John Ford, an English dramatist, born at Hsington, Devonshire, April 17, 1586, died there about 1640. At the age of 16 he was entered a student of law in the Middle Temple, and having been regularly called to the bar, practised law until 1638 or 1639, when he is supposed to have retired to his native place, as all trace of him ceases after this date. After his professional labors had secured him an independent position, he became indifferent to the pecuniary profit of his plays, but finished them carefully, making little effort to court the popular taste. He is said to have assisted Webster in A late Murther of the Sonne upon the Mother," a play which has been lost, and Decker in "The Fairy Knight" and "The Bristowe Merchant,',' which have likewise disappeared. He joined with Decker in writing "The Sun's Darling," a moral masque acted in 1623-4, and published in 1657; and of "The Witch of Edmonton," written in conjunction with Rowley and Decker, the last act is ascribed to Ford. His own plays are:

"The Lover's Melancholy (1629);"Tis Pity she's a Whore,"The Broken Heart," and "Love's Sacrifice" (1633);Perkin War-beck" (1634);The Fancies Chaste and Noble" (1638); and "The Ladie's Triall" (1639). He was entirely destitute of comic ability. The Broken Heart and "Perkin Warbeck are commonly esteemed his finest plays. His complete dramatic works were first published in 1811, in 2 vols,, edited by II. Weber. In 1827 appeared Gilford's edition in 2 vols. 8vo, and in 1847 an expurgated one in Murray's "Family Library." The most recent edition is that published in Moxon's series of the old English dramatists.