He was put as apprentice to Mr. Symonds, bookseller in St. Paul’s Churchyard; but was soon afterwards called thence by his mother, upon the death of his eldest brother, and by her entered as a gentleman commoner of University College, Oxford, in 1672. Here he squandered a good part of his estate; but afterwards corrected his manner of living, and for some years lived in retirement near Oxford. During this time he improved his taste for dramatic poetry; and at first wrote some small pieces without his name, but afterwards published several works which he publicly owned. In 1690 he was elected inferior beadle of arts in the university of Oxford; and in January following, was chosen superior beadle of law; but he died in 1692. He wrote, 1. The Hunter, a Discourse on Horsemanship; 2. A new Catalogue of English Plays, with their best editions, and divers remarks on the originals of most plays, and on the plagiarisms of several authors; 3. An Account of the English Dramatic Poets.
