43 Pretended-i. e. designed. This use of the verb, to pretend, is common in Shakespeare:"What good could they pretend?" Macbeth.

EDITION.

The famous Tragedy of The Rich Jew of Malta. As it was played before the King and Queene, in his Majesties Theatre, at Whitehall, by her Majesties Servauts at the Cock Pit. Written by Christopher Marlow. London, printed by J. B. for Nicholas Vavasour; and are to be sold at his shop in the Inner Temple, neere the church. 1633. 4to.

280

THE WITS.

BY

SIR WILLIAM DAVENANT.

SIR WILLIAM DAVENANT was the younger son of Mr John Davenant, a citizen of Oxford, who kept the Crown Tavern there. He was born in the month of February, 1605, and received the first rudiments of polite learning from Mr Edward Sylvester, who was then master of a grammar school in the parish of All Saints, Oxford. In 1621 he was entered a member of Lincoln College, where he stayed but a short time before he removed to London, and became first page to Frances duchess of Richmond. He afterwards went into the family of sir Fulk Grevile, lord Brooke, where he continued until the unfortunate catastrophe of that nobleman. He spent the next eight years of his life in a constant attendance at court, where he was universally well received, and very highly caressed; and in that period he was so unlucky as to engage in an amour, the consequence of which deprived him of his nose. Upon the death of Ben Jonson, in 1637, he succeeded him as Poet Laureat. On the breaking out of the troubles, he early engaged on behalf of the king; and in May, 1641, was accused to the parliament of a design to bring up the army for the defence of the king's person, and the support of his authority. On this occasion he absconded; but a proclamation being issued out against him, he was stopt at Feversham, sent up to town, and put into the custody of a serjeant at arms. In the month of July he was bailed, and he determined to withdraw into France; but was again seized in Kent, by the mayor of Canterbury. He, however, at last effected his purpose of retiring beyond the seas, and continued there for some time. But the queen sending over some military stores for the use of the earl of Newcastle; sir William was induced to come over with them, and offered his service to that nobleman, who appointed him, very absurdly, to the post of lieutenant general of the ordnance. In September 1643, he received the honour of knighthood at the siege of Gloucester. It does not appear when he quitted the army; but after the king's affairs began to decline, he judged it neces sary to retire into France, where he was well received by the queen; and in the summer 1646, was entrusted with a negociation of importance, while the king was at Newcastle. Before this time he had embraced the Roman Catholic religion, which probably was the reason of his being em ployed at this period. On his return to Paris, he formed a design of going to Virginia, and ac cordingly embarked at one of the ports at Normandy; but was, almost immediately after he sailed, taken and carried into the Isle of Wight by one of the parliament ships of war, and committed close prisoner to Cowes Castle. În October 1650, he was ordered to be tried by a high commission court, and for that purpose he was conveyed to the Tower of London. It is generally imagined, he owed his life to the interposition of Milton, who, in return, a few years after, was saved at his intercession. After continuing more than two years a prisoner in the Tower, he was released; and in 1656, obtained leave to open a kind of theatre in Rutland-house, where he performed several dramatic entertainments. Upon the commotions which preceded the restoration, he was again imprisoned, but quickly released. Soon after the restoration, he obtained one of the patents granted for the forming a company of players, and opened the Duke's Theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields, where he first introduced painted scenes. He continued to act there until the time of his death; the new and magnificent theatre, built in Dorset Gardens, to which the company afterwards removed, not being finished at the time of his death. He died at his house in Little Lincoln's Inn Fields, April 7, 1668, at the age of 63, and was buried near Chaucer's monument, ia Westminster Abbey; the whole company attending his funeral.

He was the author of

1. Albovine, King of the Lombards, his tragedy. 4to, 1629.

2. The Cruel Brother, a tragedy, acted at the Private House, in Black Fryers. 4to, 1630.

3. The Just Italian, presented at the Private House, in Black Friars. 4to, 1630.

4. The Temple of Love, a masque, presented by the Queen's Majesty, at Whitehall. to, 1634. 5. The Triumph, of Prince D'Amour, a masque, presented by his Highness, at his palace in the Middle Temple, the 24 Feb. 1635. 4to, 1635.

