Or, GENTLEMAN's Monthly. Intelligencer;

For FEBRUARY, 1768.

59-61

4,6 97

73 74

78

THE BRITISH THEATRE

Remarks on the Bounty on Corn 93 Account of Lionel and Clarifa

62 Opinion of the King's Physicians and Sus. Broadftreet and Cornhill Wards described 64 geons in regard to the Sutions Practice 94 The History of the last Sefion of Parlia- Resolution and Order of the House of ment, &c. &c. 65-69 Commons

95 Houghton-Hall described

69 Account of the Mud Inguana And the Paintings there

79

Letter from Mr. Robertion
Mrs. Henley's Seat at Docking

71
POETICAL ESSAYS

98

102 Mr. Styleman's Seat ibid. An Instance of Fortitude

102 Aad Mr. Fountaine's, described 72 Ship News Extracrdinary

163 True State of the late Changes ibid. Further Account of the Eruption of Mount A Tale in point

Vetuvius

104 Third Letter, from Rouleau

Paper latcly handed about

105 Dr. Fothergill's Remarks on the Cicuta 75 An impartial Review of new Publicatiors Anecdotes of Jametone, a Scots Painter 76

105-114 And of the famous Le Sage

77
Pattle of the Wigs

105 History of a new risen land

Mr. Walpole's Historic Doubts, &c. 106 Travels in Siberia 79 Care of jane Shore

107 Press and Cuftoms of the wild Inhabitants do Character and Behaviour of the famous Character of Ignatius Loyala SI Paoli

168-011 Virides of Tansey

82 Estay on the future Life of Drutes Modicinal Uses of Camomile 83 Playhouse Squabbles

ibid. Bark of the White-Willow, a Substitute Two Letters froin Lord Bathurst to Dr. for the Peruvian 8+ Swift

113-115 Remarks on the Victualling Contrats 85 THE MONTHL" CHRONOTOCER A curious Discovery

86 Marringes and Births; Deaths Inn and Sreei Manufactures in Danger ibid. Ecclefiatical Preferments

ibiil. A Word on the Ladies Heads, &c. 87 Promotions Civil and Military ibid. L-C-'s famous Speech

83

Bankrup's; Courle of Exchange ibid. To the Author of the Confeffional go FOREIGN AFFAIRS

119 On Eph. ii. 3. 91 Monthly Catalogue of Beoks

ibid. Theological Queries 92, 93 Stocks, Grain ; Wind and Weather

so Wh an accurate Plan of BROADSTRIET and COPSHILI. WARDS; Views Three Churches; and a Representation of the Siren of LINNAE%, or MUS-INGUANA,

of South-CAROLINA ; all fac!y engravel.

112

116 118

LONDON: Printed for R. BALDWIN, at No. 47, in Pater nofter Row; of whom may be bad, compleat Sets, from the Years 1732, to this Time, neatly bound or

a

HOUGH the dire can scarce weed out the vice without sensions between the eradicating the virtue.". This being new patentees of Co. the case, it is greatly to be lamented, vent Garden Theatre that a production upon such a plan is have been carried to fo imperfectly executed, as to afford

such vehement but little hope of correcting she mad. 是 length, as to produce ness of good. nature, by maintaining

appeals on both sides a rank in the list of our acting, or to the awful tribunal of the public, Mr. stock, plays at the theatre. Colman, the acting manager, has never

It must nowever be confessed, for theless been indefatigable in promoting the honour of Dr. Goldsmith, that the entertainment of the town, and he seems to have erred much less thro' a new comedy called the Good-natured a want of real genius for the stage, Mar, written by Dr. Goldsmith, the than through an accountable partiality celebrated autbor of the Traveller, has for the humour of Moliere, and other been brought out fince our last; celebrated writers of the last century. but we are sorry to say the success of In his preface he says, “ When I this piece no way answered the very ' undertook to write a comedy, I conwarm expectations which were enter- fess I was strongly prepoffelled in fa. tained of its merit by the world ; eve- vour of the poets of the last age, and ry body naturally looked for an ex- strove to imitate them. The term traordinary production from the mar- genteel comedy was then unknown terly hand which enriched the repub. amongst us, and little more was desire lic of letters with the Prospect of Socio ed by an audience tban nature and huety; yet it is too melancholy a truth, mour, in whatever walks of life they that every body who cherished this were most conspicuous. The author fanguine opinion, was unhappily dif- of the following scenes never imagined appointed when it made its appearance that more would be expected of him, upon the fage.

