"the Merchant of Venice received and acted as a Comedy, and Shylock acted by an excellent Come"dian, yet I cannot but think that the character was tragically designed by the author "this is so plain, that it is strange that Granville should not see it-or that seeing it, he should presume to alter it— Dogget we may be sure acted Shylock without buffoonery-Downes speaks of it as one of his best characters.

The Prologue was spoken by the Ghosts of Dryden and Shakspeare-a good thought if it had been properly pursued.

Dryden says that the generality of people

"Our scenes desert, some wretched Farce to see,

They know not nature, for they taste not thee."

Shakspeare is made to say

"These scenes in their rough native dress were

"mine,

"But now improv'd, with nobler lustre shine ;
"The first rude sketches Shakspeare's pencil

"drew,

But all the shining master-strokes are new. "This play ye Critics shall your fury stand, "Adorn'd and rescu'd by a faultless hand." Dryden concludes with

"Be to my ashes kind,

Indulge the pledges I have left behind.”

Granville, much to his credit, gave the profits of this play to Dryden's son-to which circumstance the last line alludes-Higgons wrote this Prologue,

but Granville must have been the vainest of mortals to have suffered it to have been spoken-The Epilogue says

"Each in his turn the Poet and the Priest

"Have view'd the Stage, but like false Prophets guess'd:

66

"The man of zeal in his religious rage

"Would silence Poets and reduce the stage.

The Poet rashly, to get clear, retorts

"On Kings the scandal, and bespatters Courts."

The Priest is of course Collier-the Poet, Dryden, whom Granville here means to censure for having in his Epilogue to the Pilgrim exposed the Mysteries of the Court to the view of the profane

Aula locus sacer est-extra meite.

=

Love's Victim, or the Queen of Wales. Rhesus (King of Wales) = Betterton: King of Bayonne = Booth Dumnacus (King of the Andes in Gaul, but driven out of his country by the Romans) = Hodgson : Chief Druid=Boman: Tyrelius (son of Rhesus and Guinoenda, about 12 or 13 years of age) = Mrs. Porter: Morganius Pack: Guinoenda (Queen of Wales) Mrs. Bracegirdle: Queen of Bayonne= Mrs. Barry: Manselia (daughter of Rhesus and Guinoenda) Miss Willis:-the author concludes his preface with saying "the printer having a copy, "where the names of Guinoenda and Morganius "were not alter'd to Alboina and Pelagins, (perhaps Pelagius) as used on the stage, too much was printed off, before I reflected on the mistake, to "alter it "this T. is attributed to Gildon--it is on

=

the whole very far from a bad play-the author tells us it was favourably received-he adds that he has borrowed most of his incidents from the Andromache, Helena, and Alcestis of Euripides-that the fable is partly fiction and partly built on the 8th book of Cæsar's Commentaries-the part which is borrowed from Cæsar relates to the character of Dumnacus -Cæsar says Dumnacus suis finibus expulsus, "errans, latitansque, solus extremas Galliæ regiones

petere coactus est"--after which nothing more is said of him-Guinoenda and her children had been cast away on the coast of Bayonne-the King had made love to her, which she had rejected during his absence she takes shelter in a temple to avoid the Queen's vengeance-Dumnacus, the Queen's father, assists her in getting Guinoenda and her children into her power-they are rescued by the Chief Druid -these incidents are borrowed from AndromacheRhesus enters just escaped from shipwreck, and finds Guinoenda in the temple-by her advice he pretends to bring the news of his own death- and when the King returns, they persuade him to let Guinoenda perform the last rites to her husband at sea--these incidents are from Helena-Rhesus is discovered and sent to prison-Dumnacus and the Queen raise forces against the King-Dumnacus is killed-the British army lands-Rhesus escapes from prison and joins them he fights with the King and kills him-the Queen pretends that Rhesus is still in her custody, but offers to set him free, if Guinoenda will drink the poison which she has prepared for her--this Guinoenda agrees to-Rhesus enters-the Queen attempts to stab him, but being hindered, she stabs herself

Guinoenda dies, after having particularly recommended her children to her husband's care-the circumstance of her sacrificing of her own life to preserve his, is taken from Alcestis, but not managed nearly so well as in Euripides.

Cure for Jealousy-this play is printed without the names of the performers—it is an indifferent C. by Corye-Scrapeall is very jealous of his young wife Arabella, but without reason—he engages his clerk, Dash, to have Arabella murdered-her woman is dressed up in such a manner as to make Scrapeall believe she is her mistress' Ghost-Scrapeall on seeing her falls down speechless-on his recovery, he seems quite Cured of his Jealousy-there is an important underplot.

D. L. 1702.

Comical Gallant, or the Amours of Sir John Falstaffe-this is an alteration of the Merry Wives of Windsor by Dennis--the D. P. are much the same as in the original, except that Dennis has added one new character, the Host of the Bull, who is brother to Mrs. Ford-Mrs. Dorothy Tearsheet is substituted for Mrs. Quickly-she enters but once-Fenton is represented as nephew to Mrs. Ford- his character and that of Ann Page are enlarged-those of Dr. Caius and Sir Hugh are shortened-Dennis has

written about half of the dialogue afresh, and materially changed the conduct of the piece.

Act 1st begins with Fenton and the Host of the Garter-then comes a scene between Fenton and Anne Page-Shallow, Slender and Sir Hugh enter -Falstaffe discharges Pistol and Nym-Mrs. Page and Mrs. Ford compare the letters-the act concludes with a poor scene between Page and Ford.

Act 2d-Mrs. Dorothy comes to Falstaffe with a message from Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Page-Ford visits Falstaffe as Broom-this scene is materially alteredDr. Caius and Sir Hugh quarrel, and are reconciled. Act 3d-the scene lies at the Bull Inn-Falstaffe and Mrs. Ford meet by appointment-Mrs. Page enters disguised as Capt. Dingboy-she pretends to have an intrigue with Mrs. Ford, and frightens Falstaffe by discharging a pistol at him--on the approach of Ford Falstaffe is carried off in a buck basket— Mrs. Page beats Ford her peruke falls off, and she is discovered.

Act 4th-Falstaffe, and Ford as Broom, have a second meeting-the Host of the Bull tells Ford that Falstaffe and Mrs. Ford are to meet at Herne's oak -Anne Page has a scene with Fenton, and another with Slender the latter is chiefly from Shakspeare's 1st act.

Act 5th-Mrs. Ford says her husband is gone to London-Falstaffe enters to Mrs. Ford and Mrs Page as Herne the Hunter-a terrible symphony is heard -Falstaffe secretes himself in a tuft of trees-the pretended Fairies bring in Ford, dressed as Falstaffe -they sing a song, and beat Ford to stockfish-Falstaffe escapes unhurt-Ford is cured of his jealousy