1 which the Author has combined both fentiment and humour; though not without fome of thofe farcical fituations which are to be found in all his Comedies. The incident of the difcovery appears to have been fuggefted by that of Square in Tom Jones," and the drunken communication feems to have been borrowed from Foote's "Lame Lover." It was received with great applaufe, and the performers deferved the approbation they met with. The following Prologue and Epilogue, the former written by Mr. Taylor, and the latter by M. P. Andrews, Elq. were fpoken by Mr. R. Palmer and Mrs, Jordan: PROLOGUE. NO new offender ventures here to-night; Something in mitigation let us plead. way, There VICE and FOLLY were his only prey; All his unfkill'd attempts were foon o'erthrown, And the rafh youth expos'd himfelf alone. Let us the objects he attack'd reviewUnhurt they all their wonted course pursue. BARDS ftill to Bards, as waves to waves fucceed, "And moft we find are of the Vapid breed; A truth, perchance, 'tis needless to declare, "For ah! to-night a lucklefs proof may glare." Still LAWYERS strain their throats with venal fury, Brow-beat an Evidence, or blind a Jury. Veil deep-laid fchemes in hospitable state; PHARO, though routed, ftill may Juftice dare, Fine a few pounds, and many a thoufand share. Still can our Floods of Fafbion arm in arm March fix abreast, and meaner folks alarm; Still faunter through Pall-Mall with callous cafe, And jostle Worth and Beauty as they pleafe; Poaching for prey on this unusual ground- more: Hence he refolv'd a vain pursuit to yield, And abler sportsmen left to range the field. Befides, fo many lenient trials paft, Well might he fear to fuffer there at last. Where mighty Critics fit in folemn state ; EPILOGUE. THE World's a Stage-and Man has Seven Ages: So Shakespeare writes -King of Dramatic But he forgot to tell you in his plan, When the red coral shakes its filver bells!- Next, little Mifs, in pin-a-fore fo trim, With nurse so noisy-with mama so primEager to tell you all fhe's taught to utterLifps as the grafps the allotted bread and butter ; Type of her fex-who, though no longer young, Hold every thing with eafe, except their tongue. • The lines marked thus were not spoken. The idea of this Parody on the Seven Ages of Shakespeare was fuggefted to Mr. Reynolds by his friend Mr. Rogers (Author of The Pleafures of Memory), and the lines printed in Italics were furnished by him. X x 2 A School A School-girl then-She curls ber bair in pa. pers, And mimics Father's gout, and Mother's vapours: Tramples alike on cufioms, and on toes, And whispers all the bears to all she knows : "Betty!" he cries, "it comes into my "head, "Old maids grow cross because their cats "are dead; "My Governess has been in fuch a fufs "About the death of our old tabby pufs"She wears black stockings-Ha! ha!"What a pother, "'Cause one old cat's in mourning for an"other !" The Child of Nature-free from pride and pomp, And fure to please, though nothing but a Romp! Next riper Mifs, who, nature more dif- Now finds fome traits of art are interpofing ; Scarce feels th' incumbrance of a single hair; Then comes that søber character—a Wife, With all the dear, distracting cares of life; A thousand cards, a thousand joys extend, For what may not upon a card depend? Though Juftice in the morn claim fifty pounds, Five hundred won at night may heal the wounds! "And would, to every spouse I had, fur"render; "Their wishes to refufe I never durst"And my fourth died as happy as my first." Truce to fuch fplenetic and rash designs, And let us mingle candour with our Lnes. In all the stages of domestic life, As child, as fifter, parent, friend, and wife, Saveall, a Mifer, Hilary, a Pediar, Mr. Knight. Mr. Simmonds. Now he'll inatch balf a glance at Opera, Bali, Marco, Servant to Va-Mr. Farley. A meteor trac'd by none, though seen by all ; her, A Patent Coffin only can fecure her! At last, the Dowager—in ancient flounces, With Snuff and spectacles, this age denounces – And thus the moralizes [Speaks like an ald woman.] "How bold and forward each young flirt "" appears! "Courtship, in my time, lasted seven years"Now feven little months fuftice of course, "For courting, marrying, fcolding, and di "vorce! What with their trufs'd-up shapes and "pantaloons, "Drefs cccupies the whole of honey-moons: "They fay we have no fouls-but what 46 more odd is, lentine, Moro, Ifabel, Daughter of } Mrs. Mountain. Octavio, Lucilla, Daughter of Annetta, a Country' Flora, Servant to Ifabel, } Mrs. Clendining. 