I 36 ] 



with thefe interpolated diredions, thefe confidential hints, from 

 the Author to the reader or the ador. In this new art of poetry, 

 it is to the margin or the parenthefis that the humour, the pathos, 

 and the animation of the prefent crop of Dramatic Pieces is con- 

 figned, by writers, who far from finding it difficult to pen a 

 whifper^ find it eafy to pen a laugh, a grin, a fmile, a fimper, a 

 frown, a ftart, a fwoon, an hyfteric fit, or a convulfion. In truth, 

 the beft commentator on a German play would be a pofture-mafter 



or a grimacier. " Approaching with a malicious air," — " ftart- 



ing and meafuring him with a long look," — " making geftures on 

 his feat like a man who is conceiving fome great projed," — ' Spiegel 

 grins a malicious fmile," — " laughing with felf-conceit," — " biting 

 his nails with paffion," — " fcratching his head like one in great 

 perplexity," — " putting the fore-finger of his right-hand on his left- 

 noftril,"— " rufhes out in defpair," — " turning from her as in a 

 frenzy," — " follows him to the end of the ftage, and then breaks 



out into an infernal laugh," — " with malignant irony." Sting- 



lefs, indeed, muft be this fame malignant irony, if it required a 

 marginal diredion to apprize the reader of its quality and inten- 

 tion. Unhappy is that painter, who finds himfelf obliged to write 

 under his performances — this is a bear ; or, this is a pokcu- 

 PINE. One might, perhaps, trace this fondnefs for graphic il- 

 luftration to the writings of Sterne. He is certainly a favourite 

 with the Germans, who in their plays and novels have formed 

 their flyle very much, on his abrupt, fentimental, eccentric man- 

 ner j 



