Theatre-Royal 1688, dedicated to James earl of Arran, son to the duke of
Hamilton.
2. The Successful Strangers, a Tragi-Comedy, acted at the Theatre-Royal
1690; dedicated to lord Wharton. The plot is taken from the Rival
Brothers, in Scarron's Novels.
3. Greenwich-Park, a Comedy, acted at the Theatre-Royal 1691; dedicated
to Algernon earl of Essex.
Besides these, he turned the Life and Death of Dr. Faustus into a Farce,
with the Humours of Harlequin and Scaramouch, acted at the
queen's theatre in Dorset-Garden, and revived at the Theatre in
Lincoln's-Inn-Fields 1697.
Mr. Mountford has written many Prologues and Epilogues, scattered in
Dryden's Miscellanies; and likewise several Songs. He seems to have had
a sprightly genius, and possessed a pleasing gaiety of humour.--He was
killed in the year 1692; and was buried in St. Clement Danes.
[Footnote 1: The foundation of the quarrel between lord Mohun and the
duke (however it might be improved by party suggestions) was a law suit
between these noblemen, on account of part of the earl of Macclesfield's
estate, which Mr. Savage would have been heir to, had not his mother, to
facilitate her designed divorce from that earl (with the pleasing view
of having her large fortune restored to her, and the no less pleasing
prospect of being freed from an uncomfortable husband) declared unhappy
Savage to be illegitimate, and natural son of the then earl Rivers. Of
this farther notice will be taken in Savage's Life.]
* * * * *
THOMAS SHADWELL.
This celebrated poet laureat was descended of a very antient family in
Staffordshire; the eldest branch of which has enjoyed an estate there
of five-hundred pounds per ann. He was born about the year 1640, at
Stanton-Hall in Norfolk, a seat of his father's, and educated at Caius
College in Cambridge[1], where his father had been likewise bred; and
then placed in the middle Temple, to study the law; where having
spent some time, he travelled abroad. Upon his return home he became
acquainted with the most celebrated persons of wit, and distinguished
quality, in that age; which was so much addicted to poetry and polite
literature, that it was not easy for him, who had no doubt a native
relish for the same accomplishments, to abstain from these the
fashionable studies and amusements of those times. He applied himself
chiefly to the dramatic kind of writing, in which he had considerable
success. At the revolution, Mr. Dryden, who had so warmly espoused the
opposite interest, was dispossessed of his place of Poet Laureat, and
Mr. Shadwell succeeded him in it, which employment he possessed till his
death. Mr. Shadwell has been illustrious, for nothing so much as the
quarrel which subsisted between him and Dryden, who held him in the
greatest contempt. We cannot discover what was the cause of Mr.
Dryden's aversion to Shadwell, or how this quarrel began, unless it was
occasioned by the vacant Laurel being bellowed on Mr. Shadwell: But it
is certain, the former prosecuted his resentment severely, and, in
his Mac Flecknoe, has transmitted his antagonist to posterity in no
advantageous light. It is the nature of satire to be biting, but it
is not always its nature to be true: We cannot help thinking that Mr.
Dryden has treated Shadwell a little too unmercifully, and has
violated truth to make the satire more pungent. He says, in the piece
abovementioned,
Others to some saint meaning make pretence,
But Shadwell never deviates into sense.
Which is not strictly true. There are high authorities in favour of many
of his Comedies, and the best wits of the age gave their testimony for
them: They have in them fine strokes of humour, the characters are often
original, strongly mark'd, and well sustained; add to this, that he had
the greatest expedition in writing imaginable, and sometimes produced
a play in less than a month. Shadwell, as it appears from Rochester's
Session of the Poets, was a great favourite with Otway, and as they
lived, in intimacy together, it might perhaps be the occasion of
Dryden's expressing so much contempt for Otway; which his cooler
judgment could never have directed him to do.
Mr. Shadwell died the 19th of December 1692, in the fifty-second year
of his age, as we are informed by the inscription upon his monument in
Westminster Abbey; tho' there may be some mistake in that date; for it
is said in the title page of his funeral sermon preached by Dr. Nicholas
Brady, that he was interred at Chelsea, on the 24th of November, that
year. This sermon was published 1693, in quarto, and in it Dr. Brady
tells us, 'That our author was 'a man of great honesty and integrity,
an inviolable fidelity and strictness in his word, an unalterable
friendship wherever he professed it, and however the world maybe
mistaken in him, he had a much deeper sense of religion than many who
pretended more to it. His natural and acquired abilities, continues the
Dr. made him very amiable to all who knew and conversed with him, a very
few being equal in the becoming qualities, which adorn, and fit off a
complete gentleman; his very enemies, if he have now any left, will
give him this character, at least if they knew him so thoroughly as I
did.--His death seized him suddenly, but he could not be unprepared,
since to my certain knowledge he never took a dose of opium, but he
solemnly recommended himself to God by prayer.'
