(Nicholas), descended of an ancient family in Devonshire, was born in 1673. He acquired a complete taste of the classic authors under the famous Dr Bulby in Westminster school; but poetry was his early and darling study. His father, who was a lawyer, and designed him for his own profession, entered him a student in the Middle Temple. He made remarkable advances in the study of the law; but the love of the belles lettres, and of poetry in particular, flopped him in his career. His first tragedy, the Ambitious Stepmother, meeting with universal applause, he laid aside all thoughts of rising by the law. He afterward composed several tragedies; but that which he valued himself most upon, was his Tamerlane. The others are, the Fair Penitent, Ulysses, the Royal Convert, Jane Shore, and Lady Jane Grey. He also wrote a poem called the Biter, and several poems upon different subjects, which have been published under the title of Miscellaneous Works, in one volume, as his dramatic works have been in two. Rowe is chiefly to be considered (Dr Johnson observes) in the light of a tragic writer and a translator. In his attempt at comedy, he failed so ignominiously, that his Biter is not inserted in his works; and his occasional poems and short compositions are rarely worthy of either praise or censure, for they seem the casual spots of a mind seeking rather to amuse its leisure than to exercise its powers. In the construction of his dramas there is not much art; he is not a nice observer of the unities. He extends time, and varies place, as his convenience requires. To vary the place is not (in the opinion of the learned critic from whom these observations are borrowed) any violation of nature, if the change be made between the acts; for it is no less easy for the spectator to suppose himself at Athens in the second act, than at Thebes in the first; but to change the scene, as is done by Rowe in the middle of an act, is to add more acts to the play, since an act is to much of the business as is transacted without interruption. Rowe, by this licence, easily extricates himself from difficulties; as in Lady Jane Gray, when we have been terrified with all the dreadful pomp of public execution, and are wondering how the heroine or the poet will proceed, no sooner has Jane pronounced some prophetic rhymes, than—pass and be gone—the scene closes, and Pembroke and Gardiner are turned out upon the stage. I know not (says Dr Johnson) that there can be found in his plays any deep search into nature, any accurate discriminations of kindred qualities, or nice display of passion in its progress; all is general and undefined. Nor does he much interest or affect the auditor, except in Jane Shore, who is always seen and heard with pity. Alicia is a character of empty noise, with no resemblance to real sorrow or to natural madness. Whence then has Rowe his reputation? From the reasonable and propriety of some of his scenes, from the elegance of his diction, and the suavity of his verse. He seldom moves either pity or terror, but he often elevates the sentiment; he seldom pierces the breast, but he always delights the ear, and often improves the understanding. understanding. Being a great admirer of Shakespeare, he gave the public an edition of his plays; to which he prefixed an account of that great man's life. But the most considerable of Mr Rowe's performances was a translation of Lucan's Pharsalia, which he just lived to finish, but not to publish; for it did not appear in print till 1728, ten years after his death.

Meanwhile, the love of poetry and books did not make him unfit for business; for nobody applied closer to it when occasion required. The Duke of Queensberry, when secretary of state, made him secretary for public affairs. After the Duke's death, all avenues were stopped to his preferment; and during the rest of Queen Anne's reign he passed his time with the Muses and his books. A story, indeed, is told of him, which shows that he had some acquaintance with her ministers. It is said, that he went one day to pay his court to the lord treasurer Oxford, who asked him, "If he understood Spanish well?" He answered, "No;" but thinking that his Lordship might intend to send him into Spain on some honourable commission, he presently added, "that he did not doubt but he could shortly be able both to understand and to speak it." The earl approving what he said, Rowe took his leave; and, retiring a few weeks to learn the language, waited again on the Earl to acquaint him with it. His Lordship asking him, "If he was sure he understood it thoroughly?" and Rowe affirming that he did, "How happy are you, Mr Rowe," said the Earl, "that you can have the pleasure of reading and understanding the History of Don Quixote in the original!" On the acception of George I., he was made poet laureat, and one of the land surveyors of the customs in the port of London. The prince of Wales conferred on him the clerkship of his council; and the Lord Chancellor Parker made him his secretary for the presentations. He did not enjoy these promotions long; for he died Dec. 6, 1718, in his 45th year.

