III. DARIUS; a Tragedy. This was his Lord ship's first Dramatick Performance, it being Printed at Edinburgh, in the Year 1603. It was at firft compos'd of a mixture of English and Scotch Dialect; and even then was commended by feveral Copies of Verfes, But the Author has fince not only polifh'd his Native Language, but alter'd the Play itfelf. As to the Plot, confult. Quintus Curtius, lib. 3, 4, & 5. Justin, l. 11. c. 5, &c. Diodorus, l. 17. Arrian, de Expeditione Alexandri, l. 2. Plutarch's Life of Alexander, Salian, A. M. 2719, &c.

IV. JULIUS CESAR; a Tragedy. In the Fitch Act of this Play, my Lord brings Brutus, Caffius, Cicero, Anthony, &c. together after the Deathi of Cafar, almoft in the fame Circumftances as ShakeSpear has done in his Play of this Name.

But

Shakespear's Anthony and Brutus ravish you, while my Lord's Brutus, Cicero and Anthony incline you to fleep. This is much the most regular of all my Lord's Plays, at leaft, in the Unity of Action: But after the Death of Cafar it is unneceflary to hear of the Confequence of it, either in the Grief of Calphurnia, or the Factions of the Noblemen and Commons. The Story of this Play may be found in the Roman Hiftories, Plutarch and Suetonius. in the Life of Cafar, Appian de Bellis Civilibus, lib. 2. Florus, lib. 4. c. 2. Salian, Torniel, &c.

: My Lord is very Sententious in his Dramatick Performances; and his Style, as he owns himself, not pure, for which he pleads his Country.

Mr.

2

Mr. ROBERT ARMIN.

HIS Author likewife liv'd in the Reign of

T.King James I. And in the Title Page he writes

himfelf one of his Majefty's Servants; and 'tis very probable that he was of the then Company of Comedians; his Name being printed in the Drama of Ben. Johnfen's Alchymift, among the reft of the eminent Players of that Age. He wrote only one Dramatick Piece; call'd,

The Hiftory of the two Maids of Moor Clack, Play'd by the Children of the King's Majefty's Revels, and printed in the Year 1609. The Plot feems to be taken from an old Story in thofe Times.

A

"Mr. ABRAHAM BAILY.

Gentleman of the Society of Lincoln's Inn and Author of the following Comedy. The Spightful Sifter; Printed in the Year 1667. This Author has not play'd the Plagiary, either as to Characters or Language, what he has writ be ing allow'd to be all his own. But 'tis prefum'd this Play was never A&ted, being printed without Prologue, Epilogue, or Dedication.

TH

Mr. BAKER.

HIS Gentleman was Son of an Eminent Attorney of the City of London; he writ five Plays.

1. The Humour of the Age; a Comedy, A&ed at the Theatre Royal, 1709.

II. Ant Alt at Oxford; a Comedy, Dedicated to the Right Honourable Edward Lord Dudley and Ward. This Play was never A&ed.

III. Tunbridge-Walks, or The Yeoman of Kent; a Comedy, Dedicated to the Right Honourable John Howe Efq; This Play was acted at the Theatre Royal with great Applause.

IV. Hampfied Heath; a Comedy, acted at the Theatre Royal. This Play is for the most part taken from the Oxford Att.

V. The fine Ladies Airs: or An Equipage of Lovers ; a Comedy, acted at the Theatre Royal.

Mr. JOHN BANCROFT.

HIS Author was by Profeffion a Chirurgeon, and by a frequent Converfation with a Set of Witty young Gentlemen (to whom his Business led him after their Sportings with the Substitutes of Venus) he was very much inclin'd to Poetry. He wrote two Plays,

I. SERTORIUS; a Tragedy, Afted at the Theatre Royal, 1679. 'Tis Dedicated to Captain Richard Savage, and the Epilogue was writ by Mr. Ravenf.roft. For the Story fee Plutarch's Life of Sertorius; Velleins Paterculus, lib. 2. Florus, 1. 2. c. 2, &c. The Elder Corneille has writ a Play on this Subject 11, His

II. HENRY the Second, with the Death of RosAMOND; a Tragedy, A&ted at the Theatre Royal, 1693. This Play has not the Author's Name prefix'd to it; and whatever Fate his other Play had, this met with good Succefs, and may claim a Place with feveral celebrated Tragedies of this Age. For the Plot confult Daniel, Stow, Speed, Baker, and other English Chronicles.

T

00000000000:00000

"Mr. JOHN BANK S.

HIS Gentleman was originally a Member of the Society of New Inn. His Genius led him to make feveral Attempts in Dramatick Poetry, with different Succefs; but when he had the greateft Encouragement, he was very fenfible of his Error in quitting the more profitable Practice of the Law, to purfue the Entertainments of the Stage;' tho' he is thus far to be excus'd, that he afpir'd after the Bays in the Golden Age of Poetry in the Reign of King Charles the Second. His Genius lay wholly to Tragedy: His Language is not the beft, and his Episodes thew, that he never much ftudied Ariftotle; but in two of his Performances he has gain'd the true End of Tragedy, the moving Terror and Pity; which fome, more celebrated Authors, are deficient in. He has Seven Plays in Print, which I infert in their Order of Time.

1. The Rival Kings, or The Loves of OR OONDATES and STATIRA; a Tragedy written in Heroick Verfe, and A&ted at the Theatre Royal, 1677. This Play is Dedicated to the Lady Catharine Herbert; and is chiefly founded on the Romance of Caffandra: As to what relates to Alexander, fee Quintus Curtius and Justin,

II. The

II. The Destruction of Troy; a Tragedy, A&ted at his Royal Highnefs the Duke of York's Theatre, 1679: and Dedicated to the Right Honourable the Lady Catharine Roos. This Play met with but indifferent Succefs on the Stage. For the Story confult Homer, Virgil, Daves Phrygius, &c.

III. Virtue Betray'd, or ANNA BULLEN; a Tragedy, A&ted at the Duke's Theatre, 1682, and Dedicated to the Illuftrious Princess Elizabeth, Dutchefs of Smerfet. In this Play and the Earl of Effex the Author has had the good Fortune to pleafe the Fair Sex. The Plot is taken from a Book call'd, The Novels of Elizabeth, Queen of England, &c. Speed's Chron. Herbert, Du Chijne, Bp. Burnet's Hiftory of the Reform. &c.

IV. The Unhappy Favourite, or The Earl of Effex ;, a Tragedy, Acted at the Theatre Royal, 1682, Dedicated to the most High and moft Illuftrious Prin-. cefs, the Lady Anne, (the late Queen) Daughter to his Royal Highnefs. This Play was Acted with great Applaufe, and is fo moving, particularly the Scene of the parting of the Earl of Effex and his Dear Friend, that whenever it is reprefented, the Fair Sex have fome Difficulty to refrain from Tears. The Prologue and Epilogue were written by Mr. Dryden And the Play is founded on The Secret Hiftory of the moft Renowned Queen Elizabeth, and the Earl of Ellex; Camden's Elizabeth, Speed, Du Chefue, Stow, Baker, &c. There are Two French Plays on this Subject.

V. The Iland Queens, or The Death of MARY Queen of Scotland; a Tragedy, publish'd in the Year 1684. This Play had the ill Fortune to be denied the Juftice of appearing on the Stage; for which Reaton it was published by the Author, in, Defence of himself and the Piece. The Story is

taken