Cato.

any thing like the character; however, we fuppofe he did it for the fame reafon a ftrolling player of fixty, once gave for retaining the part of the School Boy, I have done it, fays he, forty years ago, and therefore think I have a right to do it now. Mr. DYER has afforded us fatisfaction in this character, and Mr.WROUGHTON, tho' la, la, was more fufferable than in any other part we have feen him play.

Juba is a well-difpofed young prince, and seems to have ideas of establishing fame on worthy principles; his attachment to Cato would, however, redound much more to his honour, if there was not reafon to fuppofe his love for Marcia the foundation of it. In point of action, he cannot be rendered very ftriking, being too much in the ftile of mediocrity; the best we remember to have feen was Mr. DIGGES, who gave him much more force and variety than Mr. SMITH, though we think the latter a tolerable Numidian prince.

Sempronius is a rogue of very black dye, who does not fcruple to attempt giving the laft ftab to expiring liberty, and who wants to betray the most virtuous citizen, merely on account of being refused the object of his amorous paffion. He is a fair-faced villain, and couches dark defigns under the veil of patriotic profeffions; extent and weight of expreffion are effential to this part, wherefore, we are induced to pronounce Mr. Mossor the beft within our knowledge; Mr. SPARKS was extremely reVOL. I.

Nan

fpectable,

Cato.

fpectable, and we have received fome pleasure from Mr. CLARKE, in this treacherous fenator.

Syphax is a rogue also, and disloyal to his prince, but he is fo upon rather aftronger principle than Sempronius, for having conceived a fixed antipathy against the Romans, whose polished manners he interprets effeminacy, and being enraged at Juba's attachments to Cato, he endeavours to perfuade him therefrom, which being declined with harfh terms, the testy old Numidian takes the perfonal, affront close to heart, and thoroughly connects himself with Sempronius's views. This character we deem better drawn than any other in the piece, and fupported with great uniformity of fpirit.

Mr. THE. CIBBER, in our judgment, formed a more adequate idea of Syphax than any other performer; his diffimulation and teftinefs was defcribed excellently by that judicious comedian; but he retained fo much of the cant, which is now happily exploded, that we could only applaud him for what he meant, not what he did. Mr. GIBSON is a mighty lukewarm reprefentative of the old Numidian, but unless Mr. HULL fhould venture on him, is as well as any other perfon at present in Covent Garden. Indeed, to fay truth, take it for all in all, there never was such a mangled fpectacle feen at a Theatre Royal, as this tragedy was in April, 1770, at that houfe; and however ftrange the affertion may feem, it is ftrictly true, that Mr. GARDNER manifefted more characteristic merit in Lucius, than any other perfon in the whole drama.

Of all

the

Cato.

the Decius's we have seen, we don't recollect one fufficiently to authorize particular mention.

Marcia is a lady poffeffed of just and elegant fentiments, a worthy offspring of the great Cato, except where she is rendered rather ridiculous by the metamorphofe and fall of Sempronius: Mrs. WorFINGTON gave that importance to the character by her figure and action, which Mr. ADDISON left for the actress to fupply; Mrs. BELLAMY fuftained the part very well, fo did Mrs. HAMILTON; as to Mis MILLER, lately, fhe was inoffenfive, and that's as high as moft of the young performers can reach.

Lucia is a very tender-hearted fair one, violently enamoured, yet says or does very little worthy the the leaft notice; a good tragic actress might be rendered infipid by fuch a part, no wonder then that Mrs. MATTOCKS fhould move through it without any degree of praife; Mrs. STEPHENS's manner and expreffion is better calculated to make things of this fort agreeable, than any other theatrical lady we know.

Party is of a very dangerous nature to dramatic representations, but both whigs and tories taking this piece as a compliment to themselves, ftrenuously fupported it, and gave a fanction it never deferved, for we must abfolutely deny its theatrical excellence; it is certainly a moral, colloquial poem of great merit, but a tragedy full of defects; it fhould be immortal in the closet, but cannot juftly claim poffeffion of the stage.

AS You LIKE It.

A COMEDY by SHAKESPEARE.

THIS paftoral comedy, for fuch it may proper

ly be ftiled, opens with Orlando and Adam, the former a young gentleman, recounting to the latter, fteward of the family, the fcanty provifion made for him by the will of his father, and the cruelty of his elder brother, who treats him with much contempt, not only neglecting his education, but putting him under the fevere neceffity of affociating with menial fervants; this, he confeffes, rankles in his mind, and he expreffes a commendable determination to bear it no longer. Here his elder brother, Oliver, appears, and accofts him in a churlish manner, to which he replies at first with complacence, but, upon irritation, makes spirited retorts, and their conference rifes to a quarrel, which the old man endeavours to foften Orlando claims his fmall patrimony, or more refpectful ufage; the former feems moft agreeable to Oliver, who partly promifes it, and then not only difmiffes his brother with much malevolence, but forbids Adam his houfe alfo.

;

From an interview between Oliver and Charles, the wreftler, we find that Duke Senior is banished by his brother, but that Rofalind, on account of the affection Celia, Duke Frederic's daughter, bears her, does not go into exile with him; upon Charles's

mention

As you Like it. mention that he hears Orlando has a private intention of wrestling with him, fuggefts to Oliver a moft brutal idea, no less than the deftruction of his innocent brother, and this he cultivates by bribing the wrestler to exert all his fuperior ftrength against him, with the utmost malevolence; and after this ready agent of his malice difappears, gives amoft extraordinary reason for his hatred of Orlando, no other than the many amiable qualities of that youth, which he is either unable or unwilling to imitate.

Rofalind and Celia fucceed this worthy blade, the former expreffing a dejection of fpirits, on account of her father's exile, the latter offering cordial confolation, which prevails, and produces fportive mention of love, which Celia rather feems to think dangerous to play with; fome fpeeches, when fortune is propofed as a fubject of their mockery, we cannot help tranfcribing, on account of the truth. and pleasantry of thofe ideas they create. "Benefits, fays Rofalind, are mightily mifplaced, and the bountiful, blind lady doth most mistake in her gifts. to women:" to which Celia prettily replies, " 'Tis true, for thofe that he makes fair, fhe scarce makes honeft, and thofe that he makes honeft fhe makes very ill-favoured :" however, we think, according to a custom of SHAKESPEARE's, they play too long upon words, and wear imagination threadbare; the clown appears as a meffenger, and defires. Celia to go to her father, in that familiar ftile adopted by fuch gentry; his affuring the truth of what he

has