1776. Review and Lift of New Publications. victims to the confummate and wicked artifi- PUBLICATIONS THIS MONTH 47 The Hiftory of Lady Anne Neville, Sifter to the great Earl of Warwick. 2 Vols, 6s, Cadell. POLITICAL. Some Reasons for approving of the D-aa of Gloucefter's Plan of-feparating from the Colonies; with a Propofal for a further Improvement. 6d. Conant, Obfervations on the Bill intended to be offered to Parliament for the better Relief of the Poor. By Richard Burn, L L. D. is, Cadell. RELIGIOUS and SERMONS. God's Controverfy with the Nations; addreffed to the Rulers of Christendom. By T. Hartley, M. A. 15. Conant. Sermons. By the late Reverend Mr. Edward Sandercock. 55. Nicoll. Joy in Heaven, and the Creed of Devils. Two Sermons. By Auguftus Toplady, A. B. Is. Vallance. T For the LONDON MAGAZINE. THE BRITISH THEATRE. January 23. HOUGH we gave fome account of the new comic opera, called the Duenna, in our Magazine for the month of December laft, p. 610. the very favourable reception this piece has met with from the public, for the 35thtime last night, has induced us to attend to fome particulars, which, we flatter Durfelves, may not be unacceptable to our readers, but which did not come within our plan on a first representation. The fuccefs of this opera as a musical entertainment, would have been very doubtful; but for the very uncommon and diftinguished fupport it received from the richness of the plot, the ftrong and natural connection and fucceffion of incident, the dro'lery and contraft of fituation, and the humour of the dialogue. Several of the airs are Scotch or Irish; and fome of them would have had a much happier effect, if they had been fung in their native file. To judge of the Duenna by the rigid rules of criticifm, as a regular dramatic compofition, would not be acting candidly. The author, by making choice of this fpecies of writing, has given no flender proof of his knowledge of the taste of the town, and of the dearth of good comic players; as well as the advantages he must derive, by uniting the lovers of comedy and mufick in his favour. By this means the Duenna has escaped the cenfures it might have been liable to on either hand. To the former it prefents plot, humour and character; to the latter, many pleafing airs, tender fcenes, and amorous embarras. Were old Denn to again revifit the pit of Covent-Garden play-houfe, he would forgive the improbable incident of the change of clothes between the Duesna and Louifa, which is the point on which the whole bufinefs of the opera depends; and join in the laugh, in fpite of Ariftotle and Boffu; or in the laft fcene, though Handel might think very little of the compofer, he would poftpone the enjoyments of the table, and wait for half an hour to fee little Ifaac, taunted with a repetition of his boasting expreffions of his own fuperior art and cunning, by his intended father in law, and his very amiable spouse. But while truth urges us to give a faithful teftimony, the defires us to conceal nothing, nor facrifice her caufe to any motives of partiality, improper tenderness, or falle delicacy; the Duenna has its defects, though they may be concealed or foftened by its acknowledged merit; we repeat again that we do not wish to try it by the laws and ordinan ces iffued by that great legiflator the stagyrite; but this does not preclude us from pronouncing judgment on errors of a leffer nature, which the author might by very little induftry and attention have avoided. To fwear ore rotundo on the parade, the St James's coffee house, at Arthur's, Almack's, or the scavoir vivre, may be very graceful during a run of ill luck, but it does not found fo well on the stage. A little double entendre is pretty enough, but grofs allufions favour too Strongly 48 Critique on the Duenna, and Silent Woman. These hints are merely fuggefted to the author, that he may avoid fuch wanton violations of propriety, when he fhall next think proper to write for the ftage: his expreffions might befides be frequently better chofen, and the humour, though generally arifing from character and fituation, has not much novelty to recommend it: neither can we fee what purpofe the bacchanal vefpers of the order of St. Anthony can poffibly answer; we will venture to fay, they are not founded in fact, nor fupported by probability, and