own day are chiefly anxious to entertain, to surprise, and to divert; and if, at any rate, they attain their object, all ends are answered: the managers of our theatres repeat their performances; the newspapers tell us that they are written and acted with difcrimination, and the author, in the warmth of fancy, wears the laurel wreath. In the midft of this general decline of true taste and judgment, Mr. Holeroft comes forward with a manly fpirit, and with fentiments that do him honour. He laments in his Preface, that works of rudiment, of difquifition, nay even of mere compilation, are often treated with a refpe&t, which a comedy, or tragedy, where wit, invention, genius, and all the highest faculties of the mind have, or ought to have, been employed, feldom meets with.' He adds, The theatre has a moft powerful influence on morals, and this influence increases with industry, and as the means of gaining admiffion among the lower clafs increase. Much time is there spent to the beft, the nobleft of purposes: the body's fatigues are forgotten; the mind is beguiled of its care; the fad heart is made merry; fictitious forrow obliterates real, and the foul, imbibing virtuous and heroic principles, is roufed and impelled to actions, that honour not only individuals but nations, and give a dignity to human nature.'

This is Mr. Holcroft's idea of the ufe and end of the drama. We are pleased to find an author who has made a just estimate of his art, and we entirely agree with him, when he fays, It is moft piteous, that not only the learned, but the political world, fhould treat the ftage with neglect, nay, with contempt; and that they do not, on the contrary, combine, and employ the high powers which they poffefs, to the encouragement and perfection of an art, in its own nature fo delightful, fo fafcinating, and, above all, capable of contributing fo infinitely to the happiness, as well as to the pleafure of mankind.'

Since there are Mr. Holcroft's notions of the art which he profeffes, it will not be matter of wonder that he has produced a piece, which does not merely aim at the tranfitory diverfion of two or three hours, but, more laudably, endeavours to fend his audience away with a moral leffon impreffed on the heart. He delivers himself, on this head, in fo manly a ftyle, that we fhall introduce him once more speaking for himself: his words are, • If I have written a comedy, which, perfectly moral in its tendency, and counteracting a fashionable vice, in danger of becoming a vulgar one, has charms fufficient to attract fpectators, I am of opinion, that I have done my country an effential fervice. That fome, who read this, may call me vain or prefumptuous, is, to me, totally indifferent. The theatre is a fubject of fuch confequence to VIRTUE, HAPPINESS, and MAN, that I cannot forbear speaking of it with a fense of feeling, which, I fear, I cannot impart.'

What author has, of late years, prefented him felf before the Public, in the dramatic line, with fentiments so true, so just, and fo folid? Should any of his readers call him, as he fears they will,

vain and presumptuous, we honour such vanity, and such presump→ tion. To correct the manners, and mend the heart, is the true object of the Dramatic Mufe, and he, who forgets the proper end of writing, will, in his turn, be foon configned to oblivion. We fhall fay a word or two more concerning Mr. Holcroft's Preface.

Having acquainted us with his notions of the employment he has undertaken, he proceeds to give a detail of the disappointments and difficulties, which he met with from the manager of one of the theatres. On this part of his case we shall not expatiate. It will be fufficient to fay, it is to be regretted that a writer, who has fo much merit in the defign and fcope of his piece, fhould not be received in the moft liberal manner. If the managers with that themfelves and their theatres fhould ftand in a refpectable light with the Public, they will do well to digeft Mr. Holcroft's honourable notions of the drama, and, for the future, to encourage genius, by letting it be feen that men of talents and education may dedicate their time to the fervice of the Dra matic Mufe, without being liable to meet with trick, fophiftry, and little artifices behind the scenes.

