Otmay's Titus and Berenice and Racines Bérénice, a parallel.

At the restor ation of the English monarchy, in 1660, the drama was also restored, and with new lustre, though less decency. But instead of adding grace and splendour to the creations of Shakspeare and Johnson, all improvements in theatrical representation were lavished to support a new and degenerate dramatic taste, which Charles II. hat introduced from the continent. Rhyming and heroic plays had long been fashionable in France, and were dignified by the genius of Corneille and Racine. There was little truth of character and natural passion in them; for they dealt exclusively with personages in high life and of transcendent virtue or ambition; with fierce combats and splendid proces- sions; with superhuman love and beauty; and with long dialogues alternately formed of metaphysical subtility and the most extravagant and bombastic expression. These plays became the models for the English poets, who still remembered the traditions and the good old plays of the age of Elisabeth and James, and who now tried to unite the French and English tastes; the consequence was a hard struggle which the English drama, especially the tragedy, had to undergo, a struggle between the French influence, more and more penetrating, and the popular old English traditions and institutions. Do- ran enumerates in his history of the English dramatic art(Their Majesties' Servants. Annals of the English Stage. London 1864) about a hundred dramatists of that period. Of this considerable number only three are remarquable with regard to tragic poetry: Dryden, Lee and Thomas Ot- way. In Dryden, the originator of the French influence, whose talents were the most instrumen- tal in extending and prolonging this depravation of the national taste, as well as in Lee the struggle between the old and new appears most evidently. But Otway is more consequent; he breaks entirely with the old English traditions, he decidedly follows the French and puts a stop to the staggering of the prevailing taste of those times.

Thomas Otway was born at Trotting in Sussex, March 3, 1651, the son of a clergyman. He was educated first at Winchester School, and afterwards at Oxford, but left his college with- out having taken his degree. He is said also to have been at Cambridge, at St. John's college, which seems very probable from a copy of verses written to him by Mr. Richard Duke, with whom he always was united in close friendship. After having left this university, he went to

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