Cariffimo Amico Auctori in eximiam Missalina Tragoediam.

Ridentem Venerem veteres pinxere; fed ecce
Apparet Venus hic fanguinolenta; nigra.
Lafcivos amplexa viros amplectitur enfem:
Effera que vita, eft hæc furibunda nece.
Sic eadem Victrix, eademq, Libidinis Ultrix,
Meffalina, altrix que fuit, ipfa fuit,
Du moritur mala pars,oritur pars conjungis illa,
Que fuperat quamvis mors in utramq; furit.
Cafta parens toties, quoties fit adultera proles,
Pugnat, & adverfa cum pietate fcelus:
Dumq;fcelus fugiens dat terga,ftat altera luges,
Et nituit niveo pectore purus Honor,
Hæc ubi funt verbis aptata, Tragedia digna
Illa eft in primis Laudis, & illa tua eft.

Thomas Combes.

William RIDER.

This Writer (as I fuppofe by the Date of his Play flourish'd in the Reign of King Charles the Second; and was a Master of Arts,tho' of which Univerfity or Colledge, is to me unknown. All I can inform my Reader is, that he is the Author of a Play, called

Twins, a Tragi-comedy acted at the private Houfe at Salisbury Court with general applause, printed 40. Lond. 1655. This Play is not contemptible, either as to the Language, or Oe conomy of it, tho' I judge it older far than the the Date of it imports.

William

William RoWLY,

An Author that flourish'd in the Reign of King Charles the Firft; and was fometime a Member of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge. I can fay-nothing further of his Life or Country; but as to his Poetry,and his intimate Acquaintance with the prime Poets of that Age, I can fpeak at large. He was not only beloved by those Great Men, Shakespear, Fletcher,and Johnfor but likewife writ with the former, The Birth of Merlin. Befides what he joyned in writing with Poets of the fecond Magnitude, as ·Heywood, Middleton, Day and Webfter; as you may fee under each of their Names; our Author has four Plays in print of his own Writing, of which take the following Account; viz.

All's loft by Luft, a Tragedy divers times acted by the Lady Elizabeth's Servants; and with great applaufe at the Phenix in DruryLane, and printed 40. Lond. 1933. This is a good old Play, and the Story it felf may be read in the Spanish Hiftories: See Mariana Lib. 21, 22, 23. Suritta's Annales, &c. Lib. 1. C. 1. Turquet, L. C. 30. As to Margaretta's Defign'd Revenge on her Husband Antonio, read the Unfortunate Lovers, Novel the 3.

7

Match at Midnight, a pleafant Comedy acted by the Children of the Revels; and printed 40. Lond. 1633. The Plot of Alexander Bloodhound's being hid by Jarvis under the Widow's Bed, is founded on an old Story inferted in the English Rogue, part 4. Ch. 19.

Shoo

Shoomaker's a Gentleman, a Comedy printed
Not having this Play by me

40.
Lond.
at prefent, I cannot inform my Reader where
it was acted, or when printed. But this I know,
that it has not many Years fince been revived
at the Theatre in Dorfet-Garden, and been for-
merly acted abroad in the Country: and the
Comical part of it, is an ufual Entertainment
at Bartholomew and Southwarke Fairs; it be-
ing a Copy to which all Stroling Companies
lay claim to. The Play is founded on a stitcht
Pamphlet in quarto, called The Hiftory of the
Gentle-Craft. The Reader may find an Epi-
logue printed in Duffet's Poems, p. 6o. writ for
this Play, when 'twas revived.

New Wonder, a Woman never vext; a pleafant Comedy, fundry times acted, and printed 40. Lond. 1632. That paffage of the Widows finding her Wedding-Ring, which the dropp'd in croffing the Thames, in the Belly of a Fifh which her Maid bought accidentally in the Market, is founded either upon the Story of Polycrates of Samos, as the Author may read at large in Herodotus, Lib.3. five Thalia; or upon the like Story related of one Anderfon of Newcastle, by Doctor Fuller, in his Worthies of England.

I know of nothing elfe written by our Author, neither can I tell the time of his Death, and therefore I must leave it to Perfons of better Information to acquaint the World, with more particulars of his Life, whilst I haften to an Account of his Names fakes

Samuel

Samuel ROWLEY.

Whether this Author was related to as well as Contemporary with the former, I know not: only this I know, that he writ himself a Servant to the Prince of Wales. He is the Author of two Hiftorical Plays, of which we are to give an Account in their Alphabetical Order; viz.

Noble Spanish Souldier, or A Contract broken justly revenged; a Tragedy, printed 40. Lond. 1634 This is a Pofthumous Piece; and if we believe the Printer's Preface, has received applaufe in Action. Where it was acted, I know not, nor the Foundation of the Story, it not being mentioned what King of Spain it was, that committed that act of Perjury with Onelia

When you fee me, you know me; or The Fa mous Chronical Hiftory of Henry the Eighth; with the Birth, and Virtuous Life of Edward Prince of Wales: being play'd by the High and Mighty Prince of Wale's Servants, and printed 4°. Lond. 1632. For the Plot, fee the Ld Herbert's Life of Hen. the VIII. and other Writers of his Life, as Polydore Virgil, Hol lingfhead, Hall, Grafton, Stow, Speed, Martin, Baker, La.

Jofeph RUTTER.

An Author that liv'd in the Reign of King Charles the Firft. He belong'd to the Earl of Dorfet's Family; and attended on his Son, the

Fa

Father of the prefent Earl. At the Command of the Right Honourable Edward Earl of Dorfet, and Lord Chamberlain to the Queen, he undertook the Tranflation of the Cid, out of French: and Mr. Kirkman afcribes another Play to him befides; of both which I fhall speak in their Order.

Cid, a Tragi-comedy acted before their Majefties at Court, and on the Cockpit Stage in Drury-Lane, by the Servants to both their Majefties, and printed 8°. Lond. 1637. This firft Part is dedicated to Edward Earl of Dorfet. aforefaid, part of it being tranflated by the young Lord his Son, on whom our Author attended.

Cid, Part the fecond, printed 40. Lond. 1640. and dedicated to the Lady Theophila Cook. This Part was undertaken by our Author, at his Majefties Command, who was pleas'd to think it worth the tranflating; and commanded it to be put into our Author's Hands. Both thefe Plays are ufually bound together in octavo.

As to these Plays in the Original, they are much commended, tho' I never faw but the firft Part in French. I fhall not here tranfcribe the Author's own Sentiments of it; but leave it to those who understand the French to perufe the Examen of the Second Part; it being too long for this place. But what M. Boileau fays of it, in his oth Satyr, may be fufficient to fhew the Sentiments of the publick in its Favour: His Words are these:

En