stabs him to prevent a discovery-Orgillus survives so as to declare the Queen's innocence-Menaphon is executed-Ithocles is united to Marcelia-and Meleander to Statilia-this is a moderate T. by Powell the actor-it came out in Hilary Term 1690 O. S. that is in 1691 according to our present computation -the Editors of the B. D. state it as printed in 1696 -they consider it, as Powell's third play-Mrs. Knight begins the Prologue with— "New plays is still the cry of the whole town, Mrs. Butler in the Epilogue speaking of the author, says "Faith, Gentlemen, be kind to his first born." The first edition of the Treacherous Brothers is dated 1690-Langbaine says that the main incident -the soporifick potion-is borrowed from a romance called the Wall Flower-it is introduced again in Brutus of Alba 1696-and in the Unnatural Mother 1698. = Distressed Innocence, or the Princess of Persia. Isdigerdes (King of Persia) = Bowman: Hormidas (his general and nephew-a Christian) = Mountford: Theodosius (son to the Emperour Arcadius) = Powell: Otrantes (formerly general) Kynaston: Rugildas (his friend—a villain) = Sandford: Audas (a Christian Bishop) Hodgson: Orundana (supposed daughter of Isdigerdes) = Mrs. Barry: Cleomira (wife to Hormidas-a Christian) = Mrs. Bracegirdle:-the temple of the Sun is burnt-the Christians are falsely accused = of having set fire to it-Isdigerdes orders a general persecution--Hormidas and Cleomira are reduced to slavery-Cleomira is "poisoned by philters," that is, reduced to a state of insensibility by drugs-Otrantes takes that opportunity to gratify his passion for her -in the last act Otrantes is going to kill the king, but is killed himself—Rugildas drags in Cleomira with a dagger in his hand-Hormidas enters -the stage effect produced at this moment is precisely the same as that in the last act of Braganza-the scene however ends differently-Rugildas kills Cleomira-a struggle ensues between him and Hormidas-they are both mortally wounded-Orundana kills herself from disappointment-it being made to appear, that she is really the daughter of Otrantes, and that Cleomira is the king's daughter-Isdigerdes puts a stop to the persecution. Settle in his dedication says "whatever fiction I "have elsewhere interwoven, the distresses of Hor"midas and Cleomira are true history"--this play is founded on the 39th chapter of the 5th book of Theodoritus-Settle has warpt the story in favour of the Christians, for Abdas, from a mistaken zeal, did pull down a temple-Hormidas (properly Hormisdas) was forced to lead the camels of the army, (as mentioned in the play)—it was not however his wife, but the wife of another person, who was taken from her husband and given to a slave-all the other circumstances relating to Hormidas and Cleomira are fiction -- Settle makes his Persians talk of Minerva, Edipus, Tarquin &c.—on the whole this is far from a bad play. 66 Settle says in the dedication" I grew weary of my little talent in Dramatics, and forsooth must be "rambling into politics and much I have got by it, "for, I thank 'em, they have undone me"-when Dryden wrote his Absalom and Achitophel, and his Medal, Settle answered them both-he was at that time the poet of the Whigs--he afterwards became so staunch a Tory, that he wrote a Heroick Poem on the Coronation of James the 2d, and even a Panegyrick upon Judge Jefferies-but before he could derive any solid advantage from his change of party, the Revolution took place, and from that period he lived poor and despised till 1723-4-(Dr. Johnson and B. D.)-political apostacy is so common, that it rarely meets with the treatment, which it meritsSettle had however prostituted his pen in so gross a manner, that the contempt excited by his political writings was even extended to his dramatic labours -see City Ramble D. L. Aug. 17 1711. = King Edward the 3d with the Fall of Mortimer— Mortimer, Earl of March (the Queen's paramour) = Williams: Lord Mountacute Mountfort: Edward the 3d Powell: Sir Thomas Delamore = Kynaston : Sir Robert Holland Hodgson: Earl of Leicester = Bowman: Earl of Exeter Sandford: Tarleton (Bishop of Hereford, and Chancellor of England) = Leigh Serjeant Eitherside = Nokes: Queen Mother = = = - Mrs. Barry: Maria (niece to Eitherside, in love with Mountacute) = Mrs. Bracegirdle :-in the 5th act the Queen Mother signs an order for the King's confinement as a prisoner-this seems to be fictionin other respects the play differs but little from the history-the author has added a comic underplotthe Chancellor is of an amorous disposition-the Serjeant pimps for him in hopes of preferment-he brings Maria to the Chancellor, and insists that she should comply with his desires-the Chancellor is attempting to ravish her, but is sent for by Mortimer -at the conclusion, Mountacute marries Maria-the Chancellor is condemned-Eitherside is spared at Maria's request-the tragic scenes of this play are moderate-the comic ones are very good-it is said to have been written by Bencroft, and given by him to Mountfort, which seems confirmed by the Epilogue "And since the Author who did this prepare, Only expects your liking for his share, "Do not withdraw the profit from the Player." The dedication is signed Will. Mountfort. This play was revived at the Hay. in 1731, as "the "Fall of Mortimer "-considerable changes were made the character of Tarleton was omitted-what he had to say was divided between Mortimer and Eitherside-the former of whom attempts to debauch Maria-this alteration was greatly for the worsebut in 1731, it would not do to exhibit a Bishop and a Chancellor as a buffoon and a Tarquin. In 1763 the altered play was republished, with all the lines which were supposed to be applicable to the then state of public affairs printed in Italics-to it were also added some few pages by Ben Jonson, who had begun a Tragedy on the subject of Mortimer's Fall-this republication was made for the sake of a very severe dedication to the Earl of Bute by the famous John Wilkes in which he says "The play is 66 quite imperfect. Your Lordship loves the stage: "so does Mr. Murphy, let me entreat your Lordship "to assist your friend in perfecting the weak scenes "of this Tragedy, and from the crude labours of Ben "Jonson and others to give us a complete play. It "is the warmest wish of my heart, that the Earl of "Bute may speedily complete the story of Roger Mor"timer." The Fall of Mortimer is, by a strange mistake, said in the B. D. to be the completion of Ben Jonson's play-Mountfort's play was revived at Hay. March 11 1710. Sir Anthony Love, or the Rambling Lady-Sir Anthony Love Mrs. Mountfort: Valentine Mountfort: Ilford Williams: Pilgrim Powell Junior: Abbé (uncle and guardian to Volante) = Leigh: Sir Gentle Golding Bowen: Count Canaile Hodgson: Count Verole Sandford: Wait-well (Sir Anthony's confidant) Bright: Sir Gentle's Servant Cibber: Cortaut Mich. Leigh: Floriante and Charlott (daughters to Canaile) = Mrs. Butler and Mrs. Bracegirdle Volante Mrs. Knight :-scene Montpelier -Sir Gentle Golding had bought Lucia of her aunt = = Valentine at that time had a liking for her-Lucia had robbed Sir Gentle of £500, and had set off for France she assumes the name of Sir Anthony Love, and the manners of a gay young spark-she becomes intimate with Valentine, and a great favourite with the ladies-in the 4th act, Sir Anthony receives Valentine in woman's clothes, and discovers herself to him-in the last scene, Valentine and Ilford enter as married to Floriante and VolanteSir Gentle marries Sir Anthony, supposing her to be Floriante-he finds her to be Lucia, and settles £500 a year on her as a separate maintenance-this is a very good C.-Sir Anthony Love is an excellent |