and exclaims, What would he then deferve? to be hanged, fore, nothing lefs. There feems to be very little question upon fach a fubject.' "I have referred to this circumstance, with a view of fuggefting to the reader's confideration, what muft have been the Arictness of the Athenian theatre, when fuch fentiments were adopted by one of the most licentious of their dramatifts,-It appears to be an extraordinary paradox, that, with fuperior principles of conduct, with higher feelings of delicacy and refinement, and with many other moral advantages, the English nation fhould have allowed on their stage, a degree of licence and indecorum, which would have been abfolutely inadmissible in antient Athens or Rome. But it is the misfortune of the British threatre to have retained, even to the prefent hour, a part of the indecency and profanenefs, which difgraced this country and ita. dramatic reprefentations, during the licentious reign of Charles the Second; a period when the invafion of the marriage bed and the breach of the nuptial vow were permitted to pafs into public diverfion, and to be made the common fubjects of theatrical merriment. In one clafs of English comedies *, of that and "Our modern writers of comedy, in the indulgence of this vicious train, seem to be forgetful of the origin and proper character of a comedy. Among the Grecians, four kinds of dramatic reprefentation prevailed-the mimica, fatyre, tragedia, comedia: the firft was merely mimical or imitative, provoking laughter by various geftures or fpeeches-the fecond, though of licentious origin, took afterwards a different turn, and reprehended the vices and ridiculed the follies of the great. Hence the term fatire, for a poem, took its rife. The COMEDY was fo called, from the two Greek words of which it is compofed, was and won, villages and a fong: the actors going up and down the country, performing thefe plays in the villages as they pafied along. The partition between the ftage and the audience was painted with cottages and private buildings. Tragedy was fo called from the Greek words Teays and wor--a goat and an ode or fong--becaufe the actors had a goat given them as a reward, The technical term among the Romans was prætextatæ, from prætexta, a certain Roman robe, which the actors used to wear in thefe tragic plays. The partition which feparated the ftage from the audience was fupported by ftately columns and pillars, beautified with paintings refembling palaces and the images of gods and kings.--Hence it will be feen that comedy is a term by no means intended as a vehicle for indelicate fentiment or coarfe semark. Vid. Antefignanus in feris obferv. de metris Comicis Terentți præfixis; and Polydore Virgil de Inventor. rerum. 1. 111. c. 13, as cited by Godwin in his Roman Antiquities, p. 102, &c. D.” the the fucceeding age, the feduction of a married woman became fo hacknied a topic for the ftage, that it would be ridiculous in me to attempt to enumerate examples. Yet in the thirty-fix dramas of Shakspeare, there is no inftance of its being offered as the subject of dramatic entertainment :-I do not except Falftaff's courtship of Mrs. Page and Mrs. Ford, as his addreffes were paid to the purfe and not to the perfon; and were fo returned, as to fupply no feductive encouragement to fimilar attempts. "Familiar as thefe fubjects have now become on our theatres, I believe I am correct in ftating, tha; no fimilar exhibition was ever admitted on the Roman ftage. I do not recollect an example in any Latin play of an attempt on the virtue of a married woman, this, crime againft public morals, this attack on domeftic honour and happiness, this fpectacle fo fruitful of adultery and divorce, having been made the fubject of public entertainment, and of pleafantry and derifion. "Lafcivious expreffions, and words of double meaning, feldom occur in the Roman dramatists. If they do find a place, they are not put into a female mouth, nor hardly offered to a female ear. The rule of Horace, which profcribed immunda ignominioJaque Dicta, was not merely propofed by the critic, but obeyed by the poet. Even the narration of indecorous conduct was deemed by the old man in Terence, as unfit to be given in the prefence of a woman. -Pudet Dicere hac prafente, verbum turpe. "In England, however, where the general fcale of morality and refinement is highly exalted, and where female delicacy and propriety are carried to a degree of excellence and elevation that no other country or age has known, indelicate defcriptions and fentiments are fometimes offered from the ftage, not merely in the prefence of the female fex'; but women are more frequently the Speakers, and fometimes the fingers of them, fo as, by the jingle of rhyme and melody, to circulate them more rapidly and extenfively, and, as it were, to give wings to obfcenity. "It will be obvious that the Romans were under great moral difadvantages, with regard to their theatrical compofitions. The example of many of their poetic writers was grofs and indecent : and, while it is difficult to point out an English poet of any talent to whom exception can be made in this refpect, it is as difficult to name a Latin poet who was unexceptionable. Befides this, their manners and habits were depraved. The divine fyitem of Ethics, the tendency of which is to confecrate the human breast as the temple of virtue, had not then been pro mulgated to the world: while, if the dramatift turned his eye to their mythology, he beheld nothing but a grofs mafs of odious and difgufting vice. Yet, with all thefe co-operating circumtances of popular manners, poetic example, and corrupt and abo minable minable fuperftition, the theatre was lefs exceptionable in pagan Rome, than it now is in Chriftian London. "In their attention to this fubject, the Romans were aware how potent as inftrument of good or evil the ftage must ever be in every country. The injury that is done to the national character by the ridicule of virtue, and by the glofs and decoration of vice*, cannot be estimated. The Roman fenfualift, however he might be difpofed to indulge himself, and to reject all restraint on his own appetites, did nevertheless feel the expediency of difcouraging vice and libertinifm in the great mafs of the people. He was aware that grofs and exceffive corruption of manners is incompatible not only with the profperity, but with the existence of a ftate. The vicious example of a fecluded individual cannot extend very far; and the lectures and declama. tions of fedition or infidelity do feldom poffefs an influence be. yond the narrow walls of the club in which they are delivered. But, of a popular and amufing play, the incidents