatu, Trag. A specimen, however, of his abi- lities in this way, may be seen in a long quotation from a rhyming interlude by him, printed in IVil' sons Art of Logickc, 1587. Mr. Nichols mentions a play of his, as being acted at Cambridge, before the Queen, called Ezekias. 1564. N. P. Undekwood, T. was author of The Country IFake. F. 8vo. 1/82, V. V A L Valentia, George, Lord Vis- count, eldest son of Arthur An- nesley. Earl of Mountnorris, born November 1769, M'e are told, has written a tragedy, " full of beauty " and sublimity, but more calcu- " lated for the closet than for the *•■ present stage." His Lordship was a pupil of Dr. Butt's ; and a few years since visited India, &€. in pursuit of political, geo- graphical, and botanical know- ledge, to gratify his curiosity, ai:d enrich his mind ; and published the result, in 3 vols. 4tu. I8O9, V A L under the title of Voyages and Travels to India, Ceylon, the Red Sea, Alyssinia, and Egypt, in the Yt'ars 1S02 — 1805. The title of his Lordship's tragedy we have not heard n;!entioned. Valpy, Richard, D. D. and F, A.S . This gentleman is master of a very eminent cla-sical seminar)^ for youth, at Reading, in Berkshire J in v.hich he has laboured many years, with indefatigable diiiger.ce and distinguished success. He haspub- lished Sermons, preached on public Occasions, with Notes, arid an Ap- 3 A 2 72-t V A L pendlv on various critical, historical, and political Subjects ; An Address from a Clergyman to Ins Parishio- 7iers ; Elements of the Latin Lan- guage, or, An Introduction to the Latin Crrammar, in a new, easy, and concise Method (by the use of which, he says, his scholars made as great a progress in three months, as they usually did before in six) ; and other helps to learning. But we are to view Dr. V. as a drama- tist chiefly ; in which character he has altered several of Shak- speare's plays, to adapt them to a classical theatre, where nothing should be suffered to raise a blush on the cheek of youth. In these plays he has introduced new speeches, and new scenes ; but has preserved the diction of Shak- speare, wherever he could do it in conformity with his plan. His productions of this kind are : 1 . The Roses ; or. King Henry VL Hist. Play. Svo. 1795. 2. King John. Tr. Svo. 1800, 3. The Second Part of King Henry I r. Svo. 1801. 4. The Merchant of Venice. C. Svo. 1S02. All of which were performed by Dr. Valpy's schulurs, for the bene- fit of some public charity, or for the widows and crphaiis of the brave defenders of their country. Of these. King John was also performed at Covent Garden, in 1S03, for the benefit of I>Irs. Litchfield, by the author's permis- sion, and repeated for other bene- fits in the same season. Some speeches introduced into it made SI) strong an impression on the feelings of an English audience, on I he renewal of the war, that the pLiy was acted in almost every . town in Great Britain and Ireland. llxQ hi»tnonic characters ofMessi':;. VAN Johnston, and Mr.9. Cooke, H. Litchfield, received an accession by iheir spirited and affecting re- presentations of John, Falcon- bridge, and Lady Constance. It was intended to have been brought out in a magnificent style at Co- vent Garden, at the opening of the next season ; but Mr. Kemble, being appointed manager, resumed his character of King John in the original play. Vanbrugh, Sir John, was descended from an ancient family in Cheshire, which came originally from France ; though, by his name, he should appear to be of Dutch extraction. He was born about the middle of tiie reign of Charles II. and became eminent for poetry and skill in architecture ; to both of which he discovered an early propension. He had a most ready wit, and was particu- larly turned for dramatic produc- tions. His first comedy, called The Relapse, or. Virtue in Danger, was acted with great applause, in the year 1697, which encouraged him to proceed in the same tnck. The reputation which he gained by his comedies was rewarded with greater advantages than usu- ally arise from the profits of writ- ing for the stage. He was ap- pointed Clarencieux king at arms; a place, which he some time held, and at last disposed of. In August 1710" he was appointed survx^yor of the works at Greenwich Hospi- tal : he was likewise made comp- trOiler-general of His Majesty's works, and surveyor of the gardens and waters. But we are rather to ascribe these preferments to his skill in architecture, than to his dramatic writings. Several noble structures were raised under his direction, at Blenheim, in Oxford- shire^ Claremont, in Surrey, and 725 VAN the Opera House, in the Hay- market. In some part of Sir John's life, for we cannot ascer- tain the time, he went over to France ; where, his taste for archi- tecuire exciting him to view the fortiiications of the country, he w;is one day observed hy an en- gineer, whose information caused him to be secured by authority, and sent to the B;istile ; but he was soon set at liberty. He died of a quinsev, at his house in Whitehall, in 1725. Vanbrugh was the contem- porary and friend of Mr.Congreve. These two comic writers gave new life to the English stage, and re- stored it to reputation, when it had, in reality, been sinking for some time. It would, however, have been more to their credit, if, while they exerted their wit upon this occasion, they had preserved it pure and unmixed with that ob- scenity and licentiousness which, while it pleased, tended to corrupt the audience. When Mr, Collier attacked the immorality and pro- faneness of the stage, in the year IdgS, these two writers were his principal objects. Sir John's dramatic pieces are, 1 . The Rt;/apse ; or. Virtue in Danger. Com. 4to. I697. 2. Tke Provoked JFife. C. 4to. S697. 3. E<:np. Com. in Two Parts. 4to. 1697. 4. The Pilgrim. C. 4to. I7OO. 5. Tiid False Friend. Com. 4to. 1702. Q. The Confederaaj. Com. 4to. 1705. 7. The Mistake. C. 4to. 1706. a. The Cuckold in Conceit, C. 1706. N. P. 9. The Country House. Farce, 12mo. [1715.] 10. A Journey to London. C. J.-eftr u^ifinished, Svo. 1728. V A U Whincop ascribes to him, 11, 'Srfiire Trclooly. C. Svo. 1734. Vanderstop, Cornelius, pub- lished The Gentle Shepherd. C. altered. Svo. 1777. Vaughan, Thomas. This gen- tleman was the son of one who acquired a genteel fortune by the practice of the law, for which profession our present author is said to have been intended. His partiality for theatrical amuse- ments, and his warm solicitude for the success and happiness of those who made the stage the object of their pursuit, condemned him to the. toil, and often to the hardship, of many applications for the exertion of his influence. When patronage becomes exten- sive, it must frequently be unsuc- cessful ; and disappointment will be apt to forget what is due to the inclination, when it is found that the power is wanting. Such instances did occur to Mr.Vaughaa in the course of his many endea- vours ; but his philanthropy with- stood both the shocks of ingratitude and the shafts of ridicule. It is said, but we know not with how much truth, that this gentleman stood as the original for the por- trait of Dangle in The Critic. He obtained the appointment of clerk to the commission of the peace for the city of Westminster ; and when first the rage for military associations took place, became captain of a company in the West- minster volunteers. A literary dis- pute arose between him and the late Mr.Colman, v/ho then brought out a periodical paper under the title of The Genius. This dispute was conducted with more virulence than ingenuity ; and it was at this time that Mr. Coluian distinguish- 3 A 3 725 V I C ed him by the name of Dapper. He wrote a series of essays in The Morning Post, on the Richmond Theatre 5 and, through his ac- V I C with the following short remark — " Mr. there is too mcch horse- " hair in your tragedy." Our author then became under - ma- quaintance with Mr. Sheridan, has nager at Smock Alley, Dublin, been a great friend to candidates At last, after having produced many literary com. modi ties which \Aere chiefly returned upon his hands, he accepted the treasurer- sliip of Drury Lime Theatre, a post in which he acquitted himself with the most scrupulous exactness and fidelity. During this period he collected his works in three vo- lumes 8ro. and published them by subscription, omitting only his par.rphlet entitled The IFidow of the IFbod (a narrative which in its for the sock and buskin. He pro- duced the following pieces ; 1. Lmui's Alelamort)hoses. F. 17/6. N. P. 2. TheHof^I. F. Svo. ];;(5. 3. Love's Vagaries. D. P. Svo. I7.QI. To this gentleman were also ascribed, . 4. Z)efep/J07Z. Com. 17S4. N.P. and a novel, called Fashiunalle Follies. Vergerius, Paul, translated time had afforded no small grati- from the German a play, called fication to malignant curiosity). The Royal Cuckold; or, Great ai\d his History of the Stage. This Bastard. Tragi-Com. 4to. \6Q3. gentleman's singularities (for some Victor, Bi:.nj.^mix. This gen- he had) were of quite an innocent tleman rose to tlie dignity of Irish nature. He regarded the proper laureatjfrcm an outset in life which arrangement of a playhouse as should seem to have promi-ed him the greatest and most important no such advancement. He was task proposed to human abilities. brought up a pcrnke-maker, or He was therefore solemnly and rather a barber; but quitted that tediously circiijmsiantial in his ac- inglorious and starving profession, counts of entrances and exits P. S. to engage in the sale of Norwich and O. P. ; described to an inch stuffs. From this second effort he the height of every plume, and the likewise derived but inconsiderable length of every train, he had seen gains; and, what he thought a still upon the stage ; and dwelt much more mortifying circumstance, the on the advantages received by memory of his original trade was many authors, as well as. actors, occasionally unpropitious to his from his experience and his ad- third and most hazardous under- monitions. He likewise contrived taking, that of dramatic poetry, to prolong these bis narratives by When he offered one of his plays repeated summonses to attention, to Mr. Rich (a man apt to trea- such as " Sir, sir, sir ; observe, .^ure up sarcastic images to as- " observe, observe;" and was the sist him in keeping write!-s for the mo>t faithful chronologer of a jest, stage at a distance), poor Ben re- a riot, or any other incident at- ceived the usual 1 iconic answer, that his piece uould not do. The bard, however, desiring to be fur- nished with more particular reasons for this unfavourable determina- tion, v.-as dismissed by the manager tending the representation of a new play; always beginning his story in nearly the following words : — " I remember, once in the year " 173.5, when / was at the head •' of a merry party in the pit—'* 727 V I L The disgusting pronoun / being also too lavishly employed in his History of ike Stage, our late sa- tirist, Mr. Churchill, observed that f^ictor ego should ha\e been its motto. Air. Victor died Dec. 3, 1/78, at an advanced age, and without previous sickness or pnin, at his lodgings in Charles Street, Covent Garden. He was author of the dramatic pieces now to be enumerated. 1. The TwoGentlemeti of Verona. C. Altered. 8vo. 17t)3. 2. ALtamira. T. 8vo. 17/6. 3. The Fatal Error. T. 8vo. 1776. 4. The Fortunate Peasant ; or, Mature will prevail. C. Svo. 1776.* 5. The Sacrifice; or, Ciipid's Vagaries. Masque. Svo. I776. To Mr. Victor also Chetwood ascribes a farce, altered from Beau- mont and Fletcher, and called, 6. The Mock Pilgrim. N. P. but we know of no such piece; and if Victor had compiled such a one, we do not think that he had self-denial enough to forego the reputation of it. ViLLiERS, George, Duke of Buckingham. This ingenious and witty nobleman, whose min- gled character rendered him at once the ornament and disgrace, the envy and ridicule, of the court he lived in, was son to that fap.:ous statesman and favourite of King Charles 1. who lost his life by the hands of Lieutenant Felton. Our author was born at Wallingford House, in the parish of St. Martin in the Fields, on the 30th of January 1027, which being but the year before the fatal cata- strophe of his father's death, the young Duke was left a perfect in- fant ; a circumstance which is fie- C|ueutly prejudicial to the morals of laen born to hidi rank and V I L affluence of fortune. The early parts of his education he received from various domestic tutors, after which he was sent to the univer- sity of Cambridge, where having completed a course of studies, he, with his brother Lord Francis, went abroad, under the care of one Mr. Aylesbury. Upon his return, whicli WHS not till after the break- ing out of the civil wars, the King being at Oxford, his Grace re- paired thither, was presented to His Majesty, and entered of Christ Church College. Upon the de- cline of the King's cause, he at- tended Prince Charles into Scot- land, and was with him at the battle of Worcester, in 1051 ; after which, making his escape beyond sea, he again joined him, and was soon after, as a reward for this attachment, made knight of the garter. Desirous, however, of retriev- ing his affairs, he came privately to England ; and, in 1057, niar- ried Mary, the daughter and sole heiress of Thomas Lord Fairfax, through whose interest he recover- ed the greater part of the estate he had lost, and the assurance of succeeding to an accumulation of wealth in the right of his wife. We do not find, however, that this step lost him the royal fa- vour ; for, after the Restoration, at which time he is said to have pos- sessed an estate of twenty thousand pounds per annum, he was made one of the lords of the bedcham- ber, called to the privy council, and appointed lord lieutenant of Yorkshire, and master of the horse. All these high ofHces, however, he lost again in the year I6'j6. For having been refused the post of president of the North, he bccanie disaffected to the King, and it was discovered that he had car- S a4 ;28 V I L V I L Tied on a secret correspondence by position for intrigue and machi- letters and other transactions with nation could not long lie idle ; for one Dr. Heydou (a luan of no having conceived a resentment kind of consequence, but well against the Duke of Ornjond, for fitted to be made the implement having acted with some severity of any kind of business) tending against him in regard to the last- to raise mutinies among His Ma- n;enuoned affair, he, in I'JJO, was jesty's forces, particularly in the supposed to be concerned in an navy, to stir up sedition among attempt made on that nobleman's the people, and even to engage life, by the same Blood who after- persons in a conspirac_v for the wards endeavoured to steal the seizing the Tower of London, crown. Their design was to have Nay, to such base lengths had he conveyed the Duke to Tyburn, and proceeded, as even to have given there have hanged him ; and so money to villains to put on jackets, far did they proceed towards the and; personating seamen, to go putting it in execution, that Blood about the country begging, and and his son had actually forced exclaiming for want of pay, while the Duke out of his coach in St. the people, oppressed with taxes, James's Street, and carried him were cheated of their money by away beyond Devonshire House, the great officers of the crown. Piccadilly, before he was rescued Matters were ripe for execution, from them. and an insurrection, at the head That there must have been the of which the Duke was openly to strongest reasons for suspecting the have appeared, on the very eve Duke of Buckingham of having of breaking out, when it was dis- been a party in this villanous cov"ered bv means of some agents project, is apparent from a story whom Heydon had employed to Mr. Carte relates from the best carry letters to the Duke. The authority in his Life of the Duke detection of this affair so exaspe- of Ormond, of the public resent- rated the King, who knew Buck- ment and open menaces thrown irgham to be capable of the out to the Duke on the occasion, blackest designs, th?t he imme- by the Earl of Ossory, the Duke diately ordered him to be seized; of Ormond's son, even in the pre- but the Duke finding means, hav- sence of the King himself. But ing defended his house for soa-je as Charles IL like most other men, time by force, to make his escape, was more sensible of injuries done His Majesty struck him out of all to himself than others, it does not his commissions, and issued forth appear, that tins -transaction hurt a proclamation, requiring his sur- the Duke's interest at court ; for, render by a certain day. in Iti/l, he was installed chancel- This storm, however, did not lor of the university of Cambridge, long hang over his head ; for on and sent ambassador to France, his making an humble submis- where he was very nobly enter- sion. King Charles, who was far tained by Lewis XIV. and pre- from bein.g of an implaci-.ble tern- sented by that monarch at his de- per, took him again into favour, parture with a sword and belt set and the very next year restored with jeuels, to the value of forty him both to tlie privy ."onncil and thousand pistoles ; and the next bedchamber. But the Duke's dis- year he was employed in a second 729 V r L embassy to that King nt Utrecht. However, in June ]674, he re- signed the chancellorship ol" Cam- bridge, and about the same time became a zealous panisan and fa- vourer of the Nonconrbrmists. On the lO'th of February l6/d, his Grace, with the