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THE

CITY NIGHT-CA P.

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ROBERT DAVENPORT is a writer of whom scarce any particulars are known. Langbaine' says he was "the "author of two plays in the reign of King Charles "the Martyr, though not publish't 'till the reign of "King Charles the second." Notwithstanding this authority, it is more probable that he wrote in the time of James the first, as two poems of a very grave cast were published by him in the year 1625, the one entitled, "A Crowne for a Conqueror, from Rev. xx. "12," and the other, "Too late to call backe Yesterday, and To-morrow comes not yet. The words fancied "in a dialogue, supposed betweene a Lover and the Day." This last is dedicated to his noble friends, as he calls them, Mr. Richard Robinson and Mr. Michael Bowyer; and in his address to them, he stiles both the poems some of the expence of his time at sea. From the address prefixed to the play of King John and Matilda, signed R. D. he appears to have been alive in the year 1655, when that piece was first published. He wrote, 1. "King John and Matilda, a "tragedy, as it was acted with great applause by her "majesties servants, at the Cock-pit in Drury-lane," 1655, 4to.* It was published for Andrew Pennycuicke,

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'Lives of Dramatick Poets, p. 116.

2 Both Robinson and Bowyer were players. The former is in the list of the performers in Shakspeare's plays, and acted in the Roman Actor. The name of the latter is to be found amongst the performers in The Bondman, by Massinger, King John and Matilda, &c.

This tragedy was preceded in point of date by an excellent play entitled "A pleasant and witty comedy called a New Tricke "to cheat the Divell," 1639, which was printed earlier than any of Davenport's other productions and seems to have been unknown to Mr. Reed. He is also stated to have been the author of the subsequent dramatic performances :

The Fatal Brothers.

The Politic Queen.
The Pedlar, and
Henry II.

In conjunction with Thomas Drue he likewise wrote a play

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one of the performers, who says he was the last who played the character of Matilda. 2. "The City NightCap, or Crede quod habes et habes, a tragedy, as it was acted with great applause by her majesties ser"vants, at the Phoenix in Drury-lane," 1661,* 4to. Mr. Malone says, he was the author of a play not published, called The Pirate.+

under the title of The Woman's Mistaken, as appears from the registers of the Stationers' Company. C.

3 Attempt to ascertain the order of Shakspeare's plays.

* Davenport's City Night Cap was licensed for the Cockpit Company on the 24th Oct. 1624, by Sir H. Herbert; and it appears from the office-book of the same overseer, that Davenport had licence for "The Historie of Henrie the first," on the 10th April, 1624. These facts bear out the assertion that Davenport wrote in the reign of James I. (Chalm. Supp. Apol. 219. and Shaksp. III. 278.) O. G. + There can be little or no doubt of this fact, for in S. Sheppard's Epigrams, theological, philosophical and romantic," 1651, is one "To Mr. Davenport on his play called The Pirate." C.

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DRAMATIS PERSONE.

DUKE of VERONA.

DUKE of VENICE, brother to Abstemia.
DUKE of MILAN.

ANTONIO, the duke's son.

LORENZO, husband to Abstemia.

PHILIPPO, his friend.

LODOVICO, husband to Dorothea.

LORDS of Verona.

SENATORS of Venice.

SANCHIO,

SEBASTIANO,

PANDULPHO.

SPINOSO.

JASPRO.

JOVANI.

lords of Milan.

FRANCISCO, servant to Lodovico.

PAMBO, a clown.

MORBо, a pander.

A Turk, slave to Antonio.

Two slaves to Lorenzo.

Officers and servants.

WOMEN ACTORS.*

ABSTEMIA, Lorenzo's wife, and sister to the duke of Venice.

DOROTHEA, Lodovico's wanton lady.

TIMPANINA, a bawd.

Ladies.

* i. e. Actors of women's parts; though womenactors were brought upon the stage about the date when this play was printed, but not when it was first performed.

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