6. The Platonic Lovers, a tragi-comedy, presented at the Private House, Black Friars. 4to,

1636. 8vo, 1666.

7. The Wits, a comedy, presented at the Private House, in Black Friars. 4to, 1636. 8vo, 1665. 8. Britannia Triumphans, a masque, presented at Whitehall by the King's Majesty and his Lords, on the Sunday after Twelfth Night, 1637. 4to, 1637.

9. Saimacida Spolia, a masque, presented by the King and Queen's Majesties, at Whitehall, on Tuesday the 21 day of January, 1639. 4to, 1639.

10. The Unfortunate Lovers, a tragedy. 4to, 1643. 4to, 1649.

11. Love and Honour, presented by his Majesties Servants at the Black Friars. 4to, 1649.

12. The First Day's Entertainment at Rutland House, by declamation and music, after the manner of the ancients. 4to, 1656.

13. The Siege of Rhodes, made a representation by the art of prospective in scenes; and the story sung in recitative music, at the back part of Rutland House, in the upper end of Aldersgate-street, London. 4to, 1656.

14. The Siege of Rhodes, the First and Second Part; as they were lately represented at the Duke of York's Theatre, in Lincoln's-Inn-Fields. The First Part being lately enlarged. 4to, 1663.

15. The Rivals, a comedy, acted by the Duke of York's Servants. 4to, 1668. This is taken from The Two Noble Kinsmen. By Shakespeare and Fletcher.

16. The Man's the Master, a comedy. 4to, 1669.

The six following plays were first printed in the folio edition of Sir William Davenant's Works,

in 1673.

66

17. The Fair Favourite, a tragi-comedy.

18. The Law against Love's, a tragi-comedy, taken from Measure for Measure.

19. News from Plymouth, a comedy.

20. The Playhouse to be let, a comedy.

21. The Siege, a tragi-comedy.

22. The Distresses, a tragi-comedy.

23. Macbeth, a tragedy, with all the alterations, amendments, additions, and new songs; as acted at the Duke's Theatre. 4to, 1674.

Downes the prompter, who ascribes this alteration to Sir William Davenant, observes of it, that being drest in all its finery, as new clothes, new scenes, machines as flyings for the witches, with all the singing and dancing in it. The first composed by Mr Lock, the other by Mr Channell and Mr Joseph Priest; it being all excellently performed, being in the nature of an opera, it recompensed double the expence." In this play, Nat. Lee, the poet, made his unsuccessful attempt in acting. He performed the part of Duncan.

Sir William Davenant joined with Dryden in altering the Tempest; and the names of both those writers are put to an alteration of Julius Cæsar. Printed 12mo, 1719. Sir William Davenant's Works are printed in folio. 1673.

SIR,

TO THE CHIEFLY BELOVED

OF ALL THAT ARE INGENIOUS AND NOBLE,

ENDYMION PORTER,

OF HIS MAJESTY'S BEDCHAMBER,

Though you covet not acknowledgments, receive what belongs to you by a double title: your goodness hath preserved life in the author; then rescued his work from a cruel faction, which nothing but the forces of your reason, and your reputation, could subdue. If it become your pleasure now, as when it had the advantage of presentation on the stage, I shall be taught to boast some merit in myself; but with this inference, you still (as in that doubtful day of my trial) endeavour to make shew of so much justice, as may countenance the love you bear to Your most obliged, and thankful humble servant,

WILLIAM DAVENANT,

TO THE READER OF

MR WILLIAM DAVENANT'S PLAY.

THE PROLOGUE.

283

THE WITS. *

ACT I.

Sir William Davenant seems to have borrowed the hint of this plot from Beaumont and Fletcher's Wit at several Weapons.