his fhafts pretty generally at every object that is mentioned. Sir Fretful Plagiary is foon after announced, and exhibits one of the moit harth and fevere caricatures that has been attempted fince the days of Ariftophanes, of which a celebrated fentimental writer is evidently the object; a great part of what is fail by true fpirit of comedy; and that modern tragedies were so very moral, pious, and dull, that they put the actors almoft, and the audience quite to fleep; that trick and fituation were introduced inftead of the wit and humour of comedy, and of natural feeling and genuine pathos in tragedy. To expofe thefe errors was therefore become the proper fubject of fatire in the pre-his reprefentative being literally taken fent day, as their oppofite was in thofe of Charles the Second; that the author, though not a novice in his trade, had also a defign which was of fo dan gerous a fort, that he threw himself on the protection of the audience in the arduous undertaking, and this was no other than a general attack on newspapers The characters of the piece were Sir Fretful Plagiary, Mr. Dodd. Mr. Palmer. With an Italian family, Mr. and Mrs. Dangle are difcovered at breakfast, with feveral news-papers before them. Mr. Dangle is diftreffed to find the greater part of them filled with politics and general subjects, declaring that he pays no attention to any thing but to public amufements, particularly the theatres; he meets at length with fome theatrical anecdotes, and particularly that Mr. Puff's tragedy is in rehearsal. Mrs. Dangle expoftulates with him on the impropriety of making that, which claims no higher rank than a rational amufement, the serious bufinefs of his life; as he, by dangling after the managers, had conftituted himfelf a kind of general patron of authors without inter eft, and players without merit; that his clofet was crouded with new plays, and his parlour with a farrago of authors, actors, dancers, and fingers. A quarrel enfues, in the midst of which Mr. Sneer is announced, who appears to be the friend of Dangle, and of a very farcaftic turn, as he rallies his foible in very keen terms, and levels from his ufual converfation, but with very pointed and keen additions. Sir Fretful Plagiary is tormented with great fuccefs by Sneer. On his declaration that the manager of Drury-Lane had ftolen hints from his ma mufcript pieces, Sneer advifes him to take a fevere revenge, by charging the manager with having written the whole. Plagiary is induced, by fome general compliments from Dingle, to afk their real opinion of his dramatic pieces, particularly his laft: every one gives a general opinion in favour, but points out a different objection, as that it is too long, the incidents too thin, &c. For this Sir Fretful is in very ill humour with them all, and declares that its faults are directly oppofite, as it is too fhort, has too much bufinefs, &c. Sncer then repeats the fubftance of a very severe letter which had appeared in one of the papers againt Sir Fretful, who declares that he holds all news-papers in the higheft contempt, and never looks into any of them: he betrays, however, the most anxious uneafinefs on the fubject, and discovers that he is extremely alarmed and attentive about any thing that is inferted in them-an alarm which is as keenly felt, and as generally denied by other writers, as well as Sir Fretful; and there was never, perhaps, a stronger inftance of it than the whole of this piece. An Italian family alfo appear, with a French interpreter, who is equally unintelligible with the reft (which was excellently played by Mr. Baddeley); they fing a trio and duct, which had a pleafing and nouvelle effect. On Sir Fretfal's retiring in high dudgeon, Mr. Puff is introduced, whe comes to conduct Mr. Dangle to the re Letter from the Dead to the Living. rehearsal of his new tragedy: he is introduced to Mr. Sneer, and a verv brilliant converfation enfues, in which Mr. Puf gives a humourous and learnel account of the fcience of puffing, and appears to be a very malterly adest. He fates the puff direct, the put by implesion, the puff by pretended shufe, &c. &c. in a kind of parody of Thuelltone's differtation on the lye in quarrelling, and the inftances are taken from fome late and very high improvements of this art, which have appeared in the papers. Puff alfo reads fome very diverting memorandu na of his h wing undertaken to perform-in paragraphs-what our movies and armies have not yet been able to effect, as to take Paul Jones, conduét the Ladiamen out of the Shannon, &c. Mr. Puff and his two friends appear in the fecoad act at the play houfe, when Puff's tragedy is rehearfed, with ocenfional interruptions by the author, his friend, and the performers, in the manner of Bayes in the Rehearfal, of Glib in a Peep behind the Curtain, of Mr. Foote in his Divertions of a Morning, and of others which have not been fo fuccefsful. The title of this burlefque tragedy is THE SPANISH INVASION. Governor of Tilbury Mr. Wrighten. A Captain in the dif 589 many of the fcenes and fituations of our principal modern tragedies; but no attempt is made to introduce the foibles of comedy. The purpofe aimed at is effected by a kind of burlefque parody, of which there are feveral thoufand lines extended through the greater part of two aas. This tragedy rehearfal is concluded with a grand, beautiful, and very picturefque view of the Spanish and Englifh flects engaged, in which there are fome very friking