Poetry. 215 



too often brought into view. In strong and popu- 

 lar exhibitions of the vis co?nica, Mr. Macklin 

 displayed unusual talents. For the construction of 

 musical Afterpieces, of delicate and sentimental 

 humour, Mr. Dibdin rendered himself famous. 

 In Farce, few writers of the age discovered more 

 broad humour than Foote; but his humour is 

 generally coarse, frequently licentious, and in some 

 instances so grossly impious and immoral, as to 

 disgrace the author in the estimation of every vir- 

 tuous mind. For taste and wit the dramatic pro- 

 ductions of Mrs. Cowley and Mrs. Inchbald, 

 deserve to be honourably mentioned. In elegant 

 comedy, Miss Lee has displayed very respectable 

 powers. But it would far exceed our limits to 

 give a full catalogue of those who have sought and 

 received high dramatic honours in the course of 

 the age under consideration. 



The various dramatic works of O'Keefe, Kelly, 

 Morton, Reynolds, and several others, are well 

 known to those who have a tolerable acquaintance 

 with the English drama, and have attained various 

 degrees of respect in the public estimation. 



That kind of dramatic composition which is set to 

 music, and is denominated an Opera, is well known 

 to be a modem invention. This species of theatrical 

 exhibition was first made in Italy, about the be- 

 ginning of the seventeenth century; but it was 

 never introduced into England till the beginning 

 of the eighteenth. And in order to avoid the ab- 

 surdity of dramas, in an unknown tongue (for the 

 first operas performed in Britain were in the Italian 

 language), Mr. Addison wrote and published his 

 Rosamond. Since that time operas have become 

 more popular in almost every part of Europe, and 

 generally find a place where the theatre is sup- 

 ported. The operas of Fontenelle, of Metas- 

 tASio 3 and of other celebrated dramatic writers, 



