was incompatible with the humour of an English audience, who go to a comedy to laugh, and not to cry. It was even more abfurd, it may be added, in its faults than that of which Congreve is the model; for fentiments were spoken by every character in the piece; whereas one fentimental character was furely enough. If a man met with his mistress, or left her; if he was fuddenly favoured by fortune, or fuddenly the object of her hatred; if he was drunk, or married, he spoke a fentiment if a lady was angry, or pleased; in love, or out of it; a prude, or a coquet; make room for a fentiment! If a fervant girl was chid, or received a present from her mistrefs; if a valet received a purfe, or a horfewhipping; good heavens, what a fine fentiment! This fault, I fay, was infinitely more abfurd than that of Congreve; for a peasant may blunder on wit, to whose mind sentiment is totally heterogeneous. Befides, Congreve's wit is all his own; whereas, most of the faid fentiments may be found in the proverbs of Solomon. No wonder then this way of writing was foon abandoned even by him who was its chief leader. Goldfmith in vain tried to stem the torrent by oppofing a barrier of low humour, and dullness and abfurdity, more dull and abfurd than English fentimental comedy itself. It is very much to the credit of that excellent writer Mr Colman, that, while other dramatists were loft in the fashion of fentiment, his comedies always prefent the happieft medium of nature; without either affectation of fentiment, or affectation of wit. That the able tranflator of Terence fhould yet have fufficient force of mind to keep his own pieces clear of the declamatory dullnefs of that ancient, is certainly a matter deferving of much applaufe. The Jealous Wife, and the Clandeftine Marriage, with others of his nume4 rous dramas, may be mentioned as the most perfect models of comedy we have to all the other requifites of fine comic writing they always add juft as much fentiment and wit as does them good. This happy medium is the most difficult to hit in all compofition, and most declares the hand of a master. By the School for Scandal, the ftyle of Congreve was again brought into fashion; and fentiment made way for wit and delicate humour. That piece has indeed the beauties of Congreve's comedies, without their faults: its plot is deeply enough perplexed, without forcing one to labour to unravel it; its incidents fufficient, without being too numerous; its wit pure; its fituations truly dramatic. The characters, however, are not quite fo ftrong as Congreve's; which may be regarded as the principal fault of this excellent piece. Leffer faults are Charles's fometimes blundering upon fentiments; nay, fometimes upon what are the worst of all fentiments, fuch as are of dangerous tendency, as when Rowley advises him to pay his debts before he makes a very liberal prefent, and fo to act as an honeft man ere he acts as a generous one. Rowley. Ah, Sir, I wish you would remember the proverb Charles. Be juft before you are generous. -Why foI would, if I could; but Juftice is an old lame hobbling beldame, and I can't get her to keep pace with Generosity for the foul of me. This fentiment, than which nothing can be more false and immoral, is always received by the filly audience with loud applause; whereas no reprobation can be too fevere for it. A leffer blemish lies in the verfes tagged to the end of the play, in which one of the characters addreffes the audience. The verses are an absurdity, the address a still greater; for the audience is by no good actor fuppofed to be prefent; and any circumftance that contributes to destroy the appa apparent reality of theatrical representation, cannot meet with too sharp cenfure. But it gives me pain to remark any faults in a piece that in general fo well merits the applause it conftantly receives. I fhall only obferve, that the fentiment put into Charles's mouth in the last scene, though not liable to the objections brought against the former, is yet incompatible with the character, which is fet in ftrongeft oppofition to the fentimental one of Jofeph. The words I mean are, If I don't appear mor-. tified at the exposure of my follies, it is because I feel at this moment the warmeft fatisfaction at fecing you my liberal benefactor." It may be obferved, that every thing like a fentiment is fure to meet with applaufe on our theatre; which the actors well exprefs by calling fentiments clap-traps. This trick of fecuring applaufe by fentiments lately proved the falvation of the very worft tragedy that ever appeared on any ftage: for the audience had fo much applauded the two firft acts, from the number of thofe clap-traps, that they were afhamed to retract; fo that the piece took a little run very quietly, to the difgrace of our tafte, it being one of those very farragos of nonfenfe that the Rehearfal was written to expofe to due fcorn; and, had it been fabricated before the æra of that witty performance, it would certainly have had the honour of being placed in the firft fhelf of abfurdity. This and the two preceding articles are from Heron's Letters, just published. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES of CELEBRATED MUSICIANS. N° 7. Thomas Morley. THOMAS MORLEY, one of the gentlemen of her Majefty's Chapel Royal, was admitted Batchelor of Mufic in the univerfity of Oxford the 8th of July 1588 *, along with John Dowland, already taken notice of. His compofitions were much admired. He published, 1. Canzonets, or little Short Songs, to three voices, London 1593, 4to. 2. The Firft Book of Madrigals, to four voices, London 1594, 4to. 3. Canzonets, or Little Short Airs, to five or fix voices, London 1595, in a large 4to. 4. Madrigals, to five voices, London 1595, in a large 4to. 5. Introduction to Mufic, London 1597, in a thin folio t. 6. The First Book of Aires, or Little Short Songs, to fing and play to the lute and base viol, London 1600. And the Firft Book of Canzonets, to two voices, London 1595 and 1619. He also compofed Divine Services VOL. II. N° 8. ? Fasti. + Ibid, and Anthems, the words of which are published in Clifford's Collection; and he collected and published "Madrigals on the Triumphs of Criana, to five and fix voices, compofed by divers authors, London 1601, 4to. Among these authors Thomas Morley is one . He is alfo author of a Burial Service, which continued to be performed in the English cathedrals till it gave place to one compofed by Purcell and Croft, which in all human probability will never be equalled. Morley's burial-fervice is to be found in Dr Boyce's Cathedral Mufic, vol. i. and fome specimens of his madrigals are to be met with in a collection of catches, &c. published by J. Sibbald, Edinburgh. He was a fcholar of the celebrated Bird, of whom fome account has already been given, and from his compofitions has defervedly obtained confiderable reputation in his profeffion. But the work which will probably preserve his memory to future times, Hawk. Hift. iii. 334. I Ibid. Fafti. more more effectually than any of his mufical compofitions, is his "Plaine and Eafie Introduction to Practical Muficke," which he dedicated to his old mafter, William Bird. This work is divided into three parts; the firft teaching to fing, the fecond treating of defcant, and the third of compofition. It is written in the form of a dialogue; and befides containing the beft precepts on the fubject of mufic, a number of little particulars occur refpecting the manners of the times; which must render the perufal of it entertaining even to those who are not converfant on the fubject of it; and it will ever be esteemed a valuable treasure by every lover of mufic. It was tranflated into German by John Cafpar Froft, a learned mufician of last cen tury, under the title of Mufica Practica. And Doni, in his Difcorfo fopra la perfettione de Melodia, ftyles Morley, erudito mufico Inglefe. As a practical compofer, he has doubtlefs fhown great abilities. He was an excellent harmonist, but did not poffefs the faculty of invention in any very eminent degree. His compofitions feem to be the effect of clofe ftudy and much labour *. Few particulars of his life are now to be found. From his own works we must conclude he was a fenfible, a learned, and a pious man, fomewhat foured in his temper by bodily infirmities, and more perhaps by the envy of fome of his own profeffion; of which he complains in very feeling terms in the prefaces to almost every one of his works. He died in 1604 †. APOLOGUE S. The Infulted Dervis. HE favourite of a fultan threw T a ftone at a poor Dervis who afked him for alms. The infulted Dervis durft fay nothing; but he gathered up the ftone, and carefully preferved it, determined fooner or later to throw it back again at his proud and cruel oppreffor. Some time afterwards he was told that the favou rite was difgraced; that by an order of the fultan he was conducted thro' the streets mounted on a camel, and expofed to the infults of the populace. At this news the Dervis run for his stone; but after a moment's re L. faw himself on the point of perishing for hunger. In paffing near one of thofe wells where the caravans ftop to water their camels, he faw on the fand a fmall leathern bag. He took it up; he felt it; "Alla be praised (faid he) I believe it is dates or nuts." Full of this delightful expectation, he haftened to open the bag; but at the fight of its contents, "Alas! (cried he in a forrowful accent), it is nothing but pearls." The Friends and Money. flection, he threw it into a well. A RICH muffulman was fick for now fee (faid he) that one ought never to revenge themfelves. When our enemy is powerful, it is imprudence and folly; when he is unfortunate, it is meannefs and cruelty. The Famifhed Arab. fome weeks, and was aftonifhed that two or three of his moft intimate friends never came to vifit him. They dare not, faid the manager of his affairs; they have borrowed from you large fums, of which the time of payment is come, and they are not in a fituation to repay you. Well, re ANArab, wandering in the defart, plied the fick man, go to them in my had not eat for two days, and name, and tell them they owe me no FOR AUGUST, thing; but that I beg them to come for their discharge. I would rather lose my money than my friends. We may add to this little ftory the double expedient which the poet Sadi gives us to deliver ourselves from 1785. 