Sect. IX.] Drama. 4.5 



language, has generally received warm commen- 

 dation. The Suspicious Husband, by lioadley*, 

 also ranks high in this list. The Jealous JFife, 

 and the Clandestine Marriage, by Colman, have 

 had a degree of popularity much beyond ordinary 

 comic productions. The Good-natured Man, and 

 She Stoops to Conquer, by Goldsmith, have gene- 

 rally a place assigned them among the superior 

 works of this class. The School for Scandal, by 

 Mr. Sheridan, is pronounced, in a literary view, 

 the best comedy of the age ; but when measured 

 by a correct moral standard, considerable deduc- 

 tion must be made from its merit. Two other 

 comic productions of Mr. Sheridan have been ce- 

 lebrated ; viz. The Rivals, and The Critic. Both 

 these works, and especially the latter, are consi- 

 dered as doing honour to the fertile genius of the 

 author. The JFest Indian, and the Wheel of For- 

 tune, by Mr. Cumberland, ha^•e been much ap- 

 plauded by judges of dramatic excellence. The 

 comic productions of Garrick, though certainly 

 not deserving of a place in the highest rank, are 

 yet lively and pleasing, and in general free from 

 the charge of immoral tendency. The Heiress 

 of general Burgoyne, for taste and wit stands 

 high in the opinion of connoisseurs. The come- 

 dies of Mr. Hoicroft are entitled to considerable 

 praise, as efforts of genius ; but the errours of tlie 

 author's moral and philosophical principles are 



* Benjamin Hoadley, the eldest son of the celebrated bishop of 

 that name, was born in \li)5. He was bred to the medical pro- 

 fession. In 1742 he was appointed physician \fi the kind's 

 household; and died in 1757, * ^ 



