published Benlow's and Dallifon's Reports in the reign of James the Second, when, in oppofition to the notions then diligently propagated propagated of difpenfing power, he ventured to remark how low his authors rated the prerogative. He was made a ferjeant, and died April 30, 1692. He was buried in the Temple Church.

Nicholas was first fent to a private fchool at Highgate; and being afterwards removed to Weftminster, was at twelve years chofen one of the King's fcholars. His mafter was Bufby, who fuffered none of his fcholars to let their powers lie ufelefs, and his exercises in feveral languages are faid to have been written with uncommon degrees of ex

cellence,

cellence, and yet to have coft him very

little labour.

At fixteen he had in his father's opinion made advances in learning fufficient to qualify him for the ftudy of law, and was entered a ftudent of the Middle Temple, where for fome time he read ftatutes and reports with proficiency proportionate to the force of his mind, which was already fuch that he endeavoured to comprehend law, not as a series of precedents, or collection of pofitive precepts, but as a fyftem of rational government, and impartial juftice.

When he was nineteen, he was by the death of his father left more to his own direction, and probably from that time fuffered law gradually to give way to A 2

poetry.

poetry.

At twenty-five he produced

The Ambitious Stepmother, which was received with fo much favour, that he devoted himself from that time wholly to the more elegant parts of writing.

Hisnext tragedy (1702) was Tamerlane, in which, under the name of Tamerlane, he intended to characterife king William, and Lewis the Fourteenth under that of Bajazet. The virtues of Tamerlane seem to have been arbitrarily affigned him by his poet, for I know not that hiftory gives any other qualities than those which make a conqueror. The fafhion however of the time was, to accumulate upon Lewis all that can raise horror and deteftatior; and whatever good was withheld from him, that it

might not be thrown away, was beftowed upon king William.

This was the tragedy which Rowe valued most, and that which probably, by the help of political auxiliaries, excited moft applaufe; but occafional poetry must often content itself with occafional praife. Tamerlane has for a long time been acted only once a year, on the night when king William landed." Our quarrel with Lewis has been long over, and it now gratifies neither zeal nor malice to fee him painted with aggra vated features, like a Saracen upon a fign.

The Fair Penitent, his next production (1703), is one of the moft pleafing tragedies on the ftage,

A 3

where it

ftill

ftill keeps its turns of appearing, and probably will long keep them, for there is fcarcely any work of any poet at once fo interefting by the fable, and fo delightful by the language. The ftory is domeftick, and therefore eafily received by the imagination, and affimilated to common life; the diction is exquifitely harmonious, and foft or fpritely as occafion requires.

The character of Lothario feems to have been expanded by Richardfon into Lovelace, but he has excelled his original in the moral effect of the fiction. Lothario, with gaiety which cannot be hated, and bravery which cannot be defpifed, retains too much of the fpectator's kindness. It was in the

power