(James), a celebrated performer on the English stage, was born at London in 1693. He was intended for the bar; but preferring Shakespear to the statutes at large, he on the death of his father, when it was necessary for him to do something with himself, appeared on the stage at Drury-lane. In 1720, he first displayed his comic powers in the character of Falstaff, and soon after appeared to as great advantage in Sir John Brute; but it was upon Booth's quitting the stage, that Quin appeared to full advantage, in the part of Cato. He continued a favourite performer until the year 1748, when on some disgust between him and Mr Rich the manager, he retired to Bath, and only came up annually to act for the benefit of his friend Ryan; until the loss of two front teeth spoilt his utterance for the stage. While Mr Quin continued upon the stage, he constantly kept company with the greatest geniuses of the age. He was well known to Pope and Swift; and the earl of Chesterfield frequently invited him to his table; but there was none for whom he entertained a higher esteem, than for the ingenious Mr Thomson, to whom he made himself known by an act of generosity, that does the greatest honour to his character, and of which we have given a particular account in Mr Thomson's life. Mr Quin's judgment in the English language recommended him to his royal highness Frederick prince of Wales, who appointed him to instruct his children in speaking and reading with a graceful propriety; and Quin being informed of the elegant manner in which his present majesty delivered his first gracious speech from the throne, he cried out in a kind of ecstasy, "Ay—I taught the boy to speak!" Nor did his majesty forget his old tutor; for, soon after his accession to the throne, he gave orders, without any application being made to him, that a genteel pension should be paid to Mr Quin during his life. Mr Quin, indeed, was not in absolute need of this royal benefaction; for as he was never married, and had none but distant relations, he sunk 2000l. which was half his fortune, in an annuity, for which he obtained 200l. a-year; and with about 2000l. more in the funds, lived in a decent manner during the latter part of his life at Bath, from whence he carried on a regular correspondence with Mr Garrick, and generally paid a visit to his friends in the metropolis once a-year, when he constantly passed a week or two at Mr Garrick's villa at Hampton. He died of a fever in 1766.

QUINAUT (Philip), a celebrated French poet, born of a good family at Paris in 1635. He cultivated poetry from his infancy, and 16 dramatic pieces of his were acted between the year 1653 and 1666. In the mean time Quinaut was not so much devoted to poetry, but that he applied himself to the study of the law; and made his fortune by marrying the widow of a rich merchant to whom he had been useful in his profession. Quinaut afterwards turned his attention to the composing of operas, which were set to music by the famous Lully; and Lully was charmed with a poet whose verses were not too nervous to yield to the capricious airs of music. He died in 1688, after having enjoyed a handsome pension from Lewis XIV. for many years; and we are told he was extremely pensive in his last illness, for all those of his compositions which tended to inspire love and pleasure.