3 Valentine, a favourite of the Duke of Urbino, fecretly pays his addrefles to 1fabel, the daughter of Octavio, a Nebleman banished from Court, and refiding in a village where the Duke is expected on a "Ner inen, nor women now, have any hunting party. Valentine, dreading a difcovery of his attachment, enjoins Ifabel "bodies! not not to let the Duke fee her; but, from anxiety for her brother Lorenzo, Ifabel difregards the injun&tion, and, being made known to the Duke, obtains the pardon of her family. The Duke, to punish Valentine's diltruft of him, in concealing his attachment, determines to make him jealous, white Valentine, more effectually to avoid faficion, profeffes a paffion for another woman in the village. Being preffed by the Duke to discover his miftrefs, he pretends to court Rodriga, an old peasant, whom he accidentally meets on her way to profecute a plot formed to deliver Lucilla, the daughter of an old mifer, from a forced marriage.-This plot is carried on by Lorenzo, Lucilla's lover, and Hilary, a pedlar, with the affiftance of Rodriga, her daughter Annetta, and other accomplices. Saveall, the old mifer, is deceived into a belief, that his intended fon-in-law, Jeremy Maythorn (who is a filly conceited coxcomb) has been guilty of theft, feduction, and murder, and is induced to fire a pistol in the night at a Sgure dreffed up to reprefent Maythorn, whom he, by this means, fufpects of an intention to plunder his houfe. Hilary and bis accomplices frighten Saveall from home, and, while he flies to take refuge in a church, Lucilla escapes with her fortune. The lovers, in their flight, meet Maythorn, and thut him into Saveall's houfe, to answer for the confequences of their tricks. Saveal! returns, and, believing he had killed him, concludes him to be a ghost, and, during his terror, Maythorn leaves the house unmolested. Lucilla's fortune is restored by the difinterestedness of her lover, and his title to her hand confirmed by the Duke. Rodriga, Itabel, and Valentine, meeting in Saveall's houfe, Valentine's artifice is exposed, and the Duke reproves and pardons bira. Valentine obtains the hand of Ifabel; Hilary and Annetta are admitted to the Duke's favour, and Saveall receives into his house again his daughter and his new fon-in-law. was written by Mr. Jofeph Reed, deceafed, and was firt a&ted for the benefit of Mr. Holland, in 1767, and two nights afterwards; when, a difference taking place between the Author and Manager, the Tragedy (though approved of) was laid afide. On the prefent occafion, the parts of Æneas, Narbal, Jarbas, and Dido, originally performed by Mellrs. Powell, Holland, Benfley, and Mrs. Yates, were reprefented by Meffrs. Barrymore, Palmer, Caulfield, and Mrs. Sid dons. Candour requires as to say, that this Piece is not unworthy of reprefentation; the ftory, though hackneyed and familiar, is not improper for the ftage, and the characters are ably difcriminated, the language fufficiently distant from familiarity or bombaft, and the fituations interetting. It was, as on its original performance, received with applaufe. This Piece may be confidered in fome refpects as an imitation of Shakespeare's As you like it: the general tyle of that Author being to be traced, and that not unsuccessfully, in various parts of it. Little novelty of character is to be found; but the whole is a pleasing attempt to unite the ferious and comic into one performance, and the execution has not been Enfuccessful. 28. THE QUEEN OF CARTHAGE, a Tragedy, was acted at Drury Lane, for the benefit of Mr. Palmer. This Piece After the Play, Mr. Colman's Tales, with the title of "My Night-cap and Slippers," were recited and fung; but the reception of the fecond Tale was by no means gratifying to the fpeaker Mr. Palmer. 29. THE TATLERS, a Comedy, by Dr. Benjamin Hoadley, Author of "The Sufpicious Husband," was acted the first time at Covent Garden. The characters as follow: The outline of the Fable is briefly this: Mr. Allworthy, forced by pecuniary embarrassments abroad, returns to England after having amaffed a confiderable fortune. At his departure he left his wife and daughter at a cottage in the country. Froward, an old batchelor, who affumes the name of Whimley, becomes acquainted with their history. After the death of her mother he takes the daughter under his protection, brings her up in a ftate of fimplicity, and intends making her his wife. For this purpofe he immures her with an old attendant, in a houfe, apparently empty; and appoints a cobier, who follows his vocation in an adjoining stall, to keep a harp look out. Not Notwithstanding all this care, Fanny's fimplicity, like Wycherly's Country Wife, is an overmatch for the fagacity of her Moody. Shatter, a volatile young fellow, fees her, and makes a favourable impreffion on her heart; this he imparts to Froward, ignorant that he affumes the name of Whimsey, and, even after her elopeinent with him, places her under his care. In the mean time Mr. Allworthy is diftracted at the fuppofed lofs of his daughter; but