Woman in the Moon, a Comedy, prefented before Her Highnefs, printed 40. Lond. 1667. Six of thefe Plays, viz. Alexander and Campafpe, Endymion, Galathea, Mother Bombie, My das, Sapho and Phao, are printed together,under the Title of Six Court Comedies, 12o. Lond. 1632.and dedicated by the above mention'd Mr. Blount, to the Right Honourable Ricard Lumley, Viscount Lumley of Waterford. The other three are printed fingle in 4°. By which it appears how much Mr.Philips () and his Tranfcriber Mr. Winstanley (") are mistaken, in affirming, That all Mr. Lilly's Plays are printed together in a Volume: Nor are they lefs miftaken in afcribing to him a Play call'd Warning for fair Women, it being writ by an Anonymous Author. I prefume our Author may have other Pieces in print, tho' I have not been so happy to fee them: Mr. Blount feems to mention a Book ftiled Euphues, (o) 'Our Nation (fays he) are in 'his Debt for a new English which he taught them; Euphues and his England began first, "that Language: All our Ladies were then his "Schollars; and that Beauty in Court, which 'could not Parley Eupheifme, was as little re'garded, as She which now there, fpeaks not "French. Thomas LODGE. A Doctor of Phyfick in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth; who was not fo entirely devoted to (m)Pag.113. (n, Pag-97. (0) Epittle to the Reader. Æfcu Afculapius, but that during his Refidence in the Univerfity of Cambridge, he fometimes facrificed to Apollo, and the Nine Sifters. Mr. Philips fays (P), "That he was One of the Wri"ters of thofe pretty old Paftoral Songs and "Madrigals, which were very much the Strain 'of thofe Times. But 'tis not in Lyrick Poetry alone that he exercis'd his Pen, but fometimes he exercis'd it in Dramatick likewife, in which way he has publish two Pieces, viz. Looking-Glafs for London and England, a Tragi-comedy, printed 40. Lond. 1598. in an old Black-Letter. In this Play our Author was affifted by Mr. Robert Green, of whom we have given an Account p. 241. This Drama is founded on Holy Writ, being the Hiftory of Jonas and the Ninevites, form'd into a Play. I fuppofe they chofe this Subject in Imitation of others who had writ Dramas on Sacred Subjects long before them; as Ezekiel, a Jewish Dramatick Poet, writ the Deliverance of the Ifraelites out of Egypt; Gregory Nazianzen, or as fome fay, Apollinaris of Laodicea, writ the Tragedy of Chrift's Paffion: as I learn from the Learned Voffius (4). To thefe I might add Hugo Grotius, Theodore Beza, Petavius, &c. all which have built upon the Foundation of Sacred Hiftory. Wounds of Civil War, lively fet forth in the true Tragedies of Marius and Silla, publickly play'd in London, by the Right Honourable the Lord High Admiral his Servants; printed 40. Lond. 1594. For the Plot, confult Plutarch in (1) Pag. 178. (q) Addend. Lib. 2. Inft. Poet. the the Lives of Marius and Silla; Velleius Paterculus, Lib.2. Saluft. de Bello Jugurth. T.Livius, Lib.66. Brev. Florus, Lib. 3. C.3. Aurelius ViStor; Eutropius, &c. This Author (as Mr. Winstanley fays) (1)was an Eminent Writer of Paftoral Songs, Odes, and Madrigals; of which he cites a pretty Sonnet, which is faid to be of his Compofure: and he has tranfcrib'd another in praife of Rofalinde, out of his Euphues's Golden-Legacy. This Book I never faw; and know nothing elfe of our Author's Writing, except a Treatise of the Plague, printed 40 Lond. 1600. As to the Plays afcrib'd to him by Mr. Philips and Mr. Winftanley, in which he is made an Affo ciate with Mr. Robert Green, I have already fhewed their mistake in the Account of that Author, to which I refer the Reader. Sir William LOWER. A Gentleman that liv'd in the Reign of King Charles the Firft, who during the heat of our Civil Wars, took Sanctuary in Holland, where in peace and privacy he enjoy'd the Society of the Mufes. He was a great Admirer of the French Poets, and beftowed fome times and pains in dreffing fome Plays in an Englifb Garb: befides what, he has writ himself in his Mother-Tongue. So that we are obliged to him for fix Plays, viz. Amorous Phantafm, a Tragi-comedy printed at the Hague 120. 1658. and dedicated to her (r) Pag. 72. Highness Highnefs The Princess Royal. This Play is tranflated from the French of M. Quinault's Le Fantoine Amoureux, which appear'd with fuc cefs on the French Stage. Enchanted Lovers, a Paftoral; printed at the Hague 120. 1658. Horatius, a Roman Tragedy; printed 4°. Lond. 1656. This Play is Tranflated from the French of Mr. Corneille; and as it is the first Verfion we had of that Admirable Play, I think it ought to be excufed, if it come fhort of the Excellent Tranflation of Mr. Cotton, and the Incomparable Orinda. For the Story, confult Livy, Lib.1. Florus, Lib.1. C.3. Dionyfius Hallicarnaffeus, Caffiodorus, &c. Noble Ingratitude, a Paftoral Tragi-comedy, printed at the Hague 12°. 1658. and dedicated to Her Majesty the Queen of Bohemia. Our Author is fully perfwaded, that this () Play is in the Original One of the best Dramatick Pieces, that has been prefented on the French Stage: and undoubtedly M. Quinault is an Excellent Poet, notwithstanding the Raillery of the Sharp-witted Boileau (t). Si je pense exprimer un Auteur fans default, Phanix in her Flames, a Tragedy,printed 4o. Lond. 1639. and dedicated to the Right Worfhipful, his moft Honoured Coufin, Thomas Lower Efquire. This Play was written before our Author was Knighted, and I take it to be the first he writ. (1) Epift. Dedic. (t) Sat. 2. Poly Polyeuctes, a Tragedy; printed 40. Lond. 1655. For the true Story, confult Coeffeteau Hift. Rom. Surius de Vitis Sanctorum. As to the Incidents of the Dream of Paulina,the Love of Severus, the Effectual Baptifm of Polyeuctes, the Sacrifice for the Emperours Victory, the Dignity of Felix, the Death of Nearchus, the Converfion of Felix and Paulina, they are all of them the Author's Invention. Three of thefe Plays; viz. Amorous Phantafm, Enchanted Lovers, Noble Ingratitude, were printed together at the Hague, during the Author's Exile; and at His Majefty's Return, the Remainder of the Copies were purchas'd by Mr. Kirkman, who printed new Titles in the Year 1661. 1 Thomas LUPON. I am able to recover nothing of this Author, either as to the time of his Birth, the Place where he liv'd, or any thing he writ, befides a Tragedy mention'd in former Catalogues, called a All for Money, which I never faw. M. Lewis MACHIN. A Gentleman that liv'd in the Reign of King Charles the Martyr; the Author of a fin gle Play, called Dumb Knight, an Hiftorical Comedy, acted fun. |