Earls of Salisbviry and Shaftesbur}', and Lord Whar- ton, were committed to the Tower by order of the House of Lords, for a contempt, in refusing to retract the pvirport of a speech which the Dui\C had made concerning a dis- solution of the Parliament. But upon a petition to the King, he was discharged thence in May following. In 1()S0, having sold Wallingford House, in the Strand, he purchased a house at Dowgate, and resided there, joining with the Earl of Shaftesbury in all the violences of opposition. About the time of King Charles's death, he fell into an ill state of health, and went into the country to his own manor of Helmesley, in York- shire, where he generally passed his time in hunting and enter- taining his friends. This he con- tinued until a fortnight before his death, an event which happened at a tenant's house, at Kirkby Moorside, April l6, 1()SS, after three d>1ys illness, of an ague and fever, arising from a cold which be caught by sitting on the ground after fox-hunting. The day be- fore Ills death, he sent to his old servant, Mr. Brian Fairfax, to provide him a bed at his hou^e, at Bishop Hill, in Yorkshire j but the next morning the same man re- turned with the news that his life was despaired of. Mr. Fairfax im- medit^tely went post to him, but found him speechless. The Earl of Arran, son to Duke Hamilton, >vas with hiin, who hearing he xvassick had visited him in his way V I L to Scotland. When -Mr. Fairfax came, the Duke knew him, looked earnestly at him, but could not speak. INIr. F.iirfax asked a gen- tleman there present, a jnstice of peace, and a worthy discreet man in the neighbourhood, what he had said or done before he became speechless J who told him, that some questions had been asked him about his estate, to which he gave no answer. Then he was admonished of the danger he was in, which he seemed not to ap- prehend ; he was asked if he would have the minister of the parish sent for to pray with him; to which he gave no answer. This occasioned another question to be proposed, if he would have a Po- pish priest ; but he replied with great vehemence, No, no ! repeat- ing the words, he would have no- thing to do with them. The same gentleman then asked him again if he would have the minister sent for, and he calmly said. Yes, pray send for him. The minister ac- cordingly came, and did the of- fice enjoined by the church, the Duke devoutly attending it, and receiving the sacrament. In about an hour after he became speech- less, and died on the same night. His body was buried in Westmin- ster Abbev. As to his personal character, it is impossible to say any thing in its \ indication ; for though his severest enemies acknowledge him to have possessed great vivacity and a quickness of parts pecu- liarly adapted to the purposes of ridicule, yet his warmest advocates have never attributed to him a single virtue. His generosity was profuseness, his wit m.alevolence, the gratitication of his passions his sole aim through life, his very talents caprice, and even his gal- '30 V I L lantry the mere love of pleasure. But it is iPupossible to draw his character with equal beauty, or with mfire justice than in that given of hirn by Dryden, iu his Absaknn avd Jchitophel, under the nnme of Zimri, wiiich is too v/ell known to authorize our inserting it here, and to which therefore we shall refer our readers. How greatly is it to be l.Tment- ed, that such abilities should iiave been so shaniefuily misapplied ! For, to sum up his chardcier at once, if he appears inferior to his father as a statesa:;an, he was cer- tainly superior to him as a wit, and wanted only application and steadiness to have made as con- spicuous a figure in tiie senate and the cabinet as he did in t!ie draw- ing-room. But his love of plea- sure was so immoderale, and his eagerness in the pursuit of it so ungovernable, that ihey were per- petual bars against the execution of even any pliin he might have formed solid or praiseworthy. In consequence of which, wilh the possession of a fortune that might Iiave enabled him to render him- self an ob'tct of .ilmost adoration, we do nnt find him on record for any one deservedly generous ac- tion. As he had lived a profligate, he died a beggar ; and as he had raised no friend in bis life, he found none to lament him at his death. As a writer, however, he stands in a quite different point of view. There we see the wit, and forget the libertine. His poems, which indeed are not very numerous, are capital in their kind; but what will immortalize his memory while our language shall be understood, or true wit relished, is his cele- brated play of, 1. The Rehi^nrxnl. C. 4to. 16/2. A comedy, which is so perfect V O X a master-piece in its way, and so truly an original, that notwith- standing its prodigious success, even the task of imitation, which most kinds of excellence have ex- cited inferior geniuses to under- take, has appeared as too arduous to be attempted with regard to this, which through a century and half still stands alone, notwith- standing that the very plays it was written expressly to ridicule, are forgotten, and the taste it was meant to expose, totally exploded j and although many other pieces as absurd, and a taste as depraved, have since at times sprung up, which might have afforded ample materials iu the hands of an equal artificer. There is also another play pub- blished under the Duke's name, called, 2. The Chances. C. 4to. 1683. This, however, is no more than a ])rofessed alteration of the co- medy of the same name, written by Beaumont and Fletcher. 3. The Battle of Sedgemoor. Fr Svo. 1/0/; 1/14. There is also imputed to him, but unjusllv, a slight alteration from the Philaster of Beaumont and Fletcher, called, 4. Restaur a fio7i. T. C. Svo. 1/14. A complete edition of this au- thor's works was published in 2 vols. Svo. 1775} by T. Evans, in the Strand. ViLLiERS, J. C. was author of Chaulcrt. T. Dr. Svo. 17S9; and of A Tour through Part of France, Svo. l/Sp. ViKCENT, Thomas, a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, who wrote a Latin play, called Pnr'ia. 162/; Svo. l648. VoNE, William, wrote Loves Systems. P. ISO/. N. P. '31 w. W A G W . J. Tliese initials are prefix- ed to The Fallnnt Scot. P. 4to. 1G37. And also to The Deceit ; or, The Old Fox outiritted. Past. F. Svo. 1743. Which was much enlarged, by the author, and published, Sv^o. 1/50, by the title of The Country Wedding ; or. Love in a Dale. W. L. We find these initials attached to Orgula. T. 4to. 16.5S, W. M. These initials are ]^re- fixed to The Marriage Broker. C. 12mo. 1662. W. R. These two letters stand before a kind of droll or farce, played at Bartholomew and South- wark fairs, and published in King Charles II. *s time, entitled The Coronation oj Queen Eliza- beth. 4to. 1680. These letters are also affixed to two pieces, entitled, 1 . The Three Ladies of London, Com. 15S4; 1592. 2. The. Three Lords and Three Ladies of London. Ivloral. 4to. B. L. i5go. ' Q}j. May not R. W. mean either Robert Wilson, or Robert Wever, who wrote plays at that time ? — See BucKE, Paul. Wadeson, Antony, wrote TheEarlofGlostev. Play. 16OJ. N. P. Wager, Lewis, wrote one piece, called Marie Magdalene, her Life and Repenfaunce. Enterlude.4to. 1567. Wager, W. Of this author no particulars are known. He W A L lived in the reign of Queen Eliza- beth, and wrote, 1. The longer thnu licest, the more Foole thou art. C. 4to. B. L. N.D. 2. 'Tis good sleeping in a whole Shin. Com. Destroyed by Mr. Warburton's servant. Wainv.right, Dr. wrote The Fall of Egypt. Orat. ISOl. Waker, Joseph, wrote Love in a Cottage. Past. Svo. 1735. Waldron, Francis Godol- PHiNj an actor of very useful, ra- ther than splendid, talents. He belonged to Drury Lane Theatre in the time of Mr. Garrick, by whom he was appointed to take the management of the theatrical fund. He was for a while mana- ger at Windsor, Richmond, and other provincial theatres ; and at one time carried on the business of a bookseller ; for some years he prompted at Mr.Colman's theatre; from which post, indeed, we did not miss him till three or four seasons ago. Mr. Waldroii is some- what advanced in years, and has probably thought it time to retire into private life. In the dramatic line, he is possessed of extensive knowledge, and has not been in- active as an author ; as may wit- ness the following pieces : 1. The Maid of Kent. C. I773. Printed in Svo. 1778, 2. The Contrast. F. 1775. N. P. 3. The Richmojid Heiress. C. Altered from D'Urfey. 1777. N.P. 4. Imitation. C. 1783. N. P. 5. Sad Shepherd (of Ben Jou- 5on) completed. Svo. 1783. ;32 W A L W A L 6. The King in ike Coimtry. D. accident brought bini forward in P. Svo. 1784. 7. Hr'rgho for a Muslaml! C. Svo. \7g-\. S. Prodigal. Dram. Piece. Svo. 1/94. 9. Love and Madness. D. T. 1795. N. P. 10. 'Tis a Wise Child knows its own Father. C. 1795. N. P. 11. Firgin Q^ueen. Dr. Svo. 179/- 12. Man u'ith Two Tf'ives. D. F. 1798. N. P. 13. Miller's Maid. CO. 1804. N. P. Walker, Maynarp Cham- BEKLAix, a Barrister of Dublin, wrote The Benevolent Man. C. 177I. N.P. the character of Captain Macbeath, wbicli was intended for Mr. Quin ; but Tom having been heard bum- ming one of the songs beliind the scenes, at the second rehearsal, the part was immediately transferred to him, and which, fortunately for himself, the manager, and (he :^u- thor, he undertook (Pe-chnm, Mr. Hippisley; Lockit, Mr. Hail; and Polly, Miss Fenton) j and the ap- plause which he met with was so great, that it was said. Booth found biai a hero, and Gay dubbed him a highway?nun. But this great success checked his progress as a general actor ; for his company now was so eagerly courted by the dissipated young m.en of fashion, that he was scarcely ever sober. Walker, T. Gent, was the au- and was frequently under the ne- thor of one play, called ce.^sity of eating sandwiches (or. The IVit of a Woman. C. 4to. as they were then called, anchovy 1/05. toasts) behind the scenes, to alle- Walker, Thomas (familiarly viate the fumes of the liquor. He called Tom IFa/kerJ, was the son was not, however, without his of Francis Walker, of the parish hours of study and retirement j of St. Anne, Soho, and was born for, a few years after his perform- in the year 1698. He was bred ance of Captain Macheath, he under a Mr. Medow, who kept a undertook to alter and compress private academy near his father's two of Tom D'Urfey's plays bouse. Flaving an early inch- (Massaniello, in two parts) ; for nation for the stage, be made his which purpose he shut himself up theatrical essay in a Mr. Sheph.erd's in the theatre to accomplish the company, where he was first found task; and having reduced them out by Mr. Booth, acting the part into one piece, it was performed of Paris, in the droll of The Siege the following winter with soma nfTror^ ; who saw in him such an success. When he was discharged early promise of talent, that he re- from Covent Garden, in 1743, commended hiin to the manager which his repeated dissipation ren- of Drury Lane, where he made dered indispensably necessary, he his first appearance as Lorenzo, in carried two pieces with him to Lord Lansdowne's Jcic of Fenice, Ireland, and prevailed upon the about 1716. His performance of Dublin manager to bring out The Charles, in The Nonjuror, the Fate of VUUmy, under the title of ■succeeding season, established his Love and Lnynlttj. Novelty drew fame, and he was then engaged an audience the first night, and by Mr. Pvich for the new theatre the second was given out for the in Lincoln's Lin Fields. Here author's benefit; but not being 733 W A L ■ ;c to give the customary security r tlie expenses of the liouse, the niaiuigers would not sutler the ' "ors of it to be opened. This appointment he survived but !rce d;iys, snd died in grciit dis- tress in Dublin, June 5, IJ-i-J- As an actor, he wms allowed con- siderable merit: tliough no pro- ficient in njusic, he supported his singing by so much expression of countenance and inimitable action, as rendered him in Macheath a great favourite with the public. He had from nature great advan- tnges j a good person, good voice, and a manly countenance. In se- veral parts of tragedy he was highly approved of, particularly Eajazet, Hotspur, and Faicon- . bridge. Walker was likewise -i pleasant actor in comedy as well as tra_gedy j as in Worthy, Recruit- in^ Officer ; Belmour, Old Bache- lor ; Harcourt, Couriiry Girl, Sec. He brought two dramatic pieces on the stage (besides the altera- tion already mentioned), viz. 1 . TfieQuakefsOpera. Svo.l 728. 2. The Fate of VUlamj. Way. 8vo. 1730. Walkek, "WnxiAM, was born in the island of Barbadoes, where his fither was a considerable planter. He was sent to England 5br education, and placed at Eton school. His first play was produced at the age oi nineteen years, and he performed a part in it himself. It seems probable that he after- wards studied the law, and returned to his native country, as we find a person of both his names died attorney-general at Barbadoes the I4th of August 1726. He wrote, 1. Fictorious Love. T. 4to. I(5y8. 2. Marry, or do worse. C. 4to. 1704. Wall A CE, John.- This gentle- man is the son of John Wallace, W A L out to India some years ago as a writer, whence he has since returned with a coujpeient for- tune. He has published, 1 . Co'lbia. Drama. 8vo. ] 802. 2. ]}.Iirchant of Guadaloupe. F, 8vo, 1S02. Wallace, Lady, is, we believe, a native of Scotland, a daughter of SirW^illiam Maxwell, Bart, and sister to the Dutchess of Gordon. She married Sir James Wallace^ Knt. a captain in the navy ; from whom, however, she obtained a divorce, by the laws of Scotland, on an allegation of ill treatment. We luust suppose that the court which pronounced the sentence was satisfied with tl:e truth of the case. It stands on record, how- ever, that the lady herself could be carried above concert pitch ; for, some tisne after, a woman, who had been recommended to her Ladyship from principles of hu- manity, and to whom she afforded an asylum at her house in St. James's Place, charged her with an assault before Mr. Bond, at the otlice in Bow Street. Her Lady- ship, by the direction of the ma- gistrate, compounded the matter; but was so angry, that she de- clared, wiienever an opportunity ottered, she would go to France, and reside there during the re- mainder of her days. Lady Wal- lace has written A Letter to a Friend, with a Poem caLed The Ghost of JFerter, 4to. I7S7 ; and the fc)l!ov/ing dramatic pieces : 1 . Diamojid Cat Diauiund. C. Svo. I7S7. 2. TheTon.C. 17S7; 8vo. 1788. 3. The IVlmn. C. Svo. 1795. 4. Cortes. Trag. N. P. Waller, Edmund, was the son of Robert Waller, Esq. of Agmondesham, in' Buckino^harp- shire, by Anne, the sister of" the Esq. of Golden Square. He went great Hamden^ who distingidshedL \V A L himself so much in the beginning of the civil wars. He was born in 160.5 ; and, his father dying when he was very young, the care of his education fell to his mother, who sent him to Eton school. He was afterwards transferred to King's College, in Cambridge, where he could not continue long 5 for at sixteen or seventeen years of age he was chosen into the last Parlia- n:ient of King James I. and served as burgess for Agmondeshara. He began to exercise his poetical ta- lent so early as the year lo23, as appears from his verses " Upon " the Danger His Majesty (being " Prince) escaped in ibe Rtjad of *' St. Andero;" for there Prince Charles, returning from Spain that year, had like to have been cast away. It was not, however, Mr. "Waller's wit, his fine parts, or his poetry, that so much occasioned him to be first publicly known, as his carrying olT the daughter and sole heiress of a rich citizen, against a rival, whose interest was espoused by the court. It is not known at what time he married his first lady ; but he was a wi- dower before he was five-and- , twenty, when he began to have a passion for Sacharissa, which was a factitious name for the Lady Dorothy Sidney, daughter to the Earl of Leicesier, and afterwards wife to the Earl of Sunderland. He was now knov.'n at court, ca- ressed by all wbo had any relish for wit and polite literature, and was one of the famous club, of which the Lord Falkland, Mr. Chillingworth, and other eminent men, were members. He was again returned burgess for Agmondesham in the Parliament which met in April 10 iO. An intermission of Parliaments having disgusted the nation, and raised jealousies against ;34 W A L the designs of the court, which would be sure to discover them- selves, whenever the King came to ask for a supply, Mr. Waller was one of the first who condemned the preceding measures. He showed himself in opposition to the court, and made a speech in the House on this occasion, from which we may gather some notion of his general principles in government ; where- in, however, he afterwards proved very variable and inconstant. He opposed the court also in the Long Parliament, which met in Novem- ber following, and was chosen to impeach Judge Crawley, which he did in a warm and eloquent speech, July the 6th, l64l. This speech was so highly applauded, that twenty thousand of them were sold in one day. In 1642 he was one of the commissioners ap- pointed by the Parliament to pre- sent their propositions of peace to the King at Oxford. In 1043 he was deeply engaged in a design to reduce tlie city of London and the Tower to the service of the King, for which he was tried and condemned, together with Mr. Tomkyns, his brother-in-law, and Mr.Challoner. The two latter suf- fered death, but Mr. Waller ob- tained a reprieve ; he was, how- ever, sentenced to suffer a year's imprisonment, and to pay a fine of ten thousand pounds. After this, he became particularly at- tached to Oliver Cromwell, upon whom he wrote a very handsome panegyric. He also composed a noble poem on the death of that great man. At the Restoration he was treat-' ed with much civility by Charles II. who always made him one of the party in his diversions at the Duke of Buckingham's and other places. He sat in several Par- 735 W A L iiarnents after the Restoration, continued in the fall vigour of his genius to the end of his life, and his natural vivacity made his company agreeable to the last. He died of a dropsy, October the 1st, 1687, ^"d was interred in the churchyard of Beaconsfield, where a monument is erected to his me- mory. He was looked upon as the raost elegant and harmonious ver- sifier of his time, and a great re- finer of the English language. His dramatic pieces are, 1. Pompey the Great. T. 4to. 1664. 