The Lives and Characters of the English Dramatick Poets/John Lilly
John Lilly.
One of the first Reformers of our Language, in Queen Elizabeth’s Days; he was born in Kent, bred in Magdalen-College, Oxon, and there took his Degree of Master of Arts, 1575. The Time of his Death I know not; he has published these Nine Plays following.
Alexander and Campaspe, a Tragi-Comedy, 12 mo. 1632. Acted on a Twelfth Night, before the Queen, by her Majesty’s Children, and those of Paul’s, and sometimes after at Black Fryars. Plot from Pliny’s Natural Hist. Lib. 35. Cap. 10.
Endimion, a Comedy, 12 mo. 1632. Presented also before Queen Elizabeth, by the same Children. Plot from Lucian’s Dialogue between Venus and the Moon, Natales Comes, and Galtruchius’s Hist. of the Heathen Gods.
Galathea, a Comedy, 12 mo. 1632. Presented likewise before the Queen at Greenwich, by the Children of Paul’s on New-Year’s-Day. See the Story of Iphis and Ianthe, in Ovid Metamorph. Lib. 9. Tab. 12, &c.
Love’s Metamorphosis, a Pastoral, 4 to. 1601. First play’d by the Children of Paul’s, and afterwards by her Majesty’s Children of the Chappel.
The Maid’s Metamorphosis, a Comedy, 4 to. 1600. Acted sundry times by the Children of Paul’s.
Mother Bombie, a plessant conceited Comedy (says the Title), printed 12 mo. 1632. and sundry times play’d by the Children of Paul’s.
Mydas, a Comedy, 12 mo. 1632. This was also play’d before the Queen on Twelfth Day at Night, Apuleius has writ this Story at large in his Aureus Asinus. See also Natales Comes, Galtruchius’s Hist. of the Heathen Gods, and Ovid’s Metamorph. Lib. 11.
Sapho and Phaon, a Comedy, 12 mo. 1632. Presented before the Queen on Shrove Tuesday, and afterwards at the Black Fryars. Plot from Ovid Epist.
Woman in the Moon, a Comedu, 4 to. 1667.
Six of the above Plays are printed together 12 mo. and published by one Mr. Blount, called Court Comedies; the other three are printed single in 4 to. Mr. Lilly also writ a Book called, Eupheus and his England, 4 to. at that time much esteemed.