The American Cyclopædia (1879)/Banks, John

BANKS, John, an English dramatist of the 17th and 18th centuries; the dates of his birth and death are unknown. He was a London attorney, and left his profession to write for the stage. He published seven tragedies between 1677 and 1696. Of these, “The Unhappy Favorite,” founded on the fate of the earl of Essex (beheaded in the reign of Elizabeth), was a stock play for a long time, and was freely used by later playwrights. His dramas were popular, but their literary merit is small.