2. The Maid's Tragedy. Altered from Fletcher. 8vo. 169O. Wallis, Dr. George, a phy- sician, editor of Sydenham's IForks, and of the third edition of Mo- therby's Dictionary, was born at York in 17-iO, Besides the above, he published several other medical treatises, particularly The Art of preventing Diseases and restoring Health. He was a poet also and a satirist. In 17/3 he published, in 4to. The Juveniiiad, a satire ; and in 177-^' Perjury, a poem. During his residence at York, he brought on the stnge there two dramntic pieces, viz. 1, The Mercantile Lovers. Dr. Sat. 8vo. 1775. 2. Alexander and Statira, Ivlcck Trag. He died in Red Lion Square, London, Jan. 30, 1802. Walpole, Horace, Eakl of Orford, was the youngest son of tlie celebrated minister Sir Robert Walpole, afterwards Earl of Or- ford, by his first wife Catherine Shorter ; and w:is bom about the year 1717- He received the early part of his education at Eton, which he finished at King's Col- lege, Cambridge. At Eton he became intimately acquainted with W A L our late poet Mr. Gray, with whom, in the years 1/39, 17-*per says, he WAS " ordinary degree, as I think wilJ " eminenrly appear in the ensuing "episode {oiAr gentile and Cur an, " printed also in Percy's Re/ir/ues, " vol. ii. p. 238); a tale full of " beautiful incidents, in the ro- " man tic taste, extremely atfect- " ing, rich in ornament^ wonder- " fully various in style, and, in " short, one of the most beautiful " pastorals I ever met with." — {Muses' Library, 8-vo. 1 738.] " To» " his merit (says Dr. Percy) no- " thing can be objected, unless, " perhaps, an affected qwaintness *' In some of his expressions, and *' an indeUcacy in some of hia- ** pastoral images." He was also the author of 5j/- rinx i or, A seavcn-told Historie, handled with Varietie of pleasant and profitable, both commical and tragicnll, Argument y 4to. 1597- and is supposed lo be the translator of Memechmi. C. 4to. 1595. Warken, Mks. M. This lady is an American, and author of the two following plays, printed in a collection of Po&nis, dramatic ancT miscellaneous, at Boston, 12mo. 1795^: 1. The Sack of Rome. T. 2. The Ladies of Castile. T. Warwick, the Rsv.I'homas, LL. B, To this person we have heard ascribed Edwy. D. P. 8vo, 1784. Wase, Christopher. This: gentleman was educated at Etouj and in It)-I5 succeeded to King's College, Cambridge, where he took the degree of bachelor of arts ; but was only unliappy in the choice of afterwards removed to Oxford, his subject and measure of his verse. " His poem (Albion's Eng- " land) is an epitome of the Bri- *• tish history, and written with ** great learning, sense, and spirit. *' In some places ^le to an 9^(1^- and was appointed superior bedel in law. He was some time master of Tunbridge school, and trans- lated several books from the (jreek and Latin. He also compiled some 5chooi-|joak5^ aad died about thift 739 W E A year i6Q0, He translated from Sophocles Electro. T. 8vo Id-IQ. Watkins, William, wrote The Fall of Carthage. T. 8vo. 1802. WatsoNj George, a barrister, wrote England Preserved. H. P. 8vo. 17p5. and afterwards obtained, we think, son^e legal preferment in India. Watson. John, was born at Eengeworthj ni the county of Wor- cester. In the year 1559 iie was made mnster of the hospital of St. Cross. He was also prebendary, dean, and at last bishop of Win- chester. He was consecrated Sep- tember 18, 1580, and died the 23d of January 15S3, at the age of 03 years. Meres "speaks of the play by our author, after mention- ed, as able to abiele the test of Aristotle's precepts and Euripides's examples. From a passage in As- cham's Svolemaster it appears to have- been written in Latin, and not published, it was called Absulon. T. Watson, William, was au- thor of Granly enticed from Elushiiv. CO. 8vo. N.D. [about i78'2.] Wayer, William, was the re- puted author of, i. Tome Tylere and his If^ife-. Int. 4to. 15y:i; 4ro l0"6l. 2. TheTryallofChevalry. 4to. 1(J05. Weaver, John. This person was a celebrated dancinr-masler, "who maJe his chief rf^s Itnce at Shrewsbury. He dift'eied from most of his profession, r.oi altoge- ther depending upon his keels. He •wrote, or invented, several pieces^ called dramatic pantomiioes : 1. The Loves of Mars and Venus. 6vo. 1717. W E D 2. Orphtus andEuridice. D. E. 8vo. 1718. 3. Perseus and Andronisda. Svo. 1723. 4. The Judgment 'f Paris. 1 732. He also wrote several judicious books, wl'ich show that a head was not wanting to his heels, viz. A History of the Mimes and Pantomimes of the Ancients. The Art of Dancing, with a Trea- tise on Action and Gesture. He was the first restorer of pan- tomimes, attt'r the ancient manner, without speaking. Webster, John, was clerk of St. Andrew, Holborn, and a member of the Merchant Taylors* company. He was accounted a tolerable poet, and was well esteem- ed by his contemporary authors, particularly Dekker, Marston, and Rowley, with whom ne wrote ia conjunction. His plays are, 1. The IVhitc DevV : or, The Tragedie of P. Gioraano Ui ■>ini, Duke of Brachiano with the Life and DeaUi of ViUoria Coromlond, the famous Venetian Courtezan, 4to. 10" 12. 2. The DeviV^: Law-case ; or, IFhen IV-vien >jo to Law, the Devil is full if Business. Trcgi-Com. 4to. lt)23. ' 3. The Dutchess of Malfey, T. 4to. 162^. 4. ylppius and Virginia. T. 4to. 1654 5. The Thracian JVoiider. Co- mical Hi.uory. -jto. \QQ\. 6 A Cure for a Cuckold. C. 4to. 16O1 Webster likewise wrote the Pa» geant of l624. See Vol. III. p. lis. He also assisted Dekker in writ- ing Wynt's History. 4to. iGO". Weddell, , was a jour- neyman printer in the service of 3 B 2 740 W E L Mr. Richardson, author of Pamela, tec. during the time Th^. Free Briton was printed. In this pa- per he is said to have written all the letters ^xgiM^A. Alger }ion Sydney. He is also the author of, 1. The City Farce. Svo. 173/. 2. Inkle and Yarico. T. Bvo, 1742. Weekes, James Eyre, was author of, 1. Orpheus and Euridice. M. 12mo. 1743. 2. Solomons Temple. Oratorio. N.D. Weeks, James Ayre. But that the first and third of these names vary in the orthography, ve should be led to suppose this person a near rela.ion of the fore- going. He has, however, pro- duced one drama, called The Prude. C. 12mo. 1791. Welsted, Leonard. This gentleman was descended from a Very good family in Leicestershire, and his raaternal grandfather was Mr. Staveley, author of TAe Roman Horseleech. He received the ru- fliments of his education in West- tninster school. In a piece, said, but falsely, to have been written by Mr. Welsted, called The Cha- racters of the Times, printed in SBvo. 1 72s, he is made to say of ■himself, that " he had, in his *' youth, raised so great expecLa- ♦* tions of his future genius, that W E L " writers, whose encouragemeiTt " he acknowledged in his occa- " sional poems, in a manner that " will make no small part of the *' fame of his protectors. It also " appears from his works, that he '■' was happy in the patronage of " the most illustrious characters of *' the present age. Encouraged " by such a combination in his " favour, he published a book of " poems, some in the Ovidian, " some in the Horatian manner j " in both which the most exquisite " judges pronounced he even ri- " vailed his masten. His love- " verses ha\e rescued that way of " writing from contempt. In his " translations he has given us the " very soul and spirit of his au- " thors. His odes, his epistles, " his verses, his love-tales, all are " the most perfect things in all " poetry." If this pleasant repre- sentation of our author's abilities were just, it would seem no won- der, if the two universities should strive with each other for the ho- nour of his education ; but it is certain the world has not coincided with this opinion. Our author, however, does not appear to havfi? been a mean poet ; he had cer- tainly, from nature, a good ge^ niusj but, after be came to town, he became a votary to pleasure ; and the applauses of his friends,, which taught him to overvalue his there Was a kind of struggle talents, perhaps slackened his di- *' between the two universities, ** wiiich should have the honour *'■ of his education ; to compound *' this, lie civilly became a meai- ** ber of both, and, after having ligence, and, by making him trust solely to nature, slight the assist- ance of art. In the year 1/18 he wrote The Triumvirate, or a letter in verse *' passed s^ome time at the one, he from Palemon to Celia from Batli, "removed to the other. From which was meant as a satire against^ *' thence he returned to town, Mr. Pope. He wrote several otlier " vvliere lie -became the darling occasional pieces against this ger>- *^ e^peiXiUiuy .uf c^ -lUe, polite tieaiau, who, 14; recompensgcf hi^. 741 WES WES ters, &c. This profession he sooq, quitted, a prospect of advancing himself being presented to him of a nature more agreeable to his wishes. A number of young gen- tlemen were to be elected from the universities, and at the expense of enmity, has mentioned him in his Dunciad, in a parody upon Den- ham's Cooper s Hill, as follows : *• Flow, Welsted, flow, like thine in- spirer, beer, " Though stale, not ripe, though thin, yet never ckar ; " So sweetly mawkish, and so smoothly Government taught foreign lan- <1"1U guages, and then sent to the Se- « Heady, not strong and foaming, cretaries' office to be initiated into though not full. , . j » • j ^i r ^ ^ business, and trained there rot Mr.Welsted,whenhe\vasyonng, public service, as envoys, ambas" had a place in the Secretary of sadors, &c. On this plan being State's office, and married a daugh- adopted, Mr. West was one of ler of Mr. Henry Purcell, who those fixed upon 3 and, on his first died in 1/24. His second wife, introduction into the office, wai \yho survived him, was sister of treated with great kindness by Lord Sir Hovenden Walker, and Dr.Wal- Townshend, who expressed the ker, the defender of Londonderry, who was killed at the battle of the Boyne. He was in general in good cir- cumstances, having a place in the office of ordnance, and a house in the Tower of London, where he died about August 174"/ . His only dramatic piece is The Dissembled Wanton; or. My Son get Afoney. C. 8vo. 1/26. strongest inclination to serve him; but his uncle, Lord Cobham, being a strenuousopposer of Government, he soon found that he should stand no chance of preferment. He therefore quitted the office, and at the same time all views of making his fortune ; being dissuaded by his uncle from going to the Tem- ple, where he had been entered with a design of studying the law, A complete edition of his works as the last resource after his disap- was collected, and illustrated with pointments. notes, by Mr. Nichols, in one vol. 8vo. 1737. West, Gilbert. This excel- lent writer and worthy man was son of the Rev. Dr. West, by a sister of Lord Cobham. He was born in \7Oii, educated at Winchester and Eton schools, from the latter of which he removed to the uni- versity of Oxford, where he be- came one of the students of Christ- church College. Being of a stu- dious and grave turn, he was in- clined to go into the church ; but was persuaded to abandon that pur- suit by his uncle Lord Cobhini, who gave him a cornctcy in his Soon after he married the daugh- ter of Mr. Bartlett, and retired to Wickham in Kent, where he lived a tranquil, domestic life, univer- sally esteemed and loved by his friends, who frequently visited him in his retreat. Among those with whom he was most intimate, was the great Earl of Chatham. This gentleman, on a vacancy which happened whilst he was paymaster, appointed Mr. West treasurer of Chelsea Hospital, a place in his gift. He had in May 1729, in consequence of a school- friendship with one of the Duke of Devonshire's sons, been nnmi- ovvn regiment, exempting him aty«ated a clerk extraordinary of the the same time from country quar- privy-council) but received no ad,- '3 B 3 742 Vi E S vantage from his appointment until A;>ril 1/52, when, by right of suc- cession, he filled 'he vacancy made by the decease of una of the clerks iu ordinary. In the year 1/47 '^*" published a very learned and valuable work on the subject of the Resurrection ; in which, with great ability, he refuted theobjectior.s and cavils of some infidel writers. As a tei^ti- moi:y of the favourable opinion which was entertained of this per- formance, the university of Ox- ford created him a doctor of lav^s by diploma, March 30, 1748. About the year 1/55 he lost his son ac the age of twenty years, and did no* long survive him. He died on the 25th day of March 2/56. His works bear testimony of his ■worth and learning, £iid i.he sen- timents of his friends sntficiently show the virtues of his heart. Besides his book on the Resurrec- tion, already mentioned, he tr. ms^ lated Pindar, and also publi->h- ed several pjetical performances, among yi'hich are the following dramas WES first entrance into life ; The Mo'- ther, and various other poemuj she has published four dramatic pieces J neither of which, however, has appeared on the stage, viz. 1. Edmund. Tr. Svo. l/Pl, 1S05. 2. Adela. T. 8vo. 1799. 3. How will it end? C. 8vo. 1799 4. The Minstrel. T. 8vo.lS05. West, Rev, MATTHE\y, vicar of the Union of Clane, is the au- thor of, 1. Ethelinda. T. 12mo. 1 769. 2. Pizarro. T. 12mo. I799. 3. Female Heroism. A Tragedy, in five acts, founded on the revo- lutionary events that occurred in France in the summer and autumn of 1793. 8vo. 1S03. This gentleman informs the reader, iii an advertisement pre- fixed to this play, that he began it in December 1793, and had m.ade considerable progress in it ; when he learned that he had been anticipated by an English writer, JSlr. Eyre, who-e play, under the title of The Maid of Normandy, was rer-resented in the Dublin the- 1. The Institution of the Order of atre. He immediately discontinued the Garter. D. P. 4to. 1742 2. Ibhi^enia in Tauris. T. 3. fhe^ Triumphs of. the Gout. Mock Tiag. The two last were printed in 4to. 1749^ with the translation of Pindar. West. Mrs. Jane. This lady, "who is an ornament to tlie literary history of the times, is the wife of a very rc'-poctable termer in Korthamptonshire. Besides some admirable novels ; a'^, A Gnsuf)'s Sl'iry, A Tale of the Times, and The Refu.-al ; Letters addressed to a ynuiin Lady, on the unties and characters of women. Letters ad- dressed to a young Man, on bis it ; but, on a perusal of Mr. Eyre's pertbrmance, he observes, he found it not only defective in form (con- sisting onlv of four acts), but alsQ censurable in other respects ; and therefore resumed it, ]^e accuses Mr. Eyre of having taken un- warrantable liberties with the cha- racter of Charlotte Corde, in as- cribing her assassination of Marat to tl>e influence of private resent- ment; observing, that it was the result of public, though mistaken, zeal. Mr. West has succeeded well in the delinciition of th^ leading characters of the timej and the language of his piece i? bold and energetic. 743 \V E W West, Richard. This gen- tleman was a member of one of the Temples, and married the daugh- ter of Bisliop Burnet. He was appointed King's counsel the 24th of October 17^7} snd in the year 1/25 advanced to the office of ■^ lord chancellor of Ireknd. This high post he did not long enjoy, but died the 3d of December 1726, incircumst?.nc-es not adequate to the dii^iiity which he had possessed. £He left one son, a very promising young gentleman, who died on the 1st of June 1742, and who is sufJiciently known to the public by his friendship with Mr. Gray.] Our author, the chancellor, be- sides some papers in The F/ee- ihinker, wrote A Discourse con- ceniiug Treasons and Bills of At- iaimler, 1/14 5 and An Inquiry into the Manner of creating Peers, 17^9- He also wrote Hccula. T. 4to. 1726. Westok, Ferdinand Fulles- TON, is author of, 1. The Barons of Ellerilergh, T. 8vo, I SOS. 2. St. Aulert. T. 8vo. ISOS. See Dramatic Appellant, in Vol. II. Weston, John, wrote a play, called The Amazon Queen ; or. The Amours of Thalestris to Alexander the Great. Tragi-Com. 4to. I607. Wetherby, James, belonged to the revenue at Bristol, and wrote Baul the Spanish Sharper. F. Svo. 1730. Wever, Robert, the author of one dramatic piece, called Li/sly Juventus. Int. 4to. B. L. N. D. Wewitzek, Ralph, a favour- ite actor in the Drury Lane com- pany, is supposed to be a native of Jypndon, and was b>"ed a je«-eller. W H A His sister v/nsan actress and singer; and for her benefit he made his first appearance, on any stage, at Covent Garden, in the character of Ralph (Maid of the Mill.) j when the low comic humour that he discovered in the part procured him an engagement J and he soon established his repu'^ation as a co- median by his whimsical, but just, representation of the characters of Frenchmen and Jews. He con- tinued at Covent Garden till 1789, when he undertook the manage- ment of the Royalty Theatre j but having derived neither fame nor profit from this undertaking, he procured an engagement at Drury Lane. For several summer sea- sons he performed at the Hay- mnrket. He was the original Jew in The Young Quaker, and by his performance of it contributed much to the success of the pTece. He is considered as the inventor of the following pantomimes : \. The Gnome. 