Plume and Worthy commence the third act with a fcene, no further worth notice than as it fhews Plume to have a commendable indifference for a woman, whom he fuppofes alter'd in her affection by a fresh acquifition of fortune; and his gallanting the country market girl, Rose, to prove his freedóm of heart, is a very pleafing pretty incident; indeed every one of the characters contribute to heighten and affift each other, and the ftory which Kite trumps up to engage Bullock's attention, while the captain takes off his fifter, is a circumftance of high wrought humour; Bullock's complaint to the justice. concerning Rofe, furnishes a very laugha ble scene.

The policy of introducing new characters in the third act, which was remarked upon in the STRATAGEM, is here used to very good purpofe; Bullock and Rose have been already brought forward, as seasonable enliveners of the action and dialogue; a third now appears, the facetious Captain Brazen, for whom I doubt not there were many originals in Farquhar's time, and I could point out several of very fimilar features at the present day.

This military fprig, whofe peculiar leading characteristic appears to be unlimited effrontery, is exhibited at his first entrance, and through the fcene, with much judgment, with fuch strong outlines, as plainly evince a greater share of originality than imagination; his rapid addrefs to Worthy; his pert obfervation of the juftice; the forward introduction of himself to that gentleman; is turning the word laconick, through ignorance,

1

into a proper name; and his difcuffion upon t' name are ludicrously whimsical.

The affectation of a general acquaintance; the boaft of courage, and the rhapfodical spirited narration concerning Frank Plume of Northamptonshire, are excellent ingredients to characterize the empty, opinionated coxcomb; and Brazen's departure fo confonant to his entrance difmiffes him with glee.

Rose exhibits a very natural picture of that fimple pride and pleasure which we may suppose posfeffes the heart of an unfufpecting country girl upon being addreffed by fuch a man as Plume; and her spirited attempts at improved behaviour before the juftice are extremely pleasant, as is also the captain's attack upon her without feeing Ballance; from whence an agreeable confufion arifes, which terminates the fcene laughably.

Modest Mrs. Melinda, and her modest maid Lucy next make their appearance; the former, in her second speech, utters a fentiment which we may pronounce the effence of infamy, "Flanders lace "is as conftant a prefent from officers to their "women, as something elfe is from their women "to them;" and the latter replies in a very knowing ftrain, which her mistress takes care to enforce by explanation; in fhort, as this scene has no tendency but raifing offenfive ideas, I wifh and recommend the omiffion of it: Brazen, in his addrefs to the lady, and rhodomontade declarations, prefents a diverting peculiarity of character; and Melinda's

en

encouragement of him, to mortify Worthy, fuits well a coquettish heart.

Plume's tipfy condition varies the action and dialogue of his character seasonably, giving him an additional fupply of fpirit and humour; but Worthy's fetting on Plume to recover Melinda from his tival, and sheering off,as if afraid to plead his own cause, shew that gentleman in a very strange light, eitherfool or coward at leaft; the encounter between Plume and Brazen is whimfically imagined, and generally gives fatisfaction; the fighing fwain comes in conveniently to take off his condefcending mistress, who kindly flies to him when apprehenfive of danger, and without any other retreat for safety.

Sylvia appears at this point of time metamorphofed into the appearance of a young fellow, a circumstance not very confiftent with delicate reserve, nor even common modefty, tho'authorized by ma ny examples in private life, and frequently adopted' on the stage; when Shakespeare wrote, no woman appeared on the ftage, therefore Rofalind, Imogen, Portia, &c. were well calculated; but at prefent, I imagine plots might be carried on upon more probable principles of deception; in this state, however, Sylvia makes a very agreeable figure, and plays upon the rival officers with great archness; in their several offers we find the author exhibiting keen fatire against the army, when Brazen says,

you shall receive your pay, and do no duty," the lady makes this very poignant return, "then you must make me a field officer," and a little lower there is a moft excellent ftroke against making men

of little education and lefs religion, military chaplains.

Kite's method of introducing and recommending himself to the fuppofed recruit is highly artful, and taking her off while the captains are engaged a good method of terminating the rencounter without bloodshed; as to Plume's diftinction of fighting for a man, and not for a woman, it appears to me irreconcileable; an affront is the fpur to honour, and to a man of fpirit comes with equal force from every quarter, and without an affront, no one of real courage will draw his fword.

Rofe's communication of her intereft with Plume to Sylvia in the first scene in the fourth act, is well introduced to alarm that lady with jealousy; and her method of founding Plume's real difpofition to wards the girl, is natural; Bullock, tho' he has but a fmall fhare of the dialogue, greatly enlivens it with three or four humourous remarks.-I could wish Sylvia's reply to Rofe, when fhe fays, will 66 you be fo kind to me, Sir, as the captain would," was more consistent with the character of a young lady; Plume's explanation of his defign in gallanting Rofe, is fatisfactory to his mistress, and exculpates him from a blameable intention upon unfufpecting innocence, Sylvia again goes too far, when the fays to Plume, "lie with a common foldier! would not you rather lie with a common woman ?"

Melinda and Lucy, in their fhort fcene, drop fome expreffions fimilar to those we have remarked upon already-Worthy, who, as it appears, thewed

thewed a little refentment when the lady pue herself under his protection; comes poffeffed with the fame feeling, and plays upon her paffion with fome degree of good fenfe, which draws her into the dilemma of behaving like a virago, and pro duces an unexpected, undefigned reception to Bra zen, which is the only material circumftances arifing from the interview between the lady and her two lovers.

Kite's appearance and conduct as a fortune-teller, is a most fatyrical burlefque upon the credulity of those weak minded perfons who believe in the prediative knowledge of fuch gentry; his appropria tion of the fun, moon, and deities, to terreftrial cir circumstances and ftations, is a whimfical bam up on heathen mythology; that fucceffion of characters the author originally brought forward in this scene is now much, and very properly curtailed in reprefentation; to confefs the truth, except fome little: use to the plot, and a joke or two about the Devil under the table, there is nothing deferving notice in what remains.

Plume's discovery of Melinda's being the cause that Sylvia was fent. into the country, occurs agreeably; and the compliments he pays the fair fex for having entertained an injurious opinion of her, deferve rather a better epithet than pretty; however, I could wish they had not been twifted into rhime, but Mr. WULKES loved to fpeak an epilogue to every act, and as he pleafed the audience, Farquhar thought it a duty to please him.

.4

At the beginning of the fifth act we find Syl

via