The lives of the most famous English poets, or, The honour of Parnassus in a brief essay of the works and writings of above two hundred of them, from the time of K. William the Conqueror to the reign of His present Majesty, King James II / written by William Winstanley, author of The English worthies ...

Sir WILLIAM DAVENANT.

SIr William Davenant, may be accounted one of the Chiefest of Apollo's Sons, for the great Fluency of his Wit and Fancy: Especially his Gondibert, the Crown of all his other Writings; to which Mr. Hobbs of Malmsbury wrote a Pre∣face, wherein he extolleth him to the Skyes; wherein no wonder (sayes one) if Compliment and Friendly Compliance do a little biass and o∣ver-sway Judgment. He also wrote a Poem enti∣tuled Madagascur, also a Farrago of his Juvenile, and other Miscelaneous Pieces: But his Chiefest

matter was what he wrote for the English Stage, of which was four Comedies, viz. Love and Honour, The Man is the Master; the Platonick Lovers; and The Wits. Three Tragedies; Albovine, The Cruel Brother, and The unfortunate Lovers. Two Tragi-Comedies, the Just Italian; and the Lost Lady. And Six Masques, viz. Brittania Triumphans; The Cruelty of the Spaniards in Peru; Drakes History First Part; Siege of Rhodes in two Parts, and The Temple of Love; Besides his Musical Drama's, when the usual Playes were not suffered to be Act∣ed, whereof he was the first Reviver and Improver by painted Scenes after his Majesties Restoration; erecting a new Company of Actors, under the Pa∣tronage of the Duke of York.

Now this our Poet, as he was a Wit himself, so did several of the Wits play upon him; a∣mongst others Sir John Suckling in his Session of the Poets hath these Verses.

Will. Davenant asham'd of a Foolish mischance That he had got lately Travelling into France; Modestly hoped the Handsomness of's Muse, Might any Deformity about him excuse.

And

Surely the Company would have been content, If they could have found any President; But in all their Records either in Verse or Prose, There was not one Laureat without a Nose.

His Works since his Death have been fairly Published in a large Volume; to which I refer my Reader.