Love in a Village.

has much too strong a taint of indelicacy; Hawthorn however changes it for the better with his blunt agreeable raillery-Sir William Meadows's letter'forwards the plot-Woodcock's self-fufficiency in supposing himself so wife that none of his children would do an indiscreet thing is whimsical, and Hawthorn's vindication of youth sensible. But of all the poetical thefts ever committed, of all instances of mending things for the worse, as my countryman has it, sure nothing is equal to what we shall produce; Hawthorn fings as follows:

My Dolly was the fairest thing,
Her breath disclosed the sweets of spring;
And if for fummer you would seek,
'Twas painted in her eye, her cheek.
Her swelling bosom tempting ripe,
Of fruitful autumn was the type;
But when my tender tale I told,
I found her heart was winter cold.

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The word thing at the end of the first line, tho' justifiedby Virgil's noted mention of woman, is a most, strange expression adapted to a favourite mistress; and however summer may be allowed to glow on the cheeks of beauty, yet we presume it too glaring a figure for the eye, which is not here ornamented with sparkling vivacity, but the meridian blaze-mark now what follows-affimilating his mistress's bosom to autumnal ripeness, by which we find the fair thing was arrived at, or past, the full bloom of life, fure such a compliment was never paid before; but our author having begun with spring, was determined to lug in the four seasons successively at any rate.

The

Love in a Village.

The beautiful song which gave birth to this strange

imitation runs thus in the Village Opera:

My Dolly was the snow drop fair,
Curling endive was her hair;
The fragrant jessamine her breath,
White kidney beans her even teeth.
Two daifies were her lovely eyes,
Her breasts in swelling mushrooms rise;
Her waist the strait and upright fir,
But all her heart was cucumber.

If we consider this as sung by a Gardener, the allusions appear strikingly characteristic, though comparing the eyes to daisies, does not convey a very obvious or justifiable idea; however, it is impoffible upon the whole to imagine how any writer could stumble upon so inadequate an imitation, without any manner of neceffity for so doing, unless mere barrenness of invention, and a refolution to make Hawthorn sing at all events, in a plaintive strain too, quite different from what he commendably preserves through the rest of the piece.

In the scene between Hodge and Madge we find more brutality breaking out from the clown, than humour from either of them; however, his song is not without merit; Rosetta's intervention creates a kind of bustle tolerably agreeable, and throws Hodge into a whimsical dilemma; the reflections and song of Rosetta upon his behaviour to Margery are extremely pretty, exhibiting indisputable truth, and fome useful hints to the fair sex; her compassion for the deluded girl fspeaks sensibility and goodness of of heart-Madge's sudden design of trying London

Love in a Village.

to repair her misfortunees, is not at all unnatural though it seems strangely abrupt.

The conversation between Lucinda and Rosetta, furnishes information that a plan is laid for the former to elope with Eustace. - Hawthorn, though the occasion of his entrance appears dubitable, is judiciously introduced as what he says, not only raises an agreeable curiosity in the young ladies, but the audience also ; some sensible remarks upon marriage and the qualifications of a husband enfue, which concludes the second act with a very pleasing and spirited trio supported adequately by the several characters.

Sir William Meadows, a hearty, plain old gentleman begins the third act with Hawthorn, their scene means nothing more than to throw fome glimmering of light on the plot; indeed the song with which it concludes has confiderable merit, perhaps the most, for folid sense and natural expression of any in the whole piece; Rosetta's change of dress seems to have no meaning except to please the vanity of external appearance, so incident to most ladies on, and indeed off the stage; her confeffion of love for young Meadows even in his fervile capacity is ingenuous; and her pride objecting to rank only, shows commendable spirit, by Hodge we find that Lucinda's scheme of elopement is discovered by her aunt Mrs. Deborah, this gives an agreeable turn of sympathetic concern in Rosetta, who generously feels for a friend, though her own concerns are in so profperous a line of direction.

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The

Love in a Village The old maid's haughty rigid treatment of her niece is very characteristic and the display of her own housewifely disposition truly humorous; her reflections upon the ill effects of reading are the natural produce of a narrow mind, uncultivated by education, yet vain of its defective powers, Lucinda at last sets her aunt at defiance but upon what principle or what the thought is the hints at, we know

hot.

Hodge's foliloquy means very little unless to acquaint us with his hopes of Rosetta's favour, which from the great change in her appearance, and her behaviour to him just before, we think he has little right to expect; the song is a very strange infignificant jumble of rustic licentiousness, containing fome truth, little sense and less humour.

Young Meadows, with as unmeaning a change of dress, as Rosetta's now appears and expresses uneasiness suitable to an anxious lover at his mistress's delay; the smile in his song which likens beauty enshrining merit, to a curious casket containing gems, deferves rather a better epithet than pretty, but the verfification is not so easy as it might have been: the lover's furprize at seeing his father instead of the lady is a well conceived circumstance, and what follows does much credit to his honest disinterested feelings; Sir William's assumed difpleasure works up the conversation pleasingly and Hawthorn is a good medium to keep up the design of coming at young Meadows's real inclinations.

Rofetta Love in a Village.

Rosetta is introduced at a happy point of time and the discovery that the young people's inclinations and their parents intentions exactly coincide is very well unfolded ; in the midst of her own happiness remembering Lucinda's perplexed fituation, and interefting her friends for that young lady, throws fresh light on Rofetta's character, and recommends her to an increase of favour.-Hawthorn's resolution, expressed in his fong, of not giving up his rural enjoyments for the bustle, smoke and noise of London; is the just effusion of a disengaged mind tolerably expressed.

The next scene, though short, contains confiderable humour; the oddity of Woodcock and his sister is extremely well preferved, and well play'd upon by the lovers; the dialogue runs judiciously into a pit pat ftrain and introduces the catastrophe pleasantly, Sir William's character of Eustace juftifies his claim to Lucinda, and making the justice's obstinate contempt of of Mrs. Deborah's understanding a motive for agreeing to his daughters marriage, closes the piece as an audience would wish, without any forced incident.

The unities of time and place are well enough observed in this piece, the plot is regularly carried on, and though it is rather too simple cannot be objected to as uninteresting or tedious; the scenes are ranged in an agreeable state of connection without fuperfluity or scantiness; the dialogue has ease and fome gleams of spirit, but not a spark of wit; the fongs in general exhibit the