The Lives and Characters of the English Dramatick Poets/Supposed Authors



Supposed Authors.

R. A. Gent.

This Author writ one Play, call’d,

The Valiant Welch Man; or, The True Chronicle History of the Life and Valiant Deeds of Charadoc the Great, King of Cambria, now called Wales; a Tragi-Comedy, 4to. 1663. acted by the Prince of Wales's Servants, the Plot from Ubaldine le vite del donne illustre, p. 6. Tacitus Annals, Milton's History of England, and from our British Chronicles.

H. B.

THis Author has publish’d one Play, entituled,

The World’s Idol; or, Plutus, a Comedy, 8vo. 1650. Translated from Aristophanes, with Notes and a Discourse upon it.

P. B.

The Mock Duellist; or, The French Vallet; a Comedy, supposed to be writ by Peter Bellon, Gent. 4to. 1675. acted at the Theatre Royal by his Majesty’s Servants, and dedicated to the vertuous, accomplisht Lady, Madam S. C.

J. C.

THis Author writ a very diverting Play, call’d,
The Two Merry Milk Maids; or, The best Words near the Garland, a Comedy, 4to. 1661. play’d before the King with great Applause, by the Company of the Revels. Part of the Plot from the Tenth Day, Nov. 5. of Boccace's Novels, and is the Foundation of several Plays, as Fletcher's Four Plays in One, &c.

J. D.

UNder these Two Letters are these Two Plays following:
Hell's High Court of Justice; or, The Tryal of Three Politick Ghosts, viz. Oliver Cromwell, King of Sweeden, and Cardinal Mazarine; a Tragedy, 4to. 1661.

The Mall; or, The Modish Lovers; a Comedy, 4to. 1674. acted by the King's Servants, and dedicated to William Whitcom, Junior, Esq; supposed by Dr. Hide, the Proto-Bibliothicarius, to the University) to be Mr. Dryden's, tho' it differs much from the Stile of his Works.

R. G.

THis Translator and Author was some time Master of Arts of Magdalen-Colledge, Oxon; publish’d Two Plays:

Alphonsus, King of Arragon, a comical History, 4to. 1599. as it has been sundry times acted.

Ignoramus, a Comedy, 4to. 1662. very often acted with Applause before King James the First, written originally in Latin and translated by our Author.

S. H.

THis Author was of Exeter-Colledge, Oxon; and whilst Batchelor of Arts, writ
Sicily and Naples; or, The Fatal Union; a Tragedy, 4to. 1640. There were several Copies of Verses in Praise of this Play, writ by the Students of Oxon.



Supposed Authors.

B. J.

Under these Letters are printed these Two Plays:
Guy, Earl of Warwick; a Tragedy, 4to. said by some to be writ by Ben. Johnson, tho much inferior to the Works of that excellent Poet.

The Bashful Lovers, a Tragi-Comedy, 8vo. 1655. acted at the Black-Fyars, by his Majesty’s Servants.

E. M.

THis Author writ one Play, call’d,
Saint Cecily; or, The Converted Twins, a Tragedy, 4to. 1667. supposed to be writ by Mr. Matthew Medbourn, the Comedian, and dedicated to Queen Catharine. Plot From Eusebius, Epiphanius, Baronius, &c.

N. N.

ROme’s Follies; or, The Amorous Fryars; a Comedy, as it was lately acted at a Person of Quality’s House, 4to. 1681. This Play (which has been omitted by Mr. Langbain) is dedicated to the Right Honourable, Anthony, Earl of Shaftsbury. There’s not enough in this Play to recommend it to the nicer Judges of Poetry: Instead of the Author’s Name, we only find the Two Letters above-mentioned.

W. N.

HUntington’s Divertisement; or, An Interlude for the general Entertainment of the County Feast, held at Merchant Taylors-Hall, printed, 4to. 1678. by W. N. and dedicated to the Nobility and Gentry of that Country.


T. P.

THis Author has published two Plays:

The French Conjurer, a Comedy, 4to. 1678. acted at the Duke's Theatre. Plot part of it from Gusman, in the Stories of Dorido and Cloridia, and the Merchant of Sevil.

A Witty Combat; or, The Female Victor, a Tragi-Comedy, 4to. 1663. acted by several Persons of Quality. Plot from The German Princess, a Novel, in 8vo.

Monsieur P. P.

