The Lives and Characters of the English Dramatick Poets/John Fletcher
Mr. Fletcher was the Son of Dr. Fletcher, created Bishop of Bristol by Queen Elizabeth, and afterwards translated to the See of London, 1593. He dy'd the first year of Charles I. of the Plague in London, 1625. in his Forty ninth Year, and was Buried in St. Mary Overy's Church, Southwark. His Colleague in writing most of his Plays, Mr. Beaumont, I can say little of, but what the Reader may gather from the Verses of the Poets in that Age, before their Works; that he was a Man of Learning none can question; but to imagine, as Mr. Langbain does, that he was perfectly vers'd in the Dramatick Laws, is more than can be drawn from their Plays, of which there is scarce one regular. Their Comedies are much the best; yet of them take away five or six, and they will not bear Acting, scarce reading by a nice Judge. I say not this to derogate from Men of undoubted Merit, but only prompted by my impartiality, a Character which Mr. Langbain professes but has nowhere preserved. Their Plays are Fifty two in Number, all which are Printed and Published in one large Volume Folio, 1679. They follow in Alphabetical Order.
The Beggars Bush; a Comedy, fol. often Acted formerly with good Applause.
Bonduca, a Tragedy, fol. This Play has been twice reviv'd. Plot from Tacitus's Annals, Book 14. See also Milton's History of England, Book 2.
The Bloody Brother; or, Rollo Duke of Normandy, a Tragedy, fol. This Play hath been sometimes Acted of late Days in Dorset Garden, with good Success. Plot from Herodian. Hist. Lib. 4. and part of the Language from Seneca's Thebais.
The Captain, a Comedy, fol. This Play has not been Acted of late years.
The Chances; a Comedy, fol. Reviv'd by the late Duke of Buckingham, and Printed with Alterations 4to. 1682. oftentimes Acted with great Applause of late days at the Theatre in Dorset Garden, &c. Plot from the Lady Cornelia in Exemplary Novels, fol. or the Novels of Cornelia in Miguel des Cervantes Novels, translated by Dr. Pope.
The Coronation; a Tragi-Comedy, fol. not Acted these many years. This Play, tho' Printed in this folio Edition, is claimed by Shirley to be his.
The Coxcomb, a Comedy, fol. This Play has been Revived and Acted at the Theatre Royal, but met with little Success.
Cupid's Revenge, a Tragedy, fol.
The Custom of the country; a Tragi-Comedy, fol. The Plot of Rutilio, Duarte, and Guyomar, built on Malispinis Novels, Decad. 6. Nov. 6.
The Double Marriage; a Tragi-Comedy, fol. This Play was Revived some Years since, but met not with that Success expected.
The Elder Brother; a Comedy fol. oftentimes Acted formerly, and met with indifferent Success.
The Faithful Shepherdess; a Pastoral, fol. This was entirely Fletcher's, and commended[1] by Copies of Verses by Mr. Beaumont and Ben. Johnson. 'Twas first Acted on a Twelfth Night, at Somerset-house; instead of a Prologue was a Song in Dialogue, writ by Sir William D'avenant, and Sung between a Priest and a Nimph; and the Epilogue[2] was then spoken by the Lady Mordant.
The Fair Maid of the Inn; a Comedy, fol. Marianus disowning Cæsario, and the Duke's Injunction to Marry him, you may find in Causin's Holy Court, and Wanly's Hist. of Man, Book 3. Cap. 26.
The False One, a Tragedy, fol. See Plutarch, Suetonius, Dion, Appian, Floria, Orosius, &c.
Four Plays; or, Moral Representations in One, Tragi-Comedy, fol. (viz.) The Triumphs of Honour; built on Boccace's Novels, Day 10. Nov. 5. Triumph of Love, on Nov. 8. Day 5. Triumph of Death, on Nov. 3. Part 3 of the Fortunate Deceiv'd, and Unfortunate Lovers, also The Palace of Pleasure, Nov. 4. and The Triumph of Time, the Author's own Invention.
An Honest Man's Fortune; a Tragi-Comedy, fol. See Heywood's Hist. of Women, Book 9. p. 641.
The Humorous Lieutenant; a Tragi-Comedy, fol. Some hint may be taken from Horace, Lib. 2. Ep. 2. but rather from Ford's Apothegms, p. 30. See also Plutarch's Life of Demetrius, Appian, Justin, &c.
Island Princess, a Tragi-Comedy, fol. and 4to. This Play was about ten Years since Reviv'd by Mr. Tate, the present Poet Laureat, with Alterations. Acted at the Theatre Royal, and Dedicated to the Right Honourable Henry, Lord Walgrave, the Quarto Edition, Printed 1687.
A King and no King; a Tragi-Comedy, fol. Reviv’d since the Restauration, and Acted with Applause at the Theatre Royal.
The Knight of the Burning Pestle; a Comedy, fol. Reviv’d also in King Charles the Second’s time, and Acted at the Theatre Royal, with a new Prologue, spoken by the famous Madam Ellen Guin.
A Knight of Malta, a Tragi-Comedy, fol. not Acted of late years.
The Laws of Candy; a Tragi-Comedy, fol. not Acted these many years.
The Little French Lawyer, a Comedy, fol. Plot from Gusman’s Don Lewis. de Castro, and Don Roderigo de Montalvo. See also Scarroon’s Novel of the Fruitless Precaution.
