Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

The Irifh Widow
Stairs.

Bon Ton; or High Life above

Eins der kleinern Stücke von Garrick, welches vorzugs lich gut aufgenommen wurde, ist Lethe, a Dramatic Satire, Es ist mehr eine kleine Reihe lucianischer Gespräche, als eigentliches Luftspiel, und beruht auf der Idee, daß Proser pina, an der Jahresfeier ihrer Entführung, sich vom Pluto die Erlaubniß ausgebeten hat, daß die Sterblichen, die imi mer über ihr Schicksal tlagen, freien Zugang zu dem Gef wässer des Flusses Lethe haben mögen, um daraus Vergess fenheit ihres ungemachs zu trinken. Merkur ist ausgesandt, um fie an das Ufer des Styr zu führen, über welchen Chas ron sie fahren soll; und Aesop ist dazu bestimmt, ihnen das Wasser darzureichen. Es erscheinen verschiedne Personen nach einander: ein in seinen Hoffnungen getäuschter dramas tischer Dichter, der seine bisherigen Werke zu vergessen wünscht, dem aber Aesop den Rath giebt, lieber seine Zus schauer von dem Wasser der Vergessenheit trinken zu lassen; ein alter Geizhals mit seinem Bedienten, der aber nicht Luft hat, sein Geld zu vergessen, sondern lieber die unrechtmäßis gen Wege vergessen möchte, auf welchen er dazu gekommen ist; ein Stußer und Wildfang, der seine Bescheidenheit und Gutherzigkeit aus dem Gedächtnisse zu tilgen wünscht; ein Lord Chalkstone, der Hülfe für sein Podagra erwartet; eine Mistreß Taroo mit ihrem Manne, die mit dem Aesop fols gende Unterredung halten:

[ocr errors]

Mrs. Tatoo. Why don't you come along, Mr Tatoo? what the deuce are you afraid of?

Aefop. Don't be angry, young Lady; the Gentleman is your Husband, I fuppofe.

Mrs. T. How do you know that, eh? What you an't all Conjurors in this World, are you?

[ocr errors][merged small]
[ocr errors]

Aefop. Your behaviour to him is a fufficient proof, without the Gift of Conjuration.

[ocr errors]

Mrs. T. Why, I was as free with him before Marriage, as I am now; I never was coy or prudish in my Life.

Aefop. I believe you, Madam; pray, how long have you been married? you seem to be very young, Lady.

Mrs. T. I am old enough for a Husband, and have been married long enough to be tired of one. Aefop. How long, pray?

Mrs. T. Why, above three months; I married Mr. Tatoo without my Guardian's Consent.

Aefop. If you married him with your own Confent, I think, you might continue your Affection a little longer.

Mrs. T.

think fo?

What fignifies what you think, ifI don't
We are quite tired of one another, and

are come to drink of your Le Lethaly Lethily, I think they call it, to forget one another, and be unmarried again.

and

Aefop. The Waters can't divorce you, Madam; you may eafily forget hun, without the affiftance of Lethe.

Mrs. T. Ay, how fo?

--

Aefop. By remembering continually he is your Husband; there are several Ladies have no other Receipt But what does the Gentleman say to this? Mrs. T. What fignifies what he fays? I an't fo young and fo foolish as that comes to, to be directed by my Husband, or to care what either he says, or what you say.

Mr. T. Sir, I was a Drummer in a marching Regiment, when I ran away with that young Lady

[ocr errors]

I immediately bought out of the Corps, and thought myself made for ever; little imagining that a poor vain Fellow was purchasing Fortune, at the Expence of his Happiness.

Aefop. 'Tis even fo, Friend. Fortune and Felicity are as often at Variance as Man and Wife.

Mr. T. I found it fo, Sir - This High Life (as I thought it) did not agree with me.. I have not laugh'd, and scarcely flept fince my Advancement; and unless your Wisdom can alter her Notions, I must e'en quit the Bleffings of a fine Lady and her Portion, and, for Content, have Recourfe to Eight-Pence a day, and my Drum again.

Aefop. Pray who has advis'd you to a Separation ?

Mrs. T. Several young Ladies of my Acquaintance, who tell me, they are not angry at me for marrying him; but being fond of him now I have married him; and they fay, I fhould be as compleat a fine Lady as any of 'em, if I would but procure a feparate Di

vorcement.

