Receipt ; or an Adventure in a Garrifon, 
a Comedy. 
‘The fingularity of the title, added'to 
the report, that this play was the jomt 
production of feveral perfons: of celebrity, 
attracted a great concourle: of people -to 
the Comic Opera, in the Rue gas 
where this piece came out. oo 4) 
The plot is briefly as follows: A young 
Captain, ina regiment of fodt, very gay, 
and very indilcreet; being highly dif- 
pleafed that Major Dorbel thoald moft ine 
humanly fecluce his niece from the eyes 
‘and homage of ali the officers in the re- 
giment, takes anopportunity to joke with 
him one day, on this fubjett, while they 
remained in the garrifon of Phalfbourg. 
in the courfe of this converfation he not 
only offers to jay a wager with this field- 
officer, that he would introduce himfelf 
into the company of his fair relation ; but 
that he would even obtain a kifs from her, 
with a receipt, certifying the fact, figned 
by her own hand. 
This propofition having been readily ace” 
ceded to, on the part of the {crupuleus old 
Major, the youthful Fourofe immediately 
obtains the afliftance of an adroit rogue, of 
the name of Laquinte, who happened to 
be a fifer in the fame regiment. By his 
means he is enabled to introduce himielf 
in the difguile of a, fhopkeeper, at the 
fequeltered maniion in which the niccé 
refides ;. but the houfekeeper, who was 
upon her guard, immediately runs to her 
matter, and he enters juit in time to pre- 
vent the kils irom being ftolen by fur- 
prife.. - 
But Peiihecdins this unfortunate 
accident, the young man is not abathed ; 
on the contrary, be determines to fucceed, 
through fheer impudence, and. therefore 
pretends to quarrel with his fuperior off- 
cer, whom he actually challenges. 
_ In the mean time, while the veteran 
Dorbel repzirs to the Boes de Saint-Lau- 
rent, to meet, as he fuppoles, Fonrofe, 
and thus becomes more attentive to his 
honour than his intereft; his adverlary, 
taking advantage of his abience, intro- 
duces himfelf once more into the houfe, 
having now affumed the character of an 
old officer; and being dreficd for. that 
purpofe, ‘in a large tve-wig, a rmifty 
fuit of regimentals, with a black ribban 
over one ci his eyes, which appeared to 
be rendered peed, in confequence of a 
wound. 
This well-affetted refemblance of age, 
having impofed both on the houfekeeper 
and the young, lady, the hero of the ad- 
venture, ina feigned voiet, pretends that 
Rétrofpedd of French LilePacirede Poetry. 
he had ‘waited on the latter on purpofe te 
inguire, in perfon, into the condudt of his 
Nephew, who, he faid; gave him much. 
trouble, and. was at that very moment 
under.an arreft, on account of his impro- 
per behaviour to hers He at the fame 
time, endeavoured to utter the beft excule 
poffible on the cecafion, and offered to 
make any reparation ‘in his power. 
The fevere tone aflumed by an irritated 
uncle, immediately moves the fenfbility 
of Laura, and fhe not only freely forgives 
the young officer, but even folicits his 
pardon. The pretended relation, at firft 
feems to make fome refiftance, but he at 
length permits himfelf to relent out of 
refpeét to the amiable object who had re- 
quefted his forgivenefs, and concludes the 
converfation, by demanding the kifs of 
peace; which the lady grants without 
any ceremony to the aged officer. 
One point was thus? gained; but how 
was it pofiible to obtain the fatal receipt, 
without which the ether would be of no 
avail? This alfo is overcome, by means 
ofa ftratagem. Some merchandize had 
been left, and difpofed of, and it being 
how neceéflary.to certify the particulars, 
Laura, the unfufpecting Laura, immedi- 
ately fubferibes a lift, in which, among 
other articles was, furreptitioutly, i intro- 
duced that of the kils! 
By means of this trick, Dorbel, on his 
return from the Boe de Saint-Laxurént, 
finds his niece had committed an impra- 
dence, in confequence of whieh he had 
loft his wager. But the whole affair is ar 
length arranged in an amicable manner, 
by the marriage of Fonrofe and Laura, 
who in the courfe of only two interviews 
had become deeply enamoured of each 
other. 
POETRY. 
“« La Pitié ; Poeme en Quatre Chants.” 
—Pity; a Poeni in Four Cantos, by” 
James DELILLE. 1 vol. with plates, 
This poem, fo long detired, and ren- 
dered, even before the appearance of the 
whole, fo celebrated both in confequence of 
the reputation of its author, and the frag- 
ments inferted by anticipation in the jour- 
nals, has loft nothing of sts fame by publi- 
cation. Notwithftanding the criticifms 
which have accompanied its progrefs, fe- 
veral different editions have difappeared 
in fucceffion, as foon as they were ‘an- 
nounced, fo that a author of thé 
*« Géorgiques,” the <* Jardins,’” and 
ss Homme des Champs,” ftil] maintains 
his priftine reputation in the opinion of 
the public. 
The firlt Canto copitts ‘© Pity,” as ex- 
ercifed 
