Francis Beaumont

Francis Beaumont (1584-1616) was an English playwright and a dramatic poet, born in Leicestershire, of a family of good standing in England. He was bred for the bar, but devoted to literature. He was a friend of Ben Jonson. In conjunction with his friend John Fletcher, he was the composer of a number of plays, which included "Philaster" (1609) and "The Maid's Tragedy" (1610 — 11), about the separate authorship of which there has been much discussion. However, "The Knight of the Burning Pestle" (c. 1607) is generally attributed to Beaumont along. The dramatic power of the plays comes far short of that so conspicuous in the plays of their great contemporary Shakespeare, though it is said contemporary criticism gave them the preference.