would be impertinent. It is certainly one of the
most moving plays upon the English stage; the plot from a little book,
giving an account of the Conspiracy of the Spaniards against Venice.

Besides his plays, he wrote several poems, viz.

The Poet's Complaint to his Muse, or a Satire against Libels, London;
1680, in 4to.

Windsor Castle, or a Monument to King Charles the Second.

Miscellany Poems, containing a New Translation of Virgil's Eclogues,
Ovid's Elegies, Odes of Horace, London 1864. He translated likewise
the Epistle of Phaedra to Hyppolitus, printed in the Translation of
Ovid's Epistles, by several hands. He wrote the Prologue to Mrs.
Bhon's City Heiress. Prefixed to Creechis Lucretius, there is a copy
of verses written by Mr. Otway, in praise of that translation.

* * * * *

JOHN OLDHAM.

This eminent satyrical poet, was the son of the reverend Mr. John
Oldham, a nonconformist minister, and grandson to Mr. John Oldham,
rector of Nun-Eaton, near Tedbury in Gloucestershire. He was born at
Shipton (where his father had a congregation, near Tedbury, and in the
same county) on the 9th of August 1653. He was educated in grammar
learning, under the care of his father, till he was almost fitted for
the university; and to be compleatly qualified for that purpose, he
was sent to Tedbridge school, where he spent about two years under the
tuition of Mr. Henry Heaven, occasioned by the earnest request of
alderman Yeats of Bristol, who having a son at the same school, was
desirous that Mr. Oldham should be his companion, which he imagined
would much conduce to the advancement of his learning. This for some
time retarded Oldham in the prosecution of his own studies, but for
the time he lost in forwarding Mr. Yeat's son, his father afterwards
made him an ample amends. Mr. Oldham being sent to Edmund Hall in
Oxford, was committed to the care of Mr. William Stephens: of which
hall he became a bachelor in the beginning of June 1670. He was soon
observed to be a good latin scholar, and chiefly addicted himself to
the study of poetry, and other polite acquirements[1]. In the year
1674, he took the degree of bachelor of arts, but left the university
before he compleated that degree by determination, being much against
his inclination compelled to go home and live for some time with his
father. The next year he was very much afflicted for the d