Mr Rowe was twice married, had a son by his first wife, and a daughter by his second. He was a handsome, genteel man; and his mind was as amiable as his person. He lived beloved; and at his death had the honour to be lamented by Mr Pope, in an epitaph which is printed in Pope's works, although it was not affixed on Mr Rowe's monument in Westminster-abbey, where he was interred in the poet's corner, opposite to Chaucer.

Rowe (Elizbeth), an English lady, eminent for her excellent writings both in prose and verse, born at Ilchester in Somersetshire in 1647, was the daughter of worthy parents, Mr Walter Singer and Mrs Elizabeth Portnel. She received the first serious impressions of religion as soon as she was capable of it. There being a great affinity between painting and poetry, this lady, who had a vein for the one, naturally had a taste for the other. She was also very fond of music; chiefly of the grave and solemn kind, as best suited to the grandeur of her sentiments and the sublimity of her devotion. But poetry was her favourite employment, her distinguishing excellence. So prevalent was her genius this way, that her prose is all poetical. In 1696, a collection of her poems was published at the desire of two friends. Her paraphrase on the xxxviiiith chapter of Job was written at the request of bishop Ken. She had no other tutor for the French and Italian languages than the honourable Mr Thynne, who willingly took the task upon himself. Her shining merit, with the charms of her person and conversation, had procured her a great many admirers. Among others, it is said, the famous Mr Prior made his addresses to her. But Mr Thomas Rowe was to be the happy man. This gentleman was honourably defended; and his superior genius, and infatiable thirst after knowledge, were conspicuous in his earliest years. He had formed a design to compile the lives of all the illustrious persons in antiquity omitted by Plutarch; which, indeed, he partly executed. Eight lives were published since his decease. They were translated into French by the abbe Bellerger in 1734. He spoke with ease and fluency; had a frank and benevolent temper, an inexhaustible fund of wit, and a communicative disposition. Such was the man who, charmed with the person, character, and writings, of our author, married her in 1740, and made it his study to repay the felicity with which she crowned his life. Too intense an application to study, beyond what the delicacy of his frame would bear, broke his health, and threw him into a confusion, which put a period to his valuable life in May 1745, when he was but just past the 28th year of his age. Mrs Rowe wrote a beautiful elegy on his death; and continued to the last moments of her life to express the highest veneration and affection for his memory. As soon after his decease as her affairs would permit, she indulged her inclination for solitude, by retiring to Frome, in Somersetshire, in the neighbourhood of which place the greatest part of her estate lay. In this recess it was that she composed the most celebrated of her works, Friendship in Death, and the Letters Moral and Entertaining. In 1736, she published, the History of Joseph; a poem which she had written in her younger years. She did not long survive this publication; for she died of an apoplexy, as was supposed, Feb. 20. 1736-7. In her cabinet were found letters to several of her friends, which she had ordered to be delivered immediately after her decease. The Rev. Dr Isaac Watts, agreeably to her request, revised and published her devotions in 1737, under the title of Devout Exercises of the Heart in Meditation and Soliloquy, Praise and Prayer; and, in 1739, her Miscellaneous Works, in prose and verse, were published in 2 vols 8vo, with an account of her life and writings prefixed.

As to her person, she was not a regular beauty, yet possessed a large share of the charms of her sex. She was of a moderate stature, her hair of a fine colour, her eyes of a darkish grey inclining to blue, and full of fire. Her complexion was very fair, and a natural blush glowed in her cheeks. She spoke gracefully; her voice was exceedingly sweet and harmonious; and she had a softness in her aspect which inspired love, yet not without some mixture of that awe and veneration which distinguished sense and virtue, apparent in the countenance, are wont to create.