Of the comedy of SEDUCTION, it will be but juftice to say, that in respect of the moral precept it inculcates, it is intitled to the praife which the Author claims. Seduction has been the glaring vice of the age, and there is no doubt, but like all other fashions, it has fpread its influence to the lower claffes of life. It was the praise of Auguftus Cæfar that he made laws to vindicate the honour of the marriage bed. A poet has the laws of ridicule in his power; and if, by rightly employing them, he can counteract the torrent of mischiefs that disturb fociety, he renders a fervice to his country. It is with this view, that Sir Frederick Fashion is exhibited in all the colours of vice and folly. With men of his ftamp and character the ruin of the weaker fex is the confummation of glory. Accordingly Sir Frederick has ufed all his artifices for the purpofe of triumphing over the peace and happiness of Harriet: Lady Morden, if poffible, must be added to the lift of the wretches he has made, or wifhes to make; and Emily, with a large fortune, must be carried off by ftratagem, in order to marry her first, and leave her afterwards a prey to mifery. From thefe feveral defigns the fable acquires its complication, and its variety in the winding up of the intrigue. Lady Morden, we think, is kept too long in a very unfavourable light. She appears ready to dafh into all the extravagancies of fashion; but the fecret is, the appearance is only affumed. She means no more than to alarm Lord Morden, and, if poffible, to draw bis affections to herfelf. This fecret, we fear, is too long kept back. It would, perhaps, have been more agreeable to the audience, were they to know, in the courfe of the bufinefs, that

all

all her airs of folly are the pious fraud of virtue. It may be added, that, if it incidentally appeared that Wilmot is endeavouring to do good by ftealth, in the disguise of Gabriel (the awkward fervant from the country) the Actor's opportunity of pleafing would be fairer, and the expectation of the audience would be raised to higher pleasure. Of Lord Morden's character we have fome doubt. He is afhamed of being jealous, that is, of vindicating his honour. Sir Frederick Fashion behaves to him, too frequently, in a ftyle which, to a man of fenfibility, would be beyond enduring. Not only the courage, but the understanding of Lord Morden are often too equivocal. These things, however, are but flaws in a brilliant. The play, notwithstanding, has confiderable merit. The dialogue, with the exception now and then of a phrafe, or a fingle word too fcholaftic for conversation, is, in general, lively, and, at times, approaching to elegance. The fentiments are, almoft always, juft. The wit is often happy, fometimes trite, and occafionally no better than a flash in the pan: but taking the comedy of Seduction all together, we do not hesitate to fay, that it is a production of confiderable value, and, upon the whole, does great credit to the Author.

ART. XVII. An Amorous Tale of the chafte Loves of Peter the Long, and of his most honoured Dame Blanche Bazu, his feal Friend Blaize Bazu, and the Hiftory of the Lover's Well. Imitated from the original French, by Thomas Holcroft. 12mo. 3s. 6d. fewed. Robinfons. 1786.

WE are here advertisement, was written in or about

WE are here prefented with a Tale, which, as the Editor

the fifteenth century. Nothing, however, of date or authority, is brought in fupport of this affertion; and it is from the style and complexion of the performance only that we are to determine on its claim to antiquity.

Judging, therefore, from internal evidence, we conclude the history of Peter the Long to be of a date later than that which it is made to bear. The Author, it is true, has felected fome very old and obfolete words, which he fometimes manages skilfully enough; but he not unfrequently forgets himself, and in many parts of his work we find him writing as smoothly as a member of the Academie Françoise.

But we will prefent our Readers with a fpecimen of the performance:

Now at this time, while I a ftudent was in the college of Navarre, being of age but fix and twenty years, it came to pafs that my Lord and father was chofen to be Father-guardian; in which day it fo fell out, that I ran, fpeedily, when it I heard, to the church REV. June, 1787.

Na

of

of the reverend fathers, to return laud unto God for the honour his bounteous providence had done our family.

Whenas I came into the church, I fell moft devoutly on hy knees, in a dark corner, near unto the door; but no fooner had I my orifons, prayers, and thanksgivings began, than I felt fomething pull me by the arm, and heard a voice call foftly, "Peter, Peter." Now I directly and forthwith knew it was the voice of my feal friend, Blaize Bazu, the best beloved companion of my ftudies. "Peter"faid Blaize," my good friend, right glad am I that thou art come: yonder be my two fifters Genevieve and Blanche, and I have here been waiting, them purposely to let thee fee."