1788. N. P. 2. The Magic Cavern. Svo. 1785. Whalley, the Rev. Thomas Sedgwick, is author of several poems, and of The Castle nf Montval. T. Svo. 1799- Wharton, Anne, a lady emi- nent for her poetical talents in the reign of King Charles II. She was the daughter and coheiress of Sir Henry Lee, of Ditchley, in O.sfordshire, who, dying v/ithoirt a son, left his estate to be divided between this lady and her sister, the Countess of Abingdon, whose memory Mr.Dryden has celebrated in a funeral panegyric, entitled Elcanara. She was the firit wife of Thomas, afterwards Marquis of Wharton^ by whom she had no issue. She wrote many poems, printed in Din-dea's ani litchols's 3 a 4 744 \V H A Collections. The mother of John Wilmotj Earl of Kochester, was aunt to thia lady j for which rea- son, Mr. Waller says, they were allied in genius and in blood. She died at Adderbury, October the 29th, lOS5, and was buried at Winchenden the 10th of November following. From a caveat entered ori the book of the btntioners' Company, it appears, that she wrote a play, which has never been printed, called leaves Martyr ; or. Wilt above Crownes. Wharton, Philip Duke of. This eccentric nobleman, who made himself as remarkable by his vices as by his abilities, was the only son of Thomas Marquis of Wharton. He was born in the year 1609, and at the age of hardly sixteen years, united him- self in marriage with a daughter ©f Major- general Holmes; a match which affected his father so much as to contribute in a great measure to his death. In the begiiming of the year 17 16 he set out upon his travels; but, conceiving a dislike to his governor, he abruptly left him at Geneva, and went to Lyons, where an unaccountable whim in- duced him to write a letter to the . Pretender, then at Avignon, where- with he sent a present of a very fine stone-horse. These overtures, were favourably received, and he was invited to the Chevrdiers court, treated with great respect, and had the title of Duke of Northumberland conferred upon him- He stayed, however, there but one day, and then went to Paris, where he visitf d the Oueen- dowager, wid(AV of James the Se- cond, then living. From thence he returned to England, and af- _ terwards passed over to Irebnd^ W H A in which kingdom he was per- mitted to take his seat in the House of Peers, though underage. At this juncture he supported the measures of Government ; but in a short time changed sides again, and took part with the opposition, to whom he rendered himself ex- tremely serviceable, both by his pen and his speeches. In this course he continued some y^ars, and at the same time indulged himself in every species of ex- travagance, to so high a pilch, that he encumbered his estate without a prospect of relieving himself from the dllficidties in which he was involved. This hituation luade it necessary for him to quit the kingdom on a principle of eco- nomy ; but so little did he attend to any rules of prudence, that he immediately went to Vienna, and from thence through Spain, in both kii;gdoms affording sufficient proofs of his enmity to the Bruns- wick line. On his arrival at Ma- drid, he was served with an order under the privy-seal, commanding his return home. This he treated with the utmust contempt, and from that time he appears to have abandoned all tlioughts of seeing hi.s native country. Whilst he was rambling abroad in this manner, his Dutchess died in England, ou the J4il) of April 1726; and he soon afterwards married Mademoiselle Obern, one of the maids of h(mour to the Queen of Spain, /^fter the so- h'luriization of hi.s mnrriage, be spent some time at Rome, ac- cepted of a blue garter from the Pretender, and assumed the title of Duke of Northumberland. His excesses .soon disgusted the Ita- lians; and lie embarked from Rome for Barcelona, where hearing that the siege of Gibraltar was begun 745 W H E by the Spaniards, he went to the enemy's cairp, aiul acted as a vo- lunleer ag-.i.ast his countrymen. For thi< fact, a bill of indictment was preferred again.-:t him for high treason, and his resources from •^ England were instantly cut ot^". He continued, however, sullenly to refuse making any overtures to reinstate himself, which he might easily have accomplished by the slightest concession. The remainder of his lite was passed in the same ignominious and disgraceful man- ner the former had been. Pro- fligate, poor, and abandoned, he suffered at rimes^all the miseries of want and contempt. At length an affront of a particular kind roused . his resentment, and awakened him to a sense of the deplorable state to which he had reduced himself. Unable to revenge the insult, or to bear up against it, he sunk un- der his accumulated distresses, and fell into a decline. He died the 3 1 St day of May 1/3], at the Bernardine convent at Tarragona, and was interred the next day by the monks, in the same manner they bury those of their own order. IVIr. Pope's character of tliis un- happy man, in his Moral Essays, Epistle I. is too well known to need repeating. Amongst other extravagancies, . the Duke of Wharton once began a tragedy, to which Lady Mary ■ Wortley Montague wrote an epi- logue, which is published among her Poems. The subject of this . piece was, Mary, Queen of Scots. No part of it, however, is said to be existing, but four lines. See Vol. in. p. 24. Whetstone, George, is an author of whom very little is known. From the circumstance . of his being a kinsmau to Serjeant W H I Fleetwood, recorder of London, it is probable tiiat he was of a good family. It appears that he lirst tried liis fortune at court, where he consumed his patrimony ju fruitless expectation of prefenneut. Being now destitute of subsistence, he commenced soldier and served abroad, though in what capacity is unknown. Such, however, was his gallant behaviour, that his ser- vices were rewarded with addi- tional pay. He returned from the wars with honour, but with little profit; and his prospect of ad- v. A Trip to Scotland. F. Svo, 17/0, 7. CEdipiis. T. in conjnnctioa with Mr, IMason. Still in MS. Whiteley, James, a native of Ireland, was many years man:iger and proprietor of the several the- atres of Worcester, Wolverhamp- ton, Derby, Nottingham, Retford, Stamford, &c. &c. being the most extensive midland circuit ever known in England j and a warm advocate and strenuous supporter of the dignity of his company. He lie^ 7^7 W I L .buried at Wolveihampton, and left the rent ot his thtnirt-, ainiuiU- ing to nearly 500/. per aniumi, to his daughter, who married Mr. Gosli, a dancing-m.^ster at Stain- ford. He also bt'jUeathed hi.s ve- teran performers, who survived h\m, to his succes ors, wilh a weekly salary entailed on them for life. H - was author of The Intriguing Footman. Ent. Whyte, , wrote The Confession. C. 1779' WiGNELL, J. This author was an actor at Covent Garden, and possessed the singuiai- talent of imparting stateliness to comic dialogues, and merriment to tra- gic scenes. Little mere is known of him, than that he was author of a volume of poems, Svo. 1 702. /' Why, IMr. Wignell," exclaiined .Garrick, dur'uig a rehearsal of The Stispidous Husband, " cannot " you enter, and say, Mr. Strict- " land, Sir, ijour coach is ready, " without all the declamatory " pompof Booth, orQuin.^"—" On " my soul, Mr. Garrick," repHed the actor, " I thought I had kept " the sentiment down as much as "^^ possible." Those likewise who were present at Mr. Macklin's perform.-ince of Macbeth, cannot fail to remember how greatly t!ie -piece was enlivened by the fits of laughter, which cur author pro- voked, in the very serious charac- ter of tlie Doctor. In the above-mentioned volume are two dramas, entitled Love's Artifice; or. The Per- plexed Stjuire. F. The Triumph of Hymen. M. He died the 2jth of January 1/74. WiLD^ James, prompter, for several years, at Covent Garden Theatre, reduced to three acts, JFieldin^'s W I L C. Svo. 1792. Miser. He died at Livtrpool, August 10, 1801, aged 52. Wild, James. This gentleman (perhaps a son or other relative of the subject of the preceding ar- ticle) has translated from the French the following dramas : 1. Dnult and Conviction. F. 12mo. 1S04. 2. Frailty and Hypocrisy. Dr. 12mo. 1S04. 3. From Inn to Inn. Op. Com. 12 mo. lSO-1. 4. Maids. F. 12mo. 1804. 5. Ticenly-one. Op. Afterpiece. 12mo. 1804. 6. JVives. Afterpiece. 12rao. 1804. He is believed also to have been the translator of, 7. Une Folie. C. O. Svo. 1803. Wild, Dk, Robert, a dissent- ing minister, u'as author of Iter Borea/e,' and some other poems: and also of The Benefice. C. 4to. iSSp, Wilde, George, was the son of Henry Wilde, a citizen of London, and wa.s horn in the county of Middlesex, in the year 1609. At the age of nineteen years he was ckc' cd a scholar of St. John's College, Oxford, from Merchant Taylors' .school 5 and, in 1^34, took one degree in the faculty of civil law. He afterwards became one of the chaplains to Archbishop Laud, who intended to have pre- ferred him to the vicarage of St. Giles, at Reading, in which he w !s prevented by the civil wars. Adhering to the royal cause, he was appcMuted preacher before the King and Parliament, in Oxford, being then in great esteem for his eloquent preaching, and therefore had the degree of LL. D. con- ferred upon him. In the year l64S he v/as turned out of his f49 W I L fellowship by the parliamentary visitors, and suti'ered most of the hardships which the loyalists ex- perienced. On the King's resto- ration, he was among the few who were not neglected, being made bishop of Londonderry, v-'here he was much respected for his public spirit, religions conver- sation, and exemplary piety. He was author of, 1 . The Hospital of Lovers ; or. Love's Hospital. Com. \Q3Q. N.P. 2. Hermophus. C. Latin. N.P. Wilder, James, bred a painter, was an actor some time at Drury Lane Theatre, but afterwards in Dublin. He took leave of the stage, during Mr. Daly's manage- ment, in 1/36, and had since then a situation in Somerset House, which, it is possible, he may still retain. He is the author of one musical piece, entitled The Gentleman Gardener. B.O. 12mo. 1751. WiLKiNs, George. This au- thor wrote a piriy, called The Miseries of in forced Mar- riage. 4to. 1607. D. C. Wilkinson, Richard, the author of one play, called Vice Reclaimed; or. The Pas- sionaie Mistress. C. 4to. 1703. This was afterwards republi^lied, under the new title of The Quaker's IVedding. 12rao. 1723. Willan, Leonard, wrote a pastoral, called Aslrea ; or. True Love's Mirrour. Svo. 1651. WiLLET, Thomas. This au- thor was, and may probably be still, a hardware-man at Chelms- ford, iu Essex. He is the author of one piece, entitled Buxom Joan. Burl. 4to. l/^S. Williams, Anna. This is an IvJthordss, who, under the disad- W I L vantage of a loss of her eyesight, cultivated letters with some suc- cess. She resided under the roof of that constant patron of the un- fortunate. Dr. Samuel Johnson. A volume of Miscellanies, written by herself and her friends, was printed in 4to. in 1766, in which is contained The Uninhalited Island. Dr. translated from Metastasio. It has, however, been asserted, that this piece, though passing under Mrs. Williams's name, was really the production of Mr. Hoole. Mrs. Williams died Sept. 1783. Williams, John, is only known as the author of one play, called Richmond Wells j or. Good Luck at Last. C. 12mo. 1723. Williams, John, wrote, 1. The Indian Chief. Mus. Ent. N. P. 2. The Unfortunate Beau. C. 1784. N. P. Williams, John {alias An- tony Pasquin), must be registered as author of The Royal Academicians. F. Svo. [173'6'.] Williams, Joseph, was the author of a play, which was never printed, called . Have at all ; or. The Midnight Adventures. C. xYcted May 1Q94. Williamson, , an actor, we think, for some years at- tached to the Haymarket com- pany, wrote The Lawyer. Com. 1783. N.P. Wilmot, John, Earl of Ro- chester, was son to tlie famous Henry Lord Wilmot (afterwards Earl of Rochester), who was so very instrumental in the preserva- tion of Charles IL in his flight from Worcester, where he was defeated by Cromwell. The me- morable wit, who is the subject oF this article, was born April 10^ l643. W I L and was educated first at Burford free-school j from whence, in l65g, he was admitted a noble- man of Wadham College, in Ox- ford. He afterwards travelled into France and Italy; and, at his re- turn, he frequented the debauched court of Charles 11. where his natural propensities to vice were not likely to be curbed or cured. Here he was first made one of the gentlemen of His Majesty's bed- chamber, and then comptroller of Woodstock Park, In the winter of l6o5 he went to sea, under the Earl of Sand- wich, who commanded a fleet era- ployed in the war with the Dutch. Wilmot behaved very well in the attack made on the enemy in the port of Bergen, in Norway, and gained a high reputation for cou- rage ; which he afterwards lost in an adventure with the Earl of Mulgrave, who called him to an account, for some words which he was reported to have too freely Spoken of the Earl. Wilmot ac- cepted the challenge ; but when he came to the place appointed, he declined coming to action ; urging that he was so weak with a certain distemper, that he found himself unfit to tight. This un- lucky affair entirely ruined his reputation for courage, and sub- jected him to farther insults; which will ever be the case, when once people know a man't; weakness in this respect. His reputation fur vit, however, still kept him from totally sinking in the opinion of the world ; but, on the other hand, his excessive debaucheries were every day more and more completing the ruin of his consti- tution ; and the natural vivacity of his imagination being still more inflamed with wine, made his eempany .so eagerly coveted by W I L his gay associates, that tliey wer«f ever contriving to engage liim deeper and deeper in extravagance and intemperance, in order th^ they might be the more diverted by his humour. All this so en- tirely subdued him, that, as he afterwards acknowledged, he was for five years together continually drunk ; not, indeed, all the while under the visible effect of liquor, but so inflamed in his blood, that he was never cool enough to be master of himself. There were two principles in the natural temper of this lively and witty noble- man, which hurried him into great excesses j a violent love of sensual pleasure, and a disposition to ex- travagant mirth. The one in- volved him in the grossest de- baucheries, and the other led him to many odd adventures and fio- lics ; some of which are related in the several accounts that have been published of his life, but w« have no rtx)m to repeat them here. As to his genius, his principal turn seems to have been towards satire ; but, being in this respect as licentious as in every thing else, his satires usually degenerated into mere libels ; in which he haj so peculiar a talent of mixing his wit with his malice, that all Jiis compositions were easily known. In regard to his other poems, which have been so usually ad- mired for their wit, as well as for their obscenity, t!iey are too in- delicate to deserve aiiy particular notice. It is a conipiiment justly due to the more reHned taste of the present age, to say, that such gross productions no longer please, or can be even endured. They are, indeed, as a more moral bard just* ly expresses it, more apt to put out than to hiniUe the fire. His tra- gedy of Falaniinian, hov-ever, and r5& W I L some other piece': published by Tonson, shov/ that he was not incapable of more serious produc- tions. By con. lant indulgence in sen- sualiry, he entirely wore out an excellenc constitution, befrre he was 'iilriy yenrs of age. In Octo- ber l6'79, when he was slowly re- covering from a disease which had proved suriiclently powcrfil to make a serious impression on him, he was visited by Bishop Burnet, on an intimation that such a visit wouid not be disagreeable. It is natural to suppose that the good Bisijop has made the most of this affair. We have only his .iCconnt of the matter ; and, as tar as that account may t)e relied upor;, he made a perfect convert of this il- lustrious profligate ; so that he who lived the lite of a libertine and a"n ntheist, died (lie death of a good Christian and a sincere pe- nitent. How far, however, tliat penitence, which is extorted by affliction and the horrors of an approachino' dissolution, can be esteemed gemthie or effectual, is a question which it would not be very proper to discuss in this place. Lord Rochester died July 26, 1630, of mere old age, before he liad completed his thirty-third year J quite worn down, so that nature had not strength even for a dying groan. He left behind him a son named Charles, aiid three daugliters. The son died the year after liis father , so the male line ceasing, the title of Earl of Rochester was transferred, by the King, to the family of Hyde, in the person of Laurence, a younger son of Edward Earl of Clarendnn. Lord Rochester's dramatic claims eonsist only ol one play, viz. Faknli/jiun, Trag. (altered from W I L Beaumont and Fletcher). 