Befides, it may ferve for one purpose at least, DRAMATIC.. Art. 33. The Distressed Baronet: a Farce in Two Acts. As it is performed at Drury Lane. By C. Stuart. 8vo. 1s. Debrett. This piece is dedicated to the Prince of Wales, in a style that must make his Royal Highness either blush or laugh. The Author begins with faying, Sir, you are the phenomenon of your rank,' and he goes on in a ftrain confiftent with fuch a beginning. The fubject of the farce is, The diftrefs of a young Baronet, just arrived at the age of twenty-one, but already ruined by his follies. He has had dealings with a pawnbroker, of whom he ftill wants more money. His fcheme to repair his loffes is by a marriage with Sophia, the pawnbroker's daughter. This amiable young lady has eloped from her, father, and robbed him of money and jewels to a confiderable amount. In order to try the affections of her lover, the pretends to have two twin-fifters, one of whom is all affectation and delicacy, and the other a complete fox-hunter. She mimicks them both in their turns, and the deception paffes with the Baronet. She is at length difcovered by her father, who forgives the robbery, and confents to the match, because the worthy pawnbroker is promised a feat in Parliament by the Baronet's uncle. Thus the piece ends. In the course of the action, every rule of probability is violated: the characters, in confequence of that original defect, are not copies from life, and the dialogue, by aiming at finery, is ftrained and unnatural. Art. 34. Harvest Home. A Comic Opera, in Two Acts. As performed at the Theatre-Royal in the Haymarket. By Mr. Dibdin. 8vo. 16. Harrison and Co. The fpecies of compofition which is intended to be the vehicle of mufic, and, indeed, to derive its power of entertainment from the fongs interfperfed, ought never to be brought to the test of strict criticif. Confidered as an Opera, Harvest Home is not without its beauties. The business is fhortly this: Cleora is the daughter of Scandaroon, who went, on the death of his wife, to travel abroad, and left his new-born child in the care of Signora Eftella, a foreign lady, and made fo, as it feems, for the purpofe of difplaying her skill in mufic. Scandaroon, being returned from his travels, and wholly unknown to his daughter, pretends to be in love with her. Cleora, on her part, loves Mr. Glanville, who follows her in a ruftic difguife, and mixes with the labourers at harvest-time. His man Trim admires Unab, an Irish girl, who fings a number of Irish fongs, which, probably, give variety to the piece. Scandaroon (which feems to be an odd name) at laft difcovers himself, and, after declaring his intention to marry Eftella in reward of her fidelity, gives Cleora to Glanville, with whofe father he had lived in intimacy. The inferior characters, which feem to be appendages to the plot, may divert in the representation, and the piece all together may be acceptable in the theatre. NOVELS. Art. 35. The Perplexities of Love. 12mo. 2s. 6d. fewed. Lane. 1787. This Novel is not ill-written; but its tendency is pernicious. The fcene of it lies in the Eaft, and the story is fimply as follows. The heroine, a princefs, refides in the court of the King her brother. She is in love with the fon of his minifter, but reafons of ftate will not admit of her union with him. Like the man in the fable who is mounted on a wild and furious horse, fhe gives the rein to paffion— the allows it to run its career. The miferies confequent on this are many; and the at length is tempted to deftroy herself, after repeating the following prayer: That the God of Wisdom and Mercy would pity the weaknefs of his creature, who amidst wretchedness and forrow had fupported her being, only that she might not feem to doubt his infinite goodness; and who now, blind, frail, and erring, too ignorant to know his will, and too finful to hope for his protection, ventured, trembling, and confcious of her own unworthinefs, to appear before the throne of eternal Majesty.' Now this, we fay, is of pernicious tendency: for to talk of any perfon becoming a fuicide, under the pretence of being ignorant of the will of heaven, is furely impious, in the highest degree. Art. 36. Lucinda Ofburn: by a young Lady. 12mo. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5s. fewed. Geary. 1787. Lucinda Ofburn is not a first-rate beauty: neither can her air and manner be properly confidered as her own. Some few graces the certainly pofleffes, but they are evidently borrowed from the amiable Clariffa,' whofe acquaintance the appears to have cultivated, but to whofe perfections and accomplishments fhe could never attain. As her features, however, have nothing difagreeable in them-though nearly the fame with thofe we meet with every day; and as her prattle-though it amounts to little-has the negative merit of being inoffenfive, fhe may no doubt meet with powdered admirers who will pronounce her a heavenly creature.' MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 37. The Life of the Count Caglioftro; containing an authentic Relation of the uncommon Incidents that befel him during his Refidence in England, in 1776 and 1777, &c. &c. 8vo. 35. Ed. fewed. Hookham. 