Puslapio vaizdai
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-Amarante is attended by a good spirit in the shape of a page-Locrinus returns-Coreb bribes Hersius and Spungius to give Amarante and Sozimon a sleeping potion-Amarante retires to rest in her chamber-Coreb places Sozimon, while he is asleep, by Amarante's side-Locrinus finds them in that situation-this is not represented on the stage, but only related by Coreb-Sozimon is not one of the D. P.-Arsaracus, with a band of ruffians, attacks Locrinus (behind the scenes)—the ruffians run away on the approach of Brutus' guards—Arsaracus clears up Amarante's fame, and has his life given to him-the Editors of the B. D. tell us that the plot of this Opera is chiefly taken from Tate's Brutus of Alba-which is a gross mistake—it is rather a Sequel to that play-Brutus and Locrinus are characters in both the pieces-but the scene in Tate's piece lies in Sicily, and in the other in Britain-the author of the Opera has borrowed the names of Amarante, Ragusa, Arsaracus, and Sozimon from Tate, but the characters are totally different-Hercius and Spungius, with the good and bad spirit are taken from Massinger's Virgin Martyr-Brutus, who returns with conquest from the Gallic wars, is meant as a sort of compliment to King William, on whose fate the welfare of Augusta (London) depends—a good deal of the scenery and machinery is the same as had been introduced in Albion and Albanius-the best parts of the dialogue are borrowed from Massinger-this Opera was brought out at D. G.-in the titlepage it is dated 1697-but the dedication is dated Monday Oct 16 1696-it concludes thus"We wish ourselves benefactors on Wednesday and

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"Saturday next, the Visiting Days of George Powell "and John Verbruggen"-the profits of the piece seem to have been given to them: they style it the offspring of an unknown parent.

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Cornish Comedy. Gripe (father to Peregrine and Clarinda) = Johnson: Nic. Froth (an innkeeper) Penkethman Shuffle (a cheating attorney) Bullock: Swash (a true country squire) Leigh: Sharper (a treacherous friend to Swash) = Powell : Peregrine Mills Capt. Busy Haines: Manley = Harland Trusty (uncle to Manley and Eugenia) = Simpson: Freeman Williams: Clarinda Mrs. Temple: Sue Froth Mrs. Lucas: Eugenia Mrs. Andrews: Margaret Mrs. Mills:-Clarinda is promised to Manley-Gripe insists that she should marry Swash--Trusty is determined, if possible, to effect a match between his nephew and Clarinda— for this purpose he bribes Sharper and ShuffleShuffle forges a letter from the person who manages Gripe's concerns in the mines-Gripe on receiving the letter believes that his own mine is nearly exhausted, and that a very profitable vein of ore has been discovered on Manley's estate-Swash is arrested for a pretended debt-under these circumstances Gripe orders Clarinda to endeavour to regain Manley's affections-a good deal is said about the tin mines this C. was brought out at D. G.-it is a pretty good play--the author gave it to Powell, who in his dedication to Rich says "You are so much "the Gentleman in your candour and goodness, and "the conduct of your whole administration among us, that nothing but the highest ingratitude can play the infidel with you-'tis true you have un

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happily met with too many barbarous returns from "murmerers and mutineers, but their revolt is their "shame not yours; and against such poor apostacy, "I here enter my public protestation and abhorrence" when Powell wrote this he was a sort of Manager under Rich, he afterwards turned apostate and joined the Company at L. I. F. for a season

or two.

Spanish Wives-there are no performers' names to the D. P., but from the Epilogue it appears that Mrs. Verbruggen acted the Governour's Lady-Johnson, Bullock, and Mrs. Knight in all probability were the Governour, the Friar, and Elenora, as they acted those parts June 26 1711-the Governour of Barcellona is a merry old Lord, who has travelled, and who gives his wife more liberty than is usual in Spain-she likes Peregrine, an English Colonel, but does not go to criminal lengths with him-the Marquess of Moncada is very jealous of his wife Elenora --she had been forced by her friends to marry him, but is in love with Camillus, a Roman Count, to whom she had been contracted-the Marquess and his wife are on a visit at the Governour's-Andrew is a Friar, who assists Camillus and the Colonel in their amours, but is always unsuccessful-the best character is Hidewell, who is retained in the service of the Count-the part was probably acted by Pinkethman-in the 1st scene he enters as a country fellow who sells fruit-the Marquess has him stripped to the skin, and his clothes searched, but can find nothing-Hidewell returns to the Count with a letter concealed in the ferrule of his stick-at the conclusion, Elenora makes her escape to Camillus-they

have reasonable expectations of obtaining a divorce for her this is a very good Farce in 3 acts—it was brought out at D, G.-Mrs. Pix in the dedication says it was well received.

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Neglected Virtue, or the Unhappy Conquerour. King of Parthia Powell: Artaban - Horden: Cas tillio-Mills: Bretton = Bullock: Castillio Junior (a foolish suitor to Amadine) = Pinkethman: Lycastes (in love with Amadine) = Harland: Queen of Parthia =Mrs. Knight: Alinda (daughter to the King)= Mrs. Rogers: Amadine (daughter to Bretton) = Mrs. Cross Ariena (niece to Bretton) = Mrs. Temple: -the tragic scenes of this play are contemptiblethe comic underplot is pretty good, as being chiefly taken from the Pilgrim-Bretton, Ariena, and Amadine are Alphonso, Juletta, and Alinda under different names-notwithstanding that the scene is in Parthia, the author introduces the mad Englishman, as in the Pilgrim-in the 1st act, one of the characters speaks three words of French-another talks of Plaster of Paris.

Joe Haines spoke the Epilogue as a Madman; on one of the lines there is the following note, "here "Mr. Haines made several pleasant digressions too "long to be inserted, and to make place for them " omitted some lines of this Epilogue"-the author gave the play to the care of Horden, who wrote and spoke the Prologue-Horden was a young man who, with a handsome person, had almost every natural gift that could promise an excellent actor, and was every day rising into public favour-he was unfortunately killed in a frivolous quarrel at the bar of the Rose Tavern. (Cibber.)

This tavern seems to have been very near D. L. Theatre, and to have been the usual place of resort after the play-it is mentioned in the Epilogue to the Constant Couple

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And one with loving She retires to the Rose."

From the next two lines and the Prologue to Sir Harry Wildair, number Three appears to have been a favourite room.

Gildon in his Comparison between the two Stages, in 1702, lays the scene of one of his dialogues at the Rose Tavern.

It seems most probable that Horden was killed in 1697-yet the name of Horden stands to one or two small parts after that time-from what Cibber says of Horden, it cannot be supposed that he lost ground in the Theatre-Horden, who acted a very small part in Imposture Defeated 1698, and an officer in the Generous Conqueror 1702, was in all probability a different person-Horden seems not to have been on the stage more than 2 or 3 years.

L. I. F. 1696.

Cyrus the Great, or the Tragedy of Love. Cyrus = Betterton: Cyaxares (Uncle to Cyrus, and King

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