formers-they sat up all night till it was time for Mathews to go off in one of the morning coaches Egan on going home broke his leg - Mathews came down to play for his bt. and brought him a great house 29. Richard 3d Kean: Richmond = Stanley. = July 2. New Way to Pay Old Debts. Sir Giles Overreach Kean: Wellborn Stanley: Lady Allworth Mrs. Weston :-Sir Giles was Kean's best character, next to Richard 3d. 3 and 4. Kean acted Hamlet, and Othello. 5. Duke of Milan. Sforza Kean: Francisco = Bengough: Graccho Woulds : Marcelia Mrs. Weston: Eugenia Mrs. W. West:- Stanley was cast for Pescara-he thought the part beneath his dignity, but consented to play it, on condition that his name should not appear in the bill. 6. Riches. Luke - Kean. = 12. Kean's bt. New Way to Pay Old Debts, with Tobacconist. Abel Drugger Kean :—when Kean was carried off in the last scene of the play, a Gentleman in the Pit called out for the Curtain to fall -this absurd motion was seconded by others, and the piece was brought to an abrupt conclusion-this was the more improper, as on the 2d of July Stanley had spoken the last speech particularly well. In the course of the season, Warde acted Lord Aimworth-Merchant of Bruges-Inkle - Reuben Glenroy Rugantino-Alonzo in Revenge-Frank Rochdale, &c. - W. Macready acted Luke-Orestes - HastingsGeorge Barnwell-Lackland-Othello-DoricourtLeon-Don Felix-Rolla-Leontes. Stanley acted Young Marlow-Cassio. BEN JONSON. Gifford in 1816 published a new edition of Jonson's works in 9 vols. 8vo. Vol. 1. Memoirs of Jonson, &c. 1. Every Man in his Humour-see T. R. 1682and D. L. Nov. 29 1751. Vol. 2. 2. Every Man out of his Humour-see T. R. 1682. 3. Cynthia's Revels, or the Fountain of Self-love -this Comical Satire was first acted in 1600, by the children of the Queen's Chapel-some parts of it (particularly the Hymn to Cynthia) are well written --but on the whole it is very dull-the D. P. (besides Cynthia, &c.) are-Amorphus (deformed)-Anaides (impudent)-Asotus (prodigal)-Argurion (money) -Philautia (self-love) &c.-Mercury and Cupid begin the 1st act in their proper characters, after which they turn Pages, but do nothing worthy of noticeat the conclusion, Amorphus, &c. sing a palinodethe last act contains a great encomium on Queen Elizabeth (as Cynthia) and virginity-in the 4th act, Jonson derives breeches from bear-riches, as when a gallant bears all his riches in his breeches -if the ladies would admit of this etymology, it would perhaps reconcile them to an innocent word -the Epilogue concludes with "I'll only speak what I have heard him (Jonson) 66 say, "By 'tis good, and if you like't, you may." Gifford says that Every Man out of his Humour and Cynthia's Revels were revived after the Restoration, and were often performed "very satisfactorily," as Downes tells us, "to the town"-Downes does not mention Cynthia's Revels-he enumerates Every Man out of his Humour, with about 20 other plays, as acted by the King's Company between 1660 and 1682-he adds-" these being old plays were acted "but now and then-yet being well performed, were "very satisfactory to the town." 4. Poetaster, or His Arraignment-this Comical Satire was produced in 1601-it was acted by the children of the Queen's chapel-some parts of it are very well written-others are rather dull and unineresting the scene lies at Rome in the reign of Augustus, and most of the D. P. are real characters who lived at that time-in the 1st act, Ovid's father reproaches him for devoting his time to poetry, and insists that he should study law-in the 4th act, Ovid and his friends assume the characters of the gods and goddesses - Augustus enters, and is highly offended at them for their impiety-he banishes Ovid from the court, and imprisons Julia-a love scene ensues between Ovid and Julia, which even Gifford calls ridiculous-in the last act, Crispinus and Demetrius are arraigned for calumniating Horace-Virgil is appointed as judge, and Horace as accuser— Crispinus and Demetrius are found guilty, and punished, but not severely in this play Ben Jonson vindicated himself from the aspersions of his enemies under the character of Horace, and attacked Marston and Dekker under the characters of Crispinus and Demetrius-Gifford observes that Marston was very distinctly marked as Crispiuus, or the Poetaster, but that Dekker might have "sat still un"questioned," if he had not taken Demetrius to himself. Dekker, who was not only a rapid but a popular writer, produced in 1602 his Satiromastix, or the Untrussing of the Humorous Poet, in which he retaliated on Jonson-in the last scene of the Poetaster, a dose of Hellebore is administered to Crispinus, which occasions him to vomit up many strange words-to this Crispinus in Satiromastix replies "Or should we minister strong pills to thee, "Of Self-love, of Detraction, of a black Demetrius and Crispinus made their peace with Horace soon after the Satiromastix was written. (Gifford.) Hawkins, who re-published Dekker's play in his collection, observes "it is worth while to compare "the two productions of these rival poets-there is "certainly a great deal of wit in both of them, and perhaps Dekker has the advantage of his anta"gonist in the bitterness of his sarcasms, and the "severity of his personal reflections-one cannot help being more inclined to favour Dekker, who only retaliated the insults of his rival, than Jonson, who first insulted him." 66 66 66 Gifford on the contrary insists, that Marston and Dekker had headed the cabal against Jonson, and occasioned him to write the Poetaster-he speaks with contempt of Dekker's play-" nothing," says he, "can so strikingly manifest the vast superiority "of Jonson, as a comparison of his lively and inte"resting Comedy with that of Dekker, which was "meant to rival and eclipse it.” Woe be to the author whose play comes in competition with one, of which Gifford has been the editor. Dekker lays the scene of his play in England, in the time of William Rufus-it begins on the day of the marriage between Sir Walter Terill and Cælestine, the daughter of Sir Quintilian ShorthoseHorace is engaged to write the Epithalamium-the King comes to the wedding, and falls in love with the bride-Sir Quintilian, to preserve his daughter's |