An account of the English dramatick poets, or, Some observations and remarks on the lives and writings of all those that have publish'd either comedies, tragedies, tragi-comedies, pastorals, masques, interludes, farces or opera's in the English tongue by Gerard Langbaine.

William ROWLY.

An Author that flourish'd in the Reign of King Charles the First; and was sometime a Member of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge. I can say nothing further of his Life or Country; but as to his Poetry, and his intimate Acquaint∣ance with the prime Poets of that Age, I can speak at large. He was not only beloved by those Great Men, Shakespear, Fletcher, and John∣son; but likewise writ with the former, The Birth of Merlin. Besides what he joyned in writing with Poets of the second Magnitude, as Heywood, Middleton, Day and Webster; as you may see under each of their Names; our Author has four Plays in print of his own Writing, of which take the following Ac∣count; viz.

All's lost by Lust, a Tragedy divers times acted by the Lady Elizabeth's Servants; and with great applause at the Phoenix in Drury-Lane, and printed 4^o. Lond. 1633. This is a good old Play, and the Story it self may be read in the Spanish Histories: See Mariana Lib. 21, 22, 23. Suritta's Annales, &c. Lib. 1. C. 1. Turquet, L. 5. C. 30. As to Margaretta's De∣sign'd Revenge on her Husband Antonio, read the Unfortunate Lovers, Novel the 3.

Match at Midnight, a pleasant Comedy, acted by the Children of the Revels; and printed 4^o. Lond. 1633. The Plot of Alexander Blood∣hound's being hid by Jarvis under the Widow's Bed, is founded on an old Story inserted in the English Rogue, part 4. Ch. 19.

Shoomaker's a Gentleman, a Comedy printed 4^o. Lond. — Not having this Play by me at present, I cannot inform my Reader where It was acted, or when printed. But this I know, that it has not many Years since been revived at the Theatre in Dorset-Garden, and been for∣merly acted abroad in the Country: and the Comical part of it, is an usual Entertainment at Bartholomew and Southwarke Fairs; it be∣ing a Copy to which all Stroling Companies lay claim to. The Play is founded on a stitcht Pamphlet in quarto, called The History of the Gentle-Craft. The Reader may find an Epi∣logue printed in Duffet's Poems, p. 60. writ for this Play, when 'twas revived.

New Wonder, a Woman never vext; a plea∣sant Comedy, sundry times acted, and printed 4^o. Lond. 1632. That passage of the Widows finding her Wedding-Ring, which she dropp'd in crossing the Thames, in the Belly of a Fish which her Maid bought accidentally in the Market, is founded either upon the Story of Polycrates of Samos, as the Author may read at large in Herodotus, Lib. 3. sive Thalia; or upon the like Story related of one Anderson of Newcastle, by Doctor Fuller, in his Worthies of England.

I know of nothing else written by our Au∣thor, neither can I tell the time of his Death, and therefore I must leave it to Persons of better Information to acquaint the World, with more particulars of his Life, whilst I hasten to an Account of his Names sake.