fuch as Ethelwerd, Bede, G. Monmouth, Fabian, Pol. Virgil, &c. Stow, Speed, &c. Ubaldino, Le Vite delle Donne Illuftri, p. 18. John King of England his trouble fome Reign; the First and Second Part, with the Discovery of King Richard Coeur de lyon's Bafe Son, (vulgarly named the Baftard Fawconbridge). Alfo the Death of King John at Swinftead Abbey. As they were fundry times acted by the Queens Majefties Players, printed quarto Lond. 1611. Thefe Plays are not divided into Acts, neither are the fame with that in Folio. I am apt to conjecture that thefe were firft writ by our Author, and afterwards revifed and reduced into one Play by him: that in the Folio, being far the better. For the Plot, I refer you to the Authors aforementioned, in that Play which bears the fame Title. Befides thefe Plays, I know Mr. Kirkman afcribes another Paftoral to him; viz. The Arraignment of Paris: but having never feen it, I dare not determine whether it belongs to him or no. Certain I am, that our Author has writ two fmall Poems, viz. Venus and Adonis, printed 80. Lond. 1602, and The Rape of Lu crece, printed 80. Lond. 1655. publifh'd by Mr. Quarles, with a little Poem annext of his own production, which bear the Title of Tarquin banifhed,or The Reward of Luft. Sr. John Sucklin had fo great a Value for our Author, that (as Mr. Dryden obferves in his Dramatick Effay) he preferred him to Johnfon and what value he had for this fmall Piece of Lucrece, may ap from his Supplement which he writ, and Gg 2 pear which which he has publifht in his Poems: which because it will give you a taste of both their Mufes, I fhall transcribe. I.. One of her Hands, one of her Cheeks lay under, II. Out of the Bed, the other fair Hand was (And fhew'd like unmelt fnow unto the fight: III. Her Eyes and therefore it was Night)clofe laid, Strove to imprifon Beauty till the Morn: But yet the Doors, were of fuch fine ftuff made, That it broke through & fhew'd it felf in fcorn; Throwing a kind of light about the place, which turn'd to fmiles, ftill as't came near her Face. I have now no more to do, but to clofe up all, with an Account of his Death; which was on the 23d of April, Anno Dom. 1616. He (f) Thus far Mr. Shakespear. lyeth lyeth Buried in the Great Church in Stratford upon Avon, with his Wife and Daughter Su fanna, the Wife of Mr. John Hall. In the North Wall of the Chancel, is a Monument fixed which reprefents his true Effigies, leaning upon a Cushion, with the following Infcription. Ingenio Pylum,genio Socratem,arte Maronem, Within this Monument,Shakespear,with whom Far more than coft, fince all that he bath writ Obiit An. Dom. 1616. Near the Wall where this Monument is Erected, lyeth a plain Free-ftone, underneath which, his Body is Buried, with this Epitaph. Good Friend, for Jefus fake, forbear Bleft be the Man that spares thefe Stones, Lewis SHARPE. An Author of a Play, in the Reign of King Charles the Martyr, stíled Gg 3 Noble Noble Stranger, acted at the private House in Salisbury Court, by her Majefties Servants; printed 40. Lond. 1640. and dedicated to Sir Edmund Williams. "Tis commended by a Copy of Verfes, writ by Rich. Woolfall; of which thefe are part: Tet do not fear the danger Of Critick Readers, fince thy Noble Stranger, With pleafing ftraines has finooth drugged Fate Of oft-cramm'd Theatres,and prov'd Fortunate: Smile at their frowns, for I dare boldly fay, Who e're diflikes it, cannot mend thy Play. If this Play be look'd upon with mild Eyes, it will weigh againft fome Plays writ in our Time. There is fomewhat in the Characters of Pupillus and Mercutio,which might take in this Age and I believe old Lacy had read this Play, before he writ the Character of feveral Poets of his Poetical Squire Buffon. In the fourth Act, he has given the Characters of several Poets; particularly of Ben. Johnfon, under the Title of a Confident Poetical Wit; as may be gueffed from the Epilogue, to Cynthia's Revels; This from our Author, I was bid to fay, By Jove 'tis good; and if you'l lik't you may. But I leave this to the Judgment of the Carious Reader; and haften to the next Poet. Edward SHARPHAM. A Gentleman of the Middle-Temple, who liv'd in the Reign of King James the First. He writ a Play, called Fleire, Fleire, a Comedy often play'd in the Blackfryars, by the Children of the Revels; and printed 40. Lond. 1615. I take the Character of Antifront the Duke of Florence, to be a pattern taken from Hercules Duke of Ferrara: and Marston's Fawne, to be the Father of Sharpham's Fleire; but this I leave to the Judgment of others, to decide as they please. S. SHEPHEARD. One who lived in the time of the late Unhappy Civil Wars; and whofe Loyalty feems to have been far better than his Poetry. He writ in the time of the Prohibition of the Stage, two Pamphlets, which he stiles Comedies; but indeed are no longer than one fingle Act of a Play, that I have feen. His Comedies are ftiled Committee-man curried; a Comedy, in two parts, reprefented to the View of all Men. A piece difcovering the Corruption of Committee-men, and Excife-men; the unjuft Sufferings of the Royal-party; the devilish Hypocrify of fome Roundheads; the Revolt for Gain of fome Minifters. Not without pleafant Mirth and Variety; and printed 40. Lond. 1647. This Title-page led me to great Expectations; but I foon found Horace's Obfervation true, Parturient montes, nafcetur ridiculus Mus. The Author indeed has fhew'd his Reading, if not his Fancy: for there is fearce a piece of Sir John Suckling that he has not plundered. |