When some persons urged to the then lord chamberlain, that there were
authors who had better pretensions to the Laurel; his lordship replied,
'He did not pretend to say how great a poet Shadwell might be, but was
sure he was an honest man.'
Besides his dramatic works, he wrote several other pieces of poetry; the
chief of which are his congratulatory poem on the Prince of Orange's
coming to England; another on queen Mary; his translation of the 10th
Satire of Juvenal, &c. Shadwell in his Comedies imitated Ben Johnson,
and proposed him as his model of excellence, with what degree of success
we shall not take upon us to determine, but proceed to give an account
of his plays.
1. The Sullen Lovers, or the Impertinent, a Comedy; acted at the duke's
theatre, dedicated to William duke of Newcastle: the dedication is dated
September 1st, 1668.
2. The Humorist, a Comedy; acted by his royal highest servants,
dedicated to Margaret duchess of Newcastle.
3. The Royal Shepherdess, a Tragi-Comedy; acted by the duke of York's
servants, printed at London 1669, in quarto. This play was originally
written by Mr. Fountain of Devonshire, but altered throughout by Mr.
Shadwell.
4. The Virtuoso, a Comedy; acted at the duke's theatre, printed at
London 1676, in quarto, dedicated to the duke of Newcastle.
Mr. Langbaine observes, that no body will deny this play its due
applause; at least I know, says he, that the university of Oxford, who
may be allowed competent judges of comedy, especially such characters as
Sir Nicholas Gimcrack, and Sir Formal Trifle, applauded it. And as no
man ever undertook to discover the frailties of such pretenders to this
kind of knowledge before Mr. Shadwell, so none since Johnson's time,
ever drew so many different characters of humour, and with such success.
5. Pysche, a Tragedy; acted at the duke's theatre, printed in London
1675 in 4to, and dedicated to the duke of Monmouth. In the preface he
tell us, that this play was written in five weeks.
6. The Libertine, a Tragedy; acted by his royal highness's servants,
printed in London 1676, in quarto, and dedicated to the duke of
Newcastle. In the preface Mr. Shadwell observes, that the story from
which he took the hint of this play, is famous all over Spain, Italy,
and France. It was first used in a Spanish play, the Spaniards having a
tradition of such a vicious Spaniard, as is represented in this play;
from them the Italian comedians took it; the French borrowed it from
them, and four several plays have been made upon the story.
7. Epsom Wells, a comedy; acted at the duke's theatre; printed at London
1676, in 4to, and dedicated to the duke of Newcastle. Mr. Langbaine
says, that this is so diverting and so true a comedy, that even
foreigners, who are not in general kind to the wit of our nation, have
extremely commended it.
8. The History of Timon of Athens the Manhater; acted at the duke's
theatre, printed at London 1678, in 4to. In the dedication to George
duke of Buckingham he observes, that this play was originally
Shakespear's, who never made, says he, more masterly strokes than in
this; yet I can truly say, I have made it into a play.
9. The Miser, a Comedy; acted at the theatre royal, dedicated to
the earl of Dorset. In the preface our author observes, he took the
foundation of it from Moliere's L'Avare.
10. A true Widow, a Comedy; acted at the duke's theatre, printed in
1679, in 4to, dedicated to Sir Charles Sidley. The prologue was written
by Mr. Dryden; for at this time they lived in friendship.
11. The Lancashire Witches, and Teague O Divelly, the Irish priest, a
comedy; acted at the duke's theatre, printed at London 1682. Our author
has a long preface to this play, in which he vindicates his piece from
the charge of reflecting upon the church, and the sacred order. He
apologizes for the magical part, and observes, that he had no hopes of
equaling Shakespear in his fancy, who created his Witches for the most
part out of his imagination; in which faculty no man ever excelled led
him, and therefore, says he, I resolve to take mine from authority.