THis Translator Publish'd,

Ariadne; or, The Marriage of Bacchus; an Opera, 4to. 1674. acted by the Royal Academy of Musick at the Theatre Royal, and dedicated to the King; being a Vocal Representation from the French, and set to Musick by Mr. Grabutt, Master of the King's Musick.

S. P.

TRoades, a Tragedy, 8vo. 1660. Supposed to be writ by Samuel Pordage, and taken from Seneca.

T. R.

A Translator, who publish'd this one Play, call'd,

The Extravagant Shepherd, a Pastoral Comedy, 4to. 1654. and dedicated to Mrs. Thornehill, of Ollantigh, in Kent. Translated from Corneille; Plot founded on Lysis; or, The Extravagant Shepherd; a Romance, fol.

W. R.

CHristmas Ordinary, a Private Shew; wherein is express'd the jovial Freedom of that Festival; as it was acted at a Gentleman's House among other Revels; printed 1682. This is a Piece that falls into the Number of Dramatick Writings, tho there is not much to recommend it to this Place. The Author is not known, but there are two Letters of his Name put to the Title Page; (viz.) W. R. Master of Arts.

The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth; or, The Restauration of the Protestant Religion, &c.

Mr. S. Master of Arts.

The Author of this ancient Play, printed in a Black Letter, is styled by him, A right Pithy, Pleasant, and Merry Comedy, called,

Gammer Gurton’s Needle; a Comedy, 4to. 1561. acted at Christ’s-College, Cambridge, near a Hundred Years ago.

J. S.

UNder these Two Letters are publish’d these following Plays, viz.

Andromama; or, The Merchants Wife, a Tragedy, 4to. 1660. Plot from Sir Philip Sidney's Arcadia, in the Story of Plangus, p. 155.

Masquerade du Ciel, a Masque, 4to. 1640. and dedicated to the Queen.

Phillis of Scyros, a Pastoral, 4to. 1655. Translated from the Italian of C. Guidubaldo di Bonarelli.

The Prince of Priggs Revels; or, The Practises of that grand Thief, Captain James Hinde, a Comedy, 4to. This Piece I cou’d never yet get a Sight of.

S. S.

THis Author publish’d only this single Play, entituled,

The Honest Lawyer, a Comedy, 4to. 1616, acted by the Queen’s Servants.

J. T.

UNder these two Letters we may find two Plays printed, viz.

Grim, the Collier of Croyden; or, The Devil and his Dam, with the Devil of St. Dunstan's, a Comedy, 8vo. 1662. Plot from Machiavel's Marriage of Belphegor, a Novel, fol. ’tis also printed with Quevedo's Novels, 8vo. and in the Ternary of Plays.

Troas, a Tragedy, 4to. 1686. translated from Seneca.

C. W.

THis Author is supposed to be Christopher Wase, late one of the Squire-Beadles of Oxford, who publish'd a Play call'd,

Electra, a Tragedy, 12. Hague, 1643. presented to her Highness the Lady Elizabeth. Translated from Sophocles.

E. W.

One who does not pretend to be the Author, but the occasion of publishing this single Play;

Apollo Shroving, a Comedy, 8vo. 1627. writ by the Master of Hadleigh-School in Suffolk, and acted there by his Scholars.

J. W.

UNder these two Letters is printed one Play, call'd,

The Valiant Scot, 4to. 1637. publish'd by William Bowyer, and dedicated to the Right Honourable, James, Marques of Hamilton.

L. W.

UNder these two Letters the Author publish'd this Play, entituled,

Orgula; or, The Fatal Error, a Tragedy, 4to. 1658. and dedicated to the most accomplish'd Lady, the Lady Frances Wildegooss; with a Preface shewing the true Nature of Poesie.

M. W. Master of Arts.

The Second Author who has this Play in the Ternary of Plays, viz.

The Marriage-Broker; or, The Pander; a Comedy, 8vo. 1662. Plot from English Chronicles, in the Reign of Sebert, King of the West Saxons.

R. W.

THis ancient Author publish'd a Play many Years ago, which Mr. Langbain gave a wrong Title to, by reason he never saw it, and is entituled,

The Three Ladies of London.

T. W.

The Third Author who has this following Tragedy, in the Ternary of Plays, call'd,

Thornby-Abby; or, The London Maid, a Tragedy 8vo. and dedicated to William Austin, Esq; by R. D. the Publisher; and translated from Plautus.

W. W.

The Translator of this following Comedy, call'd,

Manæchmi, a Comedy, 4to. 1515. This Author had several others translated, tho' never publish'd them.