D'AVENANT, WILLIAM, was born at Oxford in 1605. His father, who appears to have spelt his name Davenent, kept the Crown Inn at Oxford, and some have gathered from Wood's words (‘ Athey. Oxon.') hints of a connection having existed between his mother and Sliakeepere, who frequented that place of entertainment. He was mitered at Lincoln College, Oxford ; but it does net appear that he took a degree. He then became page to the Duchess of Richmond, and was afterwards in the family of Lord Brooke, the poet. In 1637 he succeeded Ben Jouson as laureat ; and iu 1641 was accused by the parliament, and force to retire to France. Two years after, he was knighted by Charles at the siege of Gloucester ; but in 1646 we find him again in Franco, a Roman Catholic, and in the employ of Henrietta. Being taken prisoner at sea in 1651, he only escaped being tried for his life by the intercession of some friends, among whom are said to have been Milton and Whitelocke. His works consist of dramas, masques, addresses, and an unfinished epic called Gondibert,' which he dedicated to Hobbes. The only work for which he is now
remembered is au alteration of the 'Tempest,' in which he was engaged with Dryden ; "and marvellous indeed is it that two men of such great and indubitable genius should have combined to debase and vulgarise and pollute such a poem ; but, to the scandal of the English stage, it is their' Tempest,' and not Shakepeare's, which is to this day represented." (Southey.) It is in fact only within the last two or three years that any managers have ventured to return to tbo text of Shakapere. D'Avenant appears to have been the first to mix the English drama with the French heroic play, and to introduce the examples of moral virtue "writ is verse, and performed in recitative music." (Dryden.) As he established a theatre as early as 1657, the times might be partly in fault, but his long residence in France had probably influenced his taste. He died in 1663, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. (Wood, Athen. ,Oxon.; Biogr. Brit.; Southey, British Poets.)