Damoiselles à la mode, a Comedy printed in octavo Lond. 1667. and dedicated to their Graces the Duke and Dutchefs of Newcastle, more humbly than by way of Epiftle. This Comedy was defign'd by the Author to have been acted by the Kings Servants as the Reader may fee by the Scheme drawn by the Poet,fhewing how he caft the feveral Parts: but I know not for what reason they refus'd it. The Poet indeed feems to give one, which whether true or falfe, is not much material; but, methinks it will ferve to fhew the Reader his Humour. For the acting this Comedy (fays he) (4) those 'who have the Governing of the Stage, have their Humours, and would be intreated; and I have mine, and won't intreat them and were all Dramatick Writers of my mind, they fhould wear their Old Plays Thread-bare, ere they fhould have any New, till they better understood their own Intereft, and how to diftinguish betwixt good and bad. I know not whether the late Duke of Buckingham thought of Mr. Flecknoe when he drew the Character of Mr. Bayes; but methinks there is fome refemblance between his Anger at the Players being gone to Dinner without his leave, and Mr. Flecknoe's Indignation at their Refufing his Play: Mr. Bays feeming to me to talk much at the fame rate. How are the Players gone to Dinner? If they are, I'll make them know what 'tis to injure a Perfon that does them the Honour to write for them; and all that, A Company of Proud, Conceited, Hu(h) Preface to his Play.

morous,

morous, Cross-grain'd Perfons; and all that 'I'll make them the moft Contemptible, Def 'picable, Inconfiderable Perfons, and all that, in the whole World for this Trick.

This Play (as the Author in his Preface acknowledges) is taken out of feveral Excellent 'Pieces of Molliere. The main Plot of the Da 'moifelles, out of his Les Precieufes Ridicules; 'the Counterplot of Sganarelle, out of his L'Ef'cole des Femmes, and the Two Naturals, out 'of his L'Ecole des Maris.

Erminia, or The Chaft Lady, printed 8° Lond. 1665 and dedicated to the Fair and Virtuous Lady, the Lady Southcot. This Play (tho the Actors Names defign'd by the Authors, be printed over against the Dramatis Perfona)was never acted,

Love's Dominion, a Dramatick Piece, full of Excellent Morality; written as a Pattern for the Reformed Stage, printed 8° Lond. 1654. and dedicated to the Lady Elizabeth Claypole. In this Epiftle, the Author infinuates the use of Plays, and begs her Mediation to gain Licenfe to act them. Whether the Play answer the Title-page, or whether Mr. Flecknoe have fo regularly obferv'd the three Unities, I fhall leave to the Criticks.

Love's Kingdom, a Paftoral-Tragi-comedy; not as it was acted at the Theatre near LincolnsInn, but as it was written, and fince corrected; printed 8° Lond. 1664. and dedicated to his Excellency William, Lord Marquefs of Newcastle. This Play is but the former Play a little alter'd, with a new Title; and after the King's Return

it feems, the Poet got leave to have it acted; but it had the misfortune to be damn'd by the Audience, (which Mr. Flecknoe ftiles The people, and calls them Judges without Judgment) for want of its being rightly reprefented to them. He owns that it wants much of the Ornament of the Stage; but that (he fays) by a lively Imagination may eafily be fupply'd. To the fame purpofe he fays of his Damoiselles à la mode, (i) That together with the Perfons reprefented, he had fet down the Comedians that he defign'd fhould reprefent them; that the Reader might have half the pleafure of feeing it acted, and a lively Ima gination might have the pleasure of it all en

tire.

I fancy Mr. Flecknoe would have been much pleas'd with Readers of the Argive Gentleman's Humour defcrib'd by Horace; (*) L

Qui fe credebat miros audire Tragados,

SmIn In vacuo latus feffor, plauforq; Theatro. Who fancy'd he faw Plays acted in the empty Theatre but to others in their right Sences, all his Rhetorick could not have been able to perfwade them, that a Play Read,(notwithstanding the utmost force of Imagination) can afford half the pleasure with that of a Play Acted,fince the former wants the Greatest Ornament to a Play, Gracefulness of Action. But Mr. Flecknoe was to make the beft of a Bad-market; and fince he could not get his Plays acted, he was to endeavour to get them to be read; by labour(i) Preface. (k) Epod. L.2. Ep.2.

ing to perfwade people, that Imagination would fupply the defect of Action. Marriage of Oceanus and Britannia, a Masque, which I never faw, and therefore am not able to give any Account of it.

Whether our Author have any more Plays in print, I know not; but I remember a Prologue amongst his Epigrams, intended for á Play, call'd The Phyfician against his will, which I believe might be a Tranflation of Molliere's Le Medecin malgré luy;but it was never publifht that I know of. As to his other Works, they confift of Epigrams and Enigmatical Chara&ters, which are ufually bound up with his Love's Dominion; at the end of which is a fhort Difcourfe of the English Stage, which I take to be the best thing he has extant. There is another Book of his Writing, call'd Diarium, or The Journal, divided into twelve Jornadas, in Burlefque Verfe; with fome other Pieces, printed 120 Lond. 1656

John FLETCHER, and Francis BEAUMONT, Efq;

I am now arriv'd at a brace of Authors, who like the Diofcuri, Caftor and Pollux, fucceeded in Conjunction more happily than any Poets of their own, or this Age, to the referve of the Venerable Shakespear, and the Learned and Judicious Johnfon. Tis impoffible for me to reach their Characters; and therefore, as the Witty Dr. Fuller (1) cites Bale's faying of (1) Cheshire, p. 181. Randal

Randal Higden, (m) That 'tis no fhame to crave aid in a Work too weighty for any ones back to bear; I must have recourfe to others Affiftance, for the Characters of this worthy pair of Authors. To fpeak first of Mr. Beaumont,he was Mafter of a good Wit, and a better Judgment; he fo admirably well understood the Art of the Stage, that even Johnson himself thought it no difparagement to fubmit his Writings to his Correction. What a great Veneration Ben. had for him, is evident by thofe Verfes he writ to him when living (). Mr. Fletcher's Wit. was equal to Mr. Beaumont's Judgment,and was fo luxuriant, that like fuperfluous Branches, it was frequently prun'd by his Judicious Partner. Thefe Poets perfectly understood Breeding, and therefore fuccefsfully copy'd the Converfation of Gentlemen. They knew how to defcribe the Manners of the Age; and Fletcher had a peculiar tallent in expreffing all his thoughts, with Life and Brisknefs. No Man ever underflood, or drew the Paffions more lively than he; and his witty Raillery was fo dreft, that it ra ther pleas'd than difgufted the modeft part of his Audience. In a word, Fletcher's Fancy, and Beaumont's Judgment combin'd, produc'd fuch Plays, as will remain Monuments of their Wit to all Pofterity. Nay, Mr. Fletcher himself after Mr. Beaumont's Deceafe, compos'd feveral Dramatick Pieces,which were well worthy the Pen of fo great a Mafter. Of this, the following Lines, writ by that Excellent Poet Mr. Carthwright, are a proof.

(m) Delcript.Brit.Gent.6.Na.11. (n) See before shelaft Edit. "Tho'