27. Jovial Crew. Oliver Palmer. Leon = 30. Mrs. Mattocks acted the Mourning Bride. Sept. 3. Palmer's bt. Rule a Wife. Wroughton Copper Captain = Palmer: Estifania = Mrs. Mattocks. 8. Love for Love. Ben Palmer: Angelica = Mrs. Mattocks. 10. Siege of Damascus. Phocyas = Wroughton : Caled Palmer. Last night. For bt. of Mrs. Mattocks. Not acted 20 years, Foundling. Young Belmont = Wroughton Faddle Palmer: Sir Roger Belmont Quick Rosetta Mrs. Mattocks. (From Mr. Field.) HAWKINS' ORIGIN OF THE ENGLISH Hawkins of Magdalene College Oxford prepared for the press 3 vols. of the earliest Dramas-he unfortunately died before the publication of them in 1773-if he had lived, he meant to have made another selection. Vol. 1. Candlemas Day, or the Killing of the Children of Israel—this is a Mystery, written in 1512, in honour of the Virgin Mary, and her mother, St. Anne-in this rude play, the Hebrew soldiers swear by Mahound, or Mahomet, who was not born till 600 years after-Herod's Messenger is named Watkin : he and the Knights are directed" to walk about the stage "till Mary and Joseph are conveyed into Egypt." Joseph is represented as an old man. Every Man-this Morality was published early in the reign of Henry 8th: the subject is the summoning of every man out of the world by Death, and its moral that nothing will then avail him but a wellspent life, and the comforts of religion—the design of it is to inculcate great reverence for old Mother Church and her Popish superstitions-in the course of this piece it is said that priesthood excels all other things, and that more power is given to priests than to angels. Hycke-Scorner-this Morality bears no very distant resemblance to Comedy-the vices of the age are described with some slight degree of humour. Lusty Juventus, written in the time of Edward 6th-this Morality is quite serious: chapter and verse are quoted as often as in a sermon—the design of it is to expose Popery, and promote the Reformation. Gammer Gurton's Needle-see 1st vol. of Dodsley 1744. 66 King Cambises a lamentable Tragedy mixed << full of pleasant mirth"-written early in Queen Elizabeth's reign by Thomas Preston--the serious incidents are taken from Herodotus-the comic scenes have not much humour-this is the play that Shakspeare is supposed to allude to, when he introduces Falstaff speaking in King Cambises' vein. Vol. 2. Spanish Tragedy--see Reed 1744. David and Bethsabe was written by George Peele between 1579 and 1598-the stage direction with which this play begins is-" David draws a curtain " and discovers Bethsabe with her maid bathing over "a spring; she sings, and David sits above viewing "her"—this at the first glance appears ludicrous, but almost every thing in the piece is perfectly seriousat the conclusion David appoints Solomon his successor-the rebellion of Absalom is suppressed. Soliman and Perseda-Erastus, a young Rhodian, and Perseda are mutually in love-Erastus gains the victory at a tournament-he accidentally loses a chain which Perseda had given him-Ferdinando finds the chain, and gives it to Lucina-Perseda sees it on Lucina's neck, and is highly offended at Erastus-Erastus gets the chain from Lucina-Erastus and Ferdinando fight-Ferdinando is killed-Erastus makes his escape to Constantinople-Soliman, the Emperor of the Turks, receives Erastus in the most friendly manner, having previously heard a high character of him from Brusor, who was present at the tournament Brusor by Soliman's orders takes Rhodes-he presents Lucina and Perseda to the Emperor-Soliman falls in love with Perseda-but on finding her attachment to Erastus, he resigns her to him--he sends Erastus to Rhodes as the governour - -he repents of his generosity-Brusor persuades Erastus to return to Constantinople, under pretence that the Emperor has great occasion for his services-Soliman puts Erastus to death under a false charge of treason-Piston, the servant of Erastus, informs Perseda that his master had been strangled-Soliman comes to Rhodes-Perseda, in the habit of a man, fights with Soliman-he kills her -she contrives to poison him-Love, Fortune and Death open the play by way of Prologue-they comment on the events at the end of each act-at the conclusion, Death claims the victory, as well he may, for there is not a single person of any importance who is not killed-Basilisco is a good comic character-Hawkins says, perhaps the original of Falstaff-Basilisco is a vainglorious knight-he is in love with Perseda―at the taking of Rhodes, he turns Turk to save his life-he turns Christian again—at the conclusion, he is killed by Soliman-this play has considerable merit-it was printed in 1599, but without the name of the author. Ferrex and Porrex-see Gorboduc in 2d vol. of Dodsley 1744. Vol. 3. The Supposes-Phylogano, a Sicilian gentleman, had sent his son, Erostrato, to study at FerraraErostrato had fallen in love with Polynesta, the daughter of Damon-for her sake he had assumed the name of his servant, Dulippo, and had hired himself to Damon-Dulippo had by his master's orders assumed the name and habit of Erostrato-the supposed Dulippo had prevailed on Polynesta to allow him the privileges of a husband-he had however previously told her who he really was-here the play begins-Cleander, an old doctor of law, pays his addresses to Polynesta-so does the supposed Erostrato --the latter prevails on a Scenese, as he is called, to assume the character of Phylogano-the real Phylogano arrives at Ferrara--he knocks at the door of the house in which he is told that his son livesScenese appears at the window, and says that he is Phylogano-the supposed Erostrato affects not to know his old master-in the mean time Damon had discovered the intrigue between his daughter and the supposed Dulippo-he shuts up the supposed Dulippo in a dungeon-Phylogano goes to consult Cleander -Cleander discovers that the real Dulippo is his son -an explanation takes place to the satisfaction of all parties--and the piece concludes with the union of Polynesta and the real Erostrato-Pasiphilo, the parasite, is an important character-part of his 1st soliloquy is evidently from Juvenal- the play seems to have been written in imitation of Terence-the whole of it passes in the street-this is a very good C.-it was written in Italian by Ariosto, and translated by Gascoigne-it was printed in 1566, and had been acted at Gray's Inn-the Supposes is said to be the first English play in prose-Shakspeare has borrowed from it a considerable part of his Taming of the Shrew-but he has not improved what he has borrowed- the story is better managed in the Supposes. |