and therefore to delineate character The vengo of the Good-natured Man has been his principal aim. Those. is truly laudable; it is intended to who know any thing of composition, inculcate the principles of universal are sensible, that in pursuing humour benvolence, yet at the same time it is it will sometimes lead us into the recalculated to thew the dangerous con- cesses of the mean; I was even tempt. fequences of that benevolence, which ed to look for it in the master of a is indiscriminately showered upon the spunging-house : But in deference to worthy and the undeserving; which the public taste, grown of late, perhaps, is frequently unjust in order to be fre- too delicate, the scene of the bailiffs quently generous, and which most (a scene which gave great offence the commonly disobliges every body, from first night) was retrenched in the retoo earnest a solicitude to engage the presentation - In deference also to the efteem of all-But as Sir William judgment of a few friends who think Honeywood, one of the characters, in a particular way the scene is says, “ There are some fa ults so here rettored. The author sub. nearly allied to excellence, that we mits it to the reader in his closet; Feb. 1763.

and

H 2

THE BRITISH THEATRE.

Feb, and hopes that too much refinement and abilities fo extensive as Dr. Goldwill not banith humour and character (mith's, are but meanly employed, from ours, as it has already done wlien they labour more earnestly to from the French theatre. Indeed the promote a smile, than to advance the French comedy is now become so ve- most exalted purposes of humanity.ry elevated and sentimental, that it Dr. Goldfmith has talents, he has extralas not only banished humour and ordinary talents, and had he been leis Moliere from the stage, but it has ba- attached to the now almost exploded nished spectators too."

dramatic writers of the last century, Though there is much reason to be- he would doubtless have produced a lieve, that the concluding affertion in work no less honourable to himself the foregoing paragraph is altogether than advantageous to his country ; apocryphal, the ease is nevertheless but his passion for humour has been widely different with the English ftage, too strong for his good sense, and he for highly to the honours of the pre- has carried his admiration of it to fuch fent times, no pieces receive any en. an extravagance, aş (carcely to have couragement from us, which are not a circumstance in his piece which can evidently written in favour of mora. lay any unquestionable claim to the lity, and which do not moregver in title of originality.. The charac. the fable materially intereft us for the ter of Croaker for instance, and all fate of some principal characters. the incidents relative to Leontine • The comedies of Dryden, Wycherly, and Olivia he has borrowed from Le Vanbrugh, and Congreve, notwith- Grondeur-The Good-natured Man, standing the luxuriancy of their he has taken from L'Ami tout le mondă wit, and the abundance of their hu- - Lofty, and every thing that relates to incur, are almost banited, and in.. him, from L'important de la cour, -His dcedi banished very juitly from the 'bailiffs are to be found, and better theatre, we have 100 much under- drawn, in Racine's Les Plaideurs ; the standing, thank God, in these times to scene where the Good-natured Man be charmed with obscenity because it espouses the different opinions of Mr.: may be brilliantly exprefled, and we and Mrs. Croaker is the only thing in have too much thane to encourage the

Moliere's L'Avare which Fielding has infamous liccntiousness of the literary not translated; and the scene where he blasphemer, who formerly dared to folicits Miss Richland in favour of his crack his jest upon the divinity.-- friend Lofty, will be found in Le Dijk. This is a refinement of modern talte; pateur by Dr. Touche. but surely a pen to which morality has Character and humour are undoubtsuch obligations, as it has to Doctor edly very essential requilites in dramaGoldlimith's, will nor argue that our tic composition, where they encrents refinement has been carried too far; our ainulement, or add to our instruc. or affirm, that our taste becomes de tion; but the writer who thinks nopraved in proportion as we manifcit thing besides these two ingredients an averfion to be profligate.

