actor, we are told by Downes, was admired in the part of Pericles, which he frequently performed before the opening of the new theatre: and while this company continued to act in Portugal-row, they represented the following plays of Shakspeare, and it should seem thofe only: Macbeth and The Tempest, altered by D'Avenant; King Lear, Hamlet, King Henry the Eighth, Romeo and Juliet, and Twelfth Night. In Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark was reprefented by Mr. Betterton; the Ghoft by Mr. Richards; Horatio by Mr. Harris; the Queen by Mrs. Davenport; and Ophelia by Mrs. Saunderfon. In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo was represented by Mr. Harris, Mercutio by Mr. Betterton, and Juliet by Mrs. Saunderfon. Mr. Betterton in Twelfth Night performed Sir Toby Belch, and in Henry the Eighth, the King. He was without doubt alfo the performer of King Lear. Mrs. Saunderson reprefented Catharine in King Henry the Eighth, and it may be prefumed, Cordelia, and Miranda. alfo performed Lady Macbeth, and Mr. Betterton Macbeth.

She

The theatre which had been erected in Portugal Row, being found too fmall, Sir William D'Avenant laid the foundation of a new playhouse in Dorfet Garden, near Dorfet Stairs, which however he did not live to fee completed; for he died in May 1668. and it was not opened till 1671. There being strong reason to believe that he was our poet's fon, I have been induced by that circumftance to inquire with fome degree of minuten efs into his hiftory. I have mentioned in a preceding page that the account given of him by Wood, in his Athena Oxonienfes, was taken from Mr. Aubrey's

Manufcript. Since that fheet was printed, Mr. Warton has obligingly furnished me with an exact tranfcript of the article relative to D'Avenant, which as it contains fome particulars not noticed by Wood, I fhall here fubjoin:

"MS. Aubrey. MUS ASHMOL. LIVES.

SIR WILLIAM DAVENANT, KNIGHT,

POET-LAUREAT,

was borne about the end of February in ftreet in the city of Oxford, at the Crowne Taverne; baptized 3 of March A. D. 1605-6. His father was John Davenant, a vintner there, a very grave and difcreet citizen: his mother was a very beautiful woman, and of a very good witt, and of converfation extremely agreeable. They had 3 fons, viz. Robert, William, and Nicholas; (Robert was a fellow of St. John's Coll. in Oxon. then preferd to the vicarage of Weftkington by Bp. Davenant, whofe chaplain he was; Nicholas was an attorney:) and 2 handfome daughters; one m. to Gabriel Bradly, B. D. of C. C. C. bencficed in the vale of White Horse; another to Dr. Sherburne, minister of Pembordge [-bridge] in Heref. and canon of that church. Mr. Win. Shakspeare was wont to goe into Warwickshire once a yeare, and did comonly in his journey lie at this houfe in Oxon. where he was exceedingly refpected. Now Sir William would fometimes, when he was pleasant

9 Mr. Warton informs me, that it appears by Aubrey's letters that this Life of Davenant was fent to Wood, and drawn up at his requeit."

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over a glaffe of wine with his moft intimate friends, (e. g. Sam Butler, author of Hudibras, &c. &c.) fay, that it feem'd to him, that he writt with the very fpirit that Shakespeare wrote with], and was contented enough to bee thought his fon: he would tell them the flory as above. He went to schoole at Oxon. to Mr. Silvefler; Charles Wheare, F. [filius] Degorii W. was his fchoolfellow: but Į feare, he was drawne from fchoole, before he was ripe enoughe. He was preferred to the first Dutchefs of Richmond, to wayte on her as a page. I remember, he told me, the fent him to a famous apothecary for fome unicorne's horne, which he was refolved to try with a spyder, which he empaled in it. but without the expected fuccefs: the fpider would goe over and through and thorough, unconcerned. He was next a fervant (as I remember, a page alfo) to Sir Fulke Grevil Ld. Brookes, with whom he lived to his death; which was, that a fervant of his that had long wayted on him, and his lor-[lordfhip] had often told him, that hẹ would doe fomething for him, but did not, but ftill put him off with delay; as he was truffing up his lord's pointes, comeing from ftoole, [for then their breeches were faflened to the doubletts with pointes; then came in hookes and eies, which not to have faftened was in my boyhood a great crime, ] flabbed him. This was at the fame time that the duke of Buckingham was ftabbed by Felton; and the great poife and report of the duke's, Sir W. told me, quite drown'd this of his lord's, that was fcarce taken notice of. This Sir Fulke G. was a good wit, and had been a good poet in his youth; he wrote a poeme in folio, which he printed not,

till he was old, and then, as Sir W. faid, with too much judgement and refining spoiled it, which was at first a delicate thing. He [Dav.] writt a play, or plays, and verses, which he did with fo much fweetneffe and grace, that by it he got the love and friendship of his two Mæcenaces, Mr. Endymion Porter, and Mr. Henry Jermyn, [fince E. of St. Albans] to whom he has dedicated his poem called Madegafcar. Sir John Suckling was his great and intimate friend. After the death of Ben Johnson, he was made in his place Poet LauHe got a terrible c-p of a black handfome wench, that lay in Axe-Yard, Weftm.; whom he thought on, when he speaks of Dalga, [in Gon. dibert] which coft him his nofe; with which unlucky mifchance many witts were fo cruelly bold, e. g. Sir John Menis, Sir John Denham, &c. &c. In 1641, when the troubles began, he was faine to fly into France, and at Canterbury he was feized on by the Mayor.

reat.

For Will had in his face the flaws

And markes received in country's cause.
They flew on him like lyons paffant,
And tore his nofe, as much as was on't;
And call'd him fuperftitious groome,
Aud Popish dog, and cur of Rome.
'twas furely the first time,

"That Will's religion was a crime."

"In the Civil Warres in England, he was in the army of William Marqueffe of Newcastle, [fince Duke] where he was generall of the ordinance. I have heard his brother Robert fay, for that service there was owing to him by King Charles the First 1000l. During that warre 'twas his hap to have

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two Aldermen of Yorke his prisoners, who were fomethinge ftubborne, and would not give the ranfome ordered by the councill of warre. Sir William ufed them civilly, and treated them in his tent, and fate them at the upper end of his table à la mode de France. And having done fo a good while to his charge, told them (privately and friendly) that he was not able to keepe so chargeable guests, and bade them take an opportunity to efcape; which they did; but having been gon a little way, they confidered with themfelves, that in gratitude they ought to goe back, and give Sir William their thankes, which they did: but it was like to have been to their great danger of being taken by the foldiers; but they happened to gett fafe to Yorke.

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The king's party being overcome, Sir W. Davenant, (who had the honour of knighthood from the D. of Newcastle by commiffion,) went into France, and refided in Paris, where the Prince of Wales then was. He then began to write his ro mance in verse called Gondibert; and had not writt above the first booke, but being very fond of it printed it, before a quarter finifhed, with an epiftle of his to Mr. Th. Hobbes, and Mr. Hobbes' excellent epiftle to him printed before it. The courtiers, with the Prince of Wales, could never be at quiet about this piece, which was the occafion of a very witty but fatirical little booke of verfes in 8vo. about 4 fheets, writt by G. D. of Bucks, Sir John Denham, &c. &c.

That thou forfak'd thy fleepe, thy diet,
And what is more than that, our quiet."

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Thefe lines are inaccurately quoted by memory from