1^9*' ON ENGLISH PLAYS. 23! 



Remarks tn forte Englijh Flays ^ from Mifcellanies in 

 Profe and Vt rfe, continued. 



I'he City Wi'ves, or the ConfcAeracy ; a Comedy, by 

 Va7ihuri^h. 



This Is one of thofe plays which throw infamy upon the London ftage, 

 and general tafte, though it is not deflriiute of wit and humour. A 

 people mtift be in the hit degree depraved, among whom fuch public 

 entertainments are produced and encoura!;;ed. In this fymptom or dege- 

 nerate nianners, we arc, I believe, unniauhed by any nation that is, or 

 ever was, in the world. There is one good hne in the epilogue ; but 

 neither judgment nor moral in the play, though there are ftrokes of 

 wit, and ibme detached fceues ot humour in it. 



"The Sufpicious Hujband, a Comedy, hy Hoadly. 



It is well that I am only a private critic, otherwife I could hardly avoid 

 being torn to pieces for many ofFjnces ; and, among the reft, for avow- 

 ing no g'Cat admiration of this play. Peihaps, even in the fmall circle 

 of readers, who may chance t.) meet with, and choofe to read my odd 

 irregular remarks, fome few may not materially differ from my opini- 

 ons. Bur as 1 have broke all terms of peace with the many, I deGre to 

 k^ep in my lurking place, and fairly out of their fight. I have always 

 thought, that this favourite play is not founded on a real knowledge of 

 life and manners, but upon a motely imitation of charaiSers and inci- 

 dents in other plays. Benediiit, Don John, and Captain Plume, are the 

 models of Ranger. Strickland is but an ill copy of Kitely. Meggot is 

 a colledive imitation of Marplot, Captain Brazen, Wittol, and other 

 dramatic good natured half wits. The reft of the characters are undif- 

 tniguifhable, and ferve only to fill I'p a great part of the drama ; for the 

 \vhoIe diverfion lies in Ranger. Till he appear, the audience yawn. 

 Clariffa is Mariana, ill drawn, fmm Fielding's mifer. Bur, though \ 

 am clear that this play cannot be julily tfteemed as an original jiiece, it 

 has the merit of better imitation than ordinary, in our later comedy; 

 and when die part' of Ranger and Clariffa are well adted, it is a g jod 

 entertainment on the ftage ; yet ftillit is a poor one, at heft, in the clofet. 

 And when examined v.i-h more attention and judgment than is, or ought 

 ti) be employed by fpeclators, it will be found that there are only two good 

 Ifcenesiu it. 



'Xhe Capricious Lady, a Comedy, altered from Beaumont 



a?id Fletcher. 

 iWuATEVER in this play is lively, proper, and charaiflcriftlc, belongs to 

 .he ancient pcet. The modern part of it is motely, coalbratneJ, ajid 



