furiously in love with the Natural Son, at the fame time that the honour of her hand is courted by Jack Huftings, a neighbouring country gentleman. In the conclufion of the piece, fhe, of courfe, is obliged to furrender her more darling pretenfions to the ftronger attractions of Lady Paragon; and The confents to reward the fidelity of her ruftic admirer. These two ftories are certainly very intimately connected. And though we shall always afcribe a more elevated degree of praise to the writer, whofe drama can fubfift upon a fingle plot, yet it must be confeffed in the prefent inftance, that each ftory is fo little complicated, and has fo little agitation. and fufpence, that, if the plot be double, it however by no means prefents us with the huddled and indiftinct train of events, which too generally refults from that circumstance. But manners and character are the ftrong hold of the comic mufe. Mr. Blufhenly, the leading perfonage of the drama, has little accuracy of difcrimination and peculiarity of feature, to distinguish him from the mob of heroes that went before him. But the want of outline in this character is in fome measure compenfated in that of Lady Paragon. The combination of the most perfect goodness of heart with the utmoft gaiety of humour, though in our opinion extremely natural, has been feldom attempted in theatrical character. Mr. Cumberland has been too long converfant in the scenes of elevated life, to have failed in the indolent but at the fame time vivacious naïveté he intended to bestow upon his heroine. And, though we do not confefs in the character many of thofe finished touches, that befpeak the master of the comic fcene, yet is there fomething in the generofity of her heart and the liberality of her fentiments, that is unboundedly attractive and interesting. We have in former inftances had occafion to deliver our fentiments upon the propriety of making an amorous old woman the principal figure in a comic canvas*. We must however in justice to our author acknowledge, that Mrs. Phoebe Latimer is a more agreeable companion, than we ever conceived could have been made of a woman of her defcription. There is fomething fo irrefiftibly and exuberantly ludicrous in the whole of her manners and conduct, as to amount to a pretty ample atonement for the extenfive fhare fhe has engroffed of the play.In the part of her brother the baronet there is little room for cenfure, and as little for applause. But the choiceft flower that Mr. Cumberland's garden can' boaft in the prefent feafon is the character of Mrs. Phoebe's lover, Jack Huftings. This appears to us qualified to add Vide Vol. III. p. 188. luftre luftre to the richest garland that ever graced a poet's brow. It is indeed little more than a sketch; but it contains all the fimplicity of humour, and all the truth of manners, that' could have filled the largest draught. The idea is apparently taken from the Will Wimble of Addison. -Hanc veniam petimufque, damufque viciffim. When the hint thus fuggefted is fuftained in a manner equal, or, as in the prefent initance, fuperior to the style of the original, we willingly admit the writer's claim to a manfion in Parnaffus; and in a republic fo great and generous in blood, a community of goods muft furely be a natural con. ftitution. Will Wimble in love, is a rich and interefting exhibition, upon which, if fpirits departed have any commerce with this mortal fcene, Addifon himfelf might look down with complacency. Between Mrs. Phoebe and her lover, to borrow the style of a celebrated writer, The first act of this play is the best I ever faw in my life.' The progrefs too of the drama bids fair to answer to the commencement. Four different perfonages, Mr. Huftings, Major O'Flaharty, Mr. Rueful and his fervant, are introduced one after another upon the scene, in a manner that is certainly calculated to intereft the attention and keep awake curiofity. But to the fuccefs of this expedient it seems neceffary that the characters fhould rife upupon one another. They certainly fhould not fall off. But we cannot congratulare our author upon this feature of his performance. The fecond part of Major O'Flaherty is what a fecond part is always expected to be.