= = H. Bullock: Gamut Cocker: Pyramus and Prologue = Leveridge: Wall Randal: Lyon Cook : Moonshine Reading: Thisbe - Mr. Pack :-the 1st scene differs but little from Shakspeare-then comes the Mask-when the Wall has sung-Gamut observes "This is the most musical partition I ever heard -Semibreve replies-" This is nothing to what we "have abroad, and by degrees I am in hopes to bring "our dull English to this polite taste"-here is no absurdity, as the Clowns may with more propriety be supposed to be Englishmen, than Athenians as Shakspeare makes them-Crotchet wonders whether the Lion be to sing Semibreve answers-" Never "wonder at that, for we that have study'd the Italian Opera may do any thing in this kind "-Pyramus dies singing Crotchet says "I'll assure you the man died well, like a Hero in an Italian Opera to very good Time and Tune "-Pyramus and Thisbe sing the Epilogue-One thing is very badly managed -Bottom &c., who in the 1st scene are represented as about to act the Mask, do not really act in it. = Nov. 3. Not acted 12 years, Twin Rivals. Elder Wou'dbe Elrington: Younger Wou'dbe Bullock Jun. Trueman = Leigh Richmore Husband: Subtleman Spiller: Alderman Bullock: Mandrake Mr. Pack: Constance = Mrs. Rogers: Aurelia Mrs. Rogers Jun. :-acted about 6 times. = = Sir 9 and 13. Elrington acted Biron and Torrismond. 26. Love makes a Man. Carlos = Elrington. Dec. 4. Never acted, Woman is a Riddle. Amorous Vainwit Bullock Jun.: Charles Courtwell Elrington: Col. Manly Leigh Aspin (his servant)=Spiller: Vulture (a stock-jobber)=Bullock: = = Butler Ogden: Miranda (Courtwell's sister) Mrs. Cross Lady Outside Mrs. Rogers: Clarinda = Mrs. Spiller: Necessary (Lady Outside's woman) = Mrs. Elsom: Betty (Miranda's woman) = Mrs. *** -acted about 12 times-Miranda gives the title to the play she is in love with Col. Manly-she has a private entrance into his apartment—she leaves letters for him on his table-and returns for his answersthe Colonel is very desirous to find out who she is, and how she gets into his room-in the 3d act, Betty enters through a moveable pannel in the wainscotshe is in the dark, and cannot find her way back again-Aspin enters with a light-she blows it outCol. Manly enters, and lays hold on Betty-he sends Aspin for a candle-in the mean time, Betty gives a sudden spring, and makes her escape-the Colonel is more puzzled than ever-after a scene between Lady Outside and Clarinda, Miranda enters with a dark lantern-she sits down to write-the Colonel takes up the lantern, and seizes Miranda-he is struck with her beauty-she contrives to blind him with her snuff, and gets off-in her letter she had promised to send a chair for him to the Piazza in Covent Garden -the Colonel is brought to Miranda's lodgings in a chair-she pretends her brother is coming, and requests him to hide himself-Sir Amorous is then brought in-Miranda affects to be in love with him -and gives him bills to the amount of £10,000— Miranda's maid says her brother is just come to town -they dress Sir Amorous in woman's clothes-the Butler enters as Miranda's brother-he beats Sir Amorous-Sir Amorous runs off, and attempts to leap from the balcony-he hangs upon a hook by his petticoats-a footman with his flambeau stands just under Sir Amorous-Betty extricates him from his awkward situation-Miranda sends Betty for Sir Amorous' clothes-he pulls off the gown and petticoat he had on-just as he is in his shirt, the Butler breaks open the door-Sir Amorous runs up the chimney-the Butler threatens to fire at him-Sir Amorous tumbles down in a very dirty conditionthe Butler locks up Sir Amorous, and secures his coat in which he had placed the bills-Betty unlocks the door, and introduces Clarinda to Sir Amorous in the dark as Miranda-the Colonel, who had been concealed all this time, is conducted by Betty into his own lodgings-Aspin enters drunk-the Colonel is astonished at finding himself at home-he goes out and locks the door-Betty