26. Titus Andronicus, a Tragedy.

27. Romeo and Juliet, a Tragedy; the plot from Bandello's Novels. This is perhaps one of the most affecting plays of Shakespear: it was not long fince acted fourteen nights together at both houfes, at the fame time, and it was a few years before revived and acted twelve nights with applause at the "little theatre in the Haymarket.

28. Timon of Athens, a Tragedy; the plot from Lucian's Dialogues..

29. Julius Cæfar, a Tragedy.

I

30. The Tragedy of Macbeth; the plot from Buchanan, and other Scotch writers,

31. Hamlet Prince of Denmark, a Tragedy. 32. King Lear, a Tragedy; for the plot fee Leland, Monmouth.

33. Othello the Moor of Venice, a Tragedy; the plot from Cynthio's Novels.

34. Anthony and Cleopatra; the ftory from Plutarch.

35. Cymbeline, a Tragedy; the plot from Boctace's Novels.

36. Pericles Prince of Tyre, an historical play. 37. The London Prodigal, a Comedy.

38. The Life and Death of Thomas Lord Cromwell, the favourite of King Henry VIII.

39. The Hiftory of Sir John Oldcastle, the good, Lord Cobham, a Tragedy. See Fox's Book of Martyrs.

f

40. The Puritan, or the Widow of Watling-street, a Comedy.

41. A Yorkshire Tragedy; this is rather an Interlude than. a Tragedy, being very short, and not divided into Acts. to m

42. The Tragedy of Locrine, the eldest fon of King Brutus. See the ftory in Milton's Hiftory of England.

t

Our age; which demonftrates its taste in nothing fo truly and justly as in the admiration it pays to

the

the works of Shakespear, has had the honour of raifing a monument for him in Westminster Abbey; to effect which, the Tragedy of Julius Cæfar was acted at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, April 28, 1738, and the profits arifing from it depofited in the hands of the earl of Burlington, Mr. Pope, Dr. Mead, and others, in order to be laid out upon the said monument. A new Prologue and Epilogue were spoken on that occafion; the Prologue was written by Benjamin Martyn efquire; the Epilogue by the hon. James Noel efquire, and spoke by Mrs. Porter. On Shakespear's monument there is a noble epitaph, taken from his own Tempeft, and is excellently appropriated to him; with this let us clofe his life, only with this observation, that his works will never be forgot, 'till that epitaph.is fulfilled.→→→ When

The cloud capt towers, the gorgeous pala

ces,

The folemn temples, the great globe itself
And all which it inherit fhall diffolve,
And like the bafelefs fabric of a vision
Leave not a wreck behind.

T

******

JOSHUA SYLVESTER,

HE translator of the famous Du Bartas's Weeks and Works; was cotemporary with George Chapman, and flourished in the end of Elizabeth and King James's reign; he was called by the poets in his time, the filver-tongu'd Sylvefter, but it is doubtful whether he received any academical education. In his early years he is reported to have been a merchant adventurer *. Queen

* Athenæ Oxon. p. 594.

Elizabeth is faid to have had a refpect for him, her fucceffor ftill a greater, and Prince Henry greater than his father; the prince fo valued our bard, that he made him his firft Poet-Penfioner. He was not more celebrated for his poetry, than his extraordinary private virtues, his iobriety and fincere attachment to the duties of religion. He was alfo remarkable for his fortitude and refolution in combating adverfity: we are further told that he was perfectly acquainted with the French, Italian, Latin, Dutch and Spanish languages. And it is. related of him, that by endeavouring to correct the vices of the times with too much afperity, he expofed himself to the refentment of thofe in power, who fignified their displeasure, to the mortification and trouble of the author. Our poet gained more reputation by the tranflation of Du Bartas, than by any of his own compofitions. Befides his Weeks and Works, he tranflated feveral other productions of that author, namely, || Eden, the Deceit, the Furies, the Handicrafts, the Ark, Babylon, the Colonies, the Columns, the Fathers, Jonas, Urania, Triumph of Faith, Miracle of Peace, the Vocation, the Daw; the Captains, the Trophies, the Magnificence, &c. alfo a Paradox of Odes de la Nove, Baron of Teligni with the Quadrians of Pibeac; all which translations were generally well received; but for his own works, which were bound up with them, they received not, fays Winftanley, fo general an approbation, as may be feen by thefe verfes :

Not kindled before by others pains,

As often thou haft wanted brains.

In the year 1618 this author died at Middleburgh in Zealand, aged 55 years, and had the fol. lowing epitaph made on him by his great admirer John Vicars beforementioned, but we do not find that it was put upon his tomb-stone.

Here lies (death's too rich prize) the corpfe interr'd

Of Joshua Sylvefter Du Bartas Pier;

A man of arts beft parts, to God, man, dear; In foremost rank of poets beft preferr'd.

W

SAMUEL DANIEL

AS the fon of a mufic mafter, and born near Taunton in Somersetshire, in the year 1562. In 1579 he was admitted a commoner in Magdalen Hall in Oxford, where he remained about three years, and by the affiftance of an excellent tutor, made a very great proficiency in academical learning; but his genius inclining him more to ftudies of a gayer and fofter kind, he quitted the Univerfity, and applied himfelf to history and poetry. His own merit, added to the recommendation of his brother in law, (John Florio, fo well known for his Italian Dictionary) procured him the patronage of Queen Anne, the confort of King James I. who was pleased to confer on him the honour of being one of the Grooms of the Privy-Chamber, which enabled him to rent a houfe near London, where privately he compofed many of his dramatic pieces. He was VOL. I. N° 3. H

tutor

tutor to Lady Ann Clifford, and on the death of the great Spenfer, he was appointed Poet Laureat to Queen Elizabeth. Towards the end of his life he retired to a farm which he had at Beckington near Philips-Norton in Somersetshire, where after fome time spent in the fervice of the Mufes, and in religious contemplation, he died in the year 1619. He left no iffue by his wife Juftina, to whom he was married feveral years. Wood fays, that in the wall over his grave there is this infcrip

tion;

Here lies expecting the fecond coming of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, the dead body of Samuel Daniel efquire, that excellent poet and hiftorian, who was tutor to Lady Ann Clifford in her youth, fhe that was daughter and heir to George Clifford earl of Cumberland; who in gratitude to him erected this monument to his memory, a long time after, when she was Countess Dowager of Pembroke, Dorfet and Montgomery. He died in October, Anno 1619.

Mr. Daniel's poetical works, confifting of dramatic and other pieces, are as follow;

1. The Complaint of Rofamond.

2. A Letter from Octavia to Marcus Antonius, 8vo. 1611.

Thefe two pieces refemble each other, both in fubject and file, being written in the Ovidian manner, with great tenderness and variety of paffion. The meafure is Stanzas of feven lines. Let the following fpecimen fhew the harmony and delicacy of his numbers, where he makes Rofamond fpeak of beauty in as expreffive a manmer as defcription can reach.

Ah!