I had not looked at Blanche not a minute, no I am certain not a minute, before, without knowing or fufpecting aught, I fighed; yea from the very bottom of my heart. Angels, out of doubt, most handfome be, and beauteous; but, no! not fo beauteous, fure, as Blanche! Where fhe was, every heart in love must be! For mine own part, I certainly thought my foul would forth from my body ftart outright and into her bofom leap. Now and then I looked down, tried to turn away mine eyes, faid my prayers more vehemently, and beat my breaft hard, very hard;-and my fighs were fo long and fo wifnful!-No, nobody can believe how I fighed.

Blanche heard me, and turned, looked and marvelled at the extreme fervour of my devotion. For fhe believed, yea, beauteous as fhe was, the believed my fighs were for Heaven, and not for her.'

-Believed that the fighs were for Heaven, and not for herNay, then,' exclaims the Reader, the performance is undoubtedly of ancient date: this can never be spoken of a Blanche of the 18th century-women are fomewhat wifer in these days.' True: but this, we believe, is only one of our Author's feints.

Be this, however, as it may; be the hiftory new or old,What,' we fhall be asked, are its merits?' To this we anfwer, in the language of Peter the Long-Merit no great deal difcover in it can we. In a word, our Author's matter is as uninterefting as the generality of novels,-but his manner will frequently induce a fmile.

Mr. Holcroft has done fufficient juftice to his original. In fome of the poetical paffages there is really a beautiful fimplicity, which may be thought characteristic of Spenfer's time. We were particularly pleafed with the following lines, from 'Love's Prayer:'

Pearl of high beauty! peerlefs Queen!

A look of grace beftow on me;

Pardon bestow on paffion's fin*,

For I've bestow'd my foul on thee.'

*He had been guilty of the high crime and misdemeanor of ravishing-a kifs.

MONTHLY

MONTHLY

CATALOGUE,

For JUNE, 1787.

IMPEACHMENT of Mr. HASTINGS.

Art. 18. Articles of Impeachment against Warren Haftings, Efq. late Governor General of Bengal, as voted by the Houte of Commons, and reported by a Committee of Secrecy for being laid before the Houfe of Lords. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Richardfon. 1787.

TH

HE charges contained in thefe articles have been repeatedly laid before the Public, in the feveral parliamentary debates on them; and they now appear fummed up in the formal narrative ftyle, for the confideration of the high court which is to decide on their validity. Here are the firft fix articles delivered at the bar of the Houfe of Lords, on the subjects of Benares, the Princeffes of Oude, Farruckabad, Contracts, Fyzoola Khan, and Prefents. Some others have fince been added to them.

Art. 19. True Policy; or, Helps to a Right Decifion on the Principles advanced in Defence of Mr. Haflings. In Anfwer to a Pamphlet entitled, "An Appeal to the People of England and Scotland in behalf of Warren Haftings, Efq.

People of England. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Bell.

By one of the

According to an expreffion ufed fomewhere by the late Dr. Johnfon, this writer encumbers us with help: for public virtue and utility would be little worth, if their nature depended upon, and could not be understood without his far-fetched and abftrufe diftinctions. He mult certainly be embarraffed in his own conceptions, who employs a multitude of words to explain his meaning. There is fomething curious in feeing a small pamphlet overloaded with three dedications; one to Mr. Sheridan, one to Mr. Pitt, individually, and a third to both in conjunction! An advertisement is added to all, including a general cenfure of our opinion of the Appeal; to which we can only add, that this writer has not as yet helped us to mend it: we have indeed received, from another quarter, good information that the Appeal was not written by the gentleman whom we then fuppofed to be the probable author of it.

PHILOSOPHY.

Art. 20. Obfervations on the Caufes and Cure of Smoky Chimnies. By his Excellency Benj. Franklin, LL.D. F. K. S. Prefident of the State of Pennsylvania; and of the American Philofophical Society, &c. 8vo. 2s. Philadelphia, printed; London, reprinted for Debrett. 1787.

Thefe obfervations are the fame, verbatim et literatim, with thofe which form the firft paper in the fecond volume of the American Philofophical Tranfactions, juft published. The plate is likewife the fame, only on a fmaller fcale than that in the Transactions.

*See Rev. April, p. 344.

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Art.