Walter Montague, Eſq;
The Shepherds Paradiſe, a Paſtoral, 8 vo. 1649. This was privately acted before King Charles the Firſt, by the Queen’s Majeſty, and Ladies of Honour; and was then well eſteem’d.
Peter Motteux.
An Author now living, who, tho’ born and bred at Roan in Normandy, has made himſelf ſo far Maſter of our Language, as to be able to divert the Town in Two Plays, the firſt call’d,
Love’s a Jeſt, a Comedy, 4 to. Acted at the new Theatre in Little Lincoln’s-Inn-Fields, by his Majeſty’s Servants, 1696. and dedicated to Charles, Lord Clifford, of Lanesborough. The Author owns, in his Preface, himſelf indebted to the Italians, for the hint of the two Scenes where Love is made in Jeſt; as alſo ſome Speeches and Thoughts here and there.
The Loves of Mars and Venus, a Play ſet to Muſick, as it is acted at the New Theatre, in Little Lincoln’s-Inn-Fields, by his Majeſty’s Servants, 4 to. 1696. and dedicated to the Honourable Collonel Codrington. In his Preface he owns the Story to be Ovid’s, and that he has taken the Dance of the Cyclops from Mr. Shadwell’s Pſyche.
The Novelty, every Act a Play, being a ſhort Paſtoral, Comedy, Maſque, Tragedy, and Farce; acted at the new Theatre in Little Lincoln’s-Inn-Fields, by his Majeſty’s Servants, 4 to. 1697, and dedicated to Charles Cæſar, of Bonnington, Eſq; In the Preface he lets us know, that the Paſtoral, call’d, Thyrſis, is written by his ingenious Friend, Mr. J. Oldmixon. The Tragedy, which he calls, The Unfortunate Couple, is the latter and moſt moving part of Dr. Filmer’s Unnatural Brother. That the Farce, call’d, Natural Magick, is an Imitation of Part of a French Comedy, of one Act, after the Italian Manner, as you may find many in the Theatre Italien. Hercules, the Maſque, is his own, tho’ I have ſeen one on the ſame Subject by a French Author, and repreſented at Bruſſels. The Comedy is his own too, call’d, All without Money.
Tho’ this bears the Name of The Novelty, it can be call’d ſo only as ſome of our modern Opinions in Philoſophy are call’d new, that is, becauſe they have laid by unthought of a great while; for as theſe are to be met with among the Old Philoſophers, ſo is this Model to be found in Sir William Davenant’s Play-Houſe to be Lett. I ſhall only add, That the greateſt Novelty is the odd ſort
