Venice Preferved. who ftruck out only a few occafional beauties, thɔ' perhaps in them particular places fuperior to him.

Mr. Mossop has the capability of excellence, but by having either an erring or laborious judgment, mifapplies his talents grofsly; in the two first acts, where open, genteel, generous freedom is required, he toils through a ftrained infipidity of expreffion : in the third, where Jaffier's honefty is impeached, he totally loses the gentleman, and bullies the confpirators like a bravo; there is a delicacy, even in the rapidity of paffion, which he seems unacquainted with. Before the fenate, and in the subsequent fcene with Jaffier, his naturally contemptuous afpect, and his uncommon extent of voice, opperate happily; but, in the fifth act, he forgives his friend with a countenance as if he was going to knock him down.

Mr. BARRY was a very agreeable, but, in the critical view, indefenfible Pierre ; a melifluous flow of expreffion, and harmonious confonance of features, much better fuited to Jaffier, leffened an effential contrast, and rather contradicted the idea we have of this bold militarian; the eye and ear, however, were pleased, while judgment fat covered with a reluctant frown.

Mr. QUIN, who was by many esteemed a standard of perfection, rolled moft heavily through the part; he recitatived the calmer, and bellowed the more fpirited scenes; in the line

I could have hugg'd the greasy rogues, they pleas'd me; his execration of the fenate, and a few paffages in

VOL. I

Xx

the

Venice Preferved. the dying scene, he was very fortunate, but through all the reft much more like a heavy-headed, methodical, faturnine pedagogue, than what the author

meant.

Mr. BENSLEY is as formal, though not fo important as the last mentioned gentleman, and aims much more at lavished applause than critical propriety, forgetting this indifputable truth in public life, that he who modeftly fteals through an arduous undertaking, is much more commendable than the person who confidently expofes inadequate abilities, and endeavours to pass them current by the ftamp of felf-fufficiency.

Mr. HOLLAND, in the character of Pierre, gave evident marks of the fchool where he originally studied acting, we mean the fpouting-club, ftiff without dignity, and fonorous without meaning, totally void of originality, mounted and hobbling on the aukward ftilts of imitation. Mr. AICKIN, in a modeft prologue, lately placed himself beneath this gentleman, but he need not have paid his abilities fo bad a compliment.

Renault was admirably supported by Mr. SPARKS, who shewed fomething in the representation of him that we have never feen hit off by any performer but himself; in giving the charge, in profeffing fycophantic friendship for Jaffier, and in the confufion occafioned by Pierre's reproaches, he far outstripped all competition. Mr. BURTON gets through bim without deferving praife, yet does not incur cenfure. If the part was about half as long again, there would

be

Venice Preferved.

be danger of his fetting an audience asleep, but, as it is, he paffes off as an inoffenfive relief to attention. We apprehend Renault to be more in Mr. GIBSON'S compass, than any other tragedy part

whatever.

Mr. HAVARD was as pleafing in Priuli as the part would admit; nor was Mr. RIDOUT void of confiderable merit. Mr. BANNISTER, at prefent, fuftains it with ability at Drury Lane, and Mr. HULL fhould refcue it from lefs able talents at Covent Garden.

Belvidera is an amiable, confiftent character, conftant and rational in affection, fuperior to the frowns of poverty, yet poffeffed of quick and delicate fenfibility; fhe towers above misfortunes, while they affect circumftances only, but naturally finks under an accumulation of unhappy effects wrought by them.

Mrs. CIBBER and Mrs. BELLAMY, had each fingular merit in this part; however, the former, who had a countenance moft exquifitely formed to exprefs anguish and diftraction, far furpaffed her competitor in those scenes where deep and violent feelings occur, while the latter, from an amorous glow of features and utterance, excelled in the paffages relative to conjugal affection; her defcription of the madness, fuch as it is, was preferable to Mrs. CIBBER's, because more difengaged.

Mrs. BARRY treads clofe on the heels of the two ladies mentioned, and, if not so strikingly confpicuous in particular places as either, she is more equal X x 2 through

Venice Preferved. through the whole than both; what her countenance wants of expreffion, fhe makes up in a confiderable fuperiority of figure, being poffeffed of a niore amiable dignity of appearance than any theatrical lady we remember.

To fum up our opinion of this tragedy, we shall obferve, that OTWAY feems to have had little elfet in view than catching the paffions at any rate, which moft certainly he has effected; breaches of decorum and delicacy were no objects of his caution, he wrote to the heart without properly remembering the head; wherefore, his plot, though tolerably regular, will, we apprehend, from what has been observed, appear defective. His language is free, and his verfification flowing, but the latter is not always correct, nor the former chafte; his fentiments are lively and pathetic, but in many places ftrained, and in more licentious. As to his characters, we cannot offer a better general criticism than that of Mr. ADDISON, who writes in one of the Spectators as follows:

"The greatest characters in VENICE PRESERVED are those of rebels and traitors; had the hero of this play discovered the fame good qualities in defence of his country, that he fhews for its ruin and fubver fion, the audience could not enough pity and admire him; but, as he is now reprefented, we can only say. of him, what the Roman hiftorian fays of Cataline, that his fall would have been glorious, fi pro patria fic concidiffet, had he fo fallen in the fervice of his country,'

The

THE MINOR.

A COMEDY by Mr. FoOTE.

THE author of this piece has alwavs been al

lowed a pleafing peculiarity in his dramatic writings; they evidently difcover that excellent definition of wit, a quick conception and an eafy delivery. The comedy now before us, was ufhered originally into public view by a prelusive scene between Mr. FOOTE, in his private capacity, and two buckifh critics of his acquaintance. In the first part of their discourse, fome very fenfible and spirited remarks on those objects moft proper for ridicule occur. We may discover that a charge of too much perfonality in his fatire, led the author into this able de fence of himself: it being also a ticklish point, to expofe even moft egregious and prejudicial enthusiasm on the ftage; he prepared the audience for what they were to expect, and has in the following paffage, beyond confutation, juftified his defign; not only as free from cenfure, but as worthy national countenance and applause.

Speaking of that burlefque, upon religion and common fenfe, Methodism, he says emphatically: "This is madness, which argument can never cure; and should a little wholefome feverity be applied, perfecution would be the immediate cry: Where then can we have recourfe, but to the comic mufe? Perhaps the archnefs and feverity of her fmile may. redress