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*Raison in Greenwich Park-Sir John in Merry Devil of Edmonton.

* Originally.

THOMAS SHADWELL.

Shadwell died in 1692—Malone in his life of Dryden takes much pains to place his private character in the best point of view this honest bigotry is very fairbut Malone seems to have adopted Dryden's enmity to Shadwell, of whom he says-Vol. 3 p. 106-"he “lived much in taverns, and was equally noted for "his love of eating and drinking, and the coarseness “of his manners and conversation"—and again p. 144 -"his conversation is represented by his contempo"raries to have been extremely immoral and profane" -Malone does not cite any authority for his assertions; nor is there any hint in the Biographia Britannica that the case was as Malone states it Malone was the more bound to tell us from what source he borrowed his accusation, as Shadwell lived at a time when the spirit of party ran very high, and when it may fairly be presumed, that all which was said against Shadwell was not true-Malone himself observes, that we ought not to judge of Dryden's character from the libels of the times-supposing Malone's assertions to be true, upon what principle can we account for Shadwell's having inserted such little immorality and

profaneness in his plays ?-he was certainly not restrained by any fear of offending the audience; and Malone himself would hardly have denied that there was less immorality and profaneness in Shadwell's dramatic writings than in those of Dryden.

Shadwell's Epsom Wells and Virtuoso are certainly very indecent, but in the Prologue to the Squire of Alsatia he says

"By the nicest Ladies need not fear,

"The quickest fancy shall extract none here."

Shadwell has no profaneness, whereas Dryden is at times scandalously profane-let it likewise be remembered that Shadwell's dedications are free from that servile adulation for which Dr. Johnson so justly censures Dryden-Langbaine in 1691 says of Shadwell" his dramatic writings are sufficiently known "to the world, but especially his excellent comedies: which, in the judgment of some persons, have very deservedly advanced him to the honour of being "Poet Laureat; an advancement, which he confesses, "is chiefly owing to the patronage of the Earl of Dorset, that great judge of wit and parts, in whose favour it has been Shadwell's particular happiness "for several years to have had an eminent share *

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let me have leave to add, that we are not to measure "Shadwell's merit by Dryden's standard, since So"crates never was more persecuted by Aristophanes, "than Shadwell by Dryden's pen; and with the same "injustice: tho' I think, whoever shall peruse the modest defence of the former, in his epistle to the "10th Satire of Juvenal, will not only acquit him, "but love him for his good humour and gentle tem

"per, to one who endeavoured to destroy his reputa"tion, so dear to all men, but the very darling of

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In the Biographia Britannica it is said of Shadwell "his friend Dr. Brady preached his funeral sermon, "wherein he assures us, that our author was "of great honesty and integrity, and had a real love "of truth and sincerity, an inviolable fidelity and "strictness to his word, an unalterable friendship "wherever he professed it; and a much deeper "sense of religion, than many others, who pretend "to it more openly-his natural and acquired abili"ties (continues the Doctor) made him sufficiently "remarkable to all that he conversed with; very few being equal to him, in all the becoming qualities "and accomplishments of a complete gentleman.””

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Malone does not bring the slightest proof of his assertions and, as Dr. Johnson observes, if accusation without proof be credited, who shall be innocent?

Shadwell, in his dedication of the Libertine to the Duke of Newcastle, says, that he had the birth and education, without the fortune of a Gentleman; and that he had the honour to be daily admitted to his Grace's public and private conversation-Shadwell was likewise intimate with the Earl of Dorset and Sir Charles Sedley-two of the leading Gentlemen of the times-such persons surely would not have suffered Shadwell to keep company with them, if his manners had been coarse.

As to the charge of profaneness, it probably arose from Shadwell's detestation of high church principles -it is certain, from the 1st scene of the Lancashire Witches, that Shadwell was a low churchman-it is

probable from the sentiments which he thus publickly expressed, that he might in conversation speak his mind very freely of the high church party--but it is hardly possible, that if his conversation had been really and habitually profane, he would not, at one time or other, have been profane in his writings.

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Shadwell is ridiculed by his adversaries for his corpulency, and love of the bottle-Dryden in his Vindication of the Duke of Guise (1683) says-"Og may write against the King if he pleases, so long as he drinks for him; and his writings will never "do the government so much harm, as his drinking "does it good; for true subjects will not be much 'perverted by his libels; but the wine duties rise considerably by his claret-He has often called me " atheist in print; I would believe more charitably "of him, and that he only goes the broad way, be

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cause the other is too narrow for him * * by his "late fall at the Old Devil he broke no ribs, because "the hardness of the stairs could reach no bones; "and for my part I do not wonder how he came to "fall, for I have always known him heavy: the "miracle is, how he got up again. I have heard of "a sea captain as fat as he, who, to escape arrests, "would lay himself flat upon the ground, and let the "bailiffs carry him to prison if they could-if a

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messenger or two, nay, we may put in three or "four, should come, he has friendly advertisement "how to escape them."

By a messenger Dryden means a King's messenger, intimating that Shadwell was liable to be taken up for disaffection to the government.

In a Session of the Poets, written about the same time, it is said

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Next into the crowd Tom Shadwell does wallow, "And swears by his guts, his paunch, and his

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"'Tis he that alone best pleases the age;

"Himself and his wife have supported the stage.

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"However to please so jovial a wit,

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"And to keep him in humour, Apollo thought fit "To bid him drink on" &c. (Malone.)

From these lines it appears that Mrs. Shadwell the actress was Shadwell's wife-she seems, after his decease, to have been possessed of one (or more) of the Adventurers' shares in the theatre, as in the petition presented to Queen Anne, Ann Shadwell, Widow, is one of the petitioners.

Shadwell wrote or altered 17 plays-all his Comedies have merit--but some of them have too much mere conversation-Epsom Wells and the Squire of Alsatia are his best plays.

T. R. 1693.

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Old Batchelor. Bellmour Powell: Heartwell = Betterton Fondlewife = Dogget: Sir Joseph Wittol - Bowen: Capt. Bluffe Haines: Setter Under

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