4to* 1085. WiLMOT, Robert, a gentle- man of the Temple, who publish" ed a dramatic piece, called Tanciedand Gismutid. T. 4to. I5C)? ; and in Dudsley's Cidhctioiu This play was not originally writ- ten by Wiiraot, but many years before pabbcation, by himself and a set of 'Itniplars, and M'as re- vised at'terwards by him. "NV^ihsdx, Mrs. Ann, was au-* tho.- of Jephl'iiah's DdUghter. D.P. 8vo. 1/33. Wilson, Arthur, was the son of Richard Wilson, of Yar- mouth, in the county of Norfolk, gentlen;an. He was born m the year I5y5, and when at the age of nineteen was sent by his mo- ther into France, where he stayed until Kill, His father, who had wasted his estate, and was not able to maintain him, placed him with Sir Henrv SpiUer, in order to be one of his clerks in the Exchequer OiBce 5 but hav ing some quarrels with the domestics, he was dis- charged from that service. He then robbed his father, and sooil after became secrQtary to the Earl of Essex, whom he accompanied abroad in the several wars wherein that n(jbleraan rendered himself conspicuous. He was in great fa- vour with his noble patroti, with, whom he continued until he was forced out of his service by the dislike whic!) the second Countess of Essex conceived towards him. On this event he removed to Oxford, and settled at Trinity College. He was adrnitted to the degree of master of arts, but ap- pears to have been fickle with respect to his academical pursuits. He at times applied bin- self to the mathematics, to physic, and t(» Vv I L divinitj', though wiiiiout any fixed or determined plan. While he was in this irresolute state, he re- ceived information that tlie Earl of £ssex had reconimendeil him to the service of Robert Earl of War- wick. He accordingly accepted the offer made him by that noble- man, with alacrity, and remained with him during the rest of his life, which terminated in October 1052, at Felstead in Essex, where he was buried. He was the author of a Life of King James the First, not very favourable to the characver of that monarch ; and V/ood says, he had composed some comedies, which were acted at the Black Fryers in London, arul, during the act-time, at Oxford. But none of them seem to have been primed- Three of them were entered on the book of the Stationers' Company the 4th of Sept. l()4t>, and the i^th of Sept. 2053 ; the titles of which were. The Suilzer. The Corpora^. The Inconstant Lady. The last of these had been in the possession of Mr. Warburton, and was destroyed by his servant. Wilson, Charles Hexry, This geritleman's father was rector of a parish in Ireland, which was the residence of the late Sir James de Bathe. Our author aj.so was educated with a view to the cleri- cal profe-ssion, but never took or- ders. He was for several years a reporter of the parliamentary de- bates, was a very sober and in- dustrious man, and gave to the public many popular works, to which his name is not affixed ; as The Beauties of Burke, with a Sketch nfhis Life, I vol. large 8vo. ; Brookeana ; or. Original Anecdotes of the late Henry Brooke, Esq. au- thor of The Fool of Quality, 2 vols. V\' I L 8vo. j Ingcl-org, a Tale, trans- lated from the Icelandic 5 Po/yart" thea ; and The IVanderinn Islander i also several transl.-itions from tlie Latin, German, and Danish, ia different magazines. Mr. Wilsoa was for some )ears editor of The Gazetteer. His attainments were almost universal. He was deeply versed in the antiquities asid lite- rature of the Gothic, Scandinavian, and Ctltic nations; yet, with aa inexhaustible fund of learniiiif, was " a fellow of infinite jest — of *' most excellent fimcyj" and his wit and humour were truly ort- gina]. Born, however, to no for- tune, he ran his career of life, without doing more than providing tor the day which was passing over hi(ii ; a fate not uncommon to men entering the world under the same circumstances, and possess- ing similar endowments, joined to a strong relisli for social enjoy- ment. He died May 12, ISOS, in the 52d year of his age ; liaving translated from the Danish lan- guage. Poverty and Wealth. C. 8vo- 1799- Wilson, John. This gentle- man, who lived in Ireland, m tlie reign of King Ch.arles H. and was recorder of Londonderry, was the author of four plays, 1. Andronicus Comnenius. T. 4to. 16()4. 2. The Cheats. C. 4to. 1664. ?j. The Projectors. C. 4to. Iti0"5. 4. Be/phegor^ or. I he Alar ria^e of the Devil. T. C. 4to. iGgi." Wif.soN, Richard, a favourite comedian, many years of Covent Garden and the Haymarket The- atres, claims a mention for The Rehearsal [abridged]. 12mo. 3792. He died about ten years ago. Wilson, Robest, is mention- 752 W I s ed by Meres, in ISpS, as one of the best writers of comedy in his time. One only of his dramas, however, has been printed. They .are, 1. The CoL'ler's Prophesle. C. 4to. 1594. 2. ClitiUne'sOmspiraa/. P. 15g8. N. P. ^ [Assisted by Chettle.] 3. C/umee Medley. P. ISpS. N.P. [Assisied by iMiindy, Dray- ton, and Dekker.] 4. Earl Goodwin and his Three Sons. P. 15gS. N. P. [Assisted by Drayton, Chettle, and Dekker.] 5. The Funeral of Richard Ccciir de Lion. P. 1598. N.P. [Assisted -by Chettle, Munday, and Dray- ton.] (>. Hanidhal and Hermes. P. 159s. N. P. [Assisted by Dekker and Drayton.] 7. The Madman's Morris. P. IspS. N. P. [Assisted by Dekker and Drayton.] 8. Pierce nfjnnchesler. P.lSpS. ■[Assisted by Dekker and Drayton.] 9. Pierce of Exlon. P. 159S. [Assisted by Drayton, Chettle, and Dekker.] 10. Henry Richmond. P. 1599. N.P. 1 1. Owen Tudor. P. \5gg. [As- sisted by Drayton, Hathwaje, and Munday.] Wilton, , wrote The Contrast. C. 1769. N.P. "V^'iscHiLSiiA. See JFikch. T/iNGFi£LD, M. The reputed author of a Latin play, udled Pedaulius. Com. ' 1 'J,mo. l63 1 . Wise, Joseph, a clergyman in Sussf X, who was tlie auihoi- of two pieces, entitled, J. The Cor ojiatisinqj' David. D- 6vo, 17015. 2. Nadir. DP. ISnio. 1779- Wiseman, Jane, waiJ a ser- vant in the famUy of Mr. Wright, cecardia: of Oxford i wljere, having W O L much leisure time, she employed it in reading plays and novels. She began there a tragedy, which she finished in London ; and soon after, marrying one Holt, a vintner, they were enabled, by the profits of her play, to set up a tavern in W^est- minster. The drama she produced was called Antiochus the Great ; or. The Fatal R'^lapse. T. 4to. 1702. WoDHULL, MiCH.^EL. This gentleman translated the fnilowlng plays of Euripides, published in 4 vols. Svo. 1782 i 3 vols. Svo. ISOp; viz. 1. Hecuba. 2. Orestes. 3. Phceniciun Damsels. — 4. Medea. — 5. Hippolicus. 6. .^Icestis. 7- Andromache. — 8. Suppliants. — 9. Iphigeniain Aulis. — 10. Iphisenia in Tauris. — 11. Rhesus. — 12. Tro- jan Captives. — 13. Bacchanalians. — 14. Cyclops. 15. Children of Hercules, — 10. Helen. — 17. Ion. — • IS. Hercules Distracted. Ip. Elcctra. — 20. Some Fragments. WoLcoT, John, M.D. This gentleman, much better known by his assumed name of Peter Pindar, is descended from a re- spectable family in Devonshire, was bred to the study of physic, and practised for some time, with success, in the county of Corn- vral). He afterward folio wed the fortunes of \he late Sir William Trelavvney, to Jamaica, and be- came physician - general to the island. It is said, that, during his residence there, he was inducedj upon a pro.ii)ect of important pre- ferment,toassume the clerical tunc- tion ; but that, being disappointed in his views, be resigned that olfice; before his return lo England, and has never since resumed it. On his- arrival here he pursued his original profession for several years, but at last relinquished it entirely. It 756 W O L WOO ?s to be recorded to the credit of Dr. Wolcot's benevolence as well as his discernment, that the art of painting is indebted to him for the late Mr. Opie, That artist was found by him in the mines of Cornwall, where his genius first discovered itself to the Doctor j and he was encouraged by him to trust for his future fortune to the cultivation of his intellectual ta- lents. Of our author's celebrated satirical pieces, the tirst was A poetical Epistle to the Reviewers, which appeared in the year 1778, and was followed by the first set of Lyric Odes to the Royal Acade- viicians, in 1782, These, and his numerous subsequent productions, were originally printed separate- ly in quarto pamphlets, and were, hot long ago, published in a col- lection, in five octavo, and like- wise in four duodecimo volumes. They are characterized by a species of humour, which, though not ele- gant and tasteful, is not destitute of nature, and is irresistible in its power of exciting laughter. Bozzy and Pioxzi, The Lousiad, and Pindariana, are certainly the best among them ; but his greatest admirers must lament, that talents and attainments so great, as his writings discover him to possess, should have been applied to the composition of such temporary trifles, as must inevitably perish with the age in which they were written. Though Dr. Wolcot's fame has been chiefly founded on his humorous pieces, we think, after all, that his highest merit will be discerned in the short ama- tory, moral, and pathetic poems, which are scattered through his works. He is the supposed au- thor of, 1. Nina. O. 17S7. N. P. 2. Fall of Portugal. T.8vo. 180S. VOL, «. Wood, Ralph, wrote The Flying Voice. Play. N. P. Interlude. Name and date un- known. WoODBRIDGE, RoBEET, WaS author of The Pad. Farce. 8vo. 1793. WoouES, Nathaniel, was a clergyman in the city of Norwich, and wrote a dramatic piece, called The Conjiict of Conscience. C. 4to. 1581. WooDFALL, Henry Sampson*, is the son of the gentleman noticed in the following article, and has written one play, viz. JFe have all our Deserts. C 8vo. WooDFALL, William, was the son of the original printer of The Pullic /Advertiser, at one time so highly popular on account of The Letters of Junius, that paper being chosen as the vehicle to convey them to the world. He was early placed under Mr. Baldwin, of Paternoster Row, to learn the art of printing ; from whose house he went back to his father's office, and assisted in the printing and editing of The Public Advertiser. He became so warm an amateur of the drama, that, to gratify his penchant for the stage, he made an excursion into Scotland, and performed several times, for his amusement, in the company of Mr. Fisher; but returned to the metropolis about 1772, and en- gaged himself as editor of The London Packet. He was also the chief founder of The Morning Chronicle, which he conducted with great zeal and assiduity till 17S93 when he commenced a paper called The Diary, on his own account. To his efforts the people of this country are in a great degree indebted for that open communication of parlia- mentary proceedings, which has 3 c 754 WOO at length obtained the tacit sanc- tion of the legislature, except in points on which the situation of national affairs may require a dis- cussion confined lo the representa- tive body. Mr. Woodfall's powers of recollection, in recording the debates, were very extraordinary ; for he was able to do more, by the unassisted efforts of his me- mory, than other reporters of ac- knowledged talents could effect with the aid of short-hand notes. He was greatly 'attached to the WOO was a source of profit as well as pleasure. About the year 176S or 1709, as we are infornjed, he joined an itinerant company at Southampton, where his abilities, though very young, soon com- manded respect. In 1771 he made his entree on the London boards (Haymarket), in the ditficult, and, what in the theatrical phraseology is termed, " uphill part" of Ma- homet. Soon afterwards he went to Edinburgh, where he remained till his death, excepting one sea- stage, and was a sound judge of son, when he was at York. In dramatic composition, andtheatri- sentimental comedy his merit was cal ability. He always gave a tirm of the first rate. He was also a support to the proper authority of good tragedian in many characters, the managers of our theatres ; but particularly lago, Glenalvon, Mac- when any performers thought themselves aggrieved, he was at all times ready to assist them with his counsel, or to support them with .his talents, if they had right on their side. Indeed, his good-na- tured zeal, in this respect, has often induced him to put aside matters of importance to himself and his family. He abounded in anecdote, and was well acquainted with most public characters who have made any figure in this coun- try for the last forty years. Mr. Woodfall adapted Savage's duff", Velasques, Edmund, Beverly, Sciolto, Tamerlane, Dnmont, Sif- fredi, Sempronius, Clyius, the Ghost in Hamlet, &c. He was a good scholar, and his application was known to be unwearied. He died at Edinburgh, Dec. 14, 1802; having given to the stage two slight pieces, called, 1. The Folunteers. F. 1778. N.P. 2. The Tuins. C. 1780; 12mo. 1783. Woodward, Hensy. This celebrated performer was born in Sir Thomas Overbury to the the borough of Southwark in the stage. It was acted at Covent Garden in the year IT/Q. Printed Svo. 1777. Mr, Woodfall died at his house hi Queen Street, Westmins'cr, August 1, 1803, in his 58tb year, having attended at the bar of the House of Lords as lately as July 2/ year 17-'7! ^'tid educated at Mer- chant Taylors' school. His father being a tallow-chandler, and Henry his eldest son, he was designed for that trade ; but nature and incli- nation both forbade it. Nor is it to be wondered at, that one pos- sessed of such natural comic abili- WooDS, William, an actor of ties should j-elinquish such a pro- the Edinburgh company, was ori- fession for the stage; for though ginally bred a printer, with Mr. Henry Sampson Woodfall ; but his love of the drama induced him to embark in that generally preca- rieus life ; which to him, howevei". he might, literally, have shone in the business he was intended for, the blaze that he exhibited in the theatrical hemisphere must be confessed to have greatly eclipsed ^55 WOO the feebler lustre of his family profession. In Merchant Taylors' school, our hero made a rapid progress, and acquired a taste for the clas- sics, which, in the future part of his life, he frequently displayed, to the surprise of such of his com- pany as had not been acquainted with the manner in which he was educated. A circumstance hap- pened, when he vvas about four- teen years of age, which gave him a strong bias in favour of a theatri- cal life; which was briefly this : — From the uncommon run of The Beggar's Opera, Mr. Rich, who w^as at that time manager of the Theatre Royal in Lincoln's Inn Fields, was encouraged to repre- sent it by children. In this Lilli- putian company Harry performed the part of Peachum with great success; and, having thus enter- tained a passion for the drama, could never afterwards divest him- self of it. He was bound appren- tice to Mr. Rich, began with the lowest of pantomimical characters, and went on, in regular progres- sion, from a frog to a hedgehog, an ape and a bear, till he arriv- ed at the summit of his ambi- tion. Harlequin. To his panto- mimical talent?;, h.o'.vever, he had added so considerable a knowledge of the sock, that when he had com- pleted his indentures, he was en- gaged at a very genteel salar}-, at Covent Garden Theatre ; anii, in consequence of the death of Cl;ap- man the comedian, he had an opportunity of er.hibitmg his co- mic powers in their full force. Marplot, Lord Fopplngton, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Touchstone, Captain Parolles, &c. were all represented by him with an un- common degree of applause. — In the year J 747, Mr, Sheridan^ ma- w o o nager of Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, engaged him at no less a sum than 500/. to perform the ensuing winter. In this engage- ment Mr. Woodward was articled as a comedian and harlequin, in both which departments he was extremely useful, and brought great receipts. On Mr, Wood- ward's return to England, he was instantly engaged by Mr. Garrick, as a necessary support to establish him in the management of Drury Lane, which he had at that time purchased in conjunction with Mr. Lacy : that great manager, know- ing the acquisition he had got, never failed of directing such abi- lities in a proper line ; and, to this purpose, he revived Ben Jonson's comedy of Everij Man in his Hu- mour, with some alterations, and an additional scene. If Mr. Wood- ward, at this time, wanted any- thing to give the full display to his comic abilities, it was his ap- pearance in Bobadil, in this come- dy; a character, which, though its manners are, in a great measure, obsolete, was rendered, from his judicious support of it, one of the chastest and most pleasing pieces of acting perhaps ever exhibited. An increase of success, we often find, produces a desire of more. Mr. Woodward was not content with a principal salary and benefit, by which he had saved 6(X)0L and filling one of the first forms of Drury Lane Theatre, in the comic cast, but he must be a ma- nager ; ant Ccesar, ant nullus ; and for this purpose joined with. Mr. Barry, who was at that time at Covent Garden Theatre, to oppose Mr. Sheridan in Dublin. A new house was accordingly erected for ihem in Crow Street, in that capital ; and, on Monday, the 22d of October 1758, the/ 3 c 2 w o o opened with the comedy of She would and