-Though the idea of Mr. Rueful, a generous free-hearted mifanthropift, be not new, it will bear to be exhibited a fecond time. But in the prefent inftance it feems completely abortive. By endeavouring to make it comic, it is laboured into farce. The general idea of the character is undoubtedly that of a perfon of humour, but the humour ought to be of a compofed and ferious caft, fmiling through its tears, like the compaffion of Yorick to the dog of Maria.For Dumps, as he never did flourish, but in dulnefs and infipidity, we are not at all disposed to meet him with his own falutation, Floreat! Having thus far difcuffed the general merits of the per formance, we present the reader with the following paflages for his entertainment. JACK HUSTINGS AND SIR JEFFERY LATIMER. Ah Jack! how runs the world with thee? Jack. Rubs as it runs, How is it, Knight ?-give me thy forefinger; I am come to rumple a napkin with thee. Sir Jeff. And thou shalt be as welcome, my good friend as to-day and to-morrow into the bargain, Jack. Jack. I know it, I know it well, elfe I would not come.-I have brought thee a brace of trout, Knight; they are the first I've taken this feafon, .and I'll warrant them as pink as a petticoat;-fhewed noble play, up the stream and down the stream :-a cloud in the sky, a ripple on the water;-here ftood I; you know my old watch fnap's the word-never mifs my throw.-Haft got a good breed of birds on thy manor this feafan? Sir Jeff Tolerable, tolerable, a pretty fairifh parcel. Jack. So much the better; I'll come and brush the stubbles for thee in a week or two's time. I have been putting your fowling pieces in order, for your armoury was in fad trim.-How does my dainty little widow and fair Phoebe ?—I have a little matter of business for thee, if I can bring it out. Sir Jeff What's the matter now Jack? Jack. Burft it! I don't know what to fay to it, tho' I came partly o' purpose to open a bit of my mind to thee, only things put it out of my head. By the way, don't let me forget to remind thee of Tom Trueby's election for verdurer-it comes on next Tuesday-Sir Roger's folks will be there. Tom's an honeft fellow, and of the right kidney; we shall want your voice at the poll, Sir Jeff. Here's my hand; never flinch from my friends; I am ftaunch for Trueby. Now go on with your business. Jack. Why, I don't know how it is; fometimes I think I am rather lonesome of an evening, when the days are short, and the roads bad, fo that my neighbours can't vifit me; then the parfon's dead, and there I'am out of backgammon ;-books, you know, books are but dull company; a body is foon tir'd of reading. Sir Jeff. Certainly; any refource is better than that; it gives me the hip at once. Jack. Befides, I have had a great lofs amongst my greyhounds, and fo, do you fee-I fometimes think, by way of killing time, to take a wife; that's all. Sir Jeff Well faid, Jack; and you have a mind to take fair Phoebe, as you call her; foregad you will have wife enough, and to fpare. Jack. Yes, yes, I am aware of all that; fhe's a bouncer, I confefs: but then it is moftly in winter evenings I have occafion for fuch a companion; when fishing and fhooting feafons fet in, I am generally from home. Sir Jeff. She has the vengeance of a temper. Jack. Never mind that, mine will ferve for both, Sir Jeff. Have you broke your mind to her? Jack. No, no, that's to come yet; I fhall be a little awkward and ungain at courting, I've a recipe for that. Sir Jeff. How fo, Jack? Jack. Why I've got a little fomewhat by heart out of a book, and can fay it pretty fmoothly; if I can bring her to that, I fhall come tolerably well off-but I hope I fhall have your good word, Knight; if it is not with your liking, do you fee, I am off, and no harm done. Sir Jeff Tis a small compliment to fay, I had rather pay her fortune to you than to a ftranger, for marry the will; but as for my good good word with her, I wou'd not do you the injury to offer it.There the is in her cattle; if thou haft the heart to attack it, march up boldly, the coaft is clear; but if thou thinkeft it better to fortify with a good dinner, and a flafk of wine, friend David fhall give thee a bottle of his beft, and we'll have a crafh, my dear boy, to fet thee on thy mettle. Jack. With all my heart, I like your counfel well; it is an old faying, "Women and wine;" but I fay, Wine and women. Sir Jeff. Come thy ways with me, then, and we will have a batch at backgammon, to while away the time till David gives the fignal on the buttery-door. The following fcene is built upon the deception, not very confiftent by the way with the character of the hero, that is