s the glorious dame,
And makes himself immortal in her fame.

Besides his Songs, little panegyrical Poems and Sonnets, he wrote two
Satires against Nell Gwyn, one of the King's mistresses, though there is
no account how a quarrel happened between them; the one is called Madam
Nelly's Complaint, beginning,

If Sylla's ghost made bloody Cat'line start.

The other is called the Lady of Pleasure, with; its Argument at the Head
of it, whereof the first line is,

The life of Nelly truly shewn.

Sir George spent a life of ease, pleasure, and affluence, at least
never was long, nor much, exposed to want. He seems to have possessed
a sprightly genius, to have had an excellent turn for comedy, and very
happy in a courtly dialogue. We have no proof of his being a scholar,
and was rather born, than made a poet. He has not escaped the censure of
the critics; for his works are so extremely loose and licentious, as to
render them dangerous to young, unguarded minds: and on this account our
witty author is, indeed, justly liable to the severest censure of the
virtuous, and sober part of mankind.

[Footnote 1: Biogr. Brit. p. 1844.]

* * * * *

THE LIFE OF

WILLIAM MOUNTFORD.

This gentleman, who was very much distinguished as a player, was born in
the year 1659, but of what family we have no account, farther than that
they were of Staffordshire; the extraordinary circumstances of Mr.
Mountford's death, have drawn more attention upon him, than he might
otherwise have had; and though he was not very considerable as a poet,
yet he was of great eminence as an actor. Mr. Cibber, in his Apology for
his own Life, has mentioned him with the greatest respect, and drawn his
character with strong touches of admiration. After having delineated
the theatrical excellences of Kynaston, Sandford, &c. he thus speaks of
Mountford. 'Of person he was tall, well made, fair, and of an agreeable
aspect, his voice clear, full, and melodious; in tragedy he was the
most affecting lover within my memory; his addresses had a resistless
recommendation from the very tone of his voice, which gave his words
such softness, that as Dryden says,

--'Like flakes of feather'd snow,
'They melted as they fell.

All this he particularly verified in that scene of Alexander, where
the hero throws himself at the feet of Statira for pardon of his past
infidelities. There we saw the great, the tender, the penitent, the