The Lives and Characters of the English Dramatick Poets/Peter Motteux
Peter Motteux.
An Author now living, who, tho’ born and bred at Roan in Normandy, has made himself so far Master of our Language, as to be able to divert the Town in Two Plays, the first call’d,
Love’s a Jest, a Comedy, 4 to. Acted at the new Theatre in Little Lincoln’s-Inn-Fields, by his Majesty’s Servants, 1696. and dedicated to Charles, Lord Clifford, of Lanesborough. The Author owns, in his Preface, himself indebted to the Italians, for the hint of the two Scenes where Love is made in Jest; as also some Speeches and Thoughts here and there.
The Loves of Mars and Venus, a Play set to Musick, as it is acted at the New Theatre, in Little Lincoln’s-Inn-Fields, by his Majesty’s Servants, 4 to. 1696. and dedicated to the Honourable Collonel Codrington. In his Preface he owns the Story to be Ovid’s, and that he has taken the Dance of the Cyclops from Mr. Shadwell’s Psyche.
The Novelty, every Act a Play, being a short Pastoral, Comedy, Masque, Tragedy, and Farce; acted at the new Theatre in Little Lincoln’s-Inn-Fields, by his Majesty’s Servants, 4 to. 1697, and dedicated to Charles Cæsar, of Bonnington, Esq; In the Preface he lets us know, that the Pastoral, call’d, Thyrsis, is written by his ingenious Friend, Mr. J. Oldmixon. The Tragedy, which he calls, The Unfortunate Couple, is the latter and most moving part of Dr. Filmer’s Unnatural Brother. That the Farce, call’d, Natural Magick, is an Imitation of Part of a French Comedy, of one Act, after the Italian Manner, as you may find many in the Theatre Italien. Hercules, the Masque, is his own, tho’ I have seen one on the same Subject by a French Author, and represented at Brussels. The Comedy is his own too, call’d, All without Money.
Tho’ this bears the Name of The Novelty, it can be call’d so only as some of our modern Opinions in Philosophy are call’d new, that is, because they have laid by unthought of a great while; for as these are to be met with among the Old Philosophers, so is this Model to be found in Sir William Davenant’s Play-House to be Lett. I shall only add, That the greatest Novelty is the odd sort of Numbers us’d in his Friends Pastoral: What Authority he may have for it, I don’t know.
Peter Motteux.
SInce the Printing of the foregoing Sheets, this Author has publish'd another Play, call'd,
Beauty in Distress, a Tragedy, as it is acted at the Theatre in Little Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, by his Majesty's Servants, 4to. 1698. dedicated to Henry Heveningham, Esq; I cannot perceive that the Author has stole any part of his Design, nor am apt to believe he has, since he has generally been very free in owning to whom he has owed any Part of what he has publish'd. There are a great many very fine Lines in this Play, yet Comedy seems much more the Bent of our Author's Genius than Tragedy; tho' it must be confess'd, that in the Multiplicity of his Incidents he has follow'd only the Example of our native Poets, which may well excuse him. Before this Play we have a Discourse of the Lawfulness and Unlawfulness of Plays; lately written (as the Title says) in French, by the Learned Father Caffara, Divinity Professor at Paris. Sent in a Letter to the Author, by a Divine of the Church of England.
Europe's Revels for the Peace, and his Majesty's happy Return, a Musical Interlude, 4to. 1697. perform'd at the Theatre in Little Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, by his Majesty's Servants, at the King's Return after the Conclusion of the Peace; with a Panegyrical Poem, spoken there, on the same Occasion. The Musick set by Mr. Eccles. Dedicated to Sir Theodore Janssen.