She would not, to a very thin audience. Indeed, little more could be expected ; as the names of all the performers of any consequence (except Mr. King's) were out of the bills. The second night was The Beggar's Opera, which was reported to be not more than 20/. These disappointments brought the managers forward much sooner than they intended ; and, when they performed, the people must have wanted taste in- deed not to have crowded thither. Notwithstanding (hi^^ management was attended with some success in the beginning, yet the long train of incumbrances they were clog- ged with, there not being audiences enough in Dublin to support two houses, and, above all, the in- compatible disposition of the ma- nagers, rendered both their profits inferior to their salaries in Eng- land. Indeed, this last circum- stance alone would have been suf- ficient to overturn their scheme, .abstracted from any other consi- derations. Barry was the Mark Antony in life that he represented on the stage — splendid, generous, and inconsiderate ; while his part- ner, the reverse, looked at every thing through the medium ot in- terest. This contrariety of tem- pers first produced remoncvtrances; from thence it blazed to newspap-er quarrels, in which both parties jnade themselves ridiculous : how- ever, the dispute at last, by the interposition of friends, terminated in an an)icable manner, and Mr. \Vood\v\'ird withdrew his share, on getting security to be paid his ori- ginal expense in yearly instal- ments. During Mr. Woodward's residence in Dublin, a ludicrous circumstance happened, that is Dot unworthy of naiice : the mob WOO one morning beset the parliament- house, in order to prevent the members from passing an unpopu- lar bill. Such as were looked upon as belonging to the court party, were treated with the grossest in- sults; and some of the ringleaders, thinking it necessary to make the representatives swear they would not pass the bill, surrounded Mr. Woodward's door, which was op- posite the parliament- house, in College Green, and called repeat- edly upon his family to throw them a Bible out of the window. Mrs. Woodward was greatly alarmed at the request; as it unluckily hap- pened, at that time, that she had no such book in her possession,. In the midst of her agitation, her husband, with great presence of mind, snatclied up a volume of Shakspeare's plays, which, tossing out of the dining-room window, he told the insurgents they were very welcome to. Upon this they gave him three cheers ; and, it is an absolute fact, that the ignorant rabble administered their oath to several of the Irish members of the House olCommons.upon the works of our old English bard, which they afterwards safely returned to Woodward. He now proceeded to London once more, after mis- spending his time, and impairing his fortune, for the course of four years. He njade his lirst appear- ance at Covent G.irden, in the character of Marplot, and was re- ceived with the warmest demon- strations of satisfaction by the auditors. A prologue, however, which he spoke upon this occasion, gave great oftence to the natives of Ireland, who thought themselves exceedingly injured by four harm- less lines. His wife dying about this time, he returned to Ireland wi^h ^ifs. Lesiiiioham, who made 7^1 WOO her appearance there in the cha- racter of Rosetta (Love in a Vil- lage) 5 but, on Woodward's ad- vertising his name in the papers, to play at Crow Street theatre, parties were formed against himj and the popular clamour was so great, in consequence of so trifling an otfence (if it may be called one), that he was frequently abused in the streets. Not will- ing to run the hazard of being insulted on the stage, he took his final leave of Dublin, and returned to London, where he continued at the head of his profession as a comedian, till the beginning of the winter 1776, when he was seized with an abscess near the kidneys, whicli entirely prevented his pub- lic appearance, and was occasioned by an accident as he was jumping on to a table, in the character of Scrub. He died the following year, April 17, and left the interest of his fortune, which amounted to about SaOO/. to Mrs. Bellamy, the actress, with whom he had lived in a state of friendship for some time before his death: and the principal to his brother and his family. As a comedian, he was unequalled in his cast of parts ; and however the satire of Church- ill, and other critics, might have ridiculed his " croaking," and placed his merit only in the mire, yet where shall we find his ecjual in Bobadil, Petruchio, Touchstone, Captain Flash, Dick the Apj^en- tice. Marplot, the Fine Gentleman (Lethe), 'Squire Groom, and all that cast of characters ? As a composer of pantomimes, he had infinite merit, having produced some of the best that were ever represented, viz. For tiinatus, Queen Mah, &c. Yet, after all, his highest merit was that of having ever maintained the character of a W O R strictly honest man. Daring hiB illness, the late Dr Isaac Schom- b'^rg (his school-teliow), who at- tended him, refused the acceptance of a single fee ; and to have been thus re-pected by a man of dis- tinguished integrity, is no small degree of praise. Our author's mere excellence as an actor would not have entitled him to a place in this work. He claims it as tiie author and alterer of, 1. Tit for Tat. Int. 1749. N. P. 2. A Lick at the Toum. Prel. 1751. N. P. 3. Harlequin Ranger, Panto- mime. 1751-2. 4. The Genii. Pant. 1752. N. P. 5. Queen Mai. Pant. 1752. 6. Fortunatus. Pant, 1753. N. P. 7. Proteus. Pant. 1755. N. P. 8. Mercury Harlequin. Pant. 1756. N. P. 9 Marplot in Lisbon. C. l2mo. 17GO. 10. Harlequin Dr. Faustus. P. 170)6. 11. Harlequin's Jubilee. Pant. 8vo. 1770. 12. The Man's the Master. C. 8vo. 1775. 13. The Seasons. Dram. Ent. i:?mo. 1735. WoKG.\N, T. D. has produced, 1. Look before you Leap. Af-. terpiece. 8vo. ISdS. 2. Tfie nilagers. C. O. Svo. 1808^ See Dr.\matic Appell.\nt, in Vol. II. WoRSD.\LE, James, would have been little known (? ". Mr. Walpole observes in his Anecdotes of Paint' ir,g in England, vol. iv.), had he been distinguished by no talents but his pencil. He was pupil to Sir Godfrey Kneller ; but, marry- ing the knight's niece without his consent, was dismissed by h\% 3 c 3 758 WOT master. On the fame, however, of that education, by his singing, excellent mimicry, and facetious spirit, he gained both patrons and business, and was appointed mas- ter-painter to the board of ord- nance. He was the author of several small pieces, songs, &c. besides the following dramatic per- formances : 1. A Cure for a Scold. B. O. 8vo. N. D. [1/35.] 2. The Assemlly. F. in which Mr. Worsdale himself acted the part of Old Lady Scandal. 3. The queen of Spain. M. E. 1744. 4. The Extravagant Justice. F. The three last have not been printed. 5. Gasconado the Great. Tragi- Com. Political, Whimsical Op. 4to. 1759. Of this gentleman Mrs Pilking- ton has related several pleasant anecdotes in her Memoirs. He died June 13, l/Oy, and •was buried at St. Paul's, Covent Garden, with this epitaph, com- posed by himself: *' Eager to get, but not to keep the pelf, •' A friend to all mankind, except him- self." WoTTON, SirHekky, was born at Bocton Hall, in the county of Kent, on the 30th of March ISO'S. He was sent to Winchester school, ■where he continued until the age of sixteen years, and t!:en was ad- mitted of New College. Oxford, but had chambers in Hart Hall. At two years standing he removi-d to Queen's College, and studied the civil law untJer Albericus Gen- tilis. On the death cf his father, in 15S9, he determined to com- plete his education abroad, and accordingly travelled through the WOT greater part of Europe. Having spent several years in this manner, he returned home an accomplished scholar ; and was, about 15Q6, ap- pointed secretary to Robert Earl of Essex, whom he accompanied in his expeditions against the Spa- niards and the rebellious Irish. On the Earl being taken into custody, our author fled from England to France, afterwards fixed his resi- dence at Florence, and just before the death of Queen Elizabeth was employed by the Great Duke of • Tuscany to warn King James of some designs supposed to be then forming against his life. This commission he executed to the satisfaction of all parties ; and on King James's accession to the crown of England, Mr. Wotton returned home, and was soon af- terwards knighted, and appointed ambassador in ordinary to Venice. For eight years after Sir Henry Wotton's going into Italy, he stood very high in tlie King's esteem j but at last lost his favour for some time, by an accident too singular to be here omitted. When he first went ambassador to Italy, as he passed through Germany he stayed some days at Augsburghj where having been in his former travels well known by many of the first reputation in learning, and passing an evening in merriment, he was desired by Christopher Hecaraore to write a sentence in his Allnvi; and consenting to it, took occa- sion, from some accidental con- versation which happened in the company, to write a pleasant de- finition of an ambas-ador in these words : Legatus est vir bonus, per- egre-missus ad mentiendum reipulli' cce causa ; which he intended should have been thus rendered into Eng- lish : " An ambassador is an ho- TS» WOT nest man, sent to lie * abroad " for the good of his country}" but the word lie, upon which the conceit turned, was not so express- ed in Latin as to admit of a double meaning, or so fair a construction, as Sir Henry thought, in English. About eight years after, this Album, fell into the hands ot GasparSciop- pius, a restless zealot, who pub- lished books against King James, and apbraided Jiim tor entertain- iug such scandalous principles as his ambassador had expressed by that sentence : this aspersion gain- ed ground, and it became fasiiiou- able in Venice to write this defi- nition in several glass windows. These incidents reaching the ear of King James, he was much dis- pleased with the behaviour ot his ambassador on that occasion ; and for an innocent piece of witiicisiU Sir Henry was like to pay very fdear, by losing his master's favour. Upon this our author wrote two apologies, one to Velserus, which •was dispersed in Germany and Italy, and another to the King; both which were so well written^ that His Majesty upon reading them declared, " that Sir Heriry " Wotton had suliiciently cora- ** muted for a greater offence." Upon this reconciliation. Sir Henry became more in favour with His Alajesty than ever; like friends who h.-'ve been for some time separated; they meet agnia with double fervour, and tlieir friendship increases to a greaier warmth. During the twenty years which Sir Henry was ambassador at Venice, he had the good fortune to be so well respected by all th§ Dukes, and the leading men of the republic, that his interest every year increased, and. tliey seldom * To lie abroad, meant, iti the language ^f that tiracj to teside, to be Uationed. WOT denied him any favour he asked for his countrymen who came to Venice; which was, as Waltoa expresses it, a city of refuge for all Englishmen who were any way distressed in that republic. Of the generosity and nobleness of his mind, Walton gives this in- stance ; — Upon Sir Henry Wot- ton's coming a second time to Ve-. nice, he was employed as ambas- sador to several of the Germaa princes, and to the Emperor Fer- dinando H. ; and this embassy to these princes was to incline them to equitabie measures, for the re- storation of the Queen of Bohe- mia, and her descendants, to their patrimonial mherirance of the Pa- latinate. This was, by ci^ht months constant endeavours and attend- ance upon the Emperor and his court, brought to a probabihtv of a successful conclusion, by a treaty,- but about that time the Emperor's army fought a battle so fortunately, as put an end to the expected treaiy, and Sir Henry Wot'.on's hopes; who, when he quittt-d the Emperor's court, humbly advised him to use his victory with mo-, deration; which advice the Em- peror was pleased to hear gra- ciously, being well satisfied with Wotton's behaviour during; his re- sidence at his court. He thea told him, that though the King his master was looked upon as an abettor of his enemy, yet he co';14 not help demonstrating his reg ird to him, by making him a present of a rich jewel of diamonds, wortl^ more than ten thou-and pounds. This was received with all possible respect by Sir Henry ; but the n.-xt morning, upon his departing from Vienna, at h^s taking leave ot the C k " much money as the author did " reputationj was so ungrateful ^\ 763 v/ Y e W Y C *' to refuse to lend him twenty " pounds." Nor was he released, till King James II. going to see his Plain Dealer, was so charmed with the entertainment, that he gave immediate orders for the pay- ment of his debts ; adding withal a pension of 200/. per annum, while he continued in England. But the bountiful intentions of that Prince had not all the de- sired effect 3 for Wycherley was ashamed to give the Earl of Mul- grave, whom the King had sent to demand it, a full account of his debts. He laboured under these difficulties till his father died ; and then too the estate, that de- scended to him, was left under very uneasy limitations ; since, be- ing only a tenant for life, he could not raise money for the payment of his debts. However, he took a method of doing it, which few suspected to be his choice ; and this was, making a jointure. He had often declared, that he was resolved to die married, though he could not bear the thoughts of living in that state again : accord- ingly, just at the eve of his death. he married a young gentlewoman with 1500/. fortune, part of which he applied to the uses he wanted it for. Eleven days after the cele- bration of these nuptials, on the 1st of January 1715, he died, and was interred in the vault of Co- vent Garden church. He publish- ed a volume of poems in 1704, folio J and, in 172S, his posthu- mous works, in prose and verse, were published by Mr. Lewis Theobald, in 8vo. His dramatis pieces are, 1. Love in a Wood; or, St, James's Park. C. 4to. I672. 2. The Gentleman Dancing-viaS' ter. C. 4to. 1673. 3.TheCou7itrylfife.C. 4to.l 675. 4. The Plain Dealer. C. 4to. 1677. Mr. Pope, when very young, made his court to Mr. Wycherley, then very old ; and the latter was so well pleased with the former, and had such an opinion of his rising genius, that he entered into an intimate correspondence with him. — See the letters between Pope and Wycherley, printed in Pope's works. Y. Y A R Yarrington, Robert, wrote a play, called Two lamentahle Tragedies, Sec. printed M.'t till many years after it was written. 4to. 16O). Yarrow, Joseph, was a per- form^rr in ihe York theatre, wht^re he produced three dramas, enti- tled. Y A R 1 . Love at first Sight ; or. The IVitofalFmnitn. B.6. Svo. 1742. 2. Nancy. M. I. 8vo. 1742. 3. Trick upon Trick. F, Svo. 1742. Mr. Yarrow was father of Mrs. Davies (wife of the author of The Uf*^ 'f Gnrrirk), thus distinguish- ed by Churchill : YEA " upon my life, ♦' That Davies hath a very prc'iy wife." Yeaksley, Anxe, well known in the poelicai world as a self-in- structed votary of the Museii, and as the milk woman of Bristol, pos- sessed an extraordinary decree of genius, and ah^liiies and informa- tion very rarely found in the ob- scure path cf life in which she originalJy moved. Her talent was discovered by Mrs. Hannah More, who solicited for her the protection of Mrs. Montague, in a prefatory letter prehxed to her poems, in which Mrs. Yearsley is described as never having received the least cdupation, except that her brother had taught her to write. Her mother, who was also a milkwo- man, appears to have had sense and piety, and to have given an early tincture of religion to this ■ poor woman's mind. She n}arried very young, to a man of a turn of tiiought very different from her own. Repeated losses, and a nu- merous family (for they had six children in seven years), in con- currence vnth a severe winter, reduced them very low. Her po- ems were published in 17^0, in one volume 4lo. They appear to be the oft'spring of a vigorous minu, and abound in imagery and per- sonific.ition. The structure of her verse is occasionally very harmo- nious, soii:etimes redundant, but tnore frequently obscure froni com- pression and brevity ; rarely bie- ipiihed by false thoughts, distort- ed images, or incongruous me- taphors. In i/SJ she published 3 second collection of Poems on various Suljecls. In 1 788 slie wrote a short poem On the Inhuman'fti/ cf the Slave Trade. In 1790, Stanzas of Woe, addressed to Levi Earaes, Esq. mayor of Bristol. In 17^^ she publiahed a novels in 764 Y O R four volumes, called The RoijaJ Captives, founded on the history of the Iron Mask, and adopting the idea of his being the twin brother of Louis XIV. S!ie de- viates, however, very greatly fiom the most prevalent conception of this person, and makes him a hus- band and a father j which aflbrds l)er an opportunity of introducing the adventures of his wife and son. Report accused Mrs. Yearsley of ingratitude to her benefactors; and of a behaviour not free from some- what of that assuming, of which those who have been raised up fnjm very low situations are some- times guilty. We should be glad to find that she was unblameable in this charge. For some time after she had retired from the public ua/I;s of life, she kept the circulating li- brary at the Colcnade, near the Hotvvells, Bristol, anddied at Melk- sham, Wilts, May 8, I8O6; hav-" ing, besides the works above men- tioned, produced, 1. Earl Goodwin. H. P. 4to. i;91. 