= = of Media) = Smith: Abradatas (King of Susa)= Hudson: Hystaspes (kinsman to Cyrus) = Kynaston: Croesus (King of Lydia) = Bowman: Artabasus = Thurmond: Panthea Mrs. Barry: Lausaria Mrs. Bracegirdle Thomyris (Queen of Scythia) Mrs. Bowtell: the Editor of the B. D. says that the plot of this T. is taken from Scudery's Romance, which is probably true, but it comes originally from a variety of authors-the first scene discovers a field of battle covered with dead bodies, supposed to be the remains of Croesus' army, who is absurdly represented as defeated in the neighbourhood of Babylon-some Witches re-animate one of the dead men, and make him foretell the fate of Cyaxares-this is taken from the Ethiopica of Heliodorus-in the 2d act, Cyrus orders Croesus to be burnt-he calls on Solon, as in Herodotus-Panthea is brought in by Hystaspes as a captive-Cyrus falls in love with her she says she is the wife of Abradatas-the characters of Abradatas, Panthea, and Hystaspes are from Xenophon's Cyropædia that of Thomyris from Herodotus---Banks has however made considerable alterations in what he has borrowed from Xenophon and Herodotus-Lausania, the daughter of Croesus, is a fictitious character-she is in love with Cyrus-Hystaspes is in love with Panthea-in the 5th act, Croesus gives Cyrus an account of Balthazar's feast from the book of Daniel-this is better written than any other part of the play-this T. is romantic and unnatural, but not dull-Gildon tells us that the Players damned it and would not act it for a while, but at length it was acted, and damned then in manner and form-it seems however to have been laid -- aside rather on account of Smith's death than för any other reason-Downes calls it a good play. = = Love's a Jest by Motteux. Sam Gaymood (younger brother to Sir Thomas) = Bowen: Railmore Betterton: Sir Topewell Clownish = Underhill: Squire Illbred Trefusis: Airy Bowman: Lord Lovewel -Hodgson: Humphry =Trout: Plot = Bright: Frankly Bailey: Sir Thomas Gaymood Freeman: Francelia and Christina (his daughters) = Mrs. Bowtell and Mrs. Bracegirdle: Lady Single Mrs.Barry: Kitty (her sister) Miss Howard: Doll Hoydon = Mrs. Perrin:-scene Sir Thomas' seat in Hertfordshire-time of action from noon till night-Lord Lovewel proposes to Francelia-her father approves of the proposal-but on Illbred's offering to take her without a portion, he orders her to give him the preference-Illbred is eventually married to Frankly -a young gentleman who is disguised as a chambermaid for the love of Kitty Kitty is married to him in the dress of a page-in the 4th act, Airy makes love to Christina in Jest-the jest turns out to be earnest and at the conclusion they marry— Railmore is united to Lady Single-and Lord Lovewel to Francelia---this is a tolerably good C.-the dialogue is well written, but the first 4 acts want incident sadly, the 5th has plenty-Love's a Jest was revived at D. L. Aug. 31 1711. Country Wake. Young Hob Dogget: Woodvill - Betterton: Sir Thomas Testie - Underhill: Friendly Kenneston: (Kynaston) Old Hob-Trefusis: Lady Testie Mrs. Barry: Flora Mrs. Bracegirdle: Lucia Mrs. Bowman: Betty Mrs. Leigh : -Sir Thomas Testie is married to a young wife— = = she sees Woodvill and takes a fancy to him-she introduces him to Sir Thomas as Betty's sweetheart -Betty has not time to give Woodvill a hint, and he is quite at a loss how to behave-Lady Testie comes into Woodvill's room in the dark-the stage direction is-" he pulls her, and the scene shuts upon them" -Woodvill's last speech is very good, but it must not be quoted-Friendly sends Hob with a letter to Flora-Sir Thomas gets the letter from him—the Wake takes place in the 4th act, at the conclusion of it, Sir Thomas draws his sword on Hob-Hob's wound is very slight indeed, but he fancies himself dying-Sir Thomas is put into prison-Friendly and Woodvill marry Flora and Lucia-Lady Testie behaves very generously to Woodvill-this is a good C. by Dogget-Hob is an excellent character--but he was not originally put into the Well-this play has been cut and carved in a strange manner-see D. L. Oct. 6 1711-L. I. F. Jan. 11 1720-and L. I. F. March 20 1732. Husband his own Cuckold--there are no performers' names to the D. P.