The Lives and Characters of the English Dramatick Poets/Mr. Rivers
All that I know of this Author, is but on Report; which is, that he was a Jesuit, and writ a Play, call'd,
The Traytor, which he put into Mr. Shirley's Hands, and by his means it was acted. It was reviv'd in 1692. and dedicated by the Anonymous Reviver to the Earl of Clincarty. Tho' I cannot, with the Reviver, say 'tis the best Tragedy this Age has produc'd, because it is far from being so; yet this I can justly say, That the Character of Sciarrah is very well drawn, and distinguish'd throughout the Play; and so is that of Lorenzo. As for the Plot, 'tis very irregular, and consists of various Actions; tho' the Poet's Design seems to aim at a very good Moral. The strange Humour that has too long reign'd in our English Poets, misled the Author, I suppose, to the Choice of such barbarous and bloody Murders, to fill up his Play; which however frequent and tollerable in Italy, have nothing to do here. Murther is too great a Crime to see voluntarily committed on our Stage; the Law punishes it with Ignominy, tho' the Poet has nothing to do with it, I mean by Right. This Play has gone for Shirley's.