46 Poctnj. [Chap. XX. 



too often brought into view. In strong and po- 

 pular exhibitions of the vis comica, Mr. Macklin 

 displayed unusual talents. For the construction of 

 musical Afterpieces, of delicate and sentimental 

 humour, Mr. Dihdin rendered himself famous. 

 In Farce, few writers of the age discovered more 

 broad humour than Foote ; but his humour is ge- 

 nerally coarse, frequently licentious, and in some 

 instances so grossly impious and immoral, as to 

 disgrace the author in tlie estimation of every vir- 

 tuous mind. For taste and wit the dramatic pro- 

 ductions of Mrs. Cowley and Mrs. Inchbald de- 

 serve to be honourably mentioned. In ele^fant 

 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 younger Colman is entitled to a place 

 among the disiinguished comic writers of Great 

 Britain at the close of the century under consi- 

 deration. He is said, by some, to be inferior only 

 to Mr. Sheridan. His Ways and Means, his Sur- 

 render of Calais, his comic opera of InJde and Ya- 

 rico, and several other dramas, have commanded 

 much popular applause. Some of his dramatic 

 pieces, however, are said to be tinctured with mis- 

 chievous principles, and to have an immoral ten- 

 dency ; but of the nature and extent of these 

 faults the author has too little knovvledge to be 

 able to speak precisely. 



The various dramatic works of O'Keefe, Kelly> 

 Morton, Reynolds, and several others, are well 

 known to those v/ho have a tolerable acquaintance 



