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THOMAS DECKER.

Thomas Decker, a great pains-taker in the Dramatick strain, and as highly conceited of those pains he took; a high-flyer in wit, even against Ben Johnson himself, in his Comedy, call’d, The untrussing of the humorous Poet.  Besides which he wrote also, The Honest Whore, in two Parts; Fortunatus; If this ben’t a good Play the Devil’s in’t; Match me in London; The Wonder of a Kingdom; The Whore of Babylon, all of them Comedies.  He was also an associate with John Webster in several well entertain’d Plays, viz.  Northward, hoe?  The Noble Stranger; New trick to cheat the Devil; Westward, hoe?  The Weakest goes to the Wall; And A Woman will have her will:  As also with Rowley and Ford in the Witch of Edmunton, a Tragi-Comedy; And also Wiat’s History with Webster.

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JOHN MARSTON.

John Marston was one whose fluent Pen both in a Comick and Tragick strain, made him to be esteemed one of the chiefest of our English Dramaticks, both for solid judgment, and pleasing variety.  His Comedies are, the Dutch Curtezan; the Fawn; What you will.  His Tragedies, Antonio and Melida; Sophonisba; the insatiate Countess:  Besides the Malecontent, a Tragi-Comedy; and the faithful Shepherd, a Pastoral.

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Dr. JASPER MAIN.

He was in his youth placed a Student of Christ-Church in Oxford, a Nursery of many and excellent good wits, where he lived for many years in much credit and reputation for his florid wit and ingenious vein in Poetry, which diffused itself in all the veins and sinews thereof; making it (according to its right use) an Handmaid to Theology.  In his younger years he wrote two very ingenious and well-approved Comedies, viz. the City Match, and the Amorous War, both which, in my judgment, comparable to the best written ones of that time; Nor did he after his application to Theology, of which he was Doctor, and his Ecclesiastical preferment, totally relinquish those politer Studies to which he was before addicted, publishing Lucian’s Works, of his own translating, into English, besides many other things of his composing, not yet publish’d.

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JAMES SHIRLEY.

Mr. James Shirley may justly claim a more than ordinary place amongst our English Poets, especially for his Dramatick Poetry, being the fourth for number who hath written most Plays, and for goodness little inferiour to the best of them all.  His Comedies, in number twenty two, are these; The Ball, the Bird in a Cage, the Brothers, Love in a Maze, the Constant Maid, Coronation, Court Secret, the Example,