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Article STRICTURES ON PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. ← Page 2 of 5 →
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Strictures On Public Amusements.
WOMEN . Cottager ' s Wife , - Mrs . BOOTH . Mary , ----- Miss DE CAMP . Susan , ------ Miss LEAKE . Margaretta , - - Miss STORAGE . Cottager's youngest Daughter , - Miss MENAGE .
THE FABLE . A family have been reduced to the extremity of want by the death of their son , whose labours as a tar contributed to their maintenance , and who had been killed in an action with the enemy some time before the opening of the piece . His comrade William , by the double inducement of friendship and love , determines to maintain the family ; and he assumes the habit of a labourer , that he may be near to watch over , defend , and sustain them . In this situation he is found by another companion , R . obin , who upbraids him with skulking from his duty as a
tar , at a time when his country calls for his arm . William tells him the cause of his withdrawing himself , and adds , . that this family have not only need of his services to protect them from want , but from the persecutions of a wretched attorney , Endless , who is anxious to forward his amorous views on the daughter by aggravating their distress in every way . Robin owns the reasons to be good , but says that every thing must give way to the call of their country : roused by these remonstrances , William resolves to go on board of a ship in Lord Howe ' s fleet . Robin leaves his purse with the unfortunate familyand
commis-, sions Susan , the sweetheart of William , to deliver a keepsake to his Margaretta ; she , jealous of Robin , follows him to the cottage . From this incident arise some situations which tend to strengthen the interest of the plot . We then come to The Glorious First of June . The immense stage of Drary is turned info a sea , and the two fleets are seen manoeuvring / . Nothing can surpass the enchantment of this prospect . It is not the usual trifle of pasteboard ships ; the vessels are large , perfect models of the real ships they represent , and made with such minute beaut } -, as to be worthy of a place in the most curious
collection . All the manoeuvres of the day are executed with nautical skill ; the lines are formed ; they bear down on each other on the different tacks , and the action is fought ; the firing is tremendous ; ships are dismasted , boarded , taken , sunk , as on the real occasion ; and the expanse of sea affords a variety which it is not easy for the mind to conceive possible for mere scenic representation . The victory is obtained by the English , and the scene returns to the little interesting story with which it was introduced . Robin enters with his arm in a sling—he finds that William has had his share in the actionand the family having
, gone to the commodore find that he is determined to have a general rejoicing in the village , on account of the triumph of the British Flag . T . he thought strikes him at the same time , that he will heighten the joy by making it contributory to benevolence , and he resolves to open a subscription for the benefit of the widows and orphans of the brave men who fell in the action ; and this is recommended by four beautiful lines from Johnson : -
" Yet then shall calm reflection bless the night , " When liberal Pity dignified delight ; " When Pleasure fir'd her torch at Virtue's flame , " And mirth was bounty with an humbler name . " ' The scene of the rejoicing is rapturous . There are all kinds of frolics , and mirth delights itself in a thousand whimsical ways , truly characteristic of the buxom humour of Englishmen . The opera dancers here unite their talents with
those of the regular company of Drury-Lane . D'Egville made a ballet , and with the two Hilligsbergs , Gentili , and Madame Del Caro , combined their graceful and sprightly powers to enrich the feast , which concluded with a fire-work . The dialogue is from the pen of Mr . Cobb ( who is said to have been assisled'b y Mr . Sheridan ) . —The piece has been written and brought forth in so short a time , and on such an occasion , that we should deem it unfair to be severe in our criticism , had we found grounds for severity ; but it would be want of candour in
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Strictures On Public Amusements.
WOMEN . Cottager ' s Wife , - Mrs . BOOTH . Mary , ----- Miss DE CAMP . Susan , ------ Miss LEAKE . Margaretta , - - Miss STORAGE . Cottager's youngest Daughter , - Miss MENAGE .
THE FABLE . A family have been reduced to the extremity of want by the death of their son , whose labours as a tar contributed to their maintenance , and who had been killed in an action with the enemy some time before the opening of the piece . His comrade William , by the double inducement of friendship and love , determines to maintain the family ; and he assumes the habit of a labourer , that he may be near to watch over , defend , and sustain them . In this situation he is found by another companion , R . obin , who upbraids him with skulking from his duty as a
tar , at a time when his country calls for his arm . William tells him the cause of his withdrawing himself , and adds , . that this family have not only need of his services to protect them from want , but from the persecutions of a wretched attorney , Endless , who is anxious to forward his amorous views on the daughter by aggravating their distress in every way . Robin owns the reasons to be good , but says that every thing must give way to the call of their country : roused by these remonstrances , William resolves to go on board of a ship in Lord Howe ' s fleet . Robin leaves his purse with the unfortunate familyand
commis-, sions Susan , the sweetheart of William , to deliver a keepsake to his Margaretta ; she , jealous of Robin , follows him to the cottage . From this incident arise some situations which tend to strengthen the interest of the plot . We then come to The Glorious First of June . The immense stage of Drary is turned info a sea , and the two fleets are seen manoeuvring / . Nothing can surpass the enchantment of this prospect . It is not the usual trifle of pasteboard ships ; the vessels are large , perfect models of the real ships they represent , and made with such minute beaut } -, as to be worthy of a place in the most curious
collection . All the manoeuvres of the day are executed with nautical skill ; the lines are formed ; they bear down on each other on the different tacks , and the action is fought ; the firing is tremendous ; ships are dismasted , boarded , taken , sunk , as on the real occasion ; and the expanse of sea affords a variety which it is not easy for the mind to conceive possible for mere scenic representation . The victory is obtained by the English , and the scene returns to the little interesting story with which it was introduced . Robin enters with his arm in a sling—he finds that William has had his share in the actionand the family having
, gone to the commodore find that he is determined to have a general rejoicing in the village , on account of the triumph of the British Flag . T . he thought strikes him at the same time , that he will heighten the joy by making it contributory to benevolence , and he resolves to open a subscription for the benefit of the widows and orphans of the brave men who fell in the action ; and this is recommended by four beautiful lines from Johnson : -
" Yet then shall calm reflection bless the night , " When liberal Pity dignified delight ; " When Pleasure fir'd her torch at Virtue's flame , " And mirth was bounty with an humbler name . " ' The scene of the rejoicing is rapturous . There are all kinds of frolics , and mirth delights itself in a thousand whimsical ways , truly characteristic of the buxom humour of Englishmen . The opera dancers here unite their talents with
those of the regular company of Drury-Lane . D'Egville made a ballet , and with the two Hilligsbergs , Gentili , and Madame Del Caro , combined their graceful and sprightly powers to enrich the feast , which concluded with a fire-work . The dialogue is from the pen of Mr . Cobb ( who is said to have been assisled'b y Mr . Sheridan ) . —The piece has been written and brought forth in so short a time , and on such an occasion , that we should deem it unfair to be severe in our criticism , had we found grounds for severity ; but it would be want of candour in