Page:The Lives and Characters of the English Dramatick Poets.djvu/133

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Known Authors. P
113

George Powell.

Son of Mr. Powell, an ancient Player, lately dead; he is more eminent for playing than writing, tho’ there are ſome Plays under his Name; as,

Alphonſo King of Naples, a Tragedy, 4 to. 1691. Acted at the Theatre Royal, by their Majeſties Servants, and dedicated to her Grace the Dutcheſs of Ormond. The Prologue is written by Jo. Haynes, and Epilogue by Mr. Durfey.

Brutus of Alba; or, Auguſtus’s Triumph, a new Opera, acted at the Theatre in Dorſet Garden, by his Majeſty’s Servants, 1690, 4 to. and dedicated by Sam. Briſcoe, Bookſeller to George Powel, and John Verbruggen. This Play has not ſo much as the whole Title new, for Brutus of Alba is a Play of Mr. Tate’s, and all the Deſign taken out of ſeveral old Plays.

The treacherous Brother, a Tragedy, 4 to. 1690. acted by their Majeſties Servants, at the Theatre Royal, and dedicated to the Patentees and Sharers of their Majeſties Theatre. Plot from The Wall-Flower, a Romance, fol. writ by Dr. Baily, formerly Preſident of St. John’s, Oxon.

A very good Wife, a Comedy, 4 to. 1695. acted by their Majeſties Servants, at the Theatre Royal; and dedicated to the honoured Alexander Popham, Eſq; The Prologue is writ by Mr. Congreve. This Play is taken whole Pages together out of Brome.

Thomas Preſton.

I Know no more of this Author, than that he has writ one Play, called,

Cambyſes, King of Perſia, a Tragi-Comedy, 4 to. a very ancient Play with an odd, long Title, which runs thus, (viz.) A lamentable Tragedy, mixt full of pleaſant Mirth; containing the Life of Cambyſes, King of Perſia, from the beginning of his Kingdom unto his Death; his one good Deed of Execution, after the many Wicked Deeds, and Tyrannous Murders committed by and through him: and last of all, his odious Death, by God’s Juſtice appointed. Done in ſuch Order as followeth. London, Printed by John Alde. It is writ in old faſhion’d Metre, and has no Date, Plot from Herodotus and Juſtin.

Edmund