we may prefume that the author by his education, or his habits, is not difpofed to adopt the opinion of that pious reformer, Mr. Pain, that popery is daily gaining ground in this country. Such a fcene might have a very proper effect towards the latter end of King Charles, or during the reign of James the Second, but at prefent, we think this pious fraud totally unneceffary. It now appears as an excrefcence shot out by the excess of the author's zeal, or the exuberance of his invention; it may indeed fit any other play as well as the Duenna, when the fcene is laid in a popith country. Very little is trufted to the ability of the performers, except the characters of Ifaac the Jew, and the Duenna. To enter into a full view of the excellencies of Mr. Quick, in the character of Ifaac, would much exceed the limits we have prescribed to ourselves. It is enough to fay, that he plays it in the full fpirit the author wrote; he is not only and characteristic animated, humourous, throughout, but he is perfectly chaste and correct, and it is doing him but common juftice to obferve, that the managers, the author, and the public ftand equally indebted to him for their fuccefs and entertainment. Mrs. Green is little inferior in the part of the Duenna, to her difappointed enraged lo ver. The firft fcene between Ifaac and his lovely Enamorata is not only one of the most laughable and entertaining, but one of the best played we ever faw. Mrs. Mattocks as ufual fung agreeably, and performed the part of Louifa with her ual fpirit and judgment. Mr. Leoni made up for his want of every thing elfe, by finging in a manner fufficient to create jealoufy and envy in the breafts of some of the most celebrated cafirati at the Haymarket. Mr. Wilfon acquitted himself extremely well in Don Jerome; he fhould endeavour to correct the convolfive motions and unnatural fhrugs in his arms and thoulders. The reft were lo tame and unanimated as ingers, and Jan. ⚫fo aukward as players, that the greatest favour Jan. 15. ON Saturday evening Ben Yet and attended lefs to the documents of those here understood to fanction the reveries of Thefe, 1776. Critique on the Discovery. Thefe, we take it, were fome of the chief reafons, that Jonfon's plays do not bear the high reputation they did for almost a century after they were written; and will remain, we may venture to predict, an infurmountable bar to their ever recovering their former reputation, except where indeed they happen to be uncommonly well-fupported in the reprefentation; which, truth compels us to say, was not the cafe on Saturday evening. Another canfe why the works of Jonfon and the writers of that age will always be cooly received, by a great majority of the young and old folks, which usually frequent our Theatres, is, being totally ignorant of the prevailing manners of the court and city, in the reign of Elizabeth and James. This may be readily conceived, when even the rufticity of Sir Francis Wronghead is almost become obfolete. There are very few members, if any, in the House of Commons, if they were to fit now for the picture, would give a tolerable likeness, though we that Vanbrugh copied faithfully from nature, are perfectly fatisfied and cloathed his portrait with manners and habits really exifting in the reign of George I. Mr. Colman feems to have executed his plan very haftily. The play in its prefent form, is in our opinion unfkilfully mutilated, and disfigured. It is neither Ben Jonson's, nor Colman's; but remains of the doubtful gender. The parts were not judiciously cast, and the tranfpofition of the fcenes, fo highly extolled by the critics of the day, is far from being intitled to the commendations fo la vishly bestowed on it. Jan. 16. LAST night, a young gentleman (a Mr. Webster) made his first appearance at Covent-Garden, in the character of Young Norval in the tragedy of Douglas. He was uncommonly well received, for a firft appearance, and feems to be poffeffed of great merit. His talents at the firft blush certainly will secure him a first place, as a fecond rate actor; and if feeling and extent of voice, easy action, and grace of deportment should come to his aid, he will become a most valuable acquifition to the stage. Jan. 22 A comedy called The Difcovery written by Mrs. Sheridan, which has been very properly laid afide for