improvements in the tage fpectacle. Several of the hips are feen to move, and the firehips, which had fo memorable an effect in that engagement, which was one of the moll important in the annals of mankind, were reprefented in a very natural manner. After the victory is obtained, a proceffion of river gods, reprefenting the principal rivers in England, takes place, which terminates in a general chorus, and a dance by the river deities. The many alterations made by Mr. Sheridan to obviate fome objections made the first night, fhew at once his readinefs to please, and his being mas ter of that elegant taite which will always claim patronage. LETTER from the DEAD to the NARCISSUS in the CELESTIAL RE- SINCE I left the world I have been guife of a Beef- Mr. Wright. permitted to vifit you, and have eater, Tilberina, daughter of the Governor, in love with Don Whiskerandos, aí prifoner in the Fort Mifs Pope. been an invifible witnefs of your tears, your forrow, and grief for my death. Love, fincere and unexampled love, which is still as fervent as ever, prompted me to tranfmit to you this teftimony of my affection, and at the fame time With a variety of other characters, to inform you that I am happy. Grieve which include the greater part of the not for me, my dear Almira! I have under actors and fervants of the com- dropt the wretched garment of mortapany. lity, efcaped the land of difquietude, This Rehearsal, agreeable to the de-mifery, and woe, and am crowned claration in the prologue, is pointed at with felicity amid innumerable angels harps before the throne of Omnipo tence. A fhout of joy was made when we entered, and heaven rang with united melody. The fons of light hailed my fafe arrival: they prefented me with a golden lyre, cloathed me with a white robe, and put a glorious crown on my in untterable blifs, where joy abounds, and pleafures unallayed for ever dwell. Here I feel no more the corroding thorn of difappointment, tafte no more the bitter dregs of forrow-but, fupremely happy, fwim in joy, and rove at large through Elifin fields—infinitely tranfcending whatever the poets feigned. Grieve not for me most ado-head, fuperb and magnificent beyond rable woman!-Dry up your tearsaffuage your forrow-let tranquility footh your mind, and cemfort compofe your fpirits. In a little while we fhall meet again-a few more days the fcene will be changed-your fpirit will take its flight, and I fhall be the first to welcome you to these soft and peaceful habitations, "Where crown'd with joy and ever blooming I ftill remember the day when my foul efcaped the tenement of claywhen it took wing-the earth receded to my view: in a moment I mounted above the clouds, and fled with incon ceivable swiftnefs through boundlefs tracts of æther, till I arrived at the fuburbs of the heavenly paradife. all defcription. I joined the heavenly choir; hymns of praife were fung to the great Etuigent Divinity, the fountain head which fupplied with copious and unintermitted draughts of pleasure all the inhabitants of the cæleftial regions. We now roved through this fair and enchanting land, through bliss ful shades and rofy bowers-through verdant meads, aromatic groves, and flowery fields, where pleafure eternally fpreads her ftores, and revels innocently with uninterrupted and unmoletted) freedom. Oh! my Almira, I fill remember the day, the awful day, when my foul got loose from its corporeal prifonwhen it left its frail manfion, and fled with inconceivable swiftnefs to the immaterial world. I ftill remember the woeful, the melancholy fcene, a little preceding the happy tranfition: when you hung over me with streaming eyes, and bathed my couch with tears. Fain would I have flaid a little longer to and flopped the torrent of your exquifite grief, but Fate called me away, nor would permit my longer ftay. With what fecret bleeding anguish did I behold your troubles juft before my departure, when my lips were fealed, my tongue chained, and my foul affaying to difengage itself from the almoft lifelefs dwelling! How did I weep inwardly, and fympathife with you, though I had not the power to confole or alleviate your forrows. The firft heavenly fpirit that met me there, was my old, my dear friend Clariffa; but how changed!-How divinely fair!-Joy fmiled in her countenance, and heavenly fragrance breath-have cheared your drooping fpirits, ed from her lips. She flew in raptures to congratulate my arrival: and when fe fpoke ravifhing mufic filled the celeftial realms; fuch as elevate angelic minds, and fill with tranfport every faculty of the foul. With exquifite, unfpeakable pleafure, fhe received me into her ethereal chariot, which was gold, befet with diamonds, and fhone like the fun in its meridian glory. In a moment we arrive at the portals of the celestial kingdom. The glittering gates, which were sparkling fapphire, ftudded with gold, and adorned with rubies, felf-moved, flew open at our approach. The fields of Paradife are difclofed to view, the dazzling profpe&t of uncreated excellency appears, attended with myriads and myriads of exalted beings, who were tuning their Dear Almira, the eternal conftancy which we vowed to each other, and the never to be forgotten engagements in which we are bound, and which are not to be extinguished or annulled with the breath of life, oblige me to give you this fatisfaction.-May it be a balm to your bleeding wounds- may Account of William and Nanny. 