eyn was dead several years
before Betterton was born: The observation should have been made of
Hart.]

* * * * *

JOHN BANKS.

This gentleman was bred a lawyer, and was a member of the society at New
Inn. His genius led him to make several attempts in dramatic poetry, in
which he had various success; but even when he met with the greatest
encouragement, he was very sensible of his error, in quitting the
profitable practice of the law, to pursue the entertainments of the
stage, but he was fired with a thirst of fame which reconciled to his
mind the many uneasy sensations, to which the precarious success of his
plays, and the indigence of his profession naturally exposed him: Mr.
Banks no doubt has gained one part of his design by commencing poet,
namely, that of being remembered after death, which Pope somewhere calls
the poor estate of wits: For this gentleman has here a place amongst
the poets, while nine tenths of the lawyers of his time, now sleep with
their fathers secure in oblivion, and of whom we can only say, they
lived, and died.

Mr. Banks's genius was wholly turned for tragedy; his language is
certainly unpoetical, and his numbers unharmonious; but he seems not to
have been ignorant of the dramatic art: For in all his plays he has very
forcibly rouzed the passions, kept the scene busy, and never suffered
his characters to languish.

In the year 1684 Mr. Banks offered a tragedy to the stage called the
Island Queens, or the Death of Mary Queen of Scots, which, it seems,
was rejected, whether from its want of merit, or motives of a political
kind, we cannot now determine, but Mr. Banks thought proper then to
publish it. In the year 1706, he obtained the favour of Queen Anne
to command it to be acted at the Theatre-Royal, which was done with
success, for it is really a very moving tragedy. It has been often
revived, and performed at the Theatres, with no inconsiderable applause.

His dramatic works are,

1. The Rival Kings, or the Loves of Oroondates and Statira, a Tragedy,
acted at the Theatre-Royal 1677. This play is dedicated to the Lady
Catherine Herbert, and is chiefly formed on the Romance of Cassandra.

2. The Destruction of Troy, a Tragedy, acted 1679. This play met with
but indifferent success.

3. Virtue Betrayed, or Anna Bullen, a Tragedy, acted 1682. This play has
been often acted with applause.

4. The Earl of Essex, or the Unhappy Favourite, acted 1682,