the Romance of Aftrea, writ by Mr. D'Urfé. On this Author, Mr.Herrick has writ a Copy of Verfes; which the Reader may perufe at leifure, p. 354. of his Poems in octavo.

George WILKINS.

An Author that liv'd in the Reign of King Charles the First, who was the Writer of a fingle Comedy; befides that in which he joyn'd with Day and Rowley; I mean The Travels of three English Brothers. The Play I am fpeaking of, is call'dalje ofor susti

Miferies of Inforced Marriage, play'd by his Majefties Servants; printed 40. Lond. 1637. This Comedy has been a great part of it reviv'd by Mrs. Behn, under the Title of The Town Fop, or Sir Timothy Tawdry.

Robert WILMOT.

An Author in the time of Queen Elizabeth, who at the defire of the Gentlemen of the Inner-Temple, compos'd a Play, call'd

Tancred and Gifmund their Tragedy, acted before Her Majefty, by the Gentlemen of the Temple; printed 4° Lond. 1592. and dedicated to the Right Worshipful and Vertuous Ladies, the Lady Mary Peter, and the Lady Anne Grey. This Play is founded on a Story in Boccace; fee Day the fourth, Novel the firft.

John WILSON.

A Gentleman that liv'd in the Reign of King Charles the Second, if not still alive; whofe Mufe

Mufe has been applauded on the Stage. His Play call'd The Cheats, having the general Approbation of being an Excellent Comedy, He has writ three Plays; in Number of which take the following Account.

Andronicus Comnenus, a Tragedy; printed Lond. 1663. For the Plot, confult Glycas Leunclaius, Chorriates, Cantacufenus, &c.

Cheats, a Comedy written in the Year 1662. and printed 20 Edit. 40. Lond. 1671. The Author has fufficiently Apologiz'd for this Play, in his Preface, to which I refer you.

Projectors, a Comedy; printed 4o. Lond. 1665.
Robert WILSON.

A Gentleman that flourish'd in the time of Queen Elizabeth; and was the Author of a Comedy, call'd

The Coblers Prophecy, printed 40. Lond. 1655.

Nathaniel WOODS.

An Author that was a Minifter in Norwich, in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth; and who writ an Old Comedy, call'd

Conflict of Confcience; containing a most Lamentable Example of the doleful Defperation of a miferable Worldling, by the Name of Philologus; who forfook the Truth of God's Gofpel, for fear of the Lofs of Life, and worldly Goods. The Actors Names divided into fix parts, moft convenient for fuch as be difpos'd either to fhew this Comedy in private Houses, or otherwife; printed 45. Lond. 1581.

Kk

John

John WRIGHT.

A Writer still living, who has publifht two Plays; the one being writ in Heroick Verfe, and the other difguis'd En Travesty. They both bear the fame Title, and are bound together; viz.

Thyeftes, a Tragedy tranflated out of Seneca; printed in octavo Lond. 1674. and dedicated to Bennet, Lord Sherrard.

Mock Thyeftes, a Farce in Burlesque Verse ; and printed 4°. Lond. 1674 In commendation of these two Plays, there is a Copy of Verses, written by Mr. O. Talisbury; which begins

thus:

Did Seneca now live, himself would fay,
That your Tranflation has not wrong'd his Play;
But that in every Page, in every Line,
Your Language does with equal fplendor shine,&c.

William WYTCHERLEY.

A Gentleman, whom I may boldly reckon amongst the Poets of the Firft Rank: no Man that I know, except the Excellent Johnson, having outdone him in Comedy; in which alone he has imploy'd his Pen, but with that Succefs, that few have before, or will hereafter match him. His Plays are four in Number; viz. Country Wife, a Comedy acted at the Theatre-Royal, and printed 4o. Lond. 1683. This is reckon'd an Admirable Play.

Gentleman Dancing-Mafter, a Comedy acted

at

at the Duke's Theatre; and printed in quarto Lond. 1673.

Love in a Wood, or Saint James's Park; a Comedy, acted at the Theatre-Royal, by His Majefty's Servants; printed 4° Lond. 1672. and dedicated to the Dutchefs of Cleveland.

Plain Dealer, a Comedy acted at the Theatre-Royal, by His Majefty's Servants; printed 4. Lond. 1678. and dedicated to Madam B-----Of this Play and its Author, Mr. Dryden fays thus: "The Author of the Plain Dealer, whom 'I am proud to call My Friend, has oblig'd'all' 'Honeft and Virtuous Men, by One of the most 'Bold, most General, and most Useful Satyrs, 'which has been prefented on the English The'atre. But notwithstanding this Admirable Character, I must take the Freedom to alledge, That our Author has borrow'd his chief Characters of Manly and Olivia, from Molliere's Le Mifanthrope; that of Major Old-fox, from Scarron's City Romance; and that of Vernifh his feizing Fidelia, and difcovering her Sex, may poffibly be founded on Silvia Molliere's Memoires. But notwithstanding all this, the Play is Excellent in its kind; and the Author's Character is justly drawn by Mr. Evelyn :

As long as Men are falfe, and Women vain,
While Gold continues to be Virtues bane,
In pointed Satyr Wycherley fhall Reign.

Robert YARRINGTON.

An Ancient Writer in Queen Elizabeth's Time; who has publifht a Play, call'd Two Tragedies in One. The One, of the Murther of Mr. Beech a Chandler, in Thames-ftreet, and his Boy; done by Thomas Mern: The Other,of a Young Child, murther'd in a Wood by two Ruffins, with the Confent of his Uncle; printed in quarto Lond. 1601.

WE

Supposed Authors.

E are now arriv'd at thofe Authors, whofe Names are not certainly known, who difcover themfelves only to their Friends in private, and disguise themselves from the Knowledgeof the World by Two Letters only: part of which we shall unriddle in the following Account.

R. A. Gent.

This Author writ a Play, call'd The Valiant Welchman, or The True Chronicle Hiftory of the Life and Valiant Deeds of Charadoc, the Great King of Cambria, now call'd Wales. This Play has been fundry times acted by the Prince of Wales his Servants; but printed 4°. Lond. 1653. Forthe Plot of this Play, 'tis founded on

true