even in the spring of his years he prefented upon the private and public theatre, in his autumn and declining age he needed not to be "afhamed of," He was in high efteem for his writings about 1606, and died before 1633, when his works were published together.-It is evident he lived in friendship with Ben Jonfon, at the time of his writing his " Male Content," which play he has warmly dedicated to him yet it is probable that Ben's felffufficiency and natural arrogance in time lef fened that friendship: for we find him reflecting pretty feverely on Ben in the epiftle to the reader prefaced to his Sophonisba,, in the following words, "Know," fays he, "that I "have not laboured in this poem, to relate any '' thing as an hiftorian, but to enlarge every "thing as a poet. To tranfcribe authors, quote authorities, and to tranflate Latin profe "orations into English blank verfe, hath in "this fubject been the leaft aim of my studies." This feems more particularly to relate to Jonfon's Cataline and Sejanus. Jonfon told Drummond of Hawthornden, that he had fought feveral times with Marfton, and faid, that Marfton wrote his father-in-law's preachings, and his father-in-law his Comedies. His plays and their proper titles, and dates are as follow. I. Antonio I. Antonio and Mellida, firft part.-Hift. 1602, 4to. 1633. 8vo. II. Antonio's Revenge, fecond part, 1602, 4to. 1633, 8vo. III. Infatiate Countefs, Trag. Lond. 1603, 4to. IV. Dutch Curtezan, Com, Lond. 1605, 4to. 1633, 8vo. whence Mrs. Behn's Comedy of the Revenge, or a Match in Newgate, Lond. 1680, 4to. is faid to have been taken. V. Parafitafter; or the Fawne, Com. Lond. VII. Sophonifba, a Wonder of Women. Trag. VIII. What you Will, a Com. 4to. 1607, IX. The Male-Content, a Tragi-Com, 1604, 4to. of which the firft defign was laid by John Webster, a noted comedian.* The edition of 1633, contains all thefe, except the laft, and is dedicated to Elizabeth Cary, Viscountess Falkland. Befides thefe, he wrote fome excellent fatires in three books, called "The Scourge of Villainy. Lond. 1598, 8vo."+ There is honourable mention made of this book, and its author, in *Wood fays, Marston had a hand with Jonfon and Chapman in the Comedy called "Eastward-Hoe." Ath. I, p. 333. † Reprinted 1764, Gen. Dict. x. 278. Charles Charles Fitzgeffrey's Affaniæ, printed at Oxford 1601, in 8vo. Dodfley has republifhed "The Male-Content" in the fourth volume of his collection.* THOMAS DECKE R. "Thomas Deckar, a high-flier in wit, even "against Ben Jonfon himself, in his Comedy "called The Untruffing of the Humourous Poet;' beffdes which he wrote many others, as, The Wonder of a Kingdom;' The Honeft Whore, in 2 parts;' Fortunatus; the "Whore of Babylon; if this ben't a good Play, the Devil's in't." ❝ as, The biographers of this poet always place him in the reign of James I; but he certainly must have been fashionable before the death of Q. Elizabeth, or he would not have been fo often cited in "England's Parnaffus," 1600. It is faid, that he became more eminent by a quarrel with Ben Jonfon, than he would otherwife have done by the merit of his own works. Wood's Ath, Biog. Dram. Cibber's Lives. What What was the original caufe of their conteft, is not known, but Jonfon, who could certainly never bear "a rival near the throne," has in his 66 Poetafter," the Dunciad of that author, among many other poets whom he has fatirized, been peculiarly fevere on Decker, whom he has characterized under the name of Crifpinus. This compliment Decker has amply repaid in his "Satyromaltix, or the Untruffing a Humourous Poet," in which, under the title of young Horace, he has made Ben the hero of his piece. The world are fo malicious, that this play was exceedingly followed. He fometimes wrote in conjunction with other wits of the day, Webfter having a hand in three of his plays; and Rowley and Ford joining with him in another. And the author of the Biographia Dramatica thinks, (contrary to Langbaine) that in his "Honest Whore," and the comedy of "Old Fortunatus," both which are allowed to be folely his, there are beauties, both as to character, plot and language, equal to the abilities of any of those authors that he was ever affifted by, and indeed in the former equal to any dramatic writer (Shakespeare excepted), that this island has produced. The proper titles and dates of the dramatic pieces he was concerned in, may be feen in the ensuing catalogue. I. Old Fortunatus, Com. 4to. 1600. 11. Sateromaftix, teromaftix, Com. Sat. 4to. 1602. III. Honest Whore, Com. first part 4to. 1604. IV. Weftward-Hoe, Com. affifted by Webster, 4to. 1607. V. Northward-Hoe, Com. affifted by Webster, 4to. 1607. VI. Wyat's History, affifted by Webster, 4to. 1607. VII: Whore of Babylon, History, 4to. 1607. VIII. If this ben't a good Play, the Devil's in't, Com. 4to. 1612. IX. Match me in London, T. C. 40. 1631. X. Wonder of a Kingdom, C. 4to. 1637. He wrote other pieces not published, viz. I. Guy Earl of Warwick, 1619, written in conjunction with John Day. II. The Jew of Venice. III. Guftavus King of Swethland. IV. The Tale of Jocondo and Aftolfo.-The two laft were once in the poffeffion of Mr. Warburton. V. The Spanish Wonder, Tr. In the book of the Stationers Company, 1631 and 1633, this play is afferted to be written by Decker. To the printed copy the initials S. R. are prefixed, which fubfequent catalogues have explained to mean Samuel Rowley. Befides thefe, Phillips and Winstanly are mistaken in afcribing to him in conjunction with Webster, the New Trick to cheat the Devil. The Noble Stranger. The Weakest goes to the Wall; and Woman will have her Will. The first having been written by Davenport, the second by Lewis Sharpe, and the other two by anonymous authors. The |