Z$6 EXTRACTS FROM 



being treated roughly and unkindly by one of them ; 

 the various delicate blandifhments by which fhe art- 

 fully entices this very man to her; and at laft the 

 triumph at having even made a conqueft of him ! 



I am perfuaded, and have even been witnefs to it, 

 that an able and intelligent actrefs may entitle herfelf 

 to great applaufe in this character: but the latter 

 fcenes, reprefented by a lady, will always offend, The 

 expreffion of that unimpreffible coldnefs, that delicious 

 fentiment of revenge, the jnfolent joy at having done 

 mifchief, would fhock us with its intemperate truth ; 

 and when fhe at laffc gives her hand to the menial fer- 

 vant of the home, only that Ihe may have one fervant 

 at home, we fhould be 'but little fatisfied with the ca- 

 taftrophe of the piece. Whereas, on the roman thea- 

 tre, it is. not the unamiable coldnefs, the female info* 

 fence itfelf, the reprefentation only reminds the audience 

 of it ; they comfort themfelves with the thought, that 

 at leafe for this time it is not real. They gave hearty 

 claps of applaufe to the young actor, and were pleafed 

 that he had difplayed fo thorough a knowledge of the 

 dangerous talents of the beloved fex ; and, by a happy 

 imitation of their behaviour, in a manner avenged us 

 on the fair, for all the things of a like nature that we 

 lufrer from them, 



I repeat it then ; the audience here felt the pleafure 

 of feeing, not the matter itfelf, but its imitation ; not 

 of being entertained by nature, but by art; not of 

 being ihewn an individuality, but a refult. 



To this muft be added, that the figure of the actor 

 was well adapted to a perfon of the middle clafs of 



And 



