ROVE, NICIIOLAS, an English poet of considerable eminence, was born at Little Berkford, in Bedford shire, in 1673. IIaving received the rudiments of his education at Highgate, he was placed as a king's scho lar under the celebrated Dr. Busby of Westminster school, where he exhibited an early talent for Greek and Latin verses. He entered himself student of the Middle Temple, and was called to the bar; but being left his own master at the age of nineteen, in conse quence of the death of his father, he quitted the bar, and devoted himself to a literary life.
His first work was the tragedy of the .ambitious Stepmother, which was published in 1698, and was well received when it was performed at Lincolns Inn Fields. His next piece was Tamerlane, the object of which was to give favourable impressions of civil and religious liberty. It was frequently acted in 1702 and in succeeding years, till 1710, when it was for a while intermitted. It was, however, revived at the acces sion of the House of Hanover, and was for many years performed on King William's anniversary. His Fair Penitent, considered as his chef d'oeuvre, appeared in 1707. In 1706 he produced the comedy of the Biter; but it was such a failure that it was not inserted among his works. Between 1706 and 1715, he pub lished in succession the tragedies of Ulysses, The Royal Convert, .Tate Shore, and Lady Jane Gray, of
which Jane Shore is still occasionally acted, and al ways admired. Mr. Rowe likewise published an edi tion of Shakspeare, to which he prefixed a life of the poet. One of the most important, however, of Mr. Rowe's works was his Translation of Lucan's Pharsalia, which did not appear till after his death. He translated also the Golden Verses of Pythagoras, and the first book of Quillet's Mr. Rowe was appointed under-secretary of state to the Duke of Queensberry, but he held this situation only three years, till the death of the duke. On the accession of George 1. he was made poet laureate; he was appointed also one of the land surveyors of the customs of the port of London; the Prince of Wales gave him the clerkship of the council, and the Lord Chancellor Parker made him his secretary for the presentations. These accessions to his fortune ena bled him to live very comfortably; but he did not enjoy them long. He died on the 6th December 1718, in the 45th year of his age, and was interred in the poet's corner, Westminster Abbey, opposite to Chau cer. The " Poetical Works" of Mr. Rowe, contain ing his plays and miscellaneous poems, were collected and published hi 1719, in three vols. 12mo.