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Sullen is abfurd as well as vicious; the view of gain, one main point, is in no shape answered there; yet notwithstanding these objections, he is a very agreeable, and therefore dangerous dramatic object; vices should never be dreffed up in pleafing colours; however, fuch he is drawn by the author, and now we fhall merely confider him in the mode of action.

The attributes for fupporting this part, are vivacity of deportment, fignificancy of look, and pert volubility of expreffion; every one of which Mr. GARRICK poffeffing, it is no wonder his performance fhould be capital; the scenes in which he particularlarly outstrips competition are those with Cherry -where he delivers lady Howd'ye's meffage, and the picture scene with Mrs. Sullen.

Mr. SMITH is very sprightly, agreeable and characteristic ; nor is Mr. LEE without confiderable merit; but still we must infift that Mr. GARRICK, both as footman and gentleman, maintains his usual great fuperiority, tho' not fo much as where more forceable powers are wanting.

I have been fo unfortunate as to fee Mr. SHERIDAN walk through this character; and have heard of Mr. Mossop's undertaking it; but the report cannot be true, as it must nearly reduce him to the ftate of the King of the Antipodes in Cronon, that is making a topfy-turvy part of it, and ftanding upon his head.

Aimwell, who is only a plain, unaffecting gentleman, found better fupport by far from Mr. Ross and the late Mr. PALMER, than from any other

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person I have feen; Sullen is well enough in the hands of Meff. GIBSON and BURTON; but was indefcribably better in poffeffion of Mr. QUIN, nay of Mr. LUKE SPARKS; Mr. LOVE exhibits the ignorant, jocund effrontery of Boniface equal to any one I have ever feen; and Mr. MOODY is extremecharacteristic in Foigard; yet I must be of opinion, that if criticifm would enjoy a feast of originality from the Hibernian priest, it must be found in the performance of Mr. SPARKS, now at Drury-lane.

Scrub is a very marked and striking character, fimple yet cunning, forward tho' timid; a tattler affecting fecrecy; and a fool affuming wisdom; his fituations are happily grotesque, and pregnant with much pleasantry; a performer must have very faint comic powers who cannot keep an audience in good humour with this part; and yet fome very capital ones have run wild; Mr. THE. CIBBER gained applause, but entirely from making droil faces; Mr. WOODWARD took the fame path, with fome variations for the better; Mr. SHUTER also has the fault of being rather too comical; while Mr. WESTON, by an admirable naivete of performance, most certainly ftands unrivalled in the part, and throws all elaborate, mechanical acting far behind.

As to the ladies, the old one is a very good wo man, but neither here nor there in action; Mrs. Sullen has been fufficiently animadverted on to fhew that she is very cenfurable, yet he must always gain attention and refpect from an audience; Mrs. PRITCHARD and Mrs. WOFFINGTON had each

great

great merit in this part, but undoubtedly preference was due to the former; who, with a figure lefs happily adapted, and lefs vivacity, ftill preferved the character, without rendering the licentious paffages fo offenfively intelligible; or dwindling fo much into the affected coquette; of living performers, I can only fay, that Mrs. BARRY gives fatisfaction upon very juft principles; yet I muft own a wish to see Mrs. ABINGTON, who is happily devoted to comedy, and that alone, in poffeffion of this part; first because her attributes are extremely fuitable; and next, because the small number of characters the plays, does not often enough gratify the public defire of feeing her in refpect of Mrs. LESSINGEINGHAM, who performs it at Covent-garden, I wish her a better income off the ftage than fhe makes on it; and fhould be very glad to fee Mrs. BULKLEY fill up her prefent caft; which, tho' confined, is of too much confequence to be dallied with.

Dorinda is amiable, but not interesting; what could be made of her was to be found in the placid, modeft fenfibility of Mrs. PALMER, who, tho' she never could equal great undertakings, allways made feconds of this kind pleasingly respectable: every thing we wish for in Cherry Mifs POPE furnishes; but Mifs WARD, tho' fhe means well, is far too faint.

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THE RECRUITING OFFICER.

A COMEDY. BY FARQUHAR.

THE opening of this comedy is peculiar in two refpects; firft, as no other begins in the fame. manner; and next, as its title is verified in the firft fcene; there is one effential towards drawing characters in a masterly manner, a ftrict intimacy with, and a thorough knowledge of the ftation of life represented; this requifite Mr. Farquhar thoroughly poffeffed in the piece under confideration; the military life he not only liked, but was himself immediately connected with; therefore we may naturally suppose his portraits drawn from ftriking likeneffes, and are highly finished; however, as examination will prove this point, either for or against the author, better than fuppofition, let us proceed to a candid trial.

The character of a good recruiting ferjeant is as complicate for low policy, or more so, than any other; he must have fmoothness and volubility of tongue, feeming generofity, profeffed good-nature, pliable compliance to flatter different tempers, unblushing confidence, unbounded lies, a ftill conscience, and an unfeeling heart; these qualifications must be the test of Kite's character.

The first speech of this non-commiffioned officer to the mob, is a masterly piece of military elocution; it touches with ftrong propriety upon those. points

points most likely to imprefs the fimple, the idle, and the diffolute; introducing himself to Coftar Pearmain, by offering his cap to try on, and the countryman's apprehenfions of fuch an experiment are highly in character; the ferjeant's account of the bed of honour, the recruit's difguft at being fa luted by the title of brother, and his being foothed into good humour by fome compliments thrown out upon the importance of his figure, render this scene highly pleasing.

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Captain Plume is well introduced, as hearing his own drum; but he appears to have a strange idea of smart riding and expedition, when he speaks of one hundred and twenty miles in thirty hours in the ensuing scene, Kite preferves his character of humour, and throws out fome excellent ftrokes in mentioning the recruits he has picked up; one in particular conveys juft fatire, tho' perhaps not ge nerally understood; fpeaking of a Welsh parson he has enlifted, the captain afks," Can he write ?" to which Kite replies, "Hum, he plays rarely "upon the fiddle;" this alludes to a fcandalous circumftance then common, and I fear now to be met with too often among curates in Wales; I mean ftipends fo low as ten pounds a year, which occafioned many to work as day labourers; but the most usual method of eking out fuch pitiful allowances was to keep hedge-alehouses, and every funday-afternoon, in particular, to amuse their parishioners with fome tunes on the fiddle: the circumftance of Mrs. Molly at the Caftle feems to have no connection with the piece, except to

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