I may probably imagine, from the examples of Corneille, and some
French poets. In this condition did this part of poetry remain at his
Majelty's return, when grown bolder as now owned by public authority,
Davenant revived the Siege of Rhodes, and caused it to be acted as a
just drama. But as few men have the happiness to begin and finish any
new project, so neither did he live to make his design perfect. There
wanted the fulness of a plot, and the variety of characters to form it
as it ought; and perhaps somewhat might have been added to the beauty
of the stile: all which he would have performed with more exactness,
had he pleased to have given us another work of the fame nature. For
myself and others who came after him, we are bound with all veneration
to his memory, to acknowledge what advantage we received from that
excellent ground work, which is laid, and since it is an easy thing to
add to what is already invented, we ought all of us, without envy to
him, or partiality to ourselves, to yield him the precedence in it."

Immediately after the restoration there were two companies of players
formed, one under the title of the King's Servants, the other, under
that of the Duke's Company, both by patents, from the crown; the first
granted to Henry Killigrew, Esq; and the latter to Sir William
Davenant. The King's company acted first at the Red Bull in the upper
end of St. John's Street, and after a year or two removing from place
to place, they established themselves in Drury-Lane. It was some time
before Sir William Davenant compleated his company, into which he took
all who had formerly played under Mr. Rhodes in the Cock-Pit in
Drury-Lane, and amongst these the famous Mr. Betterton, who appeared
first to advantage under the patronage of Sir William Davenant. He
opened the Duke's theatre in Lincoln's-Inn-Fields with his own
dramatic performance of the Siege of Rhodes, the house being finely
decorated, and the stage supplied with painted scenes, which were by