Public Amusements.

sieged by the ladies , and tortured by their incessant compliments and attentions . Caustic , from a sort of good will towards his old friend Allspice , a grocer , advise ! his nephew Tangent to pay matrimonial court to Miss Allspice . Tangent for that purpose visits the house of Allspice . The shopman , in obedience to the pride of Miss Allspice , leaves his apron in the shop while he goes to signify the arrival of Tangent . The characteristic feature of Tangent is a perpetual change of" temper as to the course of life he shall pursue . He has turned his mind towards many pursuitsand in succession abandoned them allThe

, . apron left in the shop tempts him to consider the progress of industry and the profits of trade . In this reverie he puts on the . apron , und , invoking the shade of Sir Thomas Gresham , falls into an apostrophe on the dignity and affluence of the commercial character . During this transport , Miss Faulkner enters the shop to order some -articles of the grocery kind . Tangent is struck svith the beauty of her person and the elegance of her manners , and , anxious to knosv her address , he pretends to belong to th ' e shop , offering to enter the articles she wants in the daybookand send them home

, . Miss Faulkner hesitates , and tells him she will call when the other man is in the way . Fearing he shall lose her , Tangent snatches up a parcel that laid on the counter , declaring it contained exactly svhat she wanted , and follows her home . When they arrive at Faulkner's house , Caustic happens to be there , and sees his nephew in this whimsical trim . Hearing the name of Tangent , Faulkner is thrown into great anxiety on account of the money he had embezzled , particularly as M'Ouery , the lawyer , ' is also present , and wants to depart svith in order to tell the

Tangent secret . On this occasion Tangent and ' Miss Faulkner conceive a strong attachment to each other . Faulkner in great disorder desires Tangent to leave the house . Lady Sorrel , a licentious woman of quality , being enamoured with Tangent , and discovering his partiality for Miss Faulkner , connives with the attorney , and by means of a bond , which the latter has obtained from Faulkner , throws the poor officer into prison . In the utmost distress Miss Faulkner endeavours to raise the money necessary to relieve her father . She applies to Tangent in the midst of one of his wealthy reveriesbut he

, has no money to lend her . Her application is overheard by Dick Dasliall , a bankrupt young citizen , who promises to assist her ; meaning , however , to carry her off for the most dishonourable ot purposes . She meets him at the gate of the prison by appointment , and just as he is attempting to convey her away , Tangent , who has been arrested by his uncle merely to tame his unruly spirit , is brought to the prison . He rescues Miss Faulkner , and carries her fainting in his arms to her anxious father . In order to release Faulkner , Tangent had previously borrowed money of M'Ouerythe lawyerpart of which he sends to Julia Faulkner for the

, , release of her father . Finding that a mere arrest will not subdue the wildness of Tangent , his uncle contrives to have him put in irons , as the murderer of one of the bailiffs from svhom he had attempted to escape . At last . hearing how generously Tangent had behaved to Faulkner , Mr . Caustic is convinced that his nephew possesses an excellent heart , and according to the power vested in him by the whimsical will alluded to , he agrees to his marriage svith Julia Faulkner , to whom , of course , the stipulated legacy belongs . The law-suit of Faulkner is at decided in his favour

length ; he obtains the prize-monev he so bravely earned : . and the play concludes svith the happiness of all the virtuous characters , and the disappointment and disgrace of those of a contrary description . The mirthful part of the fable chiefly relates to the family of Allspice , Lady Sorrel , the husband-huntress , and Dashall , the sivindling speculator , from the city . In this Comedy Mr . MORTON ( the avowed author ) has displayed a degree of dramatic excellence that far exceeds the merit of his former productions . He has constructed fable

an interesting , svhich he has managed with considerable ability . The characters are svell drawn , accurately supported , and jucidiously contrasted . The principal part , Mr . Tangent , is taken from the character of Polyphilus , in one of the papers of the RAMBLER , and is dramatized with spirit . In the part of Dashall , we have an animated portrait of those vulgar and troublesome cit y bucks , who infest all places of fashionable resort , and endeavour to combine trade and ton . These coxcombs , svho are at once ridiculous and mischievous , from their manners and their principles , svere first sketched in an admirable way by Mr . MurmiY , in his .