[ocr errors]

Aefop. Pray, Madam, will you let me know what you call a fine Lady?

2

Mrs. T. Why, a fine Lady, and a fine Gentleman, are two of the finest Things upon Earth.

1

Aefop. I have just now had the Honour of knowing what a fine Gentleman is; fo pray confine yourfelf to the Lady.

Mrs. T. A fine Lady, before Marriage, lives with her Papa and Mamma, who breed her up till fhe learns to defpife 'em, and refolves to do nothing they bid her; this makes her fuch a prodigious Favourite, that she wants for nothing.

Aefop. So, Lady.

Mrs. T.

[ocr errors]

Mrs. T. When once fhe is her own Mistress, then

[merged small][ocr errors]

Mrs. T. She lies in Bed all Morning; rattles about all Day, and fits up all Night; fhe goes every where, and fees every thing; knows every body, and loves no body; ridicules her Friends, coquets with her Lovers, fets 'em together by the Ears, tells Fibs, makes Mischief, buys China, cheats at Cards, keeps a PugDog, and hates the Parfons; The laughs much, talks aloud, never blufhes, fays what fhe will, goes where fhe will, does what he will, marries whom ifhe pleases, hates her Husband in'a Month, breaks his Heart in four, becomes a Widow, flips from her Gallants, and begins the World again There's a Life for you; what do you think of a fine Lady now?

[ocr errors]

Aefop. As I expected. You are very young, Lady; and if you are not very careful, your natural Propensity to Noife and Affectation will run you headlong into Folly, Extravagance, and Repentance.

[ocr errors]

Mrs. T. What would you have me do?

Aefop. Drink a large Quantity of Lethe to the lofs of your Acquaintance; and do you, Sir, drink another, to forget this falle Step of your Wife. For whilft you remember her Folly, you can never thoroughly regard her; and whilst you keep good Company, Lady, as you call it, and follow their Example, you can never have a juft Regard for your Husband; fo both drink and be happy.

ΟΙ

Mrs. T. Well, give it me, whilft I am in Humour, I fhall certainly change my Mind again.

Aefop. Be patient, till the reft of the Company drink, and divert yourself, in the mean time, with walking in the Grove.

Mrs. T.

Mrs. T. Well, come along, Husband, and keep me in Humour, or I fhall beat you fuch an Alarum as you never beat in all your Life.

(Exeunt Mr. and Mrs. Tatoo.)

Nach ihnen erscheint ein leichtsinniger Franzos, der zwanzig bis dreissig Dußend Gläser Wasser zu haben wünscht, um fie von seinen Gläubigern austrinken zu lassen, damit sie den Weg nach seiner Wohnung vergessen mögen. Sodann eine Mrs. Riot, die es sehr langweilig im Elyslum findet, weil es da keine Opern, Assembleen und Pickenicke giebt; und zuleht ein Betrunkner und ein methodistischer Schneider, dessen Frau zur katholischen Kirche übergegangen ist, und die er mit dem Priester, der sie bekehrte, in Verdacht hat. Am Ende lässt Aesop fie alle von dem Wasser des Lethe trins ten, aber nicht zur Hebung ihrer Beschwerden, sondern um ihre Laster, als die Quellen derselben, zu vergessen:

'Tis Vice alone disturbs the human Breast;
Care dies with Guilt; be virtuous, and be bleft *).

XV.

Foote. **)

Nächst Garrick wurde kein neuerer englischer Schauspies ler, obgleich nur in der komischen und burlesken Gattung, so beliebt und berühmt, als Samuel Foote, der im J. 1719 zų

Truro

*) Man vergleiche noch über Garrick, und über die dramatis sche Satire, Lethe, die trefflichen Briefe eines Reisenden, im Deutschen Museum, v. J. 1777, Mai, S. 445 ff. und 1778, Janner, S. 12 ff. Sie sind von Hrn. Hofr. Lichs tenberg.

**) Nachrichten von ihm und überseşte Scenen aus einigen seiner Stücke, von Sturz, f. im Deutschen Museum von 1779, Jul. S. 13 ff. Sie sind hernach, wie die Briefe über Garrick, in seinen Schriften wieder abgedruckt.

« AnteriorContinuar »