1 bim; nor for Scanderbeg's taking up Arms against bim, after having been treated with fo much Affection by him; nor, in short, one Hiftorical Paffage taken notice of, not fo much as the Name of his Kingdom, nor his Capital, befieged by the Turk, under the Walls of which Amurath is faid to have expired: So that, upon the whole, this Hero might have been called any thing elfe as well as SCANDERBEG. Nay, the Author has fhewn himself fo little acquainted with the Turkith Hiftory in general, as well as that particularly of the Hero, whofe Name he has given, for no manner of Reafon in the World, to his Play, that he lays the Scene at, or near Conftantinople, which was not taken by the Turks till near fourfcore Fears after the Death of Scanderbeg. As to the other Play, wrote by Mr. Lillo, it must be owned he hath kept clofer to the Story, and fhewn more of the Poet as well as the Hiftorian; but that be wanted the Genius of the Author of this Piece, we shall take his own Word for, who, being fhewn the Play, as the deceafed Gentleman left it, and defired, by his Widow, who knew not better where to apply berfelf, to fill up a small Chasm left by the Author in one Part of it, he very ingenuoufy confeffed, that his Diction would come fo far beneath the other's, that it would be easily feen, and but dif grace grace the Reft. This looked like great Modefty However, this very modeft Gentleman having feen the Piece before us, and knowing too that the Author's Widow had a great Dependence upon it, foon after brought out a Tragedy founded on the fame Story, and called it THE CHRISTIAN HERO. We are now to give fome Account, why this Play is printed without its having been first represented on the Stage, which indeed is not the Fault of the Author's Widow, but owing to the Difficulties, attending fuch an Undertaking to a Woman; and the Caprice, I think it may be called, of the Managers of the Theatres ; fince tho' no one would care to own fingly, that they approved of the whole Piece enough to act it, just at the Time when it was propofed to them, yet feparately they have given every Part of it the bigbeft Commendation: For that very Part, that the Manager of one Houfe has found any Fault with, was conftantly faid, by the other, to be a great Beauty; which fhew'd, that if they had any Judgment at all, they had very different Standards of it. But having the Opinion of Mr. Pope, and fix or Seven Gentlemen more, whofe Judgments were never called in Question, and tired out with dancing Attendance after the Players, she gave into the Advice of her Friends to publish it by Subfcription, as it now appears, and takes this Opportunity to return them her Thanks for fo generously espousing her Intereft therein. The following is a Letter, the Author's Widow received from a Gentleman, upon her acquainting bim that Mr. Rich bad refufed to act her Husband's Play, after having feveral Times given her Hopes of it. I MADAM, Do not at all wonder at your being greatly fhock'd at the Disappointment you have met with, by the Refufal of your Play, on which you had fo great a Dependence; but as there is nothing certain on this fide the Grave, and Disappointments are fo frequent in all human Affairs, I hope you will exert that good Sense of which you are Mistress, nor fuffer this too much to dispirit you. I am apprehenfive, that there must have been fome Mistake in this Matter, and that Mr. Rich, thro' a Hurry of Business, or on fome other Account, had not Time to look over your Play, and took it for foine new Piece he had never heard of before; I can fuppofe no otherwise, from his flight Answer, after what you fay he had promised you; and if he had ever read the Piece a fecond Time, without be me; lieving him to act quite inconfiftent with that good Character you have given me both of his Humanity and Judgment. That it will by no means do for the Stage, I must needs own is perfectly unintelligible to fince the Story is well chofe; fince the Unities of Time, Place and Action are all preserved; fince there is no Machinery in it, which might have been impracticable; fince there is nothing in it difficult for the Actor to perform, nor any thing Low or Indecent, or what the very best and most admired Actor may not speak, and in many Parts, I do not doubt, with great Applaufe. The Sentiments are moral, generous, heroic. The Diction nervous, fpirited, fenfible, harmonious. The Paffions strongly and pathetically moved. The Distress great and natu ral. The Incidents various and furprizing. The Whole well conducted, full of Business, and that fuch as muft claim Attention. The Characters too cannot debase the Stage, but will admit of much Ornament and Shew. Therefore in every Part confidered, if this Play is not fit for the Stage, never any one yet was. The Night when Mr. Whincop's Scanderbeg was read at Mr. D's Chambers, both he and the two other Gentlemen, who are much better Judges of these things than my felf, were of opinion, tha tha if it came fomewhat fhort of the Tragedy of Cato in the Diction, it furpafs'd it in every other Part of what conftitutes a good Play, and greatly excelled every thing of the fame kind fince that celebrated Performance. If I was not obliged-to go into Cheshire on extraordinary Bufiñefs to-morrow, I would wait on you myself; but if I may advife you, it fhould be to go again to Mr. Rich, and I hope, from the Opinion you have given me of his good Nature and Understanding, (for I know nothing of him my felf) that you may be able to perfuade him to affift you, in what muft needs be ferviceable to himfelf; for I am fo well fatisfied of the Merits of the Play, that if you had not fhewn me any of thofe Letters you did, from Perfons of fuch undoubted Reputation and Genius, I could almoft take my Life on the Succefs of it. I am, MADAM, |