1797-] 
live in idlene& upon the labour. of others, 
is, in fome degree, leffened by his contri- 
buting, in common with them, to the re- 
yenue of the ftate, and by the circilation 
of all the money he receives. On. the 
other hand, the intercft paid to foreign 
fiockholders is avn annual contribution, 
drawn from the produce of the land and 
labour of this country, for the fuppore of 
the inhabitants of another, from which 
we can derive no revenue, nor any advan- 
tage that may contribute to enabie us to 
bear the burthen. 
The intereft of the national devt is, at 
prefent, about 16 millions ; if one-fifth of 
this, or 3,200,000]. is payable annually to 
foreigners, and the balance of trade was 
only 3.c00,000]. per annum in favour of 
this country, the payment of the former 
fum would not only preclude any augmen- 
tation of the wealth of this country from 
trade, but its excefs is fufficient to deprive 
“us, in time, of a!] the money in the coun- 
try. The balance of trade in our favour 
is at prefent fuppofed to be double the fum 
Lhave ftated ; but it has been lefs, and 
circumftances may again réduce it, while 
the intereft payable to foreigners may in- 
creafe ; in either cafe, I conceive the 
above obfervations are fufficient to fhow, 
whether our national profperity is depen- 
dent upon, “ a large portion of the na- 
tional debt being held by foreigners.” 
Fuly 105.1797. eiares 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
MR. EDITOR, 
T the clofe of the winter theatres, an 
era of great importance to all play- 
going Chriftians, and when there can be 
no fu{picion of my intending to flatter or 
injure the interefis of any party, I hope 
that a few remarks on the very improving 
ftate of our theatres will not be denied a 
corner in your Mifcellany. 
Of late years, our dramatic concerns 
have been in a flate of progrefsive im- 
provement, which mutt ftrike the public 
with great refpeét both for the wifdum of 
Our managers, the modefty of our writers, 
and the humility of our actors, With re- 
{pect to our writers, let me obferve how 
fiverfe they are to that arrugance of feif- 
conceit, that profpective ambition, which 
led former dramatic authors to look for- 
ward to pofterity for fame. The prefent 
race of writers have no fuch ambition, 
To pleafe for few a weeks or months is 
all tney defire, and they have acquired’a 
happy knack of giving gencrat! fatisfaction 
by avoiding any thing which can give par- 
ticular umbrage But a itill greater proof 
Montury Mac. No. XX. 

. 
’ _ Remarks on the Theatre. 
9 
may be produced of gheir modeft forbear- 
ance, I mean, their fharing the reputas 
tion their piece may deferve, with the 
performers. This they do by taking 
meafure of the a¢tor, and giving him ex- 
actly fuch a part to perform as may fuit 
him from top to toc; every grin, twit, 
jerk, jump, and attitude being exactly 
confulred. This furely is a proof that 
the author little regards the placing his 
reputation upon a firm bafis, for 1 have 
known the death of a favourite agior 
carry with it the demife of half a icore 
plays. Formerly, genius was immortal, 
but the genius of a modern dramatic 
poet is only an annuity upon the life of 
a performer. 
Another improvement, introduced by 
our dramatic writers, is that of, fensiment 
inftead of thofe naughty and vile phrafes 
fo often to be met with in the old wricers. 
If we, therefore, have lefs wit, we have 
more /ovnd morality; and many very 
wicked perfons, who defpifed virtue in 
plain Janguage, have, I doubt not, be- 
{towed very hearty applaufe upon the 
commandments when in blank verfe. 
But for improvements ona larger fecale 
we are chiefly indebted to the {pirit of 
our managers, who, finding that a muck 
greater proportion of the public flocked 
to their theatres than could be accommo- 
dated, have enlarged their houfes in fuch 
a manner as to prevent difappointments 
of that kind. The principle upon which 
they are built is fomewhat new, and I 
have been rather puzzled to underftand, 
why it is that people are fuppofed to 
hear and fee better\in a large room than 
afmall one. But, doubtlets, it mutt arife 
from the large raom being fitted to con- 
tain a greater quantity’ of light and air, 
both of which are neceffary in the éxer- 
cife of the eyes and cars. 
But this was not the only reafon for 
enlarging the houfes. It has long been 
complained, that the whole bufinefs of a 
theatre was deception, and that nothing 
was real ; hence it was necefidry, to call 
in the aid of imagination, which, being 
a faculty not equally diftributed to. all 
ipectators, the {cene very frequently 
muft have had but a mutilated effect To 
remedy this, fome time ago our managers 
conceived it would be proper to introduce 
realities inflead of fictions. Hence we 
have feen real horfes, and real dud/s, on’ 
the ftage, gracing the triumphal entry of 
fome great hero. Hence, too, real water 
has been fupplied, in fuch quantities, that 
Harleguin’s Teed into the {ea would now 
really be no joke. Thele things have 
Crs becis 
/ 