12. The Woman Captain, a Comedy; acted by his royal highness's servants.
13. The Squire of Alsatia, a Comedy; acted by his Majesty's servants,
printed at London 1688, in 4to. and dedicated to the earl of Dorset and
Middlesex.
14. Bury-Fair, a Comedy; acted by his Majesty's servants, printed
at London 1689 in 4to. and dedicated to the earl of Dorset. In the
dedication he observes, 'That this play was written during eight months
painful sickness, wherein all the several days in which he was able to
write any part of a scene amounted not to one month, except some few,
which were employed in indispensible business.'
15. Amorous Bigot, with the second part of Teague O Divelly, a Comedy,
acted by their Majesties servants, printed 1690 in 4to. dedicated to
Charles earl of Shrewsbury.
16. The Scowerers, a Comedy, acted by their Majesties servants, and
printed in 4to. 1690.
17. The Volunteers, or the Stock-Jobbers, a Comedy, acted by their
Majesties servants, dedicated to the Queen by Mrs. Anne Shadwell, our
author's widow.
In the epilogue the character of Mr. Shadwell, who was then dead, was
given in the following lines.
Shadwell, the great support o'th'comic stage,
Born to expose the follies of the age,
To whip prevailing vices, and unite,
Mirth with instruction, profit with delight;
For large ideas, and a flowing pen,
First of our times, and second but to Ben;
Whose mighty genius, and discerning mind,
Trac'd all the various humours of mankind;
Dressing them up, with such successful care
That ev'ry fop found his own picture there.
And blush'd for shame, at the surprising skill,
Which made his lov'd resemblance look so ill.
Shadwell who all his lines from nature drew,
Copy'd her out, and kept her still in view;
Who never sunk in prose, nor soar'd in verse,
So high as bombast, or so low as farce;
Who ne'er was brib'd by title or estate
To fawn or flatter with the rich or great;
To let a gilded vice or folly pass,
But always lash'd the villain and the ass.
[Footnote 1: General Dictionary. See the article Shadwell.]
* * * * *
Sir WILLIAM KILLEGREW.
The eldest son of Sir Robert Killegrew, Knt. chamberlain to the Queen,
was born at the Manor of Hanworth, near Hampton-Court, in the month
of May, 1605. He became a gentleman commoner in St. John's College in
Midsummer term 1622; where continuing about three years he travelled
beyond seas, and after his return, was made governor of Pendennis
castle, and of Falmouth haven in Cornwall, with command of the militia
in the west part of that county. After this he was called to attend King
Charles I. as one of his gentlemen ushers of his privy chamber; in which
employment he continued till the breaking out of the great rebellion;
and had the command given him of one of the two great troops of horse
that guarded the King's person, during the whole course of the war
between his Majesty and his Parliament. Our author was in attendance
upon the King when the court resided at Oxford, and was created doctor
of the civil laws 1642;[1] and upon the ruin of the King's affairs, he
suffered for his attachment to him, and compounded with the republicans
for his estate.
Upon the restoration of King Charles II. he was the first of
his father's servants that he took any notice of, and made him
gentleman-usher of his privy chamber: the same place he enjoyed under
the deceased King. Upon Charles IId's marriage with Donna Catherina of
Portugal, he was created his Majesty's first vice chamberlain, in which
honourable station he continued twenty-two years.
His dramatic works are,
1. Orinasdes, or Love and friendship, a tragi-comedy.
2. Pandora, or the Converts, a Comedy.
3. Siege of Urbin, a Tragi-Comedy.
4. Selindra, a Tragi-Comedy.
All these plays were printed together in folio, Oxon 1666. There is
another play ascribed to our author, called the Imperial Tragedy,
printed in 1699; the chief part was taken out of a Latin play, and much
altered by him for his own diversion; tho' upon the importunity of his
friends, he was prevailed upon to publish it, but without his name.
The plot is founded upon the history of Zeno, the 12th emperor of
Constantinople after Constantine. Sir William Killegrew's plays have
been applauded by men very eminent in poetry, particularly Mr. Waller,
who addresses a copy of verses to him upon his altering Pandora from a
tragedy into a comedy, because not approved on the stage.
Sir William has also a little poem extant, which was set to music by Mr.
