25. Mafque, at the Lord Viscount Hadington's Marriage at Court, on Shrove Tuesday at night, 1608. 26. Mafque of Augurs, with feveral Antimafques, prefented on Twelfth Night, 1608. 27. Mafque of Owls, at Kenelworth, prefented by the Ghoft of Captain Cox, mounted on his Hobby-Horfe, 1626. 28. Mafque of Queens celebrated from the Houfe of Fame, by the Queen of Great Britain with her Ladies at Whitehall, 1609. 29. Mafque, prefented in the house of lord Hay by feveral noblemen, 1617, for the French ambaffador. 30. Metamorphofed Gypfies, a Mafque, thrice prefented to King James, 1621. 31. Mercury vindicated from the Alchymift's, at Court. 32. Mortimer's Fall, a Tragedy, or rather a fragment, being just begun and left imperfect by his death. 33. Neptune's Triumph for the return of Albi. on, in a Mafque, at court. 34. News from the New World difcovered in the Moon, prefented 1620 at court. 35. Oberon, the Fairy Prince, a Mafque, of Prince Henry's. 36. Pan's Anniversary, or the Shepherd's Heliday, a Mafque, 1625. 37. Pleafure reconciled to Virtue, a Masque, prefented at court,` 1619. 38. Poetafter, or his Arraignment, a comical Satire, first acted in the year 1601. 39. Queen's Mafques, the firft of Blackness, prefented 1605; the fecond of Beauty, was prefented at the fame court 1608. 40. Sad Shepherd, or a Tale of Robin Hood, a Paftoral. 41. Sejanus's Fall, a Tragedy, acted in the year 1603. This play has met with fuccefs, and was ushered M 4 ufhered into the world by nine copies of verfes, one of which was writ by Mr. Chapman. Mr. Gentleman has lately published a Tragedy under the fame title, in which he acknowledges the parts he took from Johnson. 42. Silent Woman, a Comedy, firft acted in the year 1609. This is reckoned one of Ben's best comedies; Mr. Dryden has done it the honour to make fome criticisms upon it. 43. Speeches at Prince Henry's Barriers, printed in folio 1640. 44. Staple of News, a Comedy, acted in the year 1625. 45. Tale of a Tub, a Comedy. 46. Time vindicated to himself and to his Honour, prefented 12 nights, 1623. 47. * Volpone, or the Fox, a Comedy, first acted in the year 1605; this is one of his acted plays. 48. Cafe is altered, a Comedy, acted and printed 1609. 49. Widow, a Comedy, acted at the private house in Black Fryars. 50. New Inn, or the Light Heart, a Comedy, acted 1629. This play did not fucceed to his expectation, and Ben being filled with indignation at the people's want of tafle, wrote an Ode addreffed to himself on that occafion, advifing him to quit the stage, which was answered by Mr. Feltham. *The Alchymift, the Fox, and the Silent Woman, have been oftner acted than all the rest of Ben Johnson's plays put together; they have ever been generally deemed good ftock-plays, and been performed to many crowded audiences, in feveral feparate feafons, with univerfal applaufe. Why the Silent Woman met not with fuccefs, when revived last year at Drury Lane Theatre, let the new critics, or the actors of the New Mcde, determine. Thus Thus have we given a detail of Ben Johnson's works. He is allowed to have been a fcholar, and to have understood and practifed the dramatic rules; but Dryden proves him to have likewise been an unbounded plagiary. Humour was his talent; and he had a happy turn for an epitaph; we cannot better conclude his character`as a poet, than in the nervous lines of the Prologue quoted in the Life of Shakespear. After having fhewn, Shakespear's boundless genius, he continues, Then Johnson came inftructed from the school THOMAS CAREW, Efq; W AS defcended of a very ancient and reputable family of the Carews in Devonshire, and was brother to Matthew Carew, a great royalist, in the time of the rebellion; he had his education in Corpus Chrifti College, but he appears not to have been matriculated as a member, or that he took a fcholaftic degree; afterwards improving his parts by travelling, and converfation with ingenious men in the Metropolis, he acquired fome reputation for his wit and poetry. About this time * Wood's Athen. Oxon. p. 630. vol. i. being taken notice of at court for his ingenuity, he was made Gentleman of the Privy Chamber, and Sewer in ordinary to King Charles I. who always efteemed him to the laft, one of the most celebrated wits about his court . He was much efteemed and refpected by the poets of his time, especially by Ben Johnfon. Sir John Suckling, who had a great kindness for him, could not let him pafs in his feffion of poets without this character. Tom Carew was next, but he had a fault, His mufe was hide-bound, and the iffue of's brain The works of our author are, Poems; firft printed in Octavo, and afterwards being revised and enlarged, there were several editions of them made, the third in 1654, and the fourth in 1670. The fongs in these poems were fet to mufic, or as Wood expreffes it, wedded to the charming notes of Mr. Henry Lawes, at that time the greatest mufical compofer in England, who was Gentleman of the King's Chapel, and one of the private musicians to his Majefty. Cœlum Britannicum; A Mask at Whitehall in the Banquetting Houfe, on Shrove Tuesday-night February 18, 1633, London 1651. This Mafque is commonly attributed to Sir William Davenant. It was performed by the King, the duke of Lenox, earls of Devonshire, Holland, Newport, &c. with feveral other Lords and Noblemen's Sons; he was affifted in the contrivance by Mr. Inigo Jones, the famous architect. The Mafque being written by the King's exprefs command, our author placed this diftich in the front, when printed; Wood's ubi fupra. Non Non habet ingenium: Cæfar fed juffit: habebo Cur me poffe negem, poffe quod ille putat. The following may ferve as a fpecimen of the celebrated fonnets of this elegant writer. BOLDNESS in LovE. Mark how the bafhful morn in vain With fighing blafts, and weeping rain; But when the planet of the day So fhalt thou thrive in love, fond boy; Sir William Davenant has given an honourable testimony in favour of our author, with which I fhall conclude his life, after obferving that this elegant author died, much regretted by fome of the best wits of his time, in the year 1639. Sir William Davenant thus addreffes him, Not that thy verfes are fo fmooth and high What should commend them turns to their dispraise. M 6 Thy |