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Iohn Dennis.
THis Gentleman now Living, has made himself a Name by se∣veral Books, both in Prose and Verse, which he has Publish∣ed, but for none more than his Critical Observations on the so much Celebrated Prince Arthur, writ by Sir Richard Blackmore, in which he has shewed himself a perfect Critick, and Master of a great deal of Penetration and Iudgment; his Remarks being be∣yond Controversy just, and the Faults he finds undeniably such. I am not able to give any Account of his Parents. He was Born in London, his Education was at Gonvile and Caius College in Cam∣bridge, which he improv'd afterwards by Travel and the best Con∣versation; but the occasion of his being mentioned here, is a Dra∣matick piece he has lately Publish'd, called,
A Plot and no Plot, a Comedy, 4to. Acted at the Theatre Roy∣al, 1697. and Dedicated to the Right Honourable Robert, Earl of Sunderland, Lord Chamberlain of his Majesty's Houshold. The Plot of this Play is our Author's own, tho' I confess, an Incident or two are not so new as the rest of the Play may justly be said to be; for old Bulls being perswaded, that he is in Newgate, when he's in his own House, is not unlike an incident in the City-Politicks, and young Bulls being married by Baldernoe has been in the Old Batchelor, The City Match, &c. This Play is exactly regu∣lar, and discovers it self writ by a Master of the Art of the Stage, as well as by a Man of Wit; the justness, fineness, and delicacy of the Reflections, the pleasantness of the Humours, the Novelty and Distinction of the Characters, the admirable Conduct and De∣sign of the whole, with the useful Moral of the Play, places it in the Rank of the best Comedies of this latter Age of Poetry; and tho' he himself term it low Comedy, gives us a Desire, as well as Hopes, of some more Noble Performance.