Henry Lawes, a man in the highest reputation of any of his profession in
his time. Mr. Wood says, that after our author had retired from court in
his declining age, he wrote
The Artless Midnight Thoughts of a Gentleman at Court; who for many
years built on sand, which every blast of cross fortune has defaced;
but now he has laid new foundations, on the rock of his salvation,
&c. London 1684. It is dedicated to King Charles II. and besides 233
thoughts in it, there are some small pieces of poetry.
Midnight and Daily thoughts in verse and prose, Lond. 1694, with
commendatory verses before it, by H. Briket. He died 1693, and was
buried in Westminster Abbey.
[Footnote 1: Wood, Athen. Oxon. vol. 2.]
* * * * *
Sir ROBERT HOWARD.
This gentleman was a younger son of Thomas earl of Berkshire, by
Elizabeth his wife, one of the daughters and coheirs of William lord
Burghley, and received his education at Magdalen-college, Oxford, under
the tuition of Dr. E. Drope. During the civil wars, he suffered with the
rest of his family, who maintained their loyalty to the unfortunate King
Charles I. Upon the restoration, our author was made a knight, and was
chosen one of the burgesses for Stockbridge in Hampshire, to serve
in the Parliament which began at Westminster 8th of May 1661; he was
quickly preferred to the place of auditor of the Exchequer, then worth
some thousand pounds per annum, and was reckoned one of King Charles's
creatures, whom he advanced, on account of his faithful services in
cajoling the Parliament for Money.
In the year 1679 he was chosen burgess for Castle-rising in Norfolk,
to serve in that Parliament which began at Westminster on the 17th
of October 1680. When the revolution was effected, and King William
ascended the throne, he was elected burgess again for Castle-rising, to
fit in the Parliament which began the 22d of January 1688, was made one
of the privy council, about the 16th of February took the usual oaths,
and commenced from that moment a violent persecutor of the Non-jurors,
and disclaimed all manner of conversation and intercourse with any of
that character. He is said to have been a man extremely positive, and a
pretender to a more general understanding than he really possessed. His
obstinacy and pride procured him many enemies, amongst whom the duke of
Buckingham was the first; who intended to have exposed Sir Robert under
the name of Bilboa in the Rehearsal; but the plague which then prevailed
occasioned the theatres to be shut up, and the people of fashion to quit
the town. In this interval he altered his resolution, and levelled his
ridicule at a much greater name, under that of Bayes.
Thomas Shadwell the poet, tho' a man of the same principles with Sir
Robert, concerning the revolution and state matters, was yet so angry
with the knight for his supercilious domineering manner of behaving,
that he points him out under the name of Sir Positive At All, one of his
characters in the comedy called the Sullen Lovers, or the Impertinents;
and amongst the same persons is the lady Vain, a Courtezan, which the
wits then understood to be the mistress of Sir Robert Howard, whom he
afterwards thought proper to marry.
In February 1692, being then in the decline of life, he married one Mrs
Dives, maid of honour to the Queen. The merit of this author seems to
have been of a low rate, for very little is preserved concerning him,
and none of his works are now read; nor is he ever mentioned, but when
that circumstance of the duke of Buckingham's intending to ridicule him,
is talked of.
Had Sir Robert been a man of any parts, he had sufficient advantages
from his birth and fortune to have made a figure, but the highest
notice which he can claim in the republic of letters, is, that he was
brother-in-law to Dryden.
His works are,
Poems, containing a panegyric on the King, and songs and sonnets, Lond.
1660, and a panegyric on general Monk.
His plays are six in number, viz.
1. The Blind Lady, a Comedy.
2. The Committee, or the Faithful Irishman, a Comedy, printed folio,
London 1665. This comedy is often acted, and the success of it chiefly
depends upon the part of Teague being well performed.
3. The Great Favourite, or the Duke of Lerma, a Tragi-Comedy, acted at
the theatre-royal 1668. This play was criticised by Mr. Dryden.
4. The Indian Queen, a Tragedy.
5. Surprizal, a Tragi-comedy, acted at the theatre royal 1665.
6. The Vestal Virgin; or the Roman Ladies, a Tragedy, 1665. In his
prologue to this play, Sir Robert has the following couplet, meant as an
answer to Dryden's animadversions on the Duke of Lerma.
This doth a wretched dearth of wit betray,
When things of kind on one another prey.
