neceffary catalogue of names, most of which are but little and fome not at all known.

Worthy, who in no degree deferves his name, being void, as far as we fee, of virtue as well as vice, is fuch an unfeafoned water-gruel, tame, pitiful lover, that he must be an eftimable performer who fhields him from abfolute contempt, which by a well-adapted placidity of performance, Mr. HULL agreeably effects, having judgment to inform him where mediocrity is merit.

Sylvia, the capital lady, has spirit and sense; but the former runs her into female quixotifm, and the latter often dwindles into licentiousness; her difguife and the fituation it confequently throws her into is very indelicate; the scheme by which she obtains her wishes, wild, improbable, and culpable-yet while Mrs. WOFFINGTON filled this character, there was not a more agreeable one on the ftage, equally degagée in the female and male femblance, fhe ravished in both; rendering even abfurdities pleafing by the elegance of her appearance and vivacity of her expreffion; as far as her figure would admit, Mrs. PRITCHARD was excellent : at prefent, Mifs MACKLIN juftly enjoys a confiderable share of reputation in it, having spirit of expreffion, fenfibility of look, delicacy of emphasis, and gentility of deportment.

Melinda is a vicious heap of inconfistencies, with a fhallow head and bad heart, without a single circumftance or fpeech worth notice, except fome which call for cenfure; I never faw any body exhibit her who deferved the leaft mention in criti

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cism;

cifm; Lucy is an obfcure, worthless engine of the under-plot-Rofe is a pleasing, well-drawn picture of rural innocence and humourous fimplicity; in performance, I fhall fay juft the fame of her as of Cherry in the Stratagem.

The unities of time and place are tolerably well preserved in this comedy; but the plot has no trace of a moral, and the catastrophe is huddled up without any degree of poetical juftice-Sylvia, by the bye, a dangerous leffon for young ladies-in confequence of hazarding her virtue, obtains her wishes-Melinda gains the man she has used infamoufly, and Worthy gets the woman he would. have debauched; while poor, inoffenfive Brazen is left, unrepining, to folace himself with twenty recruits instead of twenty thousand pounds: in fhort, it appears that our author, whofe dialogue is unaffected and pleasant, confidered entertainment more than instruction; fo that I fhall venture to affirm, the Recruiting Officer, though it may make us merry, both in the clofet and on the stage, will never leave any useful impreffions from either.

M A C

MACBETH.

Written by SHAKESPEARE.

Preternatural beings afford the widest, most

Juxuriant field for genius to fport, and ideas to vegitate in; of this being truly fenfible, and willing to give his muse of fire unlimited scope, Shakespeare has in feveral pieces availed himself, but in none more powerfully than the tragedy now before us; however, though critically we must admire that characteriftic peculiarity of fentiment and expreffion which diftinguish the Witches, it is nevertheless neceffary to remark, that exhibiting fuch perfonages and phantoms, as never had any existence but in credulous or heated imaginations, tends to impress fuperftitious feelings and fears upon weak minds; for which reafon, I confider every dramatic piece which treats the audience with a ghoft, fairy or witch, as improper for young, unexperienced spectators in particular; if, as is well known, old womens ftories of fuch, imprefs a timidity upon every child who hears their terrifying tales, a timidity which lafts to the conclufion of life; may we not infer apprehenfions of their having a more forceable affect from being realized on the stage.

It may be faid; that interdicting fuch poetical auxiliaries would cramp genius, and deprive us of many unparalleled beauties; to this the answer is plain, that nothing which has not a good effect, or

at

at least an inoffenfive tendency fhould be deemed beautiful, or ftand in estimation.

From what is thus premised, we hope, no other charge will be laid against Shakespeare, than the barbarous and credulous taste of the times in which he wrote, and to which he fubmitted, with poffibly an oblique defign of flattering the favourite opinion of James the firft; yet allowing this to be really the cafe, it cannot exculpate his preternatural beings, as fuch, from rational cenfure for the reafons affigned above, notwithstanding the author had hiftorical tradition to countenance his introduction of them; after this general, and, we hope, juft objection against the weird fifters, we are to take the piece as it ftands, and confider diftinctly its feveral component parts.

Macbeth commences with all the apparatus of terror-a ftorm! a defart! and three withered hags of little less than infernal appearance; their short conference is full of meaning, and a kind of oracular obfcurity; their fudden disappearance gains a defire in the spectators to fee them again, and to know in what fort of business fuch extraordinary agents are to be employed; but I know not why they should fink under the stage, immediately after pronouncing these words, "Hover through the fog and "filthy air."

The King's appearance to hear an account of the battle; that account, related by a wounded officer, with fuch energy of description, and fo much to the honour of Duncan's generals; are good preparations to poffefs us of the heroic

part

part of Macbeth's character but why this express of victory should be fent by fo imperfect a meffenger as one, whofe wounds, yet green, wanted the affiftance of a furgeon, I cannot think; if the whole relation had come from Roffe, it would have been rather more fuitable, and would have given his character fomewhat more importance.

The witches, at their next meeting, question each other concerning their feveral employments, and the replies fhew them pregnant with that diabolic malevolence which is charged against them; the threats vented against the failor, whofe wife had refused one of them chefnuts, ftrike every feeling mind with sympathetic terror; their preparation for Macbeth has fomething myftically folemn in it.

The notice taken of these odd appearances by Banquo, is fuch as would naturally occur to a man of sense and spirit; and their alternate climax of congratulation to Macbeth much in character; him they hail in plain and pofitive terms of prophecy, which throws him, very judiciously, into a state of filent and confufed reflection; the author well, knew, that no words at this period would equal the more fuitable 1peech of countenance and action; therefore makes Banquo, whofe open, difinterested heart takes no alarm, fill up a well-adapted paufe of the principal character, by queftioning the fifters concerning himself; their replies to him are flattering, but ænigmatical, and feem to roufe Macbeth to a curiofity of further information, which, however, is properly checked, for this time, by the departure of the Witches in his fpeech to them, VOL, I.

M

there