Of Sentimental Comedy. From Elements of Dramatic Criticism, by William Cooke, Efq.

TH

HOUGH the laws of the drama know no fpecies of comedy under this title, yet as the prevalence of cullom has not only of late admitted it, but given it a first-rate place on our theatres, it very properly becomes an object of enquiry in this work.

Were we to reafon by analogy, we fhould never be able to find out the caufe of fo unclaffical a fuperfeffion; for whoever will make the comparifon between that comedy left us by antiquity, and so ably continued to us by feveral of our English poets, with this, will find the features too diffimilar to claim the most diftant reference; in the former, we have a fable founded on the laws of probability and nature; characters fpeaking the language of their conformation, and the whole ftage reflecting the manners of the world; in the latter, names inftead of characters, poetical egotifms for manners, bombaft for fentiment, and inftead of wit and humour, (the very effence of comedy) a driveling fpecies of morality, which, as a term generally applied to ethics, may properly enough be called good, but from being falfely applied to comedy (however it may excite the piety of the crowd) muft naufeate men of fenfe and education.

There is a circumftance which we think has been a leading affiftant in the establishment of this falfe tate. Without meaning to turn reformers, and inconfiderately fall in with the vulgar opinion of generally condemning the prefent age, merely because it is the pre

fent age; thus much we think we are warranted to affert; that the prefent age, however it may be free from great and leading vices, is peculiarly marked by a flavish effeminacy of manners, and univerfality of indolent diffipation, unknown to former ages; hence the people of fashion, unwilling to fee fuch juft emblems of themselves on the stage as comedy should reprefent, thought it better to affume a virtue which they had not, by crying up the theory of morality as a kind of cover for the breach of it. The lower kinds of people, having no other models in their eye, than thofe whom they often mistakenly call their betters, without weighing this opinion, followed their example; fo that between the two parties nature began to be called vulgar, and every thing partaking of the low, humourous, or vicious, (principal ingredients in comedy) began to be under-rated, because the former had an intereft in decrying them, and the latter permitted themselves to be duped by the artifice.

It is the voice of the public forms the public tafte. Comedy, which is, above all walks of writing, perhaps the most difficult, and unattainable, and which, according to one of the most diftinguished characters of the last age,

"is the first pretence To judgment, breeding, wit, and eloquence," being thus vitiated, there were not wanting poets, who departing from the honourable line of their profethon (or, to fpeak more correctly, unacquainted with the principles of their profeffion) prefcribed to this innovation. Sir Richard Steel's Confcious Lovers, we believe, was the first in this line of

writing;

mean

writing; not that we would clafs this, in other refpects, elegant and judicious writer, with the general run of poets who have fince fucceeded him in this line; we only to fay, that the pathetic fcenes of this comedy, made the first departure of any confequence, from that fterling kind of writing left us by antiquity; and confequently, the general reputation of Sir Richard Steel, who was at that time much above par as a moral writer, first gave it the ftamp of fashion.

Comedy being thus debauched, like an unhappy female, began to be viewed in the light of common game, by thofe poets who dare not look up to her in the days of her chastity; fuch finding the intercourfe eafy, and the profits great, immediately hired themfelves in her fervice. The fuccefs of one fool drew many; they had nothing to do but to exchange the vis comica for the pathetic, and fubftitute tame individual recital for natural dialogue; in fhort, a novel furnished them with the plot; a fervile allufion to all the little chitchat, for wit and humour; and the Whole Duty of Man, Pamela, or the Economy of Human Life, for fentiments. Thus an art originally invented to lath the follies and imperfections of mankind, through the vehicle of ridicule; an art which fhould ever be confidered as the greatest test of wit, breeding, and obfervation; an art, "whofe end both at the first, and now, was and is, to hold as 'twere the mirror up to nature, to fhew virtue her own features, fcorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and preffure," is changed into what is vulgarly called

a moral kind of entertainment, where a citizen, it is true, may bring his wife and daughter too, with as much fafety as to a Methodist chapel, but with equal profpect of improvement.

But as we mean to treat this fubje&t otherwife than either investigating its origin, or fimply declaiming on its imperfections, it will be but candid to weigh the force of the arguments which are urged by the favourers of this innovated art.