He has written likewise,
The History of the Reigns of Edward and Richard II. with Reflections and
Characters on their chief ministers and favourites. As also a comparison
between these princes Edward and Richard II. with Edward I. and Edward
III. London printed 1690.
A Letter to Mr. Samuel Johnson, occasioned by a scurrilous pamphlet,
entitled, Animadversions on Mr. Johnson's Answer to Jovian, in three
Letters to a country friend, Lond. 1692. At the end of this letter is
reprinted the preface before the history of the reigns of Edward and
Richard II. before mentioned.
The History of Religion, Lond. 1694.
The 4th book of Virgil translated into English, which contains the loves
of Dido and Æneas, 1660.
Likewise P. Papinius Statius, his Achilles, in five books; to each of
which he has subjoined Annotations.
* * * * *
RICHARD FLECKNOE
This poet lived in the reign of King Charles II. and is more remarkable
for having given name to a satire of Mr. Dryden's, than for all his own
works. He is said to have been originally a jesuit, and to have had
connexions in consequence thereof, with such persons of distinction in
London as were of the Roman Catholic persuasion, Langbaine says, his
acquaintance with the nobility was more than with the mules, and he had
a greater propensity to rhiming, than genius to poetry.
Tho' he wrote several plays, yet he never could obtain the favour to
have more than one of them acted.
His dramatic works are:
1. Damoiselles a-la-mode, a Comedy, printed 8vo, Lond. 1667, and
addressed to the duke and duchess of Newcastle. This comedy was designed
by the author to have been acted by his Majesty's servants, which they
thought proper however to refuse, we know not for what reason,--The poet
indeed has assigned one, whether true or false is immaterial; but it may
serve to shew his humour.
For the acting this comedy (says he) those who have the government of
the stage have their humours, and would be intreated; and I have mine,
and won't entreat them; and were all dramatic writers of my mind, they
should wear their old plays thread-bare, er'e they should have any new,
till they better understood their own interest, and how to distinguish
between good and bad.'
This anger of Mr. Flecknoe's at the players for refusing the piece,
bears some resemblance to that of Bayes, when the players went to dinner
without his leave. 'How! are the players gone to dinner? If they are
I will make them know what it is to injure a person who does them the
honour to write for them, and all that; a company of proud, conceited,
humorous, cross-grain'd persons, and all that; I'll make them the most
contemptible, despicable, inconsiderable persons, and all that; &c. &c.
&c.
2. Ermina, or the chaste lady; printed in octavo, London 1665.
3. Love's Dominion; a dramatic piece, which the author says, is full of
excellent morality; and is written as a pattern of the reformed stage,
printed in octavo, London 1654, and dedicated to the lady Elizabeth
Claypole. In this epistle the author insinuates the use of plays, and
begs her mediation to gain license to act them.
4. Love's Kingdom, a Tragi-Comedy; not as it was acted at the theatre
in Lincoln's-Inn; but as it was written and since corrected, printed
in octavo, London 1664, and dedicated to his excellency William lord
marquis of Newcastle. This is no more than the former play a little
alter'd, with a new title; and after the king's return, it seems the
poet obtained leave to have it acted, but it had the misfortune to be
damned by the audience, which Mr. Flecknoe stiles the people, and calls
them judges without judgment, for want of its being rightly represented
to them; he owns it wants much of the ornaments of the stage, but that,
he says, by a lively imagination may be easily supplied. 'To the same
purpose he speaks of his Damoiselles à la Mode:
That together with the persons represented, he had set down the
comedians he had designed should represent them; that the reader might
have half the pleasure of seeing it acted, and a lively imagination
might have the pleasure of it all entire.
5. The Marriage of Oceanus and Britannia, a Masque.
Our author's other works consist of Epigrams and Enigmas. There is a
book of his writing, called the Diarium, or the Journal; divided into
twelve jornadas, in burlesque verse.
Dryden, in two lines in his Mac Flecknoe, gives the character of our
author's works.
In prose and verse was own'd without dispute,
Thro' all the realms of nonsense absolute.
We cannot be certain in what year Mr. Flecknoe died: Dryden's satire
had perhaps rendered him so contemptible, that none gave themselves the
trouble to record any particulars of his life, or to take any notice of
his death.
* * * * *
JOHN DRYDEN, Esq;
This illustrious Poet was son of Erasmus Dryden, of Tickermish in
Northamptonshire, and born at Aldwincle, near Oundle 1631[1], he had his
education in grammar learning, at Westminster-school, under the
famous Dr. Busby, and was from thence elected in 1650, a scholar of
Trinity-College in Cambridge.