whim: But I mean that the dramatic works of those two luminaries of the English ftage will be barely recollected, when Cibber's "Provok'd Husband," and Mr. Sheridan's "School for Scandal," will be alive to the end of the world; that is, provided common sense and printing exist to that awful moment, and that theatres are preferved and held in worthy eftimation, fo as to hold the mirror up to Nature. Indeed to retire back with Father Time, inftead of advancing, and take a peep at Shakespear, the actors of his day, and even the prefent race of actors, might boaft (without a fear of contradiction in their annals) that no lefs a genius than Shakespear was of their fraternity: But I really fufpect he was not a good actor, for whatever debauched idle customs and manners of stage strut might have prevailed with obftinate performers, who heeded not his Hamlet's leffon then, any more than many wifeacres do now, yet there exifts an inconteftible proof, that the performers of Shakespear's days were by no means deftitute of stage knowledge and effect; which will be evident to the reader's observation by the remark, that Ophelia's songs were never honoured by the affiftance of any eminent compofer of that time or the prefent: The fame tunes have all been imbibed and communicated traditionally from that to the present period, by

the fimple means of one actress conveying to the other, from recollection only. And they are fo happily conceived, that no fupercilious attempt has been profanely offered to fpoil what cannot be bettered. Nor do I conjecture that a Handel or a Haydn could have made them more elegantly fimple or fuperior for the allotted purpose, than as they have ftood unadulterated from their beginning to the present hour, notwithstanding the rapid improvement made by mufical amateurs in this age of crotchets and quavers. Tho' Shakespear was not done ftrict juftice to as an author in his own time, ftill it is apparent that he ever was confidered as a wonderful poet, even by his enemies and cotemporaries of his own days; for every actor knows the advantage of being the original, and pleasing on the first impreffion, to fuch a degree, if the part is a good one, as makes it difficult perhaps for a fuperior player to efface the effects of the original. And had he then known how to enforce the spectators on the first night of representation, as a Henry the VIII. an Othello, a Hamlet, a Falstaff, a Juftice Shallow, or a Sir Andrew Ague-cheek, Nature would fo have prevailed, and forced

-his foul fo to his own conceit,

That from her workings, all his vifage would have warm'd;

And guilty creatures fitting at a play,

Would, by the very cunning of his scene,
Been ftruck fo to the foul, that presently

They would have proclaim'd their malefactions,
For murder, tho' it has no tongue,

Will speak with most miraculous organs.

I urge this for one forcible reason, (in my humble opinion) which is, that the grand umpire of critics, when Shakespear exifted, must have conceived ftronger notions of a Henry the VIII. and other historical characters of those times, than we can do now, when all connexion and kindred are loft and banished, with only a scrap of history for us to believe the legendary tales we are told at the fancy of the party-partial writer, whether in white or black characters, as suited his humour, intereft, or caprice the best. Therefore I naturally conclude, had his stage efforts been of a moderate degree, his judges muft, from conviction, have pronounced him an actor of ability; tho' perhaps not equal to their first-rate of those times. Confequently, these observations have naturally inclined me to conjecture, that allowing the immortal Shakespear as a lafting honour to his country, to the stage, and to the civilized world at large, yet Nature certainly had denied him as an actor, either pre-eminence or equality with his brethren who then acted his plays; because fterling merit, nature, and novelty of characters, must have established him in public opinion.

Perhaps (or without any perhaps at all) it is very lucky it was fo: For could he have indulged himfelf with acting all the firft parts, with his expanfe of thought as an actor, and that he had only attained half of his unmatched comprehenfion as a writer, it might fo have warped his judgment and better genius, that the unrivalled writings now conveyed to us from his admirable pen, had moft probably been loft with his love of ftagedyings, fwords, and daggers, and Shakespear never more been heard of. If fo, we may truly conclude, that "all is for the beft;" for, tho' the actor be dead, Shakespear's fire still burns with the utmost purity, and reigns triumphant in our hearts and minds, and will be piously tranfmitted to our children, and beyond doubt to latest posterity.

Now, if difficulties have prevented fuch eminent perfons as I have been mentioning from attaining laurels; and that Betterton, Booth, Wilks, Barry, Woodward, Thomas Sheridan, John Kemble, and a long train of excellent and wellapproved great actors, did not fucceed in dramatic writing, how can I by any means, with propriety, make an offering fit for the amusement of the public; why I must stand excufed, " as an old man will be talking," and cannot stick to my point, but if in conversation, must wander, and

Be waiting at the door with simp'ring grin,
When I should shew the company within.

However, as I boaft not any ground to raise my reader's expectation, it will prevent disappointment, and make a bad meal go down better, than where a delicious one is expected and no food appears; and my informing the inspector, gentleman or lady, whichever of them is to travel over this bad foil, they will not I hope fink with difappointment, or be chagrined with a few ruts on the road. Therefore prepare, reader, for what many will term a frivolous piece of business that will not bear a defence; yet, that fome charge may with great truth be alluded to, with juft grounds, on matters of more importance, permit me to hint, how frequently the whole London world is agitated with strong curiofity and heated expectation, when a new play is announced by a celebrated genius (or Mr. Novice) as the author; the Green Room report is ascertained as full of approbation, admiration, and expectation; it is caft with the full ftrength of the company; and what is not to be expected from the abilities of the writer, fuch actors, with the aid of painters, mercers, and the well-known liberality of the manager-what a treat! yet when the day of reckoning