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to the Right Honourable William, Earl of Newcastle afterwards Marquefs, and Duke. This Play is recommended by a Copy of Verfes,. writ by Mr. William Atkins, a Gentleman of the Worthy Society of Grays-Inn.

Triumph of Peace, a Mafque prefented by the Four Honourable Houses, or Inns of Court, before the King and Queen's Majefties, in the Banquetting-boufe at Whitebal, Feb. the third 1633. The Scene and Ornament was the Contrivance of Mr. Inigo Jones: the Mufick was Compofed by Mr. William Laws, and Mr. Simon Ives. The Mafque is dedicated to the Four Equal, Honourable Societies of the Inns of Court; Mr. Shirley being at that time of GraysInn. The Mafquers went in a Solemn Cavalcade, from Ely Houfe to Whitehall; and the Author himself fays, That this Mafque, for the Variety of the Shews, and the Richness of the Habits, was the moft Magnificent that hath been brought to Court in his Time. 'Tis printed 40. Lond. 1633. I have a little Piece by me, call'd The Inns of Court Anagrammatist, or The Mafquers mafqued in Anagrammes; written by Mr. Francis Lenton, One of Her Majefty's Poets; and printed 40. Lond. 1634. This Piece not only names the Masquers, and of what House they were; but commends each in an Epigram.

Saint Patrick for Ireland, the First part; printed 4°. Lond. 1640. Tho' our Title-page calls it the First part,I know not whether there was ever a Second part printed; tho' the Prologue feems to promife one, in the following Lines:

Saint

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Saint Patrick, whofe large Story cannot be
Bound in the limits of One Play, if Te
Firft welcome this, you'l grace our Poets Art,
And give him courage for a Second Part.

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For the Story, fee Bede's Life of St. Patrick; Sigebert, Baronius, Balaus, Seven Champions of Christendom His Life in English in Twelves, Lond. 16---

Wedding, a Tragi-comedy acted by Her Majesty's Servants, at the Phenix in Drury-lane; printed 4°. Lond. 1690. and dedicated to William Gowre, Efquire. This is an Excellent Comedy, confidering the Time in which 'twas writ.

Witty Fair One, a Comedy prefented at the Private-house in Drury-lane; and printed 40. Lond. 1633. This Play is dedicated to Sir Ed mund Bufbel.

Young Admiral, a Tragi-comedy presented by Her Majesty's Servants, at the Private-house in Drury-lane; printed 40. Lond. 1637. and dedicated to the Right Honourable George, Lord Barkley, of Barkley-Castle.

These are all the Plays that our Author has in print in Quarto; we are now to give an Account of Nine Dramatick pieces printed in Octavo. We shall begin with Six Plays, which are printed together; vie.

Brothers, a Comedy acted at the Privatehouse in Black-fryars; printed 80. Lond. 1652. and dedicated to his Noble Friend Thomas Stanley, Efq;

Cardinal, a Tragedy acted at the Private-
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houfe in Black-fryars; printed 8°. Lond. 1652. and dedicated to his Friend G. B. Efq;

Court Secret, a Tragi-comedy, prepared for the Scene at Black-fryars, but not acted till after it appeared in print; it being printed 80. Lond. 1653. and dedicated to William, Earl of Strafford, Son and Heir to that Great Soul of Honour, Thomas Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and the Proto-martyr for Religion and Loyalty, in the Year 1641.

Doubtful Herr, a Tragi-comedy, acted at the Private-houfe in Black-fryars; printed 8°.. Lond. 1652. and dedicated to the Worthily Honoured Friend, Sir Edmund Bowyer. The Queen's Courting Rofania, under the Disguise of a Page, and the King's Surprizing them, has Refemblance to a Story in the English Adventures, 8°. part 3. between King Hemy, Izabella, and Horatio.

Imposture, a Tragi-comedy acted at the Private-house in Black-fryars,and printed 8° Lond. 1652. 'Tis dedicated to Sir Robert Bolles, Ba

ronet.

Sifters, a Comedy acted at the Private-house in Black-fryars, and printed 80, Lond. 1652. 'Tis dedicated to William Paulet, Efq;

Having given an Account of these Six Plays, I am now to fpeak of Two others, which are printed together in 8°. Lond. 16----- viz.

Honoria and Mammon, a Comedy, which is built upon that Entertainment before mentioned, called Contention for Honour and Riches. I fhall refer my Reader to the Author's Epiftle, for further Satisfaction of the Reafon of his Undertakings. Con

Contention of Ajax and Ulyffes, for the Armour of Achilles. This Interlude was nobly reprefented (fays the Author) by Young Gentlemen of Quality, at a private Entertainment of fome Perfons of Honour. The Defign is taken from Ovid's Metamorphofts, Book the 13. See the beginning.

There refts only his Poems to be fpoken of, printed octavo Lond. 1646. to which is added a Mafque, call'd

ג'

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Triumph of Beauty, perfonated by fome Young Gentlemen, for whom it was intended, at a private Recreation. The Subject of this Mafque, is that known Story of the Judgment of Paris, upon the Golden-Ball; which you may read in Lucians Dialogues: But our Author has imitated Shakespear, in the Comical part of his Midsummer Nights Dream; and Shirley's Shepheard Bottle, is but a Copy of Shakespear's Bottom, the Weaver.

I fhall conclude this Account, with Four Lines writ in our Author's Commendation, by One Mr. Hall; who in the Title of his Panegyrick tiles him, The Surviving Honour and Ornament of the English Scene: and in the End, concludes thus:

Yet this I dare affert, when Men have nam'à Johnson (the Nation's Laureat,) the fam'd Beaumont, and Fletcher, he, that cannot fee Shirley, the fourth, muft forfeit bis beft Eye.

Sir Charles SIDLEY.

A Gentleman whofe Name fpeaks a greater Hh 3

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Panegyrick, than I am able to exprefs; and
whole Wit is fo well known to this Age,that I
fhould but tarnish its Luftre, by my Endeavour-
ing to deliver it over to the next: His Wit is
too Noble a Subject to need any Herald to pro-
claim its Titles and Pedigree; or if it did, my
Voice and Skill are too weak, to found out his
Praises in their due measures. I fhall therefore
only content my felf, as the Vallys, that have
no Voice of their own, to eccho out his Me-
rits at the Second-hand; and give you part of
his Character, from a Perfon whofe Honour
and Pride it is, to have a confiderable share in
his Friendfhip: I mean Mr. Shadwell, who
in his Epiftle Dedicatory to The True Wi-
dow, fays, "That he has heard him fpeak
more Wit at a Supper, than all his Adver-
faries, with their Heads joyn'd together,
'could write in a Year. That his Writings
'are not unequal to any Man's of this Age, (not
'to fpeak of Abundance of Excellent Copies of
'Verfes). That he has in the Mulberry Garden,
'fhown the true Wit, Humour, and Satyr of a
"Comedy; and in Anthony and Cleopatra, the
'true Spirit of a Tragedy. But least this might
be thought Partiality or Flattery in our Lau-
reat,give me leave to tranfcribe another part of
his Character, from an Unquestionable Judge of
Poetry, the great Ornament of the Muses, the
Lord Rochester, in his Imitation of Horace's
Tenth Satyr of the First Book.

Sidley, has that prevailing gentle Art,
That can with a refiftles Charm impart,
The loofeft Wishes, to the chafteft Heart,

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