are necellary to support the reputation The friends of humour will howe- of his piece, will find himselt misera. ver say, that there can be no harm bly mistaken when be submits it to the whatsoever in circulating the univer- serious confideration of the public. --sai laugh, provided this laugh is cir- I must again repeat, that interest is the culated with innocence; gianted; but very ellence of writing in this walk of surely a writer, who undertakes the literature.-- we cannot be instructed most dificult, the molt noble task in at a theatrical representation, unleis the whole circuit of literature, Muuld our pallions are affected; the picture alpire to fomething of a positive ex- mult be lifeless which is not calcu. cellence in his work, and not thel. lated to work upon our hearts, and ter himself poorly behind the ne- Shakespear himself would be scarcely, gative merit of being entirely superior to the machinelt that conharmless.—The great end of the trives a pantomime, if an unmeaning stage should be to mingle instruction Jaugh was all lic excited in his audio, in such

with amusemert, as constantly to interest the Hiving thus confidered the Good. spectators in the 'cause of virtus, natured Man, with more aitention

a

inaniter

tors.

den coat,

vent their rage,

1768.

The BRITISA THEATRE.
British

61 than we should perhaps have shewn to Their schemes of spite the poet's foes a writer of less reputation than Dr. dismiss

[mày bits. Goldsmith, we shall now make an ob- Till that glad night when all that hate servation or two upon the prologue, This day the powder'd curls and gol. which is written by his very learned

(vote, friend, Dr. Johnson, as it has been Says swelling Crispin beg'd a cobler's mentioned with uncommon admira- This night, our wit, the pert apprention by the friends of its justly cele- tice cries, brated author-Tis juftly remarked Lies at my feet, I hiss him and he dies. that nothing can ever be beautiful in The great, 'tis true, can charm th'electserious pieces of poetry which is not ing tribe;

[bribe. evidently founded upon good sense; The bard may supplicate, but cannot if this be the case, as we are apt to Yet judg'd by those whose voices ne'er think it is, we are extremely appre- were sold,

[gold; hensive that the prologue under our He feels no want of ill-persuading consideration is more indebted to the But confident of praise, if praise be due, eftimation in which Dr. Johnson is Trusts without fear, tomerit and to you. universally held, than to an extraordi- Without remarking particularly on şary merit which can be attributed the versification of the foregoing proto this particular performance. In logue, which, to say the truth, is not the first place, he endeavours to draw uncommonly excellent, we muit ina comparison between the situation of treat the reader to teil us the meaning, a poet on the first night his play is re- of it-? In one place, Dr. Johnson, presented, and the situation of a can- with a politeness of a very extraordididate for parliament at the time of nary nature, says, that on the poet as a general election- This, unhappily well as on the statesman for Doctor Johnson, was recently done Loud rabbles (that is, the audience) by an author infinitely his inferior both in erudition and abilities, in the As mongrels bay the lion in a cage. prologue to the Widowed Wife; so that In another place says the prologue wrihe has not even the claim of origina. ter : lity to boast; and then as for the good. This nigbl, oxr wit, the pert apprentice sense of his little composition we beg

cries leave to submit it to the consideration Lies at my feet, I hiss him and he dies." of our readers

And in a third place we are told, Prelt by the load of life, the weary mind The great 'tis true, can charm th'ele&t. Surveys the general toil of human kind; ing tribe ;

[bribe." With cool submission joins the labour- The bard may fupplicate, but cannot ing train,

From these passages an unreflecting And social forrow, loses half its pain: reader would be apt to think the poor Our anxious bard, without complaint, post in a very, miserable situation ; and may share

he might also be apt to imagine the This bustling season's epidemic care. lourd rabble, the pert apprentice, and acLike Cæsar's Pilot, dignify'd by fate, knowledged poverty, very formidable Toft in one cummon storm with all enemies for an author to encounter the great;

But if we only go on a little farDistrelt alike, the statesman and the wit, ther, we shall find our good natur'd When one a borough courts, and one apprehension is wholly without foun'the pit.

dation, for their neither is a loud rabThe busy candidates for power and fame, ble, nor a pert apprentice : on the conHave hopes, and fears, and wishes, jult trary, the audience are the best natured the same;

people in the world; and the happy Disabled both to combat or to fly, bard, so far from wanting money to Must hear all taunts and hear without bribe with, is to be reply.

[their rage

"-Judg'd by those whose voices Uncheck'd on both, loud rabbles vent “ ne'er were cold, As mongrels bay the lion in a cage : “ He feels no want of ill-persuading Th' offended burgess hoards his an- “ But confidentof praise, if praise be (may rail,

[to you." For that blest year when all that vote “ Truits without fear, to merit, and

For

[gold,

gry tale

- due,