NICHOLAS (1674-1718).-Dramatist and poet, _b._ of a good family at Little Barford, Bedfordshire, was bred to the law, but inheriting an income of L300 a year, he devoted himself to literature, and produced several dramas, including _The Ambitious Stepmother_, _The Fair Penitent_, and _Jane Shore_. The last, which is his best, contains some sce