Edward Howard (baptised 1624 – 1712) was an English dramatist and author of the Restoration era. He was the fifth son of

Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Berkshire Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Berkshire (8 October 1587 – 16 July 1669) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1605 and 1622. He was created Earl of Berkshire in 1626. Life Howard was born in Saffron Walden, Essex, ...

, and one of four playwriting brothers: Sir Robert Howard, Colonel Henry Howard, and James Howard were the others. The brothers were sometimes confused in their own era, and Edward was sometimes given credit for his brother Henry's play ''The United Kingdoms''.

Biography

Edward Howard was christened on 2 November 1624, at St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Howard had a reputation as an exacting and difficult author. In their famous satire '' The Rehearsal'', the

Duke of Buckingham Duke of Buckingham held with Duke of Chandos, referring to Buckingham, is a title that has been created several times in the peerages of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. There have also been earls and marquesses of Buckingham. ...

and his collaborators mocked Howard for being demanding and contentious during the actors' rehearsals of his plays. Howard himself acknowledged his reputation; he wrote a Prologue to his ''Man of Newmarket'' in which the actors

Robert Shatterell Robert Shatterell (baptized 10 November 1616–1684) was an English actor of the seventeenth century. He was one of the limited group of actors who began their careers in the final period of English Renaissance theatre, and resumed stage work in t ...

and Joseph Haynes criticize Howard for not allowing cuts or improvisations in his dramas. Howard complained that when the actors in his ''Six Days' Adventure'' encountered a hostile audience response, they neglected "that diligence required to their parts." He has been described as "the arrogant, touchy Edward Howard." He "seems to have struck his contemporaries as the epitome of the literary fop...." In a quarrel over the ''Change of Crowns'' matter, actor and fellow playwright John Lacy reportedly called Howard "more a fool than a poet." Howard slapped Lacy's face with his glove, and Lacy cracked Howard over the head with his cane.

Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset and 1st Earl of Middlesex, KG (24 January 164329 January 1706) was an English poet and courtier. Early life Sackville was born on 24 January 1643, son of Richard Sackville, 5th Earl of Dorset (1622–1677) ...

wrote his ''Satire on a Conceited Playwright'' about Edward Howard; William Henry Oliphant Smeaton, ed., ''English Satires'', Charleston, SC, BiblioBazaar, 2008; pp. 112-13. Dorset called Howard's poetry "solid nonsense that abides all tests."

Thomas Shadwell Thomas Shadwell ( – 19 November 1692) was an English poet and playwright who was appointed Poet Laureate in 1689. Life Shadwell was born at either Bromehill Farm, Weeting-with-Broomhill or Santon House, Lynford, Norfolk, and educated at B ...

caricatured Howard as the "poet Ninny" in his first play, '' The Sullen Lovers'' (1668).

Alexander Pope Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early 18th century. An exponent of Augustan literature, ...

included a mention of him in ''

The Dunciad ''The Dunciad'' is a landmark, mock-heroic, narrative poem by Alexander Pope published in three different versions at different times from 1728 to 1743. The poem celebrates a goddess Dulness and the progress of her chosen agents as they bri ...

'', Book 1, line 297.

Plays

His best drama is arguably ''The Change of Crowns''. Samuel Pepys saw it on 15 April 1667, performed by the

King's Company The King's Company was one of two enterprises granted the rights to mount theatrical productions in London, after the London theatre closure had been lifted at the start of the English Restoration. It existed from 1660 to 1682, when it merged wit ...

at the

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dr ...

; in his Diary Pepys called it "the best that I ever saw at that house, being a great play and serious." During the première performance of the play, however, cast member John Lacy improvised some lines that offended King Charles II, who had Lacy incarcerated in response. As a result of the controversy, ''The Change of Crowns'' was not published in its own era. Howard's other plays were treated roughly by the critics of the day. Restoration dramatists often reworked the plays of earlier playwrights; "Ned" Howard was accused of relying on work by

James Shirley James Shirley (or Sherley) (September 1596 – October 1666) was an English dramatist. He belonged to the great period of English dramatic literature, but, in Charles Lamb's words, he "claims a place among the worthies of this period, not so m ...

. His five plays are: * ''The Usurper'', 1664 (printed 1668) * ''The Change of Crowns'', 1667 * ''

The Women's Conquest ''The Women's Conquest'' is a 1670 tragedy by the English writer Edward Howard. It was first staged by the Duke's Company at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre with a cast that included Henry Harris as Tysamnes, William Smith as Foscaris, John ...

'', 1670 (printed 1671) * '' The Six Days' Adventure'', 1671 (printed 1671) * ''The Man of Newmarket'', 1678 (printed 1678)

Poems and miscellany

* ''Bonduca, the British Princess'', 1669 * ''Poems and Essays, with a Paraphrase on Cicero's Laelius'', 1673 * ''Spencer Redivivus'', 1687 * ''Caroloiades, or the Rebellion of Forty-One'', 1689

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, Edward English dramatists and playwrights 1624 births Edward Howard 1712 deaths English male dramatists and playwrights English male poets Younger sons of earls