but had not courage to speak. One of them fwore I was certainly dumb, which gave the other an opportunity to exert his wit on that advantage, and the general glibnefs of women's tongues. I walked now as quick as ever I could, my face glowing with indignation. At laft, almoft out of breath, I got to the houfe of Mrs. Ranger. Confufed, and not remembering the fingle knock, which I cught to have given at the door, I gave a rat-tat, as loud as would have been given by the footman of a lady of quality, her ladyfhip in waiting." My two 'fquires, judging by my knock at the door, I was a perfon of diftinction, asked me pardon, and sneaked away. A footman came flying to the door. I was ready to fink at my mistake, when obferving my parcel, he asked me, who it was that knocked? I answered it was I, and was going to tell him of the two rude men that occafioned my doing fo, when he giving a loud laugh, I was again fo difcompofed, that I could not fay a word. A bell ringing he left me in the paffage, and I was going to make my escape out of the houfe, when Mrs. Ranger's maid, obferving me, afked, if I had any business with her mistress? I then told her whom I came from, while I was fo agitated, that I could fcarcely stand. She immediately went, and informed her mistress; and I was defired to walk up ftairs. I was ushered into the dreffing-room, where Mrs. Ranger received me with a loud laugh, and asked me if I kept a footman. I made no answer, but fell to unloofing my parcel, when obferving my hand tremble, fhe continued her laugh, with a "Lard! girl, you have got the palfy. Pray what is become of Jackfon? I have not feen her thefe three weeks. Has fhe got any new wash for the face? I vow it was the oddeft compofition fhe brought me laft ever was made.” "I really don't know, madam, whether he has or not. Pray, will you be fo good as to look at the laces "Sitting down at her toilette, fhe began to adjust her head drefs, without giving me any answer, or feeming to remember I was in the room. While the continued practifing all the ridiculous airs imaginable in the glass, I had time to recollect my fpirits, and to think how abfurd it was to be fo uneafy at the folly of people I had no connection with. "Pray, madam," faid I again," will you be fo good as look at the laces ?" "Are you the young woman Jackson was propofing to get, to aflift her in her bufinefs ?" " N-o, yes,—Maʼam”"You are on trial, I fuppofe." Turning about her chair from the toilette, "Let me look at you, child. Upon my word very pretty where got you thofe languifhing eyes ?" Her maid coming in, "Bret," faid fhe, pray look what a pretty girl 66 P 3 Jack fon T Jackfon has got: obferve her eyes." The maid beginning to ftare as her miftrefs had done, I loft all patience. "I fuppofe, madam," said I, "you are not for any of the laces at prefent," and rolling up my parcel, the lady and her maid again fell into an immoderate fit of laughter; during which I made what hafte I could down ftairs, and, the street door being open, I made my escape; while the maid continued laughing, and calling after me, young woman, mifs, mifs, pray, come back; Mrs. Ranger wants to look at the laces." Mrs. Ranger and you may go where you pleafe, and look for lace, (thought I) you fhall fee none of mine. When I was out of the reach of their impertinence, I could not help laughing, in pite of the lowness of my fpirits, at this adventure.' VIII. The English Merchant, a Comedy. As it is acted at the TheatreRoyal in Drury-Lane. By George Colman. 8vo. Pr. is. 6d. Becket. TH THIS comedy is profeffedly written upon the plan of L'Ecoffaife, by Voltaire, to whom on that account it is dedicated by the author, Mr. Colman. The plot is very simple, but extremely interefting and fentimental. A gentleman who had the unhappiness to be engaged in the late rebellion forfeits his life to the law, and, like many other unfortunate perfons in his fituation, becomes deeply fenfible of his guilt; but willing to be restored to his country, ventures to come to London, in hopes that his friend lord Brumpton would procure him his pardon, and that he might obtain fome intelligence of his daughter Amelia, whom he had left an infant. Chance directs him to hire lodgings in the very house where his daughter was living, or rather ftarving, but with a dignity that gained her admiration without procuring her relief. She had made a favourable impreffion on the heart of lord Falbridge, but had broken off all connections with him, because he had made her dishonourable propofals. Her virtuous indignation converted his lordship into a fincere penitent and lover; and he, previous to his attachment to Amelia, had dif continued his correfpondence with lady Alton, one of the leading belles efprits, but a woman of a fiery vindictive temper. Her ladyship finding that Amelia was the loadstone who had withdrawn his lordship's affections from her, plants Mr. Spatter, an author, one of her dependents as a patroness of tafte and learning, but a fellow completely abandoned to every kind of infamy, to watch Amelia; and he takes lodgings in the very fame houfe, viz. that of Mrs. Goodman. Spatter, Spatter, by intercepting letters, and various other circumftances, having discovered Amelia to be the daughter of Sir 'William Douglas, lays an information against her before the government; upon which fhe is arrested by an officer (as our author calls him, meaning, we fuppofe, a meffenger of state).-We are entirely ignorant of Mr. Colman's motives for this compliment to that fpecies of gentry; for by an officer we fhould be apt to think he was a bail ff-Be that as it may, our honeft English merchant, Mr. Freeport, bails Amelia-Here our author is mistaken, for the meffenger had no power to take bail.