feveral years, was on Saturday night last revived at Drurylane. This piece resembles a garden uncul 49 tivated and neglected, with here and there a flower hidden or choaked up by weeds. The audience are taught to expect a difcovery by the name, but that is all they are permitted to know, till the last act, when quite terefting scenes, one trial more is made of tired and jaded by a fucceffion of dull unininto the last act; which we do not hesitate their patience, by crowding all the business difgufting we ever remember to have feen; to pronounce, one of the most provokingly but in which, the authorefs is prodigiously lavifh of her favours. To Lord Medway, tune; to his fon, the Colonel, a fortune and an old profligate nobleman, the gives a fora wife; to Mrs. Knightly, a young rich ifh old man for a poufe; to Louifa Medway, widow, and the beroine of the piece, a foola fortune and a husband, and to Mifs Richly, a fortune and Colonel Medway. This is all effected by the mere powers of magic; if not, by powers as wonderful and improbable s that is, by Lord Medway's being the father of Mrs. Knightly. tugal to debauch a young lady. The young His lordship, to bring about this ftrange cataftrophe, is fent to Por Knightly; and Mrs. Knightly marries Sir lady brings forth a child; this child is Mrs. Anthony Branville, a crazy humorist, old enough to be her grandfather. Sir Anthony's nephew, who remains behind the fcenes to this minute, receives a fortune from his unMrs. Knightly gives her fifter, Mifs Richly, cle, and gives his hand to Louifa Medway, amply provided for, but poor Lady Flutter, half her fortune; and in fhort, every one is who is deftined to spend the remainder of lefs coxcomb. The play notwithstanding its her days with a paffionate, pofitive, brainnumerous defects is not without a confiderable deal of merit. The character of Lady Flutter well delineated, and touched in fome places by a very delicate and masterly hand; fo is that of Lord Medway, in a se .condary degree; but it has lefs novelty. Sir ftyle, yet the character is far from being imAnthony Brainville is out of the common probable or ill conceived. There is not indeed one ill drawn character in the piece; the great fault is, that they seem scarcely to bear the conclufion, they are all made happy, the leaft relation to each other, and that in and connected by the tendereft tyes, at the by the creative powers of antecedent procreawill, grace and mere motion of the authorefs, tion. 50 POETICAL ESSAYS in JANUARY, 1776. III. My lazy hours I freely fpend, H. L. M. She courts you to be free: Submiffive hear her foft command, But now we bring him forth with dread and doubt, And fear his learned focks are quite worn out. To-night, if you will feaft your eyes and ears, Go back in fancy near two hundred years; On old Ben Jonson's fare, tho' fomewhat A meal on Bobadil you deign'd to make, A PASTORAL ELEGY on the Death of the 1. YE bowers of Hagley, where the Graces rove, Nor forceunwilling vengeance from a parent's Lave mid your springs, or round hand." Hear her, ye wife, to duty true, And teach the reft to feel; Nor let the madness of a few So fhall the opening year affume PROLOGUE To the reviv'd Comedy of EPICOENE; or Written by GEORGE COLMAN. HA And wins the favour of the Tragic Muse! Whofe pencil living follies brings to view, man, your vallies [grove, play, II. That Lycidas, who whilom used to lead And pierced each grove with your enliv'ning its head, The pride of virtue, Lycidas is dead. That Lycidas, by every muse adored, Mourn, Mufes, mourn, the gentlest spirit Mild Wifdom mourns, for Lycidas is dead. That Lycidas, whose noble bofom glow'd [fled. Mourn Britain, mourn, the firmeft patriot That Lycidas, whofe gentle nature felt But paid with ready joy the facred loan. POETICAL ESSAYS in JANUARY, 1776. Mourn, Mercy, mourn the tend'reft spirit fled. Hark the fprightly notes invite, On each glowing cheek is spread Let not pride our sports reftrain, MERCURY. Mr. Du Bellamy. RECITATIVE. 5L For the will be faithful, if thou wilt be kind. III. And, thou filly woman, ne'er giddily range, For pleasures at diftance, and hunt after change; Thy beft of enjoyments at home shalt thou find, Be thou only faithful, and he will be kind, CHORUS. Thus, man with impious deeds weigh'd. down, In vain, to fhun his penance tries : |