on his fervant's recounting to Sir Thomas Severn all that he could learn from the cottage, he immediately concludes it must be Froward's eleve, and accordingly fhe is restored to her father, who bestows her on young Shatter, the fon of his intimate friend. This long dormant Comedy appeared with lefs credit to the Author from the circumitance of feveral pieces on the fame fubject having made their appearance fince his death. It is borrowed from Moliere's L'Ecole des Femmes ;" from which, in 1765, Mr. Lee extracted a Farce called The Country Wife ;" and Mr. Garrick, in 1756, the popular performance of The Country Girl." Mr. Murphy alfo again made ufe of the plot in a Comedy, in 1767, called, "The School for Guardians." In the prefent Piece, the main plot is relieved and enlivened by a well-directed fatire at the folly of fcandal: Lady Nettleton, an adept in that favourite exercife of wit and talents, being first mortified, and afterwards foiled by her own weapons. This character was well drawn and coloured. The following Prologue and Epilogue, the fift written by Mr. Taylor, was spoken by Mr. Holman, and the laft, written by Mr. Jerningham, was ipoken by Mrs. Mattocks: PROLOGUE. THE fighteft fketches from a Master's hand, Tho' faintly colour'd, and though roughly plann d, The Critic of true tale delighted eyes, And, ftruck by Fashion's wand, each moment change, With Nature's potent charm fhall always please, In "boneft Rarger's" wild and sportive ease; That jovial rake, who, fufh'd with wine and youth, Yet guards with pure homage female truth, But ence our Author try'd the public Stage, That threat'ning fea, where critic tempefts rage; Yet no weak fears fubdu'd the scenic aim:- Our Bard, indeed, this filial tribute paid, For they who love the Mufe are still the fame, And but with life expires the noble flame. Long was the Drama we to night difplay By kindred duty kept from open day, But Death at length diffolv'd the facred tie, And Friendship yields it to the public eye. Sure he, thus favour'd by the gen'rous meed, May hope that your applaufe will grace the dred, Not that the kindness you so oft have fhewn Prompts the vain thought of merits of his own, But that his grateful feelings reft the claim On the firm bafe of Hoadley's honour'd .name. Ah! then, what Genius left, from Envy Lave, Nor crush the Flow'r now rifing on the grant a So may that Flow'r to lateft ages bloom, And ampler Laurels dignify his Tomb. EPILOGUE. THE Rights of Women, in our fearching Have not yet been afferted on the Stage: delight, I now appear to move a new Decree, Two Scions on one plant will not now A chafte allusion to the wedded Pair: Is feen engrafted on fome diftant (pot, moan, Left to the blat unpitied and alone: But our new Code forbids the Youth to roam, And calls, with dove-like voice, the Truant home; We We therefore hope our Mates won't think us rude, If from our Plan all grafting we exclude. Do fome now present daringly maintain, That roguish Wives oft fnap the married chain? What if the Hufband will not fhare his life With that domeftic fixture call'd a Wife, Can it be faid, the Living runs away? Then let the Wives for refidence contend, A faithful Couplet in according chime: To ftretch the Couplet to a triplet metre ; Long time entangled in the Wedlock noofe, The City Hufband with his cackling Goofe, Half-tir'd, half-pleas'd, without delight or ftrife, Still fide by fide they waddle on through Life. We rather with the Men would look on high, MAY I Lillo's affecting Tragedy of FATAL CURIOSITY was performed at Drury Lane, for the benefit of Mrs. Siddons. In this Play Mr. Kemble and Mrs. Siddons gave energy and effect to the powerful appeals to the paffions in the characters of Old Wilmot and his Wife. At the conclufion of the evening's entertainment, Mrs. Siddons fpoke the following Lines, faid to be written by Mrs. Piozzi: AND now, this idle airy frolic paft, Comes our grave Idler's horror of the laft: Tho' for a month, a feafon, or a year, Each parting moment still is found severe ; Whilft hollow murmurs ring from Pole to Pole, And black'ning clouds round frighted Europe roll, One's boding heart fears thunder, fire, and rain, May part us all, ere we shall meet again. Since long tried merit took her laft farewell; Our Comic Mufe too, lighter topics lending, Proves that in marriage was her natʼral ending; Whilft, grateful for thofe fmiles which made us gay, Each kindert with waits on her Wedding Day; And fure, fuch talents, honours, thar'd between 'em, If 'tis not happy, why the Deuce is in "em. My own fhort abfence, howloe'er employ'd, Far from your fmiles muft feel an aching void; But whether joys, or pains, or fome of all, No time, nor diftance, from my heart shall Its last remaining fenfe of public faveur. POETRY. |