-Voltaire indeed violates the national manners in this inftance without hesitation; but our author feems fo fenfible of fuch an infringement, that he makes the officer himfelf apologize for it in the fifth act. Spatter next difcovers Sir William Douglas to be in the house, and that he is the father of Amelia. In the mean time Free'port, who with an infinite fhare of philanthropy mixes a dafh of oddity in his compofition, being informed of Amelia's wants and virtues, offers her a prefent of two hundred pounds; which she obftinately refusing to accept, he places it in the hands of her worthy landlady Mrs Goodman. The villainous Spatter obtains from the government a fresh warrant, not only against Amelia but her father: and the benevolent Freeport finding that lord Brumpton, who had been lately dead, was the friend upon whom Sir William Douglas depended for his pardon, applies to the heir of his title, and finding it had been procured, releafes the two prifoners. Lord Falbridge, who is equally folicitous for their fafety, offers Amelia his hand in marriage, which fhe accepts with the confent of her father and Freeport, who honeftly confeffes his benevolence to Amelia had fomè leaven of felf-intereft in it, yet generoufly refigns her to his lordship. Perhaps no comedy was ever produced upon the stage with a more moral tendency, or lefs offenfive to decency, than the English Merchant. We enter with concern into the fate of the virtuous characters, and we can perceive that the author's feelings always arife in the right place. Colley Cibber wrote his Nonjuror with an intent to raise the public indignation against that deluded fet of men ; and his purpofe has been generally condemned, fince experience has taught us that lenity and a generous confidence can make them as good fubjects as any belonging to the crown; witnefs the late war, and the almoft utter extinction of those principles which have given fo much uneafines to a revolution government.. Nature has given the drawing, and good fenfe the colouring, of Mr. Colman's Sir William Douglas. The majesty of Amelia under her diftrefs P 4 diftrefs is admirable, and the contrast between the manner of her fuffering and that of her faithful maid Molly is truly Terentian; but it requires a reader of fenfibility to tafte it. After paffing these encomiums, the reader cannot suspect that in characterising this comedy we fet down aught in malice; and therefore we shall be less reserved in observing, that as our poor friend Thomson, the author of the Seasons, said to the late amiable prince of Wales, after lofing his place, that his circumstances were more poetical than before; fo we think thofe of Amelia are rather too diftrefsful. What must have become of her, had it not been for the accidental support of Freeport and her landlady? We shall likewife take the liberty to fuggeft, that Mr. Colman is a little too niggardly of poetical juftice with regard to Spatter and La-France; neither do we think, unless, like Voltaire, he had fome particular character in his eye, there was any neceffity to make him an author. However, we will venture to say, that there are as few reprehenfible paffages in this comedy as in any that ever appeared on the English or any other stage. 9.1 MONTHLY CATALOGUE. The Adventures of an Author. Written by himself and a Friend. THEY HE wifdom of the Greek philofopher's faying, Know thyself,' is exemplified in no inftance more than the accounts which authors give of themfelves and of each other in performances of this kind. They generally couple an author and a bookfeller together, like a quack-doctor and a merryandrew; the former giving the word of command, and the other going through all his exercises of buffoonery to please the gaping crowd, and to fill his mafter's pockets. How far this is a just representation of authorship, we fhall leave the fraternity to judge, for our readers cannot. We can only speak from our own obfervation, that if there is any incidents drawn from the life, in the adventures of Mr. Atall, (for fuch is our hero's name) as an author, it is fo caricatured, that we can scarcely difcern a stroke which can lead us to guess at the original. Mr. Atall, who is the most affuming grub that ever appeared in this character, sets out in the world as a lawyer's clerk, then commences fpouter, ftands a candidate for the ftage, becomes the acquaintance of Mr. Hyper, a poet, politician, and critic; next turns beau, rhimefter, bully, keeper, gamester, and, towards the end of the first volume, author. He does not fhine much in that character in the fecond volume, where he com mences mences a Reviewer; for at laft he refolves to transport himself to Jamaica. He is taken prifoner by a Spanish privateer in the voyage, and carried to St. Sebaftians, from whence he and fome of his countrymen escape. As we think this the moft entertaining part of his adventures, we are tempted to believe the author has in reality fome experience of a feafaring life. Upon his deliverance and return to England Mr. Atall commences pedlar, and enters into partnership with a Jew, who cheats and strips him of his all. He next returns to his trade of authorship, in which he makes, as formerly, but a poor figure. He goes to Bath, and after running through various adventures, he is so kind as to knock his mother on the head, (that is only as an author, for he supposes her to have died a natural death) by which he becomes mafter of two thousand five hundred pounds a year, and acquires an amiable character. Such are the general contents of this piece; the second volume of which the author concludes with faying, that he expects no quarter from the next monthly batteries of the Reviewers.' Indeed, Mr. Atall, you may make yourself easy ; for we will answer for ourselves, that we do not think you worth powder and fhot. 10. The Female American, or the Adventures of Unca Eliza Wink1 field. Compiled by herself. 2 Vol. 12mo. Pr. 6s. Noble. Mrs. Unca Eliza Winkfield is a moft strange adventurer, and her memoirs seem to be calculated only for the wild Indians to whom he is fo clofely allied. We could therefore have wished, as well for her fake as our own, that this lady had published her adventures at the Fall of Niagara, or upon the Banks of Lake Superior, as fhe would then, probably, have received the moft judicious and fincere applaufe from her enlightened countrymen and princely relations, and have faved us fix hours very difagreeable employment. 11. The Hiftory of Mr. Byron and Miss Greville. Pr. 6. Noble. 2 Vols. 12mo. This history has little to recommend it but its ftile, which is fuperior to that we meet with in the generality of Novels. As ufual, the hero and heroine are all perfection, in perfon, fentiment, morals, and conduct; and of course they are perfecuted by their ill-fated ftars, and the inflexibility of parental oppofition. However, they at length come together, and are neceffarily then at the very pinnacle of felicity. Mifs Greville's delicacy is carried to a very great height, in refufing to make Mr. |