The Dramatic Works Of John Tatham

Excerpt from The Dramatic Works of John Tatham: With Introductions and Notes Of John Tatham, the author of the present plays, etc., very little is known. He is characterised in the Biographia Dramatica as City Poet, and undoubtedly was the author of the Lord Mayor's Pageants from 1657 until 1664. Granger, however, in his Biographical History of England, vol. iv. (a work of immense literary value, although seemingly not yet recognised), remarks thus in reference to the engraved portrait of our poet: - "'John Tatham, ' says Winstanley, 'was one whose muse began to bud with his youth, which produced early blossoms of not altogether contemptible poetry, ' of which he has given, us a taste in the following lines. The author addresses himself in the person of Momus - 'How now, presumptuous lad! think'st thou that we Will be distur'b with this thy infancy Of wit? Or does thy amorous thoughts beget a flame (Beyond its merits) for to court the name Of poet? Or is't common now-a-days Such slender wits dare claim such things as bays? "However strange it may seem, it is certain that lie did claim such things;' and, what is more strange, his claim was readily admitted. He has been erroneously called City Poet, and was deemed a worthy forerunner of Settle. He undoubtedly wrote panegyrics upon two Lord Mayors (in the reign of Charles II.), in whose estimation they were as good rhymes, and probably pleased as much, as if they had been written by Waller himself. He was author of several plays, most of which were published before the Restoration." About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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