ABSTRACT

Nathanael Lee, 1653-92, was a professional writer of heroic tragedy. His career illustrates well the humiliations the professional writers had to suffer during this period. The first excerpt given here is another example of the sycophancy expected of a professional towards the nobility, but the second extract where Rochester figures as ‘Rosidore’, first pointed out as a reference to Rochester by Thorn-Drury, seems to be unsolicited and sincere. In addition to ‘Rosidore’ the character of ‘Nemours’ is also based on Rochester. Pinto finds echoes of Rochester’s translation of lines from Seneca’s Troas and Upon Nothing in the passage (Enthusiast in Wit, p. 233).