brings in Sir Amorous through the secret passage-she carries out Aspin, supposing him to be the Colonel-the Colonel re-enters with a light, and to his great surprise finds Sir Amorous-Courtwell enters-Sir Amorous and the Colonel explain what had happened to them-Courtwell concludes that Miranda had been making use of the private passage between the two houses-he finds on trial that it was sohe introduces Sir Amorous and the Colonel to Miranda by the secret door-Miranda gives her hand to the Colonel-Sir Amorous finds that he is married to Clarinda instead of Miranda-he had seduced and deserted her-it was for her sake that Miranda had pretended to be in love with Sir Amorousthere is an important underplot-Lady Outside is a rich widow-she had made a vow against matrimony, but is very desirous of having a crowd of admirers -Courtwell, Sir Amorous and Vulture pay their addresses to her-at the conclusion, Courtwell bribes Necessary to hide him in her lady's chamber-by his desire Miranda, Col. Manly &c. come with music to Lady Outside's apartment-she enters as just risen from bed-Miranda says they are come to wish her joy, and insists that she is married to Courtwell -Lady Outside denies it-Courtwell enters from her bedroom in a nightgown and slippers-he addresses Lady Outside as his bride-Necessary says her mistress is wedded and bedded-Courtwell privately tells Lady Outside that he has a parson and a license ready and advises her to marry him to save her reputation—she consents-this is a good C. by C. Bullock-the time of action is from four o'clock in the afternoon till eleven at night-Courtwell's trick is taken from Ram Alley, or the Parson's Wedding —a marriage in the dark is in general an improbable circumstance, but Sir Amorous' marriage is so well managed that it is not improbable. The Editor of the B. D. says that this play was the occasion of a dispute between C. Bullock and Savage, and that the fact was really this-a Lady having translated a Spanish piece for her amusement, gave a copy to each of them-Bullock got his play ready for representation before Savage-whatever truth there may be in this story, one thing is certain--namely, that there is very little resemblance between the two plays -see Love in a Veil D. L. June 17 1718-Clarinda in Woman is a Riddle, and Fidelia in Love in a Veil are, each of them deserted by her lover-but with this difference-Clarinda had been seduced by Sir Amorous Fidelia is said (p. 68) not to have for feited her honour-Clarinda is a part of no importance-Fidelia is an important character-in both plays Aspin is a cowardly servant-but the Aspin in one play does little or nothing, like the Aspin in the other-Dr. Johnson says Savage gave Bullock Woman's a Riddle, and two years afterwards wrote Love in a Veil, another Comedy, borrowed likewise from the Spanish-it is however to be observed, that Dr Johnson, notwithstanding his intimacy with Savage, does not pretend to speak from his own knowledge; he only quotes Jacob's Dramatic Poets. Dec. 13. Plain Dealer. Widow = Mrs. Knight, 18. Not acted 14 years, Inconstant. = = Jan. 8. Indian Emperour. Montezuma Keen: Cortez Elrington: Guyomar = Bullock Jun.: Almeria Mrs. Knight: Alibech Mrs. Rogers: CyMrs. Cross: with Country Wake. Hob = = daria Spiller. 17. Not acted 14 years, She Gallants. = 28. Don Sebastian. Don Sebastian Elrington : Dorax = Keen: Antonio Bullock Jun.: Mufti= = Bullock: Mustapha Pack: Emperour Leigh: Almeyda Mrs. Rogers: Morayma Mrs. Cross: Johayma Mrs. Kent. = 9. Prophetess. No admission behind the scenes. 11. Never acted, Artful Husband. Sir Harry Freelove Elrington: Winwife Keene: Stockwell Spiller: Frank Flash (Lady Upstart's nephew) = Pack: Ned (Sir Harry's servant) = Knapp: Belinda Mrs. Thurmond: Mrs. Winwife Mrs. Rogers: Lady Upstart (a rich widow) = Mrs. Knight: Maria (a pretended Frenchwoman--in the service of Lady Upstart) Mrs. Schoolding: Decoy (a procuress) = = = VOL. II. = R R |