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 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 character-Southerne says that he wrote it expressly for Mrs. Mountfort, and that she acted it admirably. Southerne is said to be the first dramatic poet who had two benefits--in the dedication of Sir Anthony Love he speaks of himself as being interested in the 3d and 6th representation-this however was not a general practice-it is sufficiently clear from the Epilogue to the Treacherous Brothers-and from the Prologue to Alphonso, that Powell was to have but one benefit for each of his plays-the case seems to have been the same with regard to Underhill-see the Epilogue to Win her and take her-Verbruggen and Powell, in their dedication of Brutus of Alba Oct. 16 1696, intimate that they are to have two benefits. King Arthur, or the British Worthy. King Arthur Betterton: Oswald (the Saxon King of Kent) = Williams: Merlin (a British Enchanter) = Kynaston: Osmond (a Saxon Magician)= Sandford: Duke of Cornwall Hodgson: Grimbald (an earthy Spirit) = Bowman: Philadel (an airy Spirit) = Mrs. Butler: Emmeline (in love with Arthur) = Mrs. Bracegirdle : -this Dramatick Opera (for so Dryden calls it) was brought out at D. G.-it pleases in perusal, and still more so in representation-the merit of it consists chiefly in the characters of Grimbald and Philadel Arthur and Oswald are in love with Emmeline-she is blind--but receives her sight by the art of Merlin -Arthur is enjoined to destroy an enchanted wood -he strikes a tree-Emmeline appears, and implores him to spare the tree in which she is inclosed-Philadel strikes Emmeline with Merlin's wand-and Emmeline turns to Grimbald-Arthur and Oswald fight-Arthur disarms Oswald, but spares his life in the 1st scene Dryden mentions St. George's day St. George was not heard of in Britain till about 500 years after Arthur's death-the Epilogue is good— Dr. Johnson says, King Arthur does not seem to have been ever brought on the stage-one would not have expected so gross a blunder from such a man. Scowers. Sir William Rant = Mountfort: Wildfire = Williams : Tope = Leigh: Whachum = Bow Sir Humphrey Maggot = Bright : Mr. Rant (father to Sir William) = Kynaston: Ralph (Sir William's valet) = Bowen: Jasper = Will. Peer: Lady Maggot = Mrs. Leigh: Eugenia and Clara (her daughters by a former husband) = Mrs. Barry and Mrs. Bracegirdle : Priscilla (their governess) = Mrs. Cory : the Scowrers are Sir William Rant, Wildfire and Tope-Whachum is a city wit and a Scowrer-he affects to be an imitator of Sir William— Sir William, Wildfire and Tope are offended at Whachum and his companions for presuming to imitate them—they beat them-Ralph contrives to have them taken up by the Constable and Watch-Sir William and Wildfire fall in love with Eugenia and Clara-the ladies agree to accept them, provided they will reform-they promise to do so-Sir William is reconciled to his father-Lady Maggot is a termagant, who hectors her husband, and endeavours to confine her daughters-this is on the whole a very good C.-it was revived at D. L. Aug. 22 1717-the Prologue begins "Scowrers! methinks I hear some Ladies say, In Ben Jonson's time the bucks and bloods of the day were called Angry or Roaring boys-in Shadwell's Scowrers-in Gay's Mohocks-Tope in this play says Why I knew the Hectors, and before "them the Muns, and the Tityre Tues; they were "brave fellows indeed; in those days a man could 66 not go from the Rose Tavern to the Piazza once, "but he must venture his life twice"-it appears from an Oration of Demosthenes against Conon, that some riotous young men at Athens called themselves αυτολήκυθοι and ιθυφαλλοι-Independents and **** Bussy D'Ambois, or the Husband's Revengealtered from Chapman by D'Urfey-D'Ambois = Mountford: Montsurry Powell: Monsieur -Hodgson: Duke of Guise Kynaston: King Henry 3d of France Freeman: Bariser=Verbruggen: (not Alexander) Maffé = Bright: Fencing Master = Bowen Pyrrot Sibber: (Cibber-a part of 9 lines) Tamira (wife to Montsurry) Mrs. Bracegirdle Dutchess of Guise Mrs. Lassels: Teresia Mrs. Cory: the Editor of the Old Plays reprinted in 1814-1815 says "Bussy D'Ambois was printed "in 1607-it had been acted with applause the groundwork of it was historical-D'Ambois lived " in the time of Henry the 3d, and was celebrated for "his personal accomplishments and his valour." = =3 = Chapman begins his play with a soliloquy by D'Ambois in mean apparel-Monsieur, the King's brother, takes D'Ambois under his patronage, and sends him 1000 crowns-he introduces him to the King-Tamyra falls in love with D'Ambois-a Friar brings him to her apartment by a secret passage-Monsieur is so displeased at the favour which the King shows to |