put upon Mrs, Phoebe, when the is told of the expected arrival of Mr. Latimer, as a diftinct perfon from Blufhenly, and led to believe, that, when he is married to Lady Paragon, fhe may meet with a more fuitable return to her adyances from the latter, Enter Mrs, Phoebe and O'Flaherty. Phabe. There, there, there! did you fee that, Sir? Phabe. As Mr. Latimer's friend, methinks you can't be very well pleas'd with this discovery O'Fl. No indeed, and I am surpriz'd to fee you bear it so patiently; but you are of a fweet gentle nature, I perceive: and, as a reward for your patience, I can fafely promife you fhall hear no more of Bluthenly after this night. Phabe. How fo, how fo? make me understand what you mean to do. O'Fl. Never afk about it: never vex your lovely felf-we have a way of our own in Ireland. Phabe. Explain yourself, I conjure you. O'Fl. Why, you know then there is fuch a thing in the world as a poft-chaifeWell!-and here you live upon the coat, hard by the fea, do you mind me?-Very well!-Mighty convenient, you'll allow, for fhipping off contraband, commodities, alias liveftock, for the continent. Now if you can catch this young ram by the horns, and smuggle him into Dunkirk, we shall stop his breed at home, and nobody the wifer. Phoebe. Horrible! wou'd you take the young man out of the kingdom? wou'd you murder him? Ŏ'Fl. Why that shall be just as you like; it would make his voyage the shorter. Phehe. idea. Barbarian! I'll not fuffer it: my blood chills with the O'F, Oh then take another recipe to warm it: Elope with him yourself. Ph. Myfelf! O'Fl. 'Tis done every day; the moft effectual mode in nature to pique the jealoufy of the young lady at home; fhe'll marry Lati mer, ༣ mer, out of revenge, in a week: the only thing is, to put a smal force upon your modefty; if you have friendship enough for your niece to do this, all difficulties are over. Ph. Do you propofe this in ridicule, or in infult to me? O'Fl. Nay, if it fhocks the delicacy of your nature, away with it at once; and, to fay the truth, I was afraid your modefy could not put up with it. What will become of her reputation ? fays I to Mr. Latimer. Wou'd you put a fair innocent creature fide by fide with a tempting young rogue in a clofe carriage? I'm afham'd of you, fays 1.-Oh! I rattled him off roundly, for dreaming of it: for I was of your way of thinking, that it wou'd be beft to knock him on the head at once, and fave mischief. Fb. Murder to fave mifchief!-Murder my reputation rather! inclofe me in the odious poft-chaife! let my innocence be your facrifice, fooner than meditate an act fo horrible: if no means elfe can be devised to feparate him from Lady Paragon, behold me ready to devote myself a voluntary victim to preferve the honour and the interefts of my family! O'FI. Why then, as I'm a finner, there is not a martyr in the calendar, can go beyond you.-Oh, fweet Phobe, if you were of the right perfuafion, you wou'd be the first faint of your name!Make up your mind, dear creature, for the journey: pack up a few trifles for your occations by the way; put a good book in your pocket, to keep the foul fiend at a distance; for mind what I tell you, there's no trufting to these clofe carriages: as for holding him in talk about the weather, and the profpccts, and all that, don't depend upon it, for the night will be as dark as a hedge; then there's fuch a cracking and rattling with your iron work, fcreaming goes for nothing in an English poft-chaife. Ph. Talk no more of fuch idle profpects; I have other refources than you know of; and fhall take care to prevent mifchief, both to him, and to her, or myself. [Exit. O'Fl. Mercy on me! what a fermentation does a little learning raife in a female fcull! No wonder that out fortune-hunters poach amongst thefe petticoated pedants; they fall into the fnare like a pheafant from his perch. Exit. Upon the whole, the prefent performance feems evidently calculated to reflect confiderable credit upon its author, and is not to be regarded as inferior to any of Mr. Cumberland's former productions. And, though we cannot but confider Mr. Sheridan, as ouftripping his brethren of the fock, Quantum lenta folent inter viburna cupreffi; yet affuredly, as long as brilliancy of repartee, fidelity of delineation, and chaftenefs of humour, are held in any esteem, fo long will the Comedy of the Natural Son be feen with pleafure and remembered with commendation. ART. |