3. The Ode Rejected. C. Not knoun . Yeo, , wrote The Asiatic. C. 1790. N. P. Yonge;, Sir Wjlliam, Bart. LL.D. F.R.S. Knight of the Bath, and member of Parliament for Ti- verton, assisted Mr. Roome in al- tering The Jovial Creiv. C Q. Svo. 1731. Yokke, Philip, Viscount RoYSTON, eldest son of Philip, third Earl of Hardwicke, and M.P. for Ryegate. in Surrey, was bor-n May 7> 1/84; shipwrecked by the stranding of the Agatha, of Lubeck, in a storm, near Memel, April 7, ISOS; and lost his life, in the 24tb year of his age, with 76c YOU near twenty other persons. He had tr.inslated from Lycophron Cassandra. Trag. 4to. Ib06. Not published. Never, we are told, was a more promising young nobieman given lo his country's hopes, or more un- timely snatt!:ed away. At an age when most are content to study the ancient authors, with a view only to atrain the languages in which they wrote, his Lordship was so thoroughly master of their contents, that he translated the most obscure of them with asto- nishing perspicuity and spirit. It was from a desire of adding, to the store of ancient and modern learn- ing which he possessed, the ad- vantages that result from personal observation by travel, that his Lord^ ship quitted the splendour of an affluent home, and encountered the dangers under which he finally perished. I'his amiable and ac- complished young nobleman had not been above four years from this country; and not one of those by whom he was accompanied on his departure survived him. His tutor, private secretary, and stew- ard, all died a natural death ; and his other attendants, together with Col. Pollen, and other companions of his tour, sunk with him into tlie watery grave. His Lordship had twice since he went to the Con- tinent narrowly escaped being drowned. In the course of the winter of 1S07-8, he went down in a sledge, atid was rescued by a Mr. Poole, who took him out of the ice by the hair of his head ; for which Mr. Poole was hand- somely rewarded by Lord Hard- :Wicke. Young, , a provincial ac- tor, wrote, 1. The Lewes Maid. M.E. 1792. 2. The Haunted Villagt. D. E. .IgOO. YOU Young, — — , a serjeant in the Royal Lanerkshire militia, is the author of, 1 . The Key of the Gardeii. T. C. 12mo, ISOl. 2. IFater's Water, Farce. 12mo. ISOl. Young, Dr. Edward, the son of Dr. Edward Young, Dean of Sarum, was born at Upham, near Winchester, in June 16S1. He was placed on the foundation at Winchester College, \\ here he re- mained until the election after his eighteenth birth-day ; when not being chosen to New College, Ox- ford, he, on the 13th of October 1/03, was entered an independent member of that society, and, that he might be at little expense, re- sided at the lodgings of the warden, who had been a particular friend of his father. In a few months, the death of his benefactor occa- sioned him to remove to Corpus, the president of which college in- vited him there for the same rea- sons as the warden of New College had before done. In 17O8 he was nominated to a law-fellowship at All-Souls, by Archbishop Tennt- son. On the 23d of April 1714, he took the degree of bachelor of civil law; and his doctor's degree on the 10th of June 1719. Two years after he had taken his first degree, he was appointed to speak the Latin oration, which was delivered on laying the founda- tion of the CoJaington Libnry. In 1719 he was received in the Eari of Exeter's fimily as tutor to Lord Burleigh, with whom he was to travel, and might have secured an annuity of 100/. per annum, had he continued in that situation ; but having been admitted to an inti- macy with the witty and profligate Duke of Wharton, he directly at- tached himself to that nobleman. f66 YOU V O U with whom he visited Ireland, and under whose auspices he became a candidate for the borough of Ci- rencester, in which attempt he was unsuccessful. While he continued in friendship with this ingenious, unfortunate, and eccentric man of quality, he is supposed to have greatly relaxed from the strict and rigid rules of virtue, and to have indulged in a degree of license very remote from the severity he ob- served in the latter part of his life. The connexion between the peer and the poet seems to have been broken by the retreat of the former from the kingdom, and his death soon afterwards. On the first of these events Dr. Young probably took orders J and in April 1728 was appointed chaplain to George the Second. In July 1/30 he was presented by his college to the rectory of WeKvyn, in Hertford- shire; and in April 1732 married Lady Elizabeth Lee, daughter of the Earl of Litchfield, and widow of Colonel Lee. This lady died in the year 1740, and her death was soon afterwards followed by that of her daughter, an amiable young lady, whose husband, Mr. Temple, son of Lord Palmerston, did not long survive ijer. The loss of these three persons for some time threw a gloom over Dr. Young's mind, and gave birth to the Nighi Thougkts, a work by which it cer- tainly was the author's wish to be distinguished, and by which his reputation has been established throughout his own and the neigh- bouring kingdoms. From this time he lived in his retreat at Wehvyn, without receiving any addition to his preferment. In i7t>l, at the age of fourscore, he was appointed clerk of the closet to the Princess-dowager of Wales, and died April 5, 1765. He left the bulk of his fortune, which was considerable, to his only son, whom he had long ex- cluded both from his roof and his protection. What offence occa- sioned this suspension of parental tenderness, we are not enabled to determine. Dr. Young himself (who never failed to discover vir- tues in a coach and six, and without a blush could balance "Heaven" against Lord " Wilmington"*"), on the score of profane flatter)"-, may need forgiveness, and we hope will receive it. Yet, during his last confinement, even when the ex- pectation of life had forsaken him, he continued strenuous in refusing to see his child, who repeatedly, but vainly, wished for his parting benediction. How far this obsti- nate resentment accorded with the true spirit of Christianity, let those who are engaged in more serious disquisitions inquire. Be it sufli- cient for us to observe, that such sentiments of placability and mercy as the Night Thoughts inculcate, are not always the result of a gen- tle and compassionate frame of mind in the writer of them. They are collected with ease, because even novels can furnish them. They are praised with an appear- ance of zeal, because earnest com- mendation of them may be mis- taken for sympathetic virtue. Had the Sicilian tyrant been an author, he would have been ashamed to have left his v/orks unfurnished with these ambitious decorations. In a codicil to his will. Dr. Young enjoined his housekeeper to destroy all his manuscripts, books of account excepted. We hope his injunction, for the sake; of his literary fame, was obeyed. It has suffered sufficiently by Re- * " And laughs at Henren^ O Wilming- ten, and thee." ' 3 774 POP Here he wrote his Ode o?i Solitude, which appears as the tirst fruits of his poetic genius. It was here also that he first met wi(h the works of "Waller, Spenser, and Drydenj but on perusing Dryden he abandoned the rest, and studied him as a model. In 1704 he wrote his Pastorals ; which being communicated to Mr. Wycherly, he sent a copy to Mr. Walsh, who was highly delighted with them, and became a valuable friend to the juvenile poet. This year also he produced the first part of his JFindsor Forest, which was not pub- lished till 1710. with a dedication to Lord Lansdown. At the age of tvveniy appeared his Essay o?i Cri' ticism ; which, notwithstanding the youth of the author, is one of the finest poems in the language, and contains the soundest rules. But his genius shone to greater advantage in his Rape of the Lock, founded on the circumstance of Lord Petre cutting off a lock of Mrs. Fermor's hair. This poem was written to effect a recon- ciliation between the parties, and was successful. It was printed in 1712, and was followed by The Temple of Fame. The next year he published his proposals for a translation of the Iliad, in which he inei. with uncommon en- couragement, and it enabled him to purchase a house at Twicken- ham, whither he removed with his parents iu l/li. In 1/1' he published a collection of all that he had printed separately, and proceeded to give a New Edition of Shahprare, which, being pub- lished in 1721, discovered that he had consulted his fortune more than his fame in that undertaking. The Iliad being finished, he en- gaged, upon the like footing, to undertake the Odyssey. Broome P O R and Fenton did part of it, and received 500/. of Pope for their labours. This work being finished in 1725, be was afterwards em- ployed with Swift and Arbuthnot in printing some volumes of Mis- cellanies. In 1727^ his DuJiciad appeared in Ireland, and the year after in England, with notes by Swift, under tiie name of Scrib- lerus. In 1729, by the advice of Lord Bolingbroke, he turned hi? pen to subjects of morality, and produced xhe Essay on Man; the fourth epistle of which. Upon Taste, giving great ofience, as he was supposed to ridicule the Duke of Chandos, under the character of Timon, is said to have put him upon writing Satires, which he continued till 1739. A genuine collection of his Letters was pub- hshed in 1737. Mr. Pope died in 1744. We are toJd, that he wrote, at fourteen, a tragedy, founded on the legend of ^' St. Genevieve j'' and a comedy; but these were •- both destroyed. He also assisted Gay and Arbuthnot in Three Hours after Marriage. C. Svo. 1717. He likewise wrote two choruses for the tragedy of Marcus Brutus^ by John Sheffield Duke of Buck- inghamsliire, 4to. 1722; and it is said by Cowper, in one of his letters to Mr. Unwin (see Hayley's Life of Cowper, 4to. vol, iii. p. 18(5; 8vo. vol, ii. p. 108), that the bal- lad, 'Twos u'ben the seas were roaring, in The IFhal d.' ye call It, wns the prnduction of Swift, Ar- buthnot, Pope, and Gay, united. PousoN, IlicHARD, M. A. late Greek professor in the university of Cambridge, was born atEastRuston, in Norfolk, Dec. 25, IJSg. By the patronage of some gentlemen, who admired the desire of learning with which young Person was ini» 775 R 1 e bued, he was sent to Eton scliool, and afterwards entered of Trinity College, Cambridge. His literary productions have been chiefly critiques on classical works, in different Reviews; but he pub- lished four plays of Euripides (Heada, Orestes, The Phocnissa, and MedeaJ, and intended to have proceeded with all the dramas of that ancient poet. He had the reputation of being the best Greek scholar in the kingdom ; yet his learning scarcely produced him a living ; but toward the latter end of his life, he was appointed librarian to the London Institution. Mr. Porson died from the effects of two apoplectic strokes, Sept. 25, 1808. In some memoirs of him printed in The European Magazine, vol. liv. p. 413, we are told, while at Eton school, " his literaiy ta- *' lents, as is common in juvenile " minds, are said to have taken a " dramatic turn ; and he has re- *' peated a piece which he com- " posed for exhibition in the Long *■* Chamber, at the College." Price, , compiled Judith. Orat. R. ' Rhodes, William Baenes, a clerk in the Dividend Pay Office, in the Bank of England, is author of a pleasing poetical work, called Eccentric Tales, published under the name of Cornelius Crambo, and of a little volume of Epigrams. But he takes his place in this work only as having produced Bomhastes Furioso ! Burl. Trag. Op. 1810. N. P. Richardson, Mrs. one of the patentees of the late Drury Lane Theatre, and widow of Joseph Richardson, E^q. M. P. is au- thor of Mihelred, l.eg. Trag. Dr, S H A RoiiEKTsoN, Mrs.T. wrote The Enchanted Island. M. E. i;9S. Rowland, Samuel, was au- thor of a play, entered at Sta- tioners' Hall, called The Melaficho/i/ Knight. l6l5. N. P. Rowley, Thomas. See Chat- TEKTON. PioysTON, Lord. See Yorkb, Philip. S. Saunders, Henrt Martin, wrote The Crimps. T. Svo. 1794, Semple, Robert, was author of, 1. The Regent's Tragedy. 15/0. 2. The Bishopis Life and Testa- vient. 1571. 3. My Lord Methvine's Tragedy. 1572. 4. The Siege of the Castle of Edinburgh. 1573. He is also supposed to have beea the writer of, 5. Philotus. 4to. 1603 J 4to, 1612. Mr. Semple was cotemporary with Buchanan ; and the son, we believe, of Sir James Semple, of Belltrees, ambassador froin the Scottish court to Queen Elizabeth, in 1599. Shancke, John, was a come- dian, cotemporary with Shak- speare and Beaumont and Fletcher. He acted in many of Shakspeare's plays at their first appearance, and was the original Sir Roger, in The Scornful Lady. He stood the fifth in the list of the King's players, in May 1629, and was also one of Prince Henry's Com- pany. It is probable, that he died about the year 1646. He wrote one dramatic piece, called 3d 4 11Q TOM Shanche's Ordinarie. C. 1623-4. N. P. Slater, Samuel, was author of An interlocutory Discourse con- cerning The Creation, Fall, and Recovery of Man. Sac. Dr. Svo. 1679. Stamper, Francis. To a per- son of this name Mr. Egerton has ascribed A Modern Character introduced into Esop. Svo. 1751. T. ToMLiNsoN, John, an attor- ney of Staffordshire, wrote one dramatic piece, called Cojitrariety. Com, Small Svo. 1792. W I L W. Wheelwright, the Rev. C. A. a bachelor of arts of Trinity College, Cambridge, has published Poems, original and translated, Svo. 1810, which contain versions of the two following plays of Seneca : Medea. Octavia. Williams, Lucas, was the translator from the French of the dramatic pieces of M. Berquin, designed for children and young persons, of which a list will bd found in Vol. III. p. 452. 777 ADDITIONS AXD CORRECTIONS TO THE r I R ST VOLUME. AND Jr. xi.] Add to the note, Luther recommended the acting of comedies even in schools, as he thought them capable of edifying young persons. '' In comedies," observed Luther, " particularly in those of the Roman writers, the duties of the various situations of life are held out to view, and as it were reflected from a mirror. The oflfice of parents, and the proper conduct of children, are faithfully delineated ; and what to young men may be advantageous, the vices and characters of profligate women are exhibited in their true colours. Excellent lessons are given to them how they should conduct themselves towards vir- tuous women in courtship Strong exhortations to matrimony are brought forward, without which state no government can subsist : celibacy is the plague of any na- tion." P. 1.] Sir William Addington died April 7, 1811. m Green Park Place, Bath, aged 83. P. 7- Andrews, Miles Pe- ter.] Add, The Enchanted Castle, Pant. 1786-7. N.P. BAR P. 8. Arm IN.] The verses al- luded to appeared in Davies's Scourge of Folly, a volume of epi- grams and eulogies. Col. 2. Line 15.] For " with compounds," read " without, &c." P.12. Arnold, Samuel James.1 Add, To this gentleman has also been ascribed The Americans, Com. Op. 1811. N.P. P. 12. AsHTON, Robert.] Add, Love is the Conqueror. Com. N.P. B. P. 14. Col. 2. line 13 from bot* tom,] For "1758," read " 1756." P ly. Bale, John] Add, The Mysterie of Inyquyte. Dr. in the British Museum. P. 20. Col. 2.] Transpose the articles 4 and 5. P. 22. Line 4.] For "' severa> poems," read " A Century of Spi' rituaU Sonnets, in 15(^5." P. 22. Baron, Robert.] Add, There is said to oe still in ex- isti.^:ice a dramatic piece by this author, called An Apology for Paris, CAR P. 34. Col. 2.] After line 7, add, Mr. Benrley was also author of a poem called Patriotisvi, and designed the vignettes, &c. for the 4to edition of Gray's Poems. We learn, besides, from Mr. Cum- berland's M;, during the last brief peace; whence returning, he pub- lished the result of his observa- tions in the shape of a thin quarto volume, called The Stranger in France', which, although the last of the French tours that issued from the press at that period, wa? by no rneans the least in merit. Encouraged by the success of this volume, he published, in 1805, his Northern Summer; in I8O6, his Stranger in Ireland ; in I8O7, his Tour in Holland; in I8O9, his Tour in Scotland; and, in 1811, his Travels in the South of Spain. Upon the publication of his IrisH 779 C I B CUM tour he received the honour of knighthood at the hands of the Duke of Bedford, then Lord-lieu- tenant of Irehuid ; to which has lately been added, the honour of knighthood of the order of St. Constantine, in Sicily. With his merits as a tourist the present sketch has little to do; but Sir J')hn Carr has also appeared as a dramatic writer j having, in 1804, upon the prospect of the French invasion, published a pa- triotic piece, with songs, called, 1 . The Sea-side Hero. D. 8vo. 1804. From this was taken a little one- act piece, called IF/io 's Afraid ? performed for Mr. Elliston's be- nefit, at the Haymarket Theatre, in the year 1 805 : one or two of the characters of The Sea-side Hero were also transplanted into a farce, which Sir John put together for Mr. Mathews's benefit at the same Theatre, in the year 1808, and called, 2. First coviejirst serv'd; or^ The Biter lit. Sir John has also in his pos- «ession an opera founded on an Eastern story, and called, 3. Three sound A^aps. In 1809 Sir John Carr published a volume of poems : he is also the reputed author of Afore Miseries, and of several temporary pam- phlets. P. 100. No. Q-l For " 1709," read " 1708." P.lOl. Chambers, Miss.] Ad«^ Ourselves. Com. 8vo. 1811. P. 109. Col. 1. Line 4 from J bottom.] For " Rowley," read '' Thomas Rowley, a secular priest of Bristol in the reigns of Henry VL and Edward IV. " P. 123. Col. 2. Line 2,] For " 1715," read " 1716." Of course, that diid the next article bhould be transposed. Mrs.Ciuber was bora about 1715. P. 129. Clarke, Stephen.] Add, The Kiss. Com, Svo. 1811. P. 132.] To the article Cock-- iNGS, add. He was, however, a very honest and useful man in his station, though he possessed not the mens divinior of a poet ; and was fre- quently seen tramping about Lon- don, with his own publications, or those of the society, tied up in a blue check handkerchief. P. 135. Col. 2. Line 2.