591 it raife your dejected fpirits, in-length the wife gets the better, and fpire you with confidence, and reani-juft when Nanny appears to be in danmate your affection for my memory! and though I am now no more, tho' you cannot converfe with me perfonally, may these tokens of the fincerity of my affection fuftain and fupport you whilt on earth, till I meet you with joy and raptures in the regions of unutterable delight. HE ftory of the piece is briefly ΤΗ this: William, a youthful ruftic, is in love with Nanny, the daughter of farmer Hearty. The girl feels a reciprocal paffion, and her father, a plain, merry blade, fees the propriety of their union, and does his utmost to promote it. His dame, who has imbibed ridiculous notions of grandeur and fashionable life, from her intimacy with the waiting-woman of a great family, looks higher for a husband for her daughter, and an Irish adventurer having paffed himself upon her for a wealthy baro. net, under the title of Sir Charles O'Shannon, the determines to effect a marriage between the fuppofed baronet and Nanny. This the father warmly oppofes, mutual quarrels enfue, and the parents endeavour to promote their respectively favourite matches.--At ger of being immediately facrificed to her mother's folly, an old beggar woman appears, asks charity, and recognizes the features of the Irishman, claims him as Patrick Mulroony, her hufband, declaring the kept a chandler's fhop in Wapping, that he married her for her money, took all he could find, and left her. He denies the fact, but is foftened into confeffion by a heavy purfe of gold produced by his wife, which the promifes to give him if he will go home and cherish her.The piece, after this difcovery, concludes with the union of William and Nanny, to which both the parents give a joyful confent. The following are some of the most approved fongs in this entertainment. MR. WILSON. When I was a lad I never was fad, No, nor never was afraid Ne'er would whimper like a calf, Your pretty face I like, If you' have me i'm your man: MR. MOODY. The ladies of rank are fo frisky and fine, way and run, To be married to-morrow-and fingle to-day. And as found as a bell, and as tight as a drum; a cow, Oh Oh! we'll kifs, and we'll toy, and we'll fon- MRS. WEBB. Pray what can you find in a clown So deeply affecting ye ur heart? When a gentleman, powder'd and fine, mine?" Can you then fuch an offer refufe? You do not know what you re about. entered the door. Poor Matilda was not lefs alarmed: fhe alfo fainted at the scene. Her trouble was inconceivable--inexpreffible! It is impoffible to conceive her innate feelings the anguish of her foul cannot be defcribed!-To fee the man whofe life was dearer to her than her own, the friend, the object of her heart, the fource of all her wishes, the good, the kind, the affectionate Horatio, whom he loved uncerely, and from whom all her earthly happiness was to flow-to fee fuch a one, who Will you be eftermed, honoured, and adored her, torn from her arms, fretched on the bed of fickness, all pale and meagre, expecting every moment to refign bis breath-expecting every moment the awful meflenger of death to clole his eyes for ever, Oh! how did it rend her heart, and rack her very foul! The bowers of bli's are faded!te fprings of joy are exhausted! Felicity lupreme, changes to exquilite adverlity! Farewell ye pleafures of Hymen! Nuptial happineis farewell! Fied for everranifhed for ever are thofe blooming and delightful profpects, which opened to the lovely fair, and feemed to promife hymeneal blifs unparalleled, and mutual felicity complete. Poor Matilda! in what unutterable diflress art thou involved! what a chain of troubles has twined about thy heart! who can paint this fcene of woe! what pen can juftly defcribe the agonies of thy afflicted foul! what tongue expreis the piercing, painful, anxious emotions, which heave they bofom, and throb the feat of life! The TREACHEROUS HUSBAND. (Continued from Page 516. A ND in order to confele her, mitigate her grief, and quiet the agitation of her mind, they mutually endeavoured to perfuade her that fome family affairs, or perhaps unexpected avocations, had intervened, which retained him longer than he had previously intended. The next poft intelligence came that Horatio was taken dangeroully ill, and defired to fee his filter and Matilda that inftant. Thunderitruck at the dreadful, the unfortunate news, they haftened with all expedition, as his life was defpaired of by the molt fagacious of the faculty. On the road they were met by a meffenger, who was difpatched with the utmost speed to request their attendance as foon as poflible. When they arrived (O the direful, afflicting feene!) they found the family in tears, loudly lamenting, and poor Horatio in the agonies of death, expecting every moment to breathe his aft. Such a world of trouble was too great for the fifter of the difeafed : the dift efsful, the afflicting ftroke ftruck her fo powerfully, that fhe was unable to fupport it, and funk as foon as the The fenfibility of both the young ladies was fo deeply wounded, that it was a confiderable while before they recovered from that violent perturbation, and almoft lifeless indifpofition in which they were thrown. And indeed when they recovered, it was only to feel more exquifite pain-only to feel the keener edge and cutting pangs of forrow. With reaming eyes, and fobbing hearts, they entered the room of Horatio, anxious to fee once more their dear-their dying friend. Dumb grief pre |