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.

Nathaniel TATE.

AN Author now living; who tho' he be allow'd to be a Man of Wit and Parts, yet for Dramatick Poetry, he is not above the com∣mon Rank: What he has extant, for the most part is borrow'd; at least we may say, That ge∣nerally he follows other Mens Models, and builds upon their Foundations: for of Eight Plays that are printed under his Name, Six of them owe their Original to other Pens; as we shall shew in the following Account.

Brutus of Alba, or The enchanted Lovers; a Tragedy acted at the Duke's Theatre, printed 4^o. Lond. 1678. and dedicated to the Right Ho∣nourable Charles, Earl of Dorset and Middle∣sex. This Play is founded on Virgil's AEneids, Book the 4^th; and was finished under the Names of Dido and AEneas, but by the Advice of some Friends, was transformed to the Dress it now wears.

Cuckold's Haven, or An Alderman no Conju∣rer; a Farce acted at the Queen's Theatre, in Dorset Garden; printed 4^o. Lond. 1685. and de∣dicated to Colonel Edmund Ashton. This Play is borrow'd from Johnson's Eastward-hoe, and Devil is an Ass.

Duke and no Duke, a Farce acted by their Majesties Servants; with the several Songs set to Musick, with Thorough-Basses for the The∣orbo, or Bass-Viol; printed 4^o. Lond. 1685. and dedicated to the Right Honourable Sir George Hewyt. This Play is founded on Sir Aston Cockain's Trappolin suppos'd a Prince.

Ingratitude of a Common-wealth, or The Fall of Caius Martius Coriolanus; acted at the Thea∣tre-Royal, printed 4^o. Lond. 1682. and dedicated to the Right Honourable Charles, Lord Her∣bert, Marquess of Worcester. This Play is bor∣rowed from Shakespear's Coriolanus.

Island Princess, a Tragi-comedy acted at the Theatre-Royal: revived with Alterations; printed 4^o. Lond. 1687. and dedicated to the Right Honourable Henry, Lord Walgrave. This Play is Fletcher's Originally.

Loyal General, a Tragedy acted at the Duke's Theatre; printed 4^o. Lond. 1680. and dedicated to Edward Taylor Esquire.

Lear King of England his History; acted at the Dukes Theatre: revived with Alterations; printed 4^o. Lond. 1687. and dedicated to Thomas Boteler Esq This Play in the Original, was writ by W. Shakespear.

Richard the Third, a History acted at the Theatre-Royal, under the Name of The Sicilian

Usurper: with a Prefatory Epistle, in Vin∣dication of the Author; occasioned by the Pro∣hibition of this Play on the Stage: printed 4^o. Lond. 1681. and dedicated to George Raynford, Esq This Play owns its Birth likewise to Shakespear.

Besides these Plays, our Author has two Vo∣lumes of Poems in print. One wholy writ by him, call'd Poems writ on several Occasions, se∣cond Edit enlarg'd printed 8^o. Lond. 1684. The other call'd Poems by several Hands, and on several Occasions, collected by our Author, and printed octavo Lond. 1685.