432 CRITICAL NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



of Catherine Audley, long life to Dr. Booker, who brought the holy 

 maid before us some months since — long life to her mare and colt, and 

 the tracks made by them — long life to all concerned in their preservation 

 — and above all, long life to this " original drama," and the good people 

 of Ledbury who received it with ** the greatest approbation ! !" After 

 this statement, it might seem presumption in us to offer any critical 

 remarks upon this production, did we not recollect that Lord Byron 

 mentions a play which was performed at some private theatre with the 

 "greatest approbation,'" and "damned at Covent Garden with the 

 greatest expedition P' As Shakspeare truly observes, " there is a tide 

 in the affairs of men," and so it appears to be with St. Catherine. After 

 a long rest in her quiet bed, she has been in an extraordinary manner 

 again suddenly brought before the public ; Dr. Booker has illustrated 

 her history in his poems, the tracks of her mare and colt have been 

 recently made the subject of erudite investigation, and here we have an 

 *' original drama" developing her whole history. First, then, for the 

 plot, and then for the poetry. St. Catharine appears to be the patron 

 saint of the good town of Ledbury, in Herefordshire, and certain it is, 

 that in the reign of Edward the Second, a devout recluse of the name 

 lived in that town, where there is still an hospital bearing her name. 

 Who this Catherine Audley really was, what duties called her to Led- 

 bury, and induced her to take up her abode there, and when or by whom 

 she received canonization are most unfortunately queries which cannot 

 be satisfactorily answered, though very diligent inquiries have been re- 

 cently instituted. Thus circumstanced, we hailed with joy the timely 

 appearance of the present drama, and the successful researches of the 

 author seem to have thrown a strong light upon the facts of the case ; 

 we hasten, therefore, to relieve the curiosity of our readers, by 

 giving the following outline of this ** original drama'^ which was per- 

 formed (for 100 successive nights ?) at the Ledbury theatre " with the 

 greatest approbation." 



According to our author, Catherine Audley, (and, as legal reporters 

 say, *' with whom" was Mabel, her "bower- woman") was the only child 

 of Sir Andrew de Audley, in love with Edward the Second, and beloved 

 by Mortimer Earl of March. The young lady is found, rather suspi- 

 ciously, we think, wandering in men's clothes with her " maid Mabel," 

 in the Forest of Dean, but for what purpose does not appear. At the 

 same time Hugh de Mendax, a squire of Lord Montraver's, gets en- 

 tangled in the same forest, and is bound and robbed of a packet (with 

 which he was intrusted to deliver to Mortimer, at Wigmore Castle,) by 

 some " out-laws," one of whom proves to be Sir Andrew de Audley 

 himself. Catherine and her maid release Mendax, and Peter Coci, a 

 Herefordshire bumpkin, who is made the butt of some drunken jokes ; 

 and are, in kind return, made prisoners by Roland, a squire of Mortimer's, 

 and Mendax, and carried to Wigmore Castle, where Mortimer, Queen 

 Isabel, and Prince Edward are represented to be staying. On Cathe- 

 rine being introduced to Mortimer, as a prisoner, she is immediately 

 recognised, and subsequently imprisoned in consequence of the taunt- 

 ing language addressed to him. Queen Isabel, hearing of this circum- 

 stance, has some suspicions of Mortimer's intentions with regard to Ca- 

 therine, sends for her, and a warm altercation takes place between the 

 ladies. This scene is pleasingly interrupted by the appearance of the 

 third Edward, who, rather strangely comes to solicit grace for Sir An- 

 drew de Audley, whom he has just heard is returned from exile without 

 permission, and is in arms against Mortimer. The Queen refuses. Ca- 

 therine rushes forward, proclaims Edward King, and tells him Mortimer 



