OTWAY, THOMAS, a celebrated tragic poet, was born at Trotton, near 'Midhurst, in the county of Sussex, in the year 1651. His father was rector of Woolbedding ; and, after receiving his education at Wykeham School, near Winchester, he was entered a Commoner of Christ's Church, Oxford, in 1669. Upon the death of his father, he seems to have abandoned his studies, as he left Oxford without taking his degrees, and without having formed any plans for his future life. Having repaired to London, he tried his skill as an actor, but as his talents were not fitted for this profession, he directed them, more appro priately, to the composition of tragedy. In the year 1675, he produced his first tragedy, which bore the name of " Alcibiades ;" and the same year appeared his "Don Carlos, Prince of Spain," which was highly successful, and relieved him from a state of extreme indigence into which he had fallen. The reputation which Otway had now obtained, introduced him to the acquaintance and pa tronage of the Earl of Plymouth, a natural son of Charles IL who procured for him the commission of cornet in a newly raised regiment. In the year 1677 lie accompanied
his troop to the Continent, but from his habits of dissipa tion, which he seems to have been unable to counteract, he soon left the regiment in a state of great poverty, and resumed his former occupation of writing for the stage. Under these circumstances, he composed the Orphan and Venice Preserved, the first of which appeared in 1680, and the other in 1682. Notwithstanding the success of these tragedies, he was again overwhelmed with poverty ; and in 1685, being compelled to avoid his creditors, he took refuge in a house in Towerhill, where lie died on the 14th of April, at the early age of 34. Sonic of his biographers have stated, that Otway was obliged to beg a shilling from a gentleman, and that he was actually choked by devouring too eagerly the morsel of hpei,d which it had procured him. Pope was informed that lie died of a fever, brought on by the two active pursuit of a thief who had robbed one of his friends.
The merits of Otway as a tragic poet have already been estimated in our article DRAMA.