LANGBAINE, Gerard, the son of the former, was born in 1656. He was put as apprentice to Mr Symonds, bookseller in St Paul's Churchyard; but was soon afterwards called thence by his mother, upon the death of his eldest brother, and by her entered as a gentleman commoner of University College, Oxford, in 1672. Here he squandered a good part of his estate; but afterwards corrected his manner of living, and for some years lived in retirement near Oxford. During this time he improved his taste for dramatic poetry; and at first wrote some small pieces without his name, but afterwards published several works which he publicly owned. In 1690 he was elected inf-
rior beadle of arts in the university of Oxford; and, in January following, was chosen superior beadle of law; but he died in 1692. He wrote, 1. The Hunter, a Discourse on Horsemanship; 2. A new Catalogue of English Plays, with their best editions, and divers remarks on the originals of most plays, and on the plagiarisms of several authors; 3. An Account of the English Dramatic Poets.