^ For " Francis," read " Thomas." Line 7, for " about 1733," read " in 1732." — Mr. Colman's principal Dramatic Works were published in 4 vols, small Svo. 1777 ; and his Prose on several Occasio?is, &c. 3 vols, small Svo. 1787. P. 140. CoLMAN, George, jun."] Add, ^ No Prelude! Prel. 1803. N.P. There has also been ascribed tQ Mr. Colman The Quadrupeds of Quedlinhurgh, T. C. A. G. H. O, D. R. I8II. N. P. P. 161. Cumberland, Rich.] Add, The Confession, P. Col. 2.] To the novels of Mr. Cumberland, add, John de Lancaster. — Mr. Cum-r berland died May 7, ^811, at the. house of Mr. Fry, Bedford Place, Russell Square, and was interred oij the 14th in Poets' Corner, Westmin- ster Abbey; when the venerable Dean of Westminster, at the close of the funeral ceremony, thus spontaneously addressed the spec- tators around him : " Good people, the person yoi^ 760 D I B DRY " see now deposited is Richard " Cumberland, an author of no " sraall merit ; his writings were " chiefly for the stage, but of strict " raoral tendency ; they were not " without faults ; but they were '*" not gross, abounding with oaths " and libidinous expressions, as I *' am shocked to observe is the " case of many at the present day. *' He wrote as much as any; {qw " wrote better ; and his works "■ will be held in the highest esti- *' mation as long as the English " language shall be understood. "■ He considered the theatre as a " school for moral improvement ; " and his remains are truly worthy " of mingling with the illustrious " dead which surround us. Read " his prose subjects on divinity ! " there you will find the true '•' Christian spirit of the man who •' trusted in our Lord and Saviour "■ Jesus Christ. May God forgive " him his sins, and at the resur- " rection of the just receive him " inco everlasting glory." D. P. ISO, ISl.] Transpose the ar- ticles Delap and Delamayn^. P. 182. Col, 2. Line 5.] For ." 10," read " ip." P. 1S6. Col. 2. Line 2] For *'■ about the year 1748," read " in the year 1/44." P. 188. DiBDiN, Charles.] Add, Tiie Barrier of Parnassus. The Benevolent Tar. The Friendly Tars. The Irish Chairman. The old Woman of Eighty. The Round Robin. CO. 1811. N.P. P. 190. DiBDIN, T.] Add, up to Town. Com. Op. 1811.^ N. P. P. 191. DiMOND, \V.] Add. The Doultfnl Son. P. 8vo. 1810. Gustavus I'asa. Hist. Op. 1810. N. P. The Peasant Boy. Op. Svo.1811. The Royal Oak. Hist, Play. Svo. 1811. P. 194, DoGGET.] From the following bill, copied from a print- ed one which was given to Mr. Park by the late Wiiliain Filling- ham, Esq. cf the Inner Temple, it appears that Dogget had been a performer among the itinerants who exhibited at Smithfield in the year 1691. Under a wood-cut of the King's arms, and letters W. R. " At Parker's and Doggett's booth, near Hosier Lane end, in Smith- field, during the time of Bartho- lomew Fair, will be presented a new droll, called Fryar Baton ; or. The Country Justice. With the Humours of Tolfree, the Mil- ler, and his Son Ralph ; acted by Mr. Doggett. With Variety of Scenes, Machines, Songs, and Dances. Vivat Rex." P. 195.1 Add, A few years after his death, and perhaps at an esriier period, there was acted a droll, at Bartholomew and other fairs, written by him, entitled Jllad Tom of Bedlam . N.P. P. 195.] Joseph DoKMAN died ?jid was buried at Hampstead, in Feb. 17.34. Mr. Egerton ascribes to him The Female Rake. B. C. Sve. 173a. Col. 1. Line 13 from bottom.} For " Boston," read " Barton." P. 199. Drayton, Michael,] Add, Mother Red-cap. P. 1'597. N.P. P. 204. Col. I. Line 8 from bot- tom.] For " 1701," read " 1/00." 7S1 F I L The date in the inscription on his tombstone, in p. 206, also bears the same error P. 2 10. Line 2. Dryden JoHx.] Add, His dramatic pieces have been published in 2 vols, fol, 1/01, and 6 vols, 12mo. 1/62. An edition of his works, with notes, and a Life of the author, was published by Walter Scott, Esq. in 18 vols. 8vo. 180S. P. 214. Earle, William, jun.] Add, The Exile. Dr. S mal 1 8 vo. 1 804 . P. 2l6, Col, 1.] Edward the Sixth was born Oct. 12, 1537,- and died July 6, 1553. P. 217. Col. 2. Line 14.] Add; as Wood tells us ; but if he had looked into Gascoigne with atten- tion, he would have seen the in- timation scouted as a vulgar and popular report. P. 218. Col, 1.] Queen Eliza- beth was born Sept. 7, 1533, and died March 24, 1003. P. 222.] We believe that I689 may be assigned as the year of Sir George Etherege's death. P. 223. Eyre, Edmund John.] Add, High Life in the City, C. 8vo, 1810. The Lady of the Lake. Mel, Dr. Horn. Svo. 1811. P. 235. Fennell, .] Add, The Advertisement. F. 1/91. P. 237, Line 28.] For " price," read " highest price." Nathaniel Field was dead in 1641. P. 242. Col. 2.] After Jeremy Collier, add: Filmer's Work is G O M called A Defence of Plays; or. The Stage vindicated fro.n.i several Passages in Mr, Collier's S/iort yieWy &c. Wlierein is. offered the most probable Method of re- forming our Plays ; with a Con- sideration how far vicious Charac- ters may be allowed nn the Stage. By Edward Filraer, D. C. L, Svo. 1.707. P. 244. Flecknoe, Richard.] Add, Langbaine notices a prologue among Flecknoe's Epigrams, in- tended for a play, called The Phy- sician against his IVilt ; which, he believes, was never printed. The editor of the new edition of Earle's Microcosmography, 1811, p. 307, mentions a MS. note in his copy of Langbaine, stating it to hav» been printed in 1/12. P. 251.] The dramatic works of John Forde have been col- lected and published, with an iiin troduction and explanatory notes, in an elegant form, by Henry Weber, Esq. 2 vols. Svo. 1811 ; including Nos. 1 — 8, and The JVitch of Edmonton. P. 208. Col. 2. Line 16.] Add; This has been reprinted by Mr. Alexander Chalmers, in his recent edition of The English Poets. — Line 30. For "in 4to." read '''in 1572, without date 5 also4to."&c. — Line 31. For " Posies," read " Poesies." P.273. Gentleman, Francis.] Add, The Scarlorough Lass. Inter- lude. N.P. P. 279. Glover, Richard.] Add, The Hulk. Com. N. P. N. P. 288. Col. 2. Line 14 from bottom.] After Gardiner, add : fB2 HEY The fact Is, that he had only fled to Flower for refuge from the plague. P. 295. Col. 2.] For " 1772," read " 1771." P. 2g6. Col. 2. Line 19.] After Oxford, add : and presented to the vicarage of ToUesbury, in Essex, _ P. 298.] Rupert Green lies bu- ried in H^.mpstead churchyard j but we know not the date of his death. H. P. 315.] Besides the drainas mentioned, Mr. Havard wrote ji Coronation Ode, in 1701, which was performed, for his own bene- fit, at Drary Lane : a copy of it jnay be seen in The London Ma^ gazine, for that year, p. 214. P. 318. Col. 2.] Dele the article ** Hayley, George j" and see " Stayley, George," p. 6S3. P. 319, Hayley, William,] Add, The Heroine of Camlria. Trag. 8vo. 1811. The Viceroy. T. 8vo. 1811. These two, together with Eudora, were published in a volume, en- titled Three Plays, with a Preface ; including Dramatic Observations of the late Lieut. Gen. Burgoyne. P. 322.] Heminge, William, died before 1053. P. 326. Hey, Richard.] Add, Honour and Love. Dial. 8vo. 1791. Shelter. P. 323, Col, 2. Line 26.] After ** he was born," add : " it is said (certain, that he sometime lived)," &c. P. 329. Col, 2. Lines 4 and 5,] For " Our honest chronicler Ho- linshed," read " W. Harrison, who wrote the introduction, or 2 II o d description of England before fto- linshed's Chronicle, describes," &c. P. 331. Col. 1. Line 2.] To " that work," add : " and from his Funerall Elogie on the Death of Sir George Saint Poole, of Lin- coln?liire, my countryman. See Hey wood's Pleasant Dialogues and Dramas. l2mo. 1637, p. 252." P. 333.] To Heywood's unpub- lished dramas add : Fast bind, and Fastfnd. Play, mentioned by Gabriel Harvey, in 1593. P. 348. Hitchcock, Robert.] Add, The Ladies' Stratagem. Com, 1775. N. P. P. 351. Col. ]. Line 17.] For " revised," read " completed." P. 352.] Besides the dramas of Mr. Hoare, the public is indebted to that gentleman for the follow- ing literary publications, on sub- jects of the fine arts : Academic Annals, from lSOI-2 to 1808-9j published in consequence of Mr. H, having received, from the Royal Academy, the honorary appoint- ment of secretary for foreign cor- respondence. Inquiry into the re- guisite Cultivation of the Arts of Design in England, ISO6. — The Artist : periodical publications. Series 1 and 2, IS07 — I8O9. P, 355. Line 2.] He died in Clipstone Street, Mary-le-Bonne, March 23, I8O9. P. 356. Col, J.] Mr. Holman was born in Denm M'Laren, Archibald.] Add, The Old Roscius. Burl. Int. 12mo. 1805. A Soldier and a Sailor, ISL F. 12mo. 1805. . The Staves. Dr. Piece. ]2mo. 1807. ^ in/e to be Sold. M. F. 12mo. IS07. Bessy Bell and Mary Gray. M. Dr. 12mo. 1S08. How to groiv [Vise. Dr. Piece. 12mo. ISO^S. The Spanish Heroine. Mus. D. 12mo. 180S. The British Carpenter. 12mo. IFhat News from Bantry Bay ? Farce. Londoii out as he did afterwards at a private theatre in Norwich. Here he produced Iiis first piece, i. Tiie Coventry Act. A Comedy, in two acts. 8vo. I/PJ ; which was performed on the Nor- tiich stage that year. Though Brought out as an afterpiece, it was or. tl;e third night acted as U.a Sxst p. die;;. Hi' also published. P L U 2. 0>u-ay. A Tragedy. 4fe. 1795; founded on the interesting tale of Damon and Pythias. Mr. P.'s next dramatic work was, Observations on Hamlet ; leing an Attempt to prove that Shak^peare designed that Tragedy as an indirect Censure on Maiy Queen of Scots ; 8vo. 1 796 : and an Appendlv to it in 1797' At the end of this, Mr. P. an- nounced his intention of publish- ing two dramas, founded on the history of Mary; but we believu that they never appeared. He has been supposed (and we doubt not the truth of the conjecture) to be the author of, 3. The Lalers. CO. Svo.l/pS. In IS09, b^ published Four Dis- courses on Subjects relating to the Amusement of the Stage; preached at Great St. Mary's Church, Cam- bridge, on Sunday, Sept. 25, and Sunday, Oct. 2, 1808. With co- pious supplementary Notes. In ona vol. 8vo. In thef^e discourses, Mr. P. points out the abuses and the uses of the stage ; taking the middle way between those who defend, and those who condemn, the stage altogether. He has re- cently issued proposals for publish- ing, by subscription, a work to be, entitled T/ia English Drama puri- Jied : being a Sjjecn^ien of English Flays, in which all the Passages objectionable in Point ff Morality are omitted, or altered. It is to be in 3 vols. l2mo. and to contain the following plays : Tragedies : The Gamester, Jane Shore, George Barnwell, Douglas, Lady Jave Gray. Comedies : The Provoked Husband, The Conscious Lovers t A Wi.rd to the Jrisc, The Good- natured Man, Ths Clatidestim Marriage. Opera and afterpieces : Lionel and Clarissa, The King and 787 R E Y the Miller of Manyfield, The Toy- ghop, Barataria, and Rosina. Besides these, Mr. P. in con- junction with Dr. Hague, of Cam- bridge, published^ in 1805, a vo- lume of Songs, moral, senthnental, instructive, and amusing, with the Music; intended as a collection free from indecency and profane- ness. Also A Collection of Songs, the words only, in 3 vols. 12 mo. 1806 and 1808; anotlier collec- tion, in small tracts, under the title of TJie Vocal Repository, de- signed for circulation among the lowest classes, and a volume of Letters to John AiVm, M. D. on his Volume of vocal Poetry, and on his Essays on Song Writing, &c. 12mo. ISII. He has, besides, published several single sermons, and some papers in The Reports of the Society for bettering the Con- dition of the Poor. Some farther particulars of this gentleman will be found in the dedication to his Four Discourses, &€. ; and, in his first Discourse, what he conceives to be a nev/ view of the origin of the drama. In the notes to these very sensible Discourses he has censured his own dramatic pieces where he thought they were faulty; and none of thbm. are any longer exposed to $ale. P. 575. VococK, J.] Add, jiny Thing New 9 M. F. Svo. 1811. The Green-eyed Monster. M. F. 1811. N. P. P. 576. Col. 2.] Mr. Popple was buried at Hampstead^ on the 13th of Feb. 1764. P. 577- Col.i.] For"PoHRET," jtead ^' PoKRgTT." R. .P. 597. RsYNOIgDSj FkSDERIC] Add, SHE The Bridal Ring. Dr. Rom. 1810. N. P. P. 604. Robinson, Mary.] Add, We have heard that Mrs. Robin- son also wrote a comic opera, called Kate of Aberdeen. N. P. P. 609. Col. 1. Line 24.] Dele the words " ten years." Roue's plays were printed to- gether, in two vols. ]2mo. 1736. P. 618. Col. 2.] After line 7, add, 3. Oppodtion. Com. Piece. 1790' Not printed. S. P. 62.5. Col. 2. Line 23.] After " child," add, — " with which she was then great." — Lines 27, 28, for ** the ]6lh day of January in which year," read "■ the 10th day of January 1697-8, P. 636. Col. 2.] Thomas Scott, we are told, is, or was, a school- master, near Langholme, in the south of Scotland. P. 640. Co1.1.Serres,Olivia.]_ This lady's creditors have been lately desired to send in their claims ; and in the advertisement she is called Mrs. Olivia Wilmot Serres ; and this, as a sort of legal instrument, may probably give us her real names, P. 641.] After No. 18, add, Dunton, his cotemporary (Life and Errors, p. 243), says, •' most of his plays were acted with great applause." P. 643. Col. 2.] Shadwkli, died on the 20th of Nov. 1692. P. 647.] Twenty of Shakspeare's plays, with the indecent and pro- fane passages omitted, were pub- lished in 4 vols. 12mo. ISO7, by Tho5. Rowdier, Esq, P. 653, Col. 1. Line 8i} For <» J 720," read " 1720-1;" 3e2 768 S T O Col. 2.] Mr. Thomas P. 656 Sheridan was born in 1721. P. 665. Col. 1.] Mrs. Frances Sheridan died Sept 26, 1706. P. 672. Skeffington, Lumley St. George.] Add, The Maiiic Bride. Dram. Rom. 3 810. N.^P. P. 673. Col. 2.1 Mr. Smart was born April 11, 1722. P. 670.] Mr. Somervile was born in 1092, and died (not July 14, 1743, but) July 19, 1742. P. OSl. Col. 1.] The first nine of Southern's plays were printed in 2 vols. 12mo. 1721. P. 6S2. Stanley, Thomas.] The biographers, in general, have placed the birth of Mr. Stanley in the year 1(344 j but this is evi- dently an error ; for his private tutor (Edward Fairfax) died in 1632 J and he himself was incor- porated M.A. at Oxford, July 14, 1640. See Wood's Fasti. P. 6S3.] At the end of the page, add, 3. The Chocolate Makers. Int. 8vo. 1759. P. 687. Col. 1. Line 9 from bottom, for "21st," read " 1st." P. 690. Stevens, Geo. Alex ] Add, He is supposed also to have been the author of The Mad Captain.. Burl. I769. The True-lorn Irishman. Farce. 177^- N P. we believe. P. 692. Col. 2. Line 11.] Ben- jamin Stillingfleet was born in J 700. P. 694.] Mr. Stillingfleet died Dec. 15, 177L His works have recently been edited by the Rev. Mr Coxe, rector of Bemer- ton, and archdeacon of Wilts, in 3 vols. 8vo ISIl. P 694. Line 14.] For " in 1771," read " Dec. 15, I771." PjcrcivalStockdale was born VAN Oct. 26, 1736, O. S. in the village ofBranxton,two miles south of the Tweed; and died Sept. 14, IS 11, at the vicarage-house, Lesbury. Col. 2. Line 1 .] For " rector of Lesborougb," read "vicar of Les- bury." P. 699. Col. 2. Lines 22, 23.] For '' keeper of," read " store- keeper at." T. P. 704. Col. 1.] After Line 3, add. He also published Ostella ; or. The Faction of Love and Beauty reconciled, 4 to. 1650. See Censura Lileraria, ix. 362. P. 710. Line 1.] After "He," insert " was born about 1 7 1 2, and." U. P. 723. Underwood, T.] Add, Eelisarius. T. 8vo. 1782. V. P. 724. CqI. 1.] To the very useful books for education, writ- ten by Dr. Valpy, and here men- tioned, we might have added. The Elements of Greek Grammar , uiih Notes, for the Use of those who have made some Progress in the Language ; Delectus Senten- tiarum et Historiarum, ad usum Tironum accommodatus ; Poetical Chronology of Ancient and English History ; First Exercises, to he translated into Latin, u'ith familiar Expressions ; Principia Officior7im, HistoricB et GeographuB, e Cice- rone, Plinio Secundo, Justino, Cce- sare, tsfc. excerpta ; and Latin Dialogues, collected from the lest Latin tVriters, for the U^e of Schools. P. 725.] Sir John Vanbrugh died Mardi 26, 1726. 789 W A L P. 720. Col. 1. Line 18 ] Add: Of the latter a new eJitiou has lately been published, wich bis name in the title-page. W. P. 731. Col 1. Line 12 from bottom.] Insert Robert Wilmot. P. 734. Col. 1. Lines.] Wal- ler was born March 3, l605. P. 735 Col. 1. Line 7.] For *' 1st," read " 21st." P. 735, Wallis, Dr. George.] Add, WIN The Leeds Merchant. C. 1776, N. P. P. 737. Ward, Edward.] Add, 6. He/ ter- Skelter. C. - P. 739- Col. 2.] After No. 6^ add, 7. Guise. Not printed. P. 750. Col. 2. Line 12.] Add, Wilmott is noticed in Webbe's Disc, of English Poetrie, 1586. P. 752. Col. 1. Line 10 from bottom.] Add, See Beard, Dii. Thomas. Appendix. THE END OF VOLUME I. V>^3' Printed by 8. Go6NEi.t, Little Queen Str^fi^ L-or.asr., "^x: „