1787. This work is given as the production of a female pen. Prefixed to it, there is a dedication to Caglioftro's wife, who is called Madame La Comteffe. The defign, we are told, is to vindicate an injured character, which has fuffered by the malignant fhafts of calumny. In the narrative, however, we find nothing that answers the intention of the writer. The facts are faid to be taken from Caglioftro's publications in England, and his other memoirs. Of thefe vouchers we gave our opinion in our Review for the month of May laft, and as we find in this apology for the life of Caglioftro almoft the fame facts, we fee no reafon to retract our obfervations. The fame obfcurity hangs over the birth of the Count, and the whole ftory is too romantic even for the weakest understanding. To the affair of the jewels, and the part which the Cardinal de Rohan acted on that occafion, a circumflance cumftance is added, wholly deftitute of probability. The Cardinal, it feems, was uneafy under the difpleasure of the Queen of France, but was again to be received into favour. To this end, the Queen was to meet him in a garden at an hour appointed. The Cardinal goes, and is impofed on by a woman dreffed up to perfonate the Queen. Could fuch a deception pafs on a man fo high in rank, fortune, and quality, as the Cardinal de Roban? This tale is told to vindicate injured innocence. An injudicious advocate too often ruins his caufe. The effect of all that follows counteracts the writer's defign. Caglioftro, it appears, was in London in the year 1777. At that period, he, who was fo prodigiously respected abroad, brings with him no credentials to introduce him to good company: on the contrary, we find him in an obscure lodging, and immediately connected with fuch people as one Sachy, from Strafburg; a Portuguese woman, of the name of Blavary; a man, called Vitellini, a pretender to chymistry; Lord Scott, an adventurer; a Mifs Fry; Reynolds, a fheriff's officer; Priddle the attorney, and several others. A scene is carried on, in which the Count pretends to calculate the fuccefs of lottery tickets, by the aid of a book, containing cabalistical operations. After various dealings, Mifs Fry brought an action against the Count for 2001. This came on to be tried before Lord Mansfield, the late Mr. Wallace counsel for the plaintiff, and Mr. Dunning for the defendant. The matter was referred to Mr. Howarth, who unfortunately, in a few years afterwards, loft his life by the overfetting of a pleafure-boat. After hearing all parties, that gentleman made his award in favour of Mifs Fry, for the whole fum in queftion, and cofts. Cagliostro, for the fecurity of his perfon, took lodgings in the house of one Saunders, a fheriff's officer. Where, at this time, were the bankers that fupplied him with money in every part of Europe? That fiction appears now too ridiculous; as we hinted in our Review for May, p. 387. The Count was furrendered by his bail, and lodged in the King's Bench prifon. To releafe himself, he pawned foup-ladles, candlesticks, filver caftors, and other articles of that kind. There is, moreover, reafon to believe that Cagliostro had been in London in 1772, under the name of Balfamo. A bill of cofts was due to an attorney for bufinefs done for him in that year, and under that name. An action to recover the money was commenced against Balfamo, alias Caglioftro. Inftead of difputing the fact, the Count left effects in the hands of an officer of the King's Bench to answer that demand, and fled the kingdom. He went to Strafburg, where the farce of distributing medicines, and having money at command, is again repeated. The ftory of the necklace follows, with all its abfurdities already noticed in our Review for May, p. 385. Cagliostro was ordered to depart from France, and to return no more. On his arrival in England, Priddle fues him for a bill of cofts amounting to 60l. The demand is referred to the Master, and the report made in favour of Priddle against the innocent Caglioftro. More actions are brought against him. He pawns his jewels and other trinkets; and, after fecreting himself for fix weeks in the houfe of Mr. de Loutherbourg, he fled once more out of the kingdom. We are forry that fo eminent an artist as Mr. de Loutherbourg fhould be the dupe of fo much grofs imposture. Caglioftro's wife remained for a few weeks, to fell off the furniture of the houfe at Knightsbridge, and then followed her hufband to the continent. After this ftate of facts, with many others too tedious to infert, we are told that Cagliostro's character is a compound of light and fhade; his life chequered with grandeur and adverfity; and that he had eminent virtues amidst a cloud of human frailties.' We, on our part, are forry that fuch apparent artifice fhould find an apologift.. When talents are employed to varnifh fraud, the interefts of truth and of fociety are betrayed. It is not in the power of language to lend the glofs of probability to fuch a life as that of the Count Cagliafire. Beware of counterfeits, for fuch are abroad! Art. 38. Captain Inglefield's Vindication of his Condu&; or, a Reply to a Pamphlet entitled, Mrs. Inglefield's Juftification." 