The first and most flattering to the pailions of the public is, that vicious, or ridiculous characters, though fentimental writers are pionly afraid fuch do fometimes exit in nature, yet it would ill become the dignity of their pens to exhibit them on the flage, let they might become objects of imitation; hence they are for the most part excluded their pieces, or if at times admitted, but feebly fketched in the back-ground, whilft the principal figures are tricked out in all the brilliancy of virtue, without the leaft fhade of mortality. To pafs by the great defect of this practice, as it refpects the laws of comedy; let us take it up on their own ground, and fee how it is fitted to fucceed in the reformation of man

for the latter pra&ice; but as their hearts are compofed of as many degrees of imperfection, as there are degrees of fociety-what will bet, and mot effectually reform them, fhould be adopted; hence no characters fhould be introduced on the stage by any means whatever, above the tone of mortality, whilft the liar, rake, fop, fharper, hypocrite, glutton, &c. &c. fhould be always brought forwards in the highest colourings of ridicule. Similar characters in life, finding themselves thus conftantly expofed on the ftage, would indirectly feel the fhame of their fituations, and either abandon them entirely, or be taught to qualify them fo as to be lefs inimical to fociety; whereas at prefent, by being for the most part precluded as objects of ridicule and contempt, the world lofes the benefit of their reformation.

Another argument urged for our fentimental dramatists is, that as it is the world gives reputation and credit to works of art and fcience, it at present relishing no other fpecies of comedy but the fentimental, they are not to be blamed for writing up to that standard. But this is ever the excufe of little minds, who, under a fhew of complying with the world, cover their own ignorance and unfitnefs to ftand candidates for fame and immortality; as there is nothing more certain, than that a real genius, in whatever kind, can never, without the greatest unwillingness and fhame, be induced to act below his character, and for mere intereft be prevailed on to prostitute his know ledge, by performing contrary to certain rules.

Whoever has heard any thing of the lives of famous ftatuaries, architects, or painters, will call to mind many inftances of this nature. Or whoever has made any acquaintance with the better fort of mechanics, fuch as are real lovers of their art and mafters in it, muft have obferved their natural fidelity in this refpect, be they never fo idle, dif folute, or debauched; how regardlefs foever of other rules, they abhor any tranfgreffion in their art, and would chufe to lofe cuftomers and ftarve, rather than, by a base compliance with the world, act contrary to what they call the juftnefs and truth of work*.

This is virtue! real virtue, and love of truth, independent of opinion, and above the world; this difpofition transferred to the whole of life, perfects a character, and gives it that finish which extorts even the admiration of those who cannot practise it.

Had the early poets of Greece thus complimented the world by complying with its falfe relish and unfettled appetites, they had not done their countrymen fuch fervice, nor themselves fuch honour; thofe generous fpirits, fcorning to fuit themselves to the world, manifeftly drew it after them; they forced their way into it, and by weight of merit turned its judgment on their fide; they formed their audience, refined the public ear, and polished the age, that in return they may be rightly and laftingly applauded: they were not difappointed, applaufe foon came, and was lafting, for it was found; they have juftice done them at this day, they have furvived their nation, and

live

live in all languages; the more each age is enlightened, the more they fhine, and their fame muft neceffarily laft as long as letters and judgment exist.

Many of our fentimental dramatic authors, it is true, may pique themselves on the fuperior fituations in life to feveral of thofe of antiquity, and jocularly confign immortality to fuch who are now no longer able to enjoy it; not confidering, becaufe not feeling, that this hope of immortality was then as much their reward, as their labours have fince been the benefit of pofterity. They may run the comparifon ftill further, by proving (as well by the receipts of the theatres, as by thofe of their bookfellers) how much more exact they are in proportioning the quality and quantity of the public demand, and with what greater dexterity, and cunning, they pander in the tafte of an audience: but fuch are to know, that fuccefs is by no means the criterion of defert; that how. ever they may, for a while, triumph in the abfence of truth and nature, the period is haftening (if the proverb is true, that things at the worst must neceffarily mend) when this fpell of fentimental enchantment must be diffolved, and when real comedy fhall once more unfurl her standard of reafon on the theatre.

