a

he opened a theatre in Rutland-house, Charter-house-yard, on the 21st of May, 1656, and performed a kind of non-descript entertainments, as they were called, which were dramatic in every thing but the names and form, and some of them were called operas. When he found these relished and tolerated, he proceeded to more regular pieces, and with such advantages in style and manner, as, in the judgment of the historians of the stage, entitle him to the honour of being not only the reviver, but the improver, of the legitimate drama. These pieces he afterwards revised, and published in a more perfect state, and they now form the principal part of his printed works, although modern taste has long excluded them from the stage.

On the Restoration, he received the patent of a playhouse, under the title of the Duke's Company, who first performed in the theatre in Portugal-row, Lincoln's Inn Fieids, and afterwards in that in Dorset Gardens. Here he acted his former plays, and such new ones as he wrote after this period, and enjoyed the public favour until his death, April 7, 1668, in bis sixty-third year. He was interred with considerable ceremony, two days after, in Westminster Abbey, near the place where the remains of May, his once rival, had been pompously buried by the parliament, but were ordered to be removed. On his gravestone is inscribed, in imitation of Ben Jonson's short epitaph,

0 rare sir William Davenant !" His son, Dr. Charles Davenant, was afterwards a well-known civilian and political writer.

The life of Sir William Davenant occupies an important space in the history of the stage, to which he was in many respects a judicious benefactor, by introducing changes of scenery and decorations; but he assisted in banishing Shakspeare, to make way for dramas that are now intolerable. He appears to have been, in his capacity

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, of manager, as in every part of life, a man of sound and original sense, firm in bis enterprises, and intent to gratify the taste of the public, with little advantage to himself, as he died insolvent. The greater part of his works was published in his lifetime in quarto; but they were collected in 1673 into one large folio volume, dedi. cated by his widow to the duke of York.

As a poet, his fame rests chiefly on his Gondibert; but the critics have never been agreed in the share be derives from it. The reader, who declines to judge for himself, may have ample satifaction in the opinions of the late bishop Hurd, and of Dr. Aikin, as detailed in the conclusion of his life in the Biographia Britannica. It will probably be found, on an unprejudiced perusal of this original and very singular poem, that the opinions of Dr. Aikin and Mr. Headley are founded on those principles of taste and feeling which cannot be easily opposed : yet, in considering the objections of Dr. Hurd, allowance is to be made for one who is so powerful and elegant an advocate for the authorised qualities of the epic species, and for arguments which, if they do not attach closely to this poem, may yet be worthy of the consideration of those whose inventive fancy leads them principally to novelty of manner,

3 The reader, who is curious in such matters, may be referred to Davenant's life in the Biographia Britannica, and to Mr. Malone's History of the Stage, where he will find a minute detail of Davenant's various grants,' licence's, and disputes with his rival managers. C.

and who are apt to confound the arbitrary caprices with the genuine powers of a poet.

His miscellaneous pieces, of which we have been obliged to confine ourselves to a selection, are of very unequal merit. Most of them were probably written in youth, and but few can be reprinted with the hope of satisfying a polished taste. Complimentary poetry, so much the fashion in his times, 'is now perused with indifference, if not disgust; and although the gratitude which inspired it may have been sincere, it is not highly relished by the honest independence which belongs to the sons of the Muses.

TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS.

Your Highness is no sooner return'd from exposing your person, for the honour and safety of three kingdoms, but you are persecuted by a poor widow, who humbly. begs you to protect the works of her deceased husband from the envy and malice of this censorious age: for whoever sees your royal highness's name in the front of this book, and dares oppose, what you are pleased to defend, not only shows his weakness, but ill nature too.

I have often heard (and I have some reason to believe) that your royal father, of ever blessed memory, was not displeased with his writings; that your most excellent mother did graciously take him into her family; that she was often diverted by him, and as often smiled upon his endeavors; I am sure he made it the whole study and labour of the latter part of his life, to entertain his majesty, and your royal highness, and I hope he did it successfully.

When ever we are, or when ever we fear to be opprest, we always fly to your highness for redress or prevention, and you were ever graciously pleased to protect us; 'tis that has emboldened me to present these papers to your royal highness, and I humbly beg pardon for the presumption of

your most humble

and obedient servant

MARY DAVENANT.

READER,

I HIRE present you with a collection of all those pieces sir William Davenant ever designed for the press: in his life-time he often expressed to me his great desire to see them in one volume, which (in honour to his memory) with a great deal of care and pains, I have now accomplished.

In this work you have Gondibert, Madagascar, &c. to which is added several poems and copies of verses never before printed; amongst them, there is the death of Astragon, called, the Philosopher's Disquisition, directed to the dying Christian, which the author intended as an addition to Gondibert. In this volume you have likewise sixteen plays, whereof six were never before printed.

My author was poet laureat to two great kings, which certainly bespeaks his merits; besides I could say much in honour of this excellent person, but I intend not his panegyric; he was my worthy friend, let his works that are now before you, speak his praise, whilst I subscribe my self,

your servant

HENRY HERRINGMAN.

1

! The bookseller, who collected Davenant's works. C.