-Lady Crossit is very subject to the vapours-this is chiefly owing to her partiality for Dr. Lorman, her physician-on the supposition that Sir John Crossit will be out of town, she sends him an invitation-the letter falls into her husband's hands-and he passes the night with her, instead of Dr. Lorman-on leaving her, he scratches her face severely-she supposes that she has received this injury from Dr. Lorman—when he next visits her, she pretends that he wants to ravish her, and has him well beaten by the servants-this is a moderate C.-it is written by John Dryden Jun. —his father in the preface says, that the circumstance, which gives the title to the play, really happened at Rome, where his son wrote it-it is dedicated by the author to his uncle, Sir Robert Howard, who wrote the Committee &c.—the motto is happy— Et Pater Eneas, et Avunculus excitet Hector. = = She Gallants. Sir Toby Cusifle (a knight and a pimp) Underhill: Bellamour Betterton: Sir John Aery Bowen: Vaunter = Dogget: Philabel (in love with Lucinda) = Hodgson: Frederick Thurmond Courtall (twin-brother to Constantia) = Bailey: Angelica Mrs. Bracegirdle Lady Dorimen= Mrs. Barry: Constantia Mrs. Bootell: Lucinda (niece to Lady Dorimen) Mrs. Bowman: Plackett (Lady Dorimen's woman) Mrs. Leigh:-the She Gallants are Angelica and Constantia-Angelica is the daughter of Sir Toby Cusifle, who had brought her up in the country, and had not seen her for several years-Bellamour had entered into a matrimonial engagement with Angelica, but had deserted her, and made love to Lucinda-Angelica, in her disguise as a man, exposes Bellamour at Lady Dorimen's-Lucinda breaks with him, and gives her hand to Philabel-Bellamour sends a challenge to Angelica-she meets him at the appointed place, but in the dress of a woman, and under a mask-a reconciliation takes place between them-Frederick and Constantia are mutually in love-she becomes a She Gallant-his four sisters are all in love with her-when they find her a woman, they are ready to tear her to pieces-Sir Toby takes a great fancy to Angelica-he promotes an affair between her and = = Lady Dorimen-in the 4th act Lady Dorimen gives Angelica the plainest hints of what she wishesAngelica of course cannot avail herself of them— the scene is a very good one-this C. was written by Granville, afterwards Lord Lansdown-Downes says this play was "extraordinary witty, and well "acted, but offending the ears of some Ladies, who "set up for chastity, it made its exit"-it was revived at D. L. in 1746-see March 13 and April 5. She Ventures and he Wins. Lovewell Hodgson: Squire Wouldbe Dogget: Sir Charles Frankford (in love with Juliana) Bowman: Sir Roger Marwood (in love with Bellasira) = Scudamore: Freeman (a vintner) Freeman: Charlot (a rich heiress -sister to Sir Charles) Mrs. Bracegirdle: Urania (wife to Freeman) = Mrs. Barry: Juliana Mrs. Bowman: Bellasira Mrs. Martyn: Dowdy (wife to Squire Wouldbe) = Mrs. Bowtel: Mrs. Beldam (her mother) Mrs. Leigh:-Charlot falls in love with Lovewell and offers to marry him—he accepts her offer on the wedding day she leaves him, and makes use of some artifices in order to ascertain, if he has married her for her person or her fortune = = there is an underplot, in which Squire Wouldbe wants to intrigue with Urania-she tells her husband -they play him several tricks, and at last expose him to his wife and the rest of the D. P.-this is an indif ferent C. by a young Lady. = City Bride, or the Merry Cuckold. Bonvile (the Bridegroom) Boman Friendly = : - Thurmond: Compasse Freeman: Justice Merryman (father to Arabella) Bright: Summerfield Scudamore: Venter-Arnold: Spruce Bayly: Arabella (the Bride) = = |