8vo. 1s. 6d. Murray. It is difficult to interfere with fuccefs in family disputes; nay, it is feldom, if ever, poffible, on fuch occafions, to enter with full and clear comprehenfion into the real merits of the cafe: the charges on the one hand, the juftifications on the other-the criminations and recriminations, and all the various matter of "vain debate," of which, in general, there is "no end."-In the prefent cafe, however, there was but one fingle fact to be eftablished: either the lady was intimate with the Negro, or fhe was not. The lawyers have been favourable to her in their decifions; but her husband still maintains his accufation, in order to vindicate his conduct through the whole of the past proceedings, in relation to this very difagreeable bufinefs.— In brief, thofe who have perufed Mrs. Inglefield's "Juftification,' ought, in juftice to the Captain's character, to read this Reply, and they will then fee, as we think we now do, the utter impoffibility of that reconciliation, fo ftrongly recommended to the parties by the gentlemen of Doctors Commons. ***Mrs. Inglefield's fuftification was noticed, not unfavourably, in our last month's Catalogue. Perhaps, under the first impreffion made by a lady's defence, we felt for the honour of THE Sex, as every man ought to feel; and as, we doubt not, Captain Inglefield himself feels, notwithstanding the part which he may have deemed himself obliged to act, in vindication of HIS OWN HONOUR.-We are truly forry for both the parties. Art. 39. London unmasked; or, the New Town Spy. Exhibiting a ftriking Picture of the World as it goes. In a Ramble through the Regions of Novelty, Whim, Fashion, and Tafte, as found in the Cities of London and Wettminster, their Purlieus, &c. By the Man in the Moon. 12mo. 25. fewed. Adlard. Ned Ward, the original London Spy, has been followed by many imitators. If the prefent caricaturer has not more fancy and fun than fome of his learned predeceffors, he is, perhaps, a better moralizer and refiector. His book is calculated for the million. It will, at least, afford harmless amufement; and it may convey fome useful hints to thofe who are not fufficiently on their guard against the vices, tollies, impofitions, and corruptions which abound in all populous cities-especially great capitals, fuch as the over-grown metropolis of this country. Art. Art. 40. A Narrative of Fats, with occafional Remarks, and fpiritual Experience of the Author. Izmo. 1s. 6d. Printed for, and fold by the Author. 1786. We can think of no motive on which this very peculiar tract could have been fent into the world, but a hope that it might procure fome pecuniary affiftance for the writer. If fo-we fhould be forry to prevent any feasonable relief from coming to the diftreffed.-Otherwise, we should apprehend it had been much wifer in the good woman (for it is the work of a female], whoever fhe is, to have with-held her experiences from public notice. She appears to be connected with the Methodists, but at the fame time, in one place, she profeffes, that if the has a preference for one party of Christians to another, it is that of the Church of England :-indeed, the Methodists, for the greater part, appear to be collected from the members of the Established Church. Art. 41. A Letter from the Right Hon. Lord George Gordon to the Attorney General of England, in which the Motives of his Lord, hip's public Conduct, from the Beginning of 1780 to the prefent Time, are vindicated. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Ridgeway. 1787. Lord G. Gordon chiefly confines himself to the fubject of his late trials. He dates his letter from Amfterdam, where he fled * in order to escape the fangs of the law. He plentifully abuses the Attorney General; but great illiberality appears in thofe parts of the letter in which he perfonally attacks Mr. Arden. He complains of the unprecedented and fevere hardship' he fuffered in not being allowed to call Mrs. Fitzherbert as a witness on the trial for libelling the Queen of France and her royal confort's reprefentative,' Count d'Adhemar. After making fome apologies for leaving England, Lord G. G. fhews in what inftances the laws have been fraudulently and iniquitoufly' executed. A short poftfcript is added, in which Lord G. addreffes the jurymen of England, and points out to them fuch a conduct as he thinks ⚫ will defeat the enthufiafm of wrong-headed crown lawyers.' Art. 42. A Supplement to the Tour † through Great Britain, containing a Catalogue of Antiquities, Houfes, Parks, Plantations, Scenes, Situations, &c. in England and Wales. By the late Mr. Gray, Author of the Elegy in a Country Church-yard. 12mo. Kearsley. 1787. This catalogue, as the Editor's advertisement informs us, was originally written on the blank pages of Kitchen's English Atlas, by Mr. Gray. Objects which attracted that Gentleman's notice muft certainly be worthy the attention of the curious traveller, and to those whole prevailing paffion confifts in feeing and examining beautiful fcenes, or antique remains, the prefent performance will be a ufeful pocket companion. A competent number of blank pages, on writing-paper, are left, for the purpofe of adding fuch remarks, as the traveller's own knowledge, or the information of others, may * His letter is dated July 14, 1787. For our account of this work fee Rev. vol. lix. p. 396. fuggeft; |