fides Virgil's Georgicks, printed with Annotations 8° Lond. 1622. Mr. Philips mentions a Hiftory of Henry the Second, writ by him in Verfe, and a Hiftory of the late Civil Wars of England in Profe; neither of which have I feen, and therefore pretend not to determine whether he were a partial Writer or no. Only give me leave to conclude in the Words of Dr. Fuller; That if he were a byaffed and par'tial Writer, yet that he lyeth buried near a good and true Hiftorian indeed, viz. Mr.Camb den, in the Weft-fide of the North-Ile of "Westminster Abbey, dying fuddenly in the "Night, A.D. 1652. in the 55th Year of his Age. I know not how Mr. Winstanley hap pened to omit the Tranfcript of fo memorable a paffage, fince he has elsewhere borrow'd fo largely from this Worthy Author, as well as Mr. Philips, without either of them acknowledging the leaft obligation to him.

on 2 24 sci 2008.

Robert MEAD... 1.4.3

An Author that liv'd in the Reigns of King James, and King Charles the Firit, and was fometime a Member of Christ Church Colledge in Oxford; as I learn from the Title-page of a Play, call'd

Combat of Love and Friendship, a Comedy, formerly prefented by the Gentlemen of Chrift Church in Oxford, and printed 49. Lond. 1654. This Play was published after the Authors deceafe, at that time when the Mufes were banifh'd the Theatre. I wish I were able to give

the

the Reader a better Account of our Author: But being deftitute of other Information, this Gentleman having wholly efcaped the Induftry of Mr.Wood, I must be beholding for what I have borrow'd, to the Stationer's Epiftle to the Reader; where he tells us, "That he 'had been a Perfon, whofe Eminent and "General Abilities, have left him à Chára"Яter precious and honourable to our Nati"on; and therefore the Reader is not to look upon this Compofition, but as at a stoop, when 'his youth was willing to defcend from his "then higher Contemplation. He tells us, that "he could fay more in his Honour, but that he 'was fo great a lover of Humility in his Life, "that he was almoft afraid,being dead,he might 'be difpleas'd to hear his own worth re'membred.

Mr. Philips thro' his old Miftake afcribes to him The Coftly Whore; tho' I am almost confident the Play is not of his Writing: and that thofe that believe it fo, have taken up their Opinion upon Conjecture.

J

Matthew MEDBOURN.

An Actor belonging to the Duke's Theatre, in the Reign of King Charles the Second. One, whofe good parts deferv'd a better fate than to die in Prison, as he did in the time of the late Popifh-Plot; thro' a too forward and indifcreet Zeal for a mistaken Religion. Ten Years before the Difcovery of that Confpiracy,our Au thor publifht a Play, call'd

Tar

Tartuffe, or The French Puritan, acted at the Theatre-Royal, written in French by Molliere, and rendred into English, with much Addition and Advantage; printed 4° Lond. 1670. and dedicated to the Right Honourable Henry, Lord Howard of Norfolk. This Play was recceiv'd with univerfal Applaufe on our English Stage, if we believe our Author, and is accounted by him the Mafter-piece of Molliere's Productions, or rather that of all French Comedy. I prefume the Tranflator, (who was a great Bigot efteem'd this Play the more, it being defign'd as a Satyr against the French Hugonots; tho at the fame time it must be acknowledg'd, that the French Author has made an Admirable Defence for the Character of his Protagonist Tartuffe, in his Preface, to which I refer the Reader who is vers'd in the French Tongue.

Thomas MERITON.

A Gentleman that liv'd in the Reign of King Charles the Second, and is certainly the meaneft Dramatick Writer that ever England produc'd. I may with Justice apply to his Stupidity what Menedemus the Eretriack Philofopher, faid of Perfeus's wickedness: He is indeed a Poet; but of all Men that are, were, or ever shall be, the dullest. Never any Man's Stile was more Bombait, fo that undoubtedly he deferv'd to have been under Ben. Johnson's Hands; and had he liv'd in that Age, had without question underwent the trouble of a Vomit, as well as Crifpinus in Poetafter, till he had (to borrow

One

1

One of his lofty Expreffions) difgorg'd the obdure Faculty of his Sence. I pretend not to that Quickness of Apprehenfion, as to underftand either of his Plays, and therefore the Reader will not expect that I fhould give any further Account of them, than that they are two in number, viz.

Love and War, a Tragedy, printed 40. Lond. 1658. and dedicated to the Truly Noble, Judicious Gentleman, and his most Efteemed Brother, Mr. George Meriton. I am apt to believe thefe two Brothers acted the Counterpart of thofe German Brethren that dwelt at Rome, the Orator and the Rhetorician mentioned by Horace (2), whofe bufinefs it was,

ut alter Alterius fermone meros audiret honores: Gracchus ut hic illi foret, hic ut Mutius illi, Wandring Lover, a Tragi-comedy acted feveral times privately at fundry places by the Author and his Friends with great Applaufe; printed 4°. Lond. 1658. and dedicated to the Ingenious, Judicious, and much Honoured Gentleman, Francis Wright Efquire. This Author's Works being very fcarce, and most of the Impreffion bought up by Chandlers and Grocers, I may poffibly oblige my Reader, by giving him a Taste of his Stile, and juftify my felf from the Imputation of Scandal. I fhall therefore transcribe part of his Epiftle, which runs thus:

(z) Epift. lib. 2, Ep. 3.

Το

To the Ingenious, Judicious, and much Honoured Gentleman, Francis Wright Efq; Sir: My Intentions wandring upon the limits of vain Cogitations, was at the laft arrived at the propicious brinks of an Anglicis of Performance; where feeing Diana and Venus in a Martial combat, and fuch rare Atchievements performed by two fuch Ininimate Goddeffes, did lend to the Afpect of their Angelical Eyes, my felf to be the Jole Spectator of their foregoing Valour: where then their purpose was to choose me their Arbitrator; the which I perceiving, did with a mild Complection (knowing my felf impotent) relent backwards, thinking thereby to lofe lefs Credit, and gain more Honour, to fet Pen to Paper, and to relate fome certain and harmless Dialogues, that while I was prefent, betwixt them paft, which is This Poem; &c.

By this time I fuppofe my Reader is fufficiently tired, and will take my Word that the Play is of the fame piece, without giving himfelf the trouble to difprove me: and I affure him that His Love and War is yet more swelling and unintelligible, than this Play.

He tells his Patron above-mentioned, That certain it is he writ two Books of the fame Nature, viz. The feveral Affairs, a Comedy, and The Chaft Virgin, a Romance; but they were his Pocket-Companions, and but fhewn to fome private Friends. Happy certainly were thofe Men, who were not reckoned in the number of his Friends; fince they were obliged to hear fuch an Author's ampullous Fuftian, which like