67 troublesome people. If they are poor (fays he), lend them money; if they are rich, afk them to lend you. In both the one cafe and the other, you are morally certain of never seeing them again.. A Love-letter written in the beginning of laft Century. A letter of thanks to Mrs Elizabeth Brooks, that presented me with two apples. Mrs Brooks, I may justly be deemed a folicifm in courtship, and very prepofterous, if not a plain prefumption, to fend a letter to an unknown perfon; whereas indeed vifits fhould precede epiftles. But be it fo, yet I know you carry fo much candour in your breaft to remit an acknowledged error. Some, no doubt, may thinke it proper eno' to write firft, before they come to an interview, that there may be fome way made for their better acceptance and more eafy carrying on their defign. Words written, being the fentiments of the mind, differ not much from thofe that are viva voce delivered, in relation to the end and aym of both: though a good orator may poffibly perfuade more by fpeaking his mind in lively rhetoricke than by writing in blacke and white. But, to fay the truth, I was impatient of forbearing my thankes any longer for your kind prefent, the two fair apples you fent me by my good friend Mr Smith, by which I made this interpretation unto myself, that I fhould not looke uppon you as forbidden fruit. By the defcription of your moft exellent perfon and features that I have heard from fundry perfons, I cannot but imagine yourself reprefented by them in fome of your perfections. The ripeneffe of them did mind me of your maturity, how fit you are to be taken in by fome happy hand; for women and fruit have fit seasons to be gathered. The exact mixture of the white and red may well adumbrate and shadow out the incomparable complexion of your face, that, by fo happy a concurrence of fuch colours, caufeth fuch an amazing luftre; which indeed was one reason why I have not yet wayted uppon you, because I thought my eye to weake to fix uppon fo great a fhine of beauty; the fun can only be fully viewed by eagles. The roundneffe may well fignify the perpetuity of affection you will bestow uppon that perfon that shall be admitted to your love; as heretofore eternity was by the Egyptians reprefented by the hieroglyphicke and fculpture of a circle, that hath no end; or as time, whose inftants are fucceffive, was fet forth by a snake that received his tayl in his mouth. The fmoothneffe of them may well fignify your prime and flourishing years, that time and age have made no wrinkle nor furrow on your brow, but that you are like the gliding ftreams in calm weather, whofe waters are without all manner of roughneffe. The sweetneffe of the tafte did put me in mind of your good temper, that you are like a true turtle without a gall, unacquainted with moroseneffe, but always affable, and of good humour, not inflexible, but of great tenderneffe, and a becoming compliance. The coat, by which the inward fubitance was protected, was so thin to admiration, that it put me in mind of the finenesse of your skin, fo tranfparent and diaphanous, as if it were ambitious to give the advantage of a profpect to the inward parts, or to be a cafement to the heart; where no doubt doth refide fuch vertue that may altogether correfpond to the external fymmetry. The moyiture of them was fo pleafing and palatable, that it minded me of your flowry age, that you are like a young tree full of juice and fap, and are fo far from any thing of decay, that, like the fun in its meridian glory, you are afcended to the zenith or prime of your age. And how well doth it fuite with your name! the pleafant Brooks do not only fill themfelves, but fatiate fuch as drinke of their ftreams, the hunted Hart flyes to them to quench his thirst, and fo can you refresh the Heart that is wounded with another fort of arrow. And what elfe can the fending of a pair impart, but that you judge the happineffe of your life to confift in fociety? Pierius, in his Hieroglyphickes, compares a fingle perfon to one millstone, that of itself cannot grind, but two perform it well. This worlde is like Noah's arke, wherein we go by couples. If you had fent a fingle apple, I should have thought you irremoveably refolved upon a virgin ftate; but now I give myself the hopes of being the other to make up the pair. Nor can I forget how full it was of fair kernels, which are the feed to preferve its kind: and what may be inferred from this, but that you may be the happy mother of a numerous offspring when joyned to a loving hufband? And the foundneffe muft not be omitted; for oft times it happens that fair apples in view have rotten coars, like the apples near the Dead Sea but these had not the leafte spect or tincture, which I did compare to the integrity and foundneffe of your heart. And now, what can I return for fo fignificant a prefent? Had I the golden apples that Venus gave Hippomenes, by which he overcame swift Atalanta; or had I the golden apples that were kept in the orchard of the Hefperides; or had I the golden apple that Paris once had when he was made umpire between Juno, Pallas, and Venus; I fhould foon (were there never fo many fair competitors) adjudge it unto you, as that umpire did to Venus. But I feare I am tedious, and therefore beg your pardon for it, and for the boldneffe of this first addresse by letter; the next must be by a perfonal vifit at Twiford, where I fhall certainly find not only fuch embellifhment in the degrees aforefaid, but alfo muche beyond it, as the Arabian Queene told Salomon, and that not halfe was reported to Your admirer and humble fervant. Extract of an original Letter from the Earl of HARDWICKE to Lord Vifcount ROYSTON. fides, it is as ftrange as it is long; for I believe it is the most extraordinary tranfaction that ever happened in any court in Europe, even in times as extraordinary as the prefent. I will begin as the affair has gone on, prepofterously, by telling you, that it is all over for the prefent, and we are all come back re infecta. |