public expectation, by the promise of a tragedy, intitled Eugenia; but that expectation was much disappointed. From a man, who, it was supposed, had considered and studied the rules of the drama, it was a strange experiment. Eugenia is nothing more than a translation of a French comedy, written in the preceding year by Madam Graffigny, under the name of Cenie. It might have been offered as a sentimental comedy in blank verse; but, as it is, without any material alteration in the fable, without an incident to raise tears and pity, and without a circumstance of distress in the catastrophe, it has no pretension to be called a tragedy. The versification is not void of harmony; the language, in general, is pure, and even elegant, but often turgid, and, of course, unnatural. The part of Mercour was unworthy of such an actor as Garrick. A man

of

of his nice discernment could not but see the defects of the piece, but he was willing to pay a compliment to the translator of Horace, The play lingered on the stage nine nights, and then was heard no more,

WHENEVER a failure of this sort happened, the manager, who had judgement enough to foresee the event, concerted his measures before hand, and was ever ready with novelty to keep alive the attention of the public. For this purpose, he revived the comedy of Love's Last Shift, the first production of Colley Cibber, so long ago as the year 1695. The author tells us, in his life, that Lord Dorset, then Lord Chamberlain, said to him, "that "it was the best first play that any author, in "his memory, had produced." Cibber further adds, that his play was crowned with success

by the honour done him by Sir John Vanbrugh, who wrote his Relapse, as a sequel, or second part to Love's Last Shift. Of this circumstance he had great reason to be proud; and yet, the man, who has been charged with consummate vanity, by his adversaries, had the candour to tell us, "that Love's Last Shift, "which (as Congreve justly said of it) had "only in it a great many things that were like "wit, but in reality were not wit; and what is "still less pardonable, had a great deal of pue"rility and frothy stage-language; yet, by the "mere moral delight received from its fable, "it has been in a continued possession of the stage for more than forty years."

So fair an account from the author himself supersedes the necessity of any further criticism. In the character of Loveless, which

was

was originally played by Wilks, Garrick presented the liveliest portrait of a debauched and ruined town-rake, who had abandoned his wife, and at last, recovering his moral sense, is cordially reconciled to her. Amanda is happy to re-enter the state of conjugal affection, and, after saying, We all have drawn our several prizes in the lottery of human life, she embraces her reclaimed libertine. Mrs. Porter originally performed the part, but Mrs. Pritchard most amply compensated for the loss of that celebrated actress. Cibber lived to see Sir Novelty Fashion in Woodward's hands, as great a favourite as he ever was in his own life time. Upon the whole, the play was revived with

great success, and, with an occasional intermixture of Garrick's capital parts in tragedy,

kept Drury-Lane theatre in a flourishing state to the usual time of closing the season.

CHAP.

CHAP. XX.

Mossor, from the Dublin Theatre, engaged at Drury-Lane Account of his Dramatic Powers-He excelled in several Characters, and particularly in ZANGA, in the REVENGE The BROTHERS, a Tragedy, by the celebrated Dr. YOUNG The Story, on which the Play is founded, as related by Livr -The Epilogue written by MALLET, gave great Offence to Dr. YOUNG. He disdained to publish it with his, Play, and, in its Room, gave an HISTORICAL EPILOGUE-The Profits of the Play, with an Additional Sum, amounting in all to a Thousand Pounds, were given by the Author to the Society for propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts-GARRICK and. Mossop excellent in the Two Brothers-HARLEQUIN FORTUNATUS, a Pantomime-The GAMESTER, a Tragedy, by EDWARD MOOREA Play of Domestic Distress, written in Prose, well conducted, pathetic, and moral-Beverley, the unhappy Gamester, acted by GARRICK-Mrs. PRITCHARD universally admired in Mrs. BEVERLEY-An excellent Prologue, written and spoken by GARRICK.

September

IN the beginning of this season,

1752, to it appeared that Garrick had im

June 1753.

ported a young actor from Dub

lin. This was the celebrated Mr. Mossop,

who