The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) eBook

Theodore Watts-Dunton
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 363 pages of information about The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753).

The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) eBook

Theodore Watts-Dunton
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 363 pages of information about The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753).

8.  A Woman kill’d with Kindness, a comedy acted by the Queen’s Servants with applause, 1617.

9.  If you know not Me, you know Nobody; or the Troubles of Queen Elizabeth, in Two parts, 1623.  The plot taken from Camden, Speed, and other English Chronicles in the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

10.  The Royal King, and Loyal Subject, a tragi-comedy, 1627, taken partly from Fletcher’s Loyal Subject.

The Fair Maid of the West, or a Girl worth Gold, 1631.  This play was acted before the King and Queen.  Our author in his epistle prefixed to this play, pleads modesty in not exposing his plays to the public view of the world in numerous sheets, and a large volume under the title of Works, as others, by which he would seem tacitly to arraign some of his cotemporaries for ostentation, and want of modesty.  Langbaine is of opinion, that Heywood in this case levelled the accusation at Ben Johnson, since no other poet, in those days, gave his plays the pompous title of Works, of which Sir John Suckling has taken notice in his session, of the poets.

  The first that broke silence, was good old Ben,
  Prepar’d before with Canary wine;
  And he told them plainly, that he deserved the bays,
  For his were called works, where others were but plays.

There was also a distich directed by some poet of that age to Ben Johnson,

  Pray tell me, Ben, where does the mystery lurk? 
  What others call a play, you call a work.

Which was thus answered by a friend of his,

  The author’s friend, thus for the author says,
  Ben’s plays are works, when others works are plays.

12.  Fair Maid of the West, or a Girl worth Gold, the second part; acted likewise before the King and Queen with success, dedicated to Thomas Hammond, of Gray’s-Inn, Esq;

13.  The Dutchess of Suffolk, an historical play 1631.  For the play see Fox’s Martyrology, p. 521.

14.  The English Traveller, a tragi-comedy, acted at the Cock-pit in Drury-lane, 1633, dedicated to Sir Henry Appleton, the plot from Plautus Mostellaria.

15.  A Maidenhead well lost, a comedy acted in Drury-lane, 1634.

16.  The Four London Apprentices, with the Conquest of Jerusalem; an historical play, acted by the Queen’s servants 1635.  It is founded on the history of Godfrey of Bulloign.  See Tasso, Fuller’s history of the holy war, &c.

17.  A Challenge for Beauty; a tragi-comedy, acted by the King’s servants in Black-Fryers, 1636.

18.  The Fair Maid of the Exchance; with the Merry Humours of the Cripple of Fen-church, a comedy, 1637.

19.  The Wise Woman of Hogsden; a comedy, acted with applause, 1638.

20.  The Rape of Lucrece, a Roman Tragedy, acted at the Red Bull, 1638.  Plot from Titus Livius.

21.  Love’s Mistress, or the Queen’s Mask; presented several times before their Majesties, 1640.  For the plot see Apuleius’s Golden Ass.

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The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.