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.

John COREY.

A Gentleman who is pleas'd to stile himself the Author of a Play call'd The Generous Ene∣mies, or The Ridiculous Lovers, a Comedy acted at the Theatre-Royal by his Majesties Servants, and printed in quarto Lond. 1672. Tho'he has so little share in it; that we may justly say of him, as Appolodorus the Athenian said of the Books of Chrysippus: If a Man should extract the things which he hath borrow'd from others, the Paper would be left blank. To prove this I am to acquaint the Reader, that this Play, like a Botcher's Cushion is made out of several Pieces; he having stollen from Four Eminent Poets; Fletcher, and Randolph; Th. Corneille, and Quinault. The chief Design of

the Play, that of the Generous Enemies, is bor∣row'd from Quinault's La Genereuse Ingrati∣tude, as will be evident to those who will compare the Characters of Don Alvarez, and Signior Flaminio, with those of the French Zegry and Abencerage; Semena in Disguise under the Name of Lisander, with Zelinda under the Name of Ormin, &c. For the Ridiculous Lo∣vers; 'tis chiefly borrow'd from a Comedy of Th. Corneille's call'd D. Bertran de Cigarral, which Play is founded on a Spanish Comedy written by D. Francisco de Roxas, and stiled, Entre bobos anda el juego. The Quarrel be∣tween Bertran and Robatzy in the fifth Act, is stollen verbatim from Love's Pilgrimage, Act 2. Sc. 1. and Act 3. Sc. 3. The testy Humour of Bertran to his Servants in the third Act, is part of it taken from the Muses Looking-glass. Act 2. Sc. 1. Act 3. Sc. 3. and 4.