Loves Cure; or, The Martial Maid, a Comedy, fol.
Love’s Prilgrimage, a Comedy, fol. The Plot from a Novel, call’d, The Two Damsels, in a Book Entituled Exemplary Novels, and part of the Play taken from Johnson’s New Inn.
The Lovers Progress, a Tragi-Comedy, fol. Plot from a French Romance, call’d Lysander and Calista.
The Loyal Subject; a Tragi-Comedy, fol.
The Mad Lover, a Comedy, fol. See the Story of Mundus and Paulina, in Josephus Hist. of the Jews, Book 18. Chap. 4.
The Maid in the Mill, a Comedy; This Play was Reviv’d, and sometimes Acted at the Duke’s Theatre after the Fire of London. Plot of the serious part from Gerardo, a Romance, and the Comical part from Bandello’s Novels.
The Maid’s Tragedy, a Tragedy, fol. This Play was often Acted at the King’s Theatre since the Restauration; but somewhat in it displeasing King Charles the Second, it was for some time forbid coming on the Stage, till Mr. Waller Reviving it, and wholly altering the last Act (which is Printed in his Poems) appeared again publickly.
A Masque of Grays-Inn and the Inner Temple-Gentlemen, fol. This was presented at the Marriage of the Princess Elizabeth, and the Prince Palatine of the Rhyne, in the Banquetting House of Whitehall; written by Mr. Beaumont alone.
Monsieur Thomas, a Comedy, fol. This has appeared since on the Stage, with a new Title, call’d, Trick for Trick.
Nice Valour; or, The Passionate mad Man; a Comedy, fol.
The Night Walker; or, The little Thief, a Comedy, fol. This has been Acted since the Restauration, by the King’s Servants.
The Noble Gentleman; a Comedy, fol. This Play has appeared of late years with a new Title, call’d, The Fool’s Preferment; or, The Three Dukes of Dunstable, Riviv’d by Mr. Durfey.
Philaster; or, Love lies a Bleeding; a Tragi-Comedy, fol. A Play often Acted formerly, and sometimes of late Years, is accounted one of the best our Authors have Published.
The Pilgrim; a Comedy, fol. Reviv’d and Acted some Years since.
The Propheteß; a Tragi-Comedy, fol. This is Reviv’d under the name of the Propheteß; or, The History of Dioclesian, an Opera, 4 to. 1690. I know not what reason Mr. Langbain has to attribute the revival to Mr. Dryden, when ’twas Mr. Betterton’s. The true History you may find in Nicephorus, lib. 6, and 7. Eusebius lib. 8. Baronii An. 204. &c.
The Queen of Corinth; a Tragi-Comedy, fol.
Rule a Wife, and have a Wife, a Comedy, fol. This Play has been sometimes Acted of late days with good Applause.
The Scornful Lady, a Comedy, fol. Acted often in these days with good Applause. This Play is likewise Printed in Quarto, 1691.
The Sea Voyage, a Comedy, fol. This Play has been Reviv’d by Mr. Durfey, with a new Title, call’d, The Common-wealth of Women, and in part resembles Shakespear’s Tempest.
The Spanish Curate, a Comedy. Plot from Gerardo’s Hist. of Don John p. 202. and from the Spanish Curate of the same Author, p. 214.
Thiery and Theodoret, a Tragedy, fol. and 4 to. imperfect in the last Act in the folio Edition, but supplied in the 4 to. Plot from the French Chronicles, in the Reign of Clotair II. See Fredogarius, De Serres, Mezeray, &c.
Two Noble Kinsmen, a Tragi-Comedy, fol. Mr. Shakespear assisted in the writing of this Play.
Valentinian, a Tragedy, fol. and 4 to. This Play, has been Reviv’d and Alter’d by the late Earl of Rochester, and so Acted at the Theatre Royal with great Applause. The Quarto Edition, Published 1685. with a Preface relating to the Author and his Works. Plot from Amm. Marcellinus. Procopius. Hist. Evagrius, and other Writers of those times.
A Wife for a Month, a Tragi-Comedy, fol. See the Story hereof in Mariana, and Louis de Mayerne Turquet, and the History of Sancho VIII. King of Leon.
The Wild Goose Chase, a Comedy, fol. This Play has been in good repute.
Wit at several Weapons, a Comedy, fol. built on the Wits; writ by Sir William D’avenant.
Wit without Money, a Comedy, fol. This Play was Reviv’d and Acted in Little Lincoln’s-Inn-Fields, immediately after the Theatre in Drury Lane was burnt, with a new Prologue by Mr. Dryden.
The Woman Hater, a Tragi-Comedy, fol. Reviv’d by Sir William D’avenant,[3] with a new Prologue writ in Prose. Mr. Fletcher writ this Play without the Assistance of Mr. Beaumont.
The Womans Prize; or, The Tamer Tam’d; a Comedy, fol. built on the Taming of the Shrew, writ by Mr. Shakespear, and maybe taken as a Counter part thereof.
Women Pleas’d; a Comedy, fol. See the most Comical parts hereof taken from Nov. 6. Day 7. and Day 8. Nov. 8. &c. of Boccace’s Novels.
Mr. Fletcher join’d with Ben. Johnson and Middleton, in one other Comedy, call’d, The Widow, placed under Johnson; and Mr. Beaumont has writ a Book of Poems, Elegies, Sonnets, &c. last Edition, 8 vo. 1653.