The public at large have fometimes their falfe appetites and unnatural cravings, like individuals, which (fuch is the fituation of human affairs) time, or accident alone, muft eradicate. The fanatics under Cromwell, with all the parade of hypocrify on one fide, and the vindictive fpirit of revenge on the other, chriftened their conduct re

ligion; and not only the dregs of the people hailed it by this name, but the guardians of the ftate echo'd it back on the public; yet but a few years, a very few years elapfed, when this ridiculous fcene had its final clofe, reafon once more reaffumed her throne; and he that had no other pretenfions to Chrif tianity than the ftarchness of his band, or the talent of Speaking thro his nofe, was justly reprobated as a cheat or a driveller.

On the Prefent Rage for Lotteries. SIR,

I

AM a country gentleman, and believe that I have as unencum. bered an eftate as most of my neighbours,' on which I intended to have lived peaceably to the last moment of my life, without feeing London again: but this confounded quarrel with our colonies, which would have made a politician of me, if I had not married into the family of Sir Gregory Gazette, brought me to town, that I might fee with my own eyes, and hear with my own ears, what we are really about, as there is no dependance on our curfed news-writers: they are always unfaying to-day what they had faid yesterday, though afferted in the most pofitive manner: their intelligence extraordinary, in particular, is generally of the moft trifling kind; and their true intelligence is generally false.--And so, Sir, in confequence of frequent difappointments of this kind, I was determined to come up to the metropolis; and accordingly wrote to a

friend to hire me a ready-furnished houfe for the season, in Parliament ftreet, in order to be at the fountain

fountain-head, and to be fure of hearing every thing going forward; to hear how the d- -d additional fhillings to be raised by the landtax, are to be laid out.--I have been in town only a few days; but I have met with occurrences enough already to make me think half the inhabitants are out of their fenfes, especially those who are feized with the lottery-madness.-On my taking a walk into the city, this morning, to see what alteration had been made during my state of ruftication, the day being tolerably dry, I could not help looking with no fmall difpleafure at the number of paper-lanthorns dangling before the doors of Lottery-offices, confidering them as fo many falfe lights hung out to draw fools to their deftruction.I do not think these expreffions are too strong, as many thoughtless perfons of both fexes, in the lower fpheres of life, are certainly deluded by thefe traps, laid for their money, to fuch a degree, as to prove themselves the most egregious dupes imaginable.How many individuals have been reduced to beggary; how many families have been totally ruined by ftaking their all upon the turn of fortune's wheel; by the reflefs defire of becoming rich fuddenly, to gain that wealth to which they might have more rationally afpired by a courfe of hone and induftrious proceedings-and the experience of every day is fufficient to convince us, that riches fo gained are more ferviceable to, and enjoyed with a higher relish by the poffeffors of them, than thofe which come to them by furprize; efpecially those which they obtain by a fuccefsful ticket. By numberless perfons fuddenly enriched in this

way, their wealth has been very foolishly fpent; and to fome it has proved very fatal, by overfetting their understandings.-The first prizes in every lottery are the grand baits which tempt adven turers of all kinds, from the mifer to the fpendthrift: but there are, no doubt, hundreds in the world. to whom the unexpected acquifition of twenty thousand pounds would prove rather a curfe than a bleffing.

While I was giving way to a train of fimilar reflections, I received at the fame time not a little confolation, in the midft of my concern for the wrong-headednefs of my fellow-creatures, from the exemption. of myself and family from the general contagion:-With this confolation I returned home; but it was not of a long continuance.

As foon as I entered the parlour, my wife accofted me with, "Oh, my dear! fince you have been out, my coufin Molefworth has been here, and talked fo much to me of the lottery, that I have purchafed five tickets, and intend to have fhares in five more."

Before I had time to exprefs my approbation of Mrs. Quidnunc's conduct, my two daughters came jumping down with, "Dear Papa!, we have each got a ticket, and will fpend all the money we have in eighths and fixteenths; fo that we muft certainly have luck fomewhere."

"You are certainly a couple of fools," replied I.

"La, Papa!" faid my youngest girl, "who knows but I may get one of the ten thousands; and that, you know, will fave your giving me a fortune as I fhall have enough of

my