the customs of their own country, cou'd not bring themselves to approve the manners of another, even the proper ones of the characters reprefented; but perfeverance probably wou'd have brought them over: 'Tis hard to break through old customs, but not impoffible: we have a proof, in the new manner of playing in tragedy, which has so happily taken place among us, of the unnaturally pompous one so highly applauded by our fathers, that what from its novelty may appear very fhocking to the common ear at first, will, provided it have justice on its fide, soon make its way by perfeverance.

Of the Finesses in playing、 peculiar to Comedy.

T

HE performer in tragedy ought always to present himself before us in the most advantageous manner, and under the most graceful figure he can. But this is far from being the cafe in every part in comedy, he is there very frequently to exhibit himself in the least pleasing light, and 'tis often his chief business to make himself as foolish, as extravagant, and as abfurd as he can.

We have already observed that the generality of those, who at present set up for criticks in dramatick writings, make a very great difference between genteel Comedy, and what they improperly have debased by the name of low Comedy. If we examine, with an impartial and difcerning eye, many of the pieces which they throw into the latter class, we shall find In them at least as great a share of invention, and as much wit and spirit, as in those other pieces for which they express so high an esteem ; and it is not less true, that there requires full as much genius and merit in an actor to succeed in these low parts, as wou'd serve him to make a principal figure among the high ones; or that the performers who acquit themselves well in these, deserve as much applaufe, as those who excell in the others.

Perhaps there is as much wit in the part of the fimple Tom in the Confcious Lovers, as in the favourite Bevill; and tho' the generality of our audiences, for want of the advantages of a powder'd perriwig and lac'd coat, have not chanc'd to find it out, yet till Mr. Barry play'd Bevill, there has been generally as much merit in the performance of the man, as in that of the master. We are ready to allow that there are some qualifications necessary for the performer in genteel comedy, which the player of the lower characters may do without; among these are a good perfon, a genteel deportment, and an acquaintance with the manner of people in high life; and yet 'tis but very lately that we have found people who thought these absolutely neceffary to the playing them.

Both kinds find it their business to present us with copies of human nature: But the performer in genteel comedy, never shews us nature otherwise than as polish'd by education; whereas the player of low comedy gives it us without this advantage and improvement. Setting aside this. difference, both have not only the fame end to pursue, which is to ridicule our own foibles to us, or to entertain us with the representation

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of the fallies of an extravagant imagination, or the weaknesses of an unfettled heart; but both draw all the peculiar excellencies in their art, all the finesses of their play, from the very fame fources. The actors in low comedy, entertain us either by the whimsical air they give their own characters, or by the talent they have of making us merry at the expence of the other perfons in the play.

There are a thousand different ways of executing the firft : That to which the player however ought of all others to have the first recourse, is to profit of all the circumstances which may fall in his way to make his character striking to the audience. Is it a miser that he reprefents? If he enters his apartment, and finds two candles burning upon the table, he ought very carefully to put out one of them. Is it a man who af fects liberality, extravagance and a perfect care-lesness about money? If he is conftrain'd to bestow something upon any person that is on the stage with him, let him express in his countenance an unwillingness to part with his money, tho' he pretends to give it with the utmoft profusion and ease; let him also purposely drop a few pieces, and as foon as the man's back is turn'd, let him carefully pick them up, and put 'em up into his purse again.

There is fcarce any one of those which we diftinguish by the name of fimple characters, but is in reality a mixt one. Every imperfection we fee in a man, is properly an affemblage of a great number of other imperfections. The comedian therefore, in order to succeed perfectly in the character he plays, ought to decompose the folly he is to represent to us, to examine each N 4. part

part of it feparately, and in consequence of this to unfold to us every ingredient of the whole, and every thing that has connexion with the principal foible, fo far as the nature of the part will admit of it. We are in real life accuftom'd to fee a man who is full of envy always morose and furly; and a fool always shews that he is perfectly contented with himself, and expects that every body else shou'd be as well contented with him.

Above all other things the player of low Comedy, or, as it may perhaps be more properly hereafter call'd, kumourous Comedy, ought to make it his business to copy the ridiculous habits and peculiarities that are found about that fort of people the character he is to act in is drawn from; and these, provided they do not jar with the rest of the piece, are always to be made to accompany the characterising folly. Does he represent a statesman, a Polonius? Let him have a wildness and hurry in his air, and scarce ever attend to what is faid to him, or fo much as look at the man to whom he addresses his difcourse. Is his character that of a pretty gentleman of the age? Let him lisp and clip his words, and soften the vowels of every fyllable. He must not only make his advantage of every the least circumstance that can serve to introduce the ridiculous fide of his character; he is not only to expose before us every fubordinate folly that enters into the compofition of his capital one; but after he has added to these all the tricks and habits that fools of the same stamp have in common life, if the author has chanc'd to neglect the keeping up the character in any particular instance, stance, he ought to fupply from his own imagination all that is wanting to make it of a piece with the reft.

If he plays the part of a footman to fome infolent rich man, let the audience fee in him what they never fail to observe in such a fellow in real life, a mimickry of the master's manner and deportment; let him take up the tone of voice, the tofs of the head, and the whole air of the fool he serves; and if he has occafion to be upon the stage at the fame time with some honest perfon of an ordinary trade, let him take care that the audience may read in his looks and in his gefture all that pleasure which people of this low condition take in insulting those, whose state of life they envy, tho' they are too idle to fall into it.

The fools in Shakespear's plays would make an excellent figure on the stage, if this fort of mimickry were kept up in them. There is not one of these who does not take upon him the air of fomebody of importance in one part or other of his character, and often that of feveral different kinds of people in the feveral parts of the same play. Let us only recollect the fool in As you like it; what infinite scope for pleasantries of this kind is there in the philofophic speech Shakespear has put into this fellow's mouth, when talking to a person whom he supposes more a fool than himfelf, and who asks him how he likes a shepherd's life? he answers him,

Truly, shepherd, in respect of itself, it is a • good life; but in respect that it is a shepherd's life, it is naught: in respect that it is folitary, I • like it very well, but in respect that it is private, it is a very vile life. Now in respect that it is in

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the