and fentiments, whether moral or immoral, have a general and extended in. fluence. Many thousands behold them on the London theatres; and as many more perufe them as foon as they are published. This, however, is not all. Like the vices and fafhions of the metropolis, they travel by the night coaches to other theatres in cities and country towns; and, if the principles, the manners, and the fentiments are corrupt, they undermine the virtue of fome, while they confirm others in vicious courfes, fanctioned by public fpectacles, which are exhibited by his Majefty's fervants, and are prefumed to have not only the licence, but the protection of government. Whatever may be the purport of thefe exhibitions, whether to encourage virtue or promote vice, there are few individuals who have not at times felt the potency of their effects, and the fubtilty with which they will infinuate themfelves into every mode and principle of action. How often, after the fatigue of bufinefs, or the ardour of profeffional exertion, while the mind "Of our modern dramatic productions, there is not an inconfiderable number, in which a palliative apology is made for fome prevalent and fashionable vices; which in order to obtain approvers and imitators are (to ufe the words of the Bishop of London in his 14th Lecture) reprefented as affociated with many amiable virtues; with goodnefs of heart, with high principles of honour, with benevolence, compaffion, humanity, and generofity. Thus (without the offenfive act of referring to authors of our own country) the reader may find in the German play of Lovers' Vows a juftification of female frailty; in that of the Stranger, a vindication of adultery; and in Schiller's play of the Robbers, an apology for every atrocious complication of unnatural and abominable wickedness.” ftoops ftoops in mute attention to be foothed and relieved,-how will it, chamelion-like, affume the colour of the scenery exhibited to the eye! We are all creatures of imitation; all formed and compofed of habits; and if the impreffion be virtuous and honeft, the image and fuperfcription will be diftinguishable in its effects. It will fupply vigour to the moral principle, and give purity and ftability to the heart. But if the tendency be immoral and profane; if the characters, the circumftances, and the fentiments be licentious and indecorous; if virtue is to be be made the butt of ridicule, and vice the object of approbation, the exhibition (however calculated to produce a momentary effect in difpelling the gloom or mitigating the horrors of a profligate life) will make wickednefs bold and perfevering; and, while the youthful mind is betrayed in the moment of pleafure and infecurity, the mature offender will be confirmed in his habits, and the aged will travel onward in unrepenting apathy to the grave." P. 349, &c. The effays under the head of Bibliographiana contain much curious information on the fubject of books, and of, thofe libraries which have long excited the curiofity of bookcollectors, the Harleian, Bridgefian, that of Folkes, &c. The intelligence alfo which is communicated concerning the proceedings of the Royal Inftitution, the British Gallery, the Royal and Antiquarian Societies, and of other public bodies, juftify our recommending this literary undertaking to the attention of fuch of our readers as may not have the opportunity of perfonally vifiting thofe repofitories of science and art. ART. X. The Wild Irish Girl; a national Tale. By Mis Owenfon, Author of St. Clair, the Novice of St. Dominick, &c. Sc. &c. The third Edition. 12mo. 3 Vols. 13s. 6d. Phillips. 1807. A DEGREE of celebrity attached to this novel, which has even carried it to a third edition, induced us to give it a perufal; and very feldom have we experienced a greater mixture of fenfations. Something of novelty in the flory, a very original picture of the Wild Irish Girl, or, as he is ftyled, the Princefs of Inifmore, and her father,the Prince; a good delineation of national manners, in feveral, not common particulars; a forcible picture of a young, man exhaufted by common pleafures, or, as the French call it, blafé, yet recalled to animated feeling by the attractions and inartificial yet elegant manners of the Irish Girl; all thefe are fo delineated as to impress a strong idea of the genius of the writer. Yet the language in which all this is delivered is fo disfigured, not only by the ftrongest affectation, but by the most wonderful abfurdities of expreffion, that it is often difficult to connect it even with the idea of comnon fente. Miss Owenson, we understand, is an actress on the Dublin ftage, and therefore was not particularly called upon to flourish away with hard words; yet not only is the continually aiming at them, but fo frequently mifemploys them, as to produce an effect the moft ridiculous. Yet were thefe blots removed, the flyle is not in itself bad; it is flowing, and fometimes almoft eloquent, till you meet on a fudden with a word mifapplied or ill-coined, and difguit fucceeds to fatisfaction. Words and names from the learned languages are alfo perpetually introduced, yet hardly ever without fome blander in the form of them. But the word in which this lady feems particularly to delight, and which is repeated in almoft every part of every volume, is exility. We do not know that fuch a word exifts; but if it does, it muft, by its derivation, mean littleness, thinnefs. Mifs O. however, always ufes it for hilarity or livelinefs; and strange it is, that to a third edition fuch a blunder fhould be continued; which we fhould have fuppofed the very first man of common fenfe or education who ever took up the book muft have detected and exclaimed againft. In the very laft page fhe is unwilling to part from her favourite, and talks of 86 Pa the cheery pulfe of national exility." From the preceding parts of the tale we might produce it at leaft twenty times *. Of other errors we have hardly a letter that is free. Vol. I. p. xvi. Procroftus for Procruftes. "The natives of this barbarous country poffefs goal for goal with us in every elegant refinement," p. 45. "Picioral traveller," p. 53. radifial charms," ibid. mifnic forefts," p. 55. Whether alluding to Mifnia, or to what else we guels not. guels not. "Exility" again, p. 76. "Retributed my error," p. 91. "Cabilitical," p. 101. Retributing injuries," p. 102. Arti cula mortis," p. 106. "A fmall valife, which, with all due humility, I had ftrapped on the back of my fleed, whom (for who) by the bye, I expect will be," &c. p. 108. p. 108. We con 66 66 * Thus, in vol. I. p. 40, "the cheerinefs of manner, from the natural exility of their temperament."' 2 ceived |