-Archon (General Monck) tells Augusta, that he is come from the Caledonian shore to save her and to restore Albion "Juno appears in a machine drawn 66 66 by Peacocks; while a symphony is playing, it moves gently forward, and as it descends, it opens and "discovers the Tail of the Peacock, which is so large, "that it almost fills the opening of the stage between "scene and scene "-after which "the 4 Triumphal "Arches erected at his Majesty's Coronation are seen "-Albion appears, Albanius by his side, preceded by Archon, followed by a Train" &c. 66 Act 2d begins with a scene in Hell as described by the poets-Pluto appears with the Furies &c.—the scene changes to the banks of the Thames-Dryden here brings us, per saltum, to the latter end of Charles the second's reign-Albion and Albanius enterAlbion says "Then Zeal and Commonwealth infest "The fumes of madness that possest "The people's giddy brain, "Once more disturb the nation's rest, "And dye rebellion in a deeper stain." Mercury advises Albion to preserve Albanius by letting him go into banishment "Their brutal rage, The regal stem destroy? Albanius. "Oh Albion! hear the Gods and me! "Well am I lost in saving thee. Albion. 66 Since then the Gods and Thou wilt have "it so; Go, guiltless victim of a guilty state" &c. Apollo, Neptune &c. finish the act. Act 3d begins with a view of Dover from the sea -Albanius returns in triumph-Apollo tells Albion that he must change his seat, as he is adopted in heaven-Albion mounts a machine which moves upward slowly-Apollo says "The Just, August, and peaceful shade At the conclusion, "a Pedestal rises, on the front "of which is drawn a Man with a long, lean, pale face, with Fiend's wings and Snakes twisted round "his body: he is encompassed by several Phanatical "Rebellious Heads, who suck poison from him, which "runs out of a Tap in his side "—this Langbaine says was meant for Lord Shaftesbury and his adherents-his Lordship in his journey to Breda previous to the Restoration, had been overturned, and received a contusion in his side, that occasioned some years afterwards an abscess, which was opened or tapped -with allusion to this circumstance, and his being supposed to have had thoughts of attaining the crown of Poland, in the lampoons of the time he is sometimes called Tapsky. (Malone.) Dr. Johnson in the Prologue to the Word of the Wise, after Kelly's death says "For English vengeance wars not with the dead." Dryden however made no scruple of bringing Lord Shaftesbury on the stage after his death; yet when he had a fair opportunity of speaking his sentiments, he declines doing it, and says in the Vindication of the Duke of Guise 1683-" I have no quarrel to his "memory; let it sleep: he is now before another judge." Tate in the Prologue to Cuckold's Haven says "But now the Monster has her final rout "The very dregs of treason's tap are out." This was doubtless meant of Lord Shaftesbury, whom he had just before called the old serpent of associations. It so happened, that between the writing and the performance of this piece, that Charles the 2d slipt his wind-this apparently untoward accident Dryden has most dexterously turned to his advantage, by adding to his original design the Apotheosis of Albion, that is, his late Royal Master; who may reasonably be supposed to have descended into heaven, as Juvenal says of Claudius. Downes says "This play was performed on a "very unlucky day, being the day the Duke of Mon"mouth landed in the West-the nation being in 66 great consternation, it was performed but six times, "which not answering half the charge they were at, "involved the Company very much in debt"-Malone thinks that the first performance of Albion and Albanius was on the 3d or 6th of June, and the last on the 13th-the Duke landed on the 11th, but his landing was not known in London till the 13th. Dryden in the Epilogue says of James the 2d- "His subjects know him now and trust him more, James the 2d, immediately after his Proclamation, made a speech to the Privy Council, in which he promised to maintain the government in Church and State, as it was established by law this speech was soon published; it was magnified as a greater security than any that laws could give-the common phrase was "We have now the word of a King, and a word never yet broken "—the Pulpits were full of the King's declaration, (Burnet) and it was reechoed by Dryden from the Stage. 66 Francis the 1st of France said "On the word of "a King" to one of his Courtiers, who did not seem to believe him-he then said "On the word of a Gen"tleman"-which satisfied him-Catharine of Medicis asked a Huguenot Deputy, if a King's word was not sufficient security?" No," said he, "by St. Bar"tholemew." (Probably Belsham.) = = Sir Courtly Nice, or It cannot be. Sir Courtly= Mountford Crack Leigh: Hothead Underhill : Testimony = - Gillow Lord Bellguard Kynaston : Surly Griffin: Leonora Mrs. Barry :-Downes does not tell us who acted the other characters-the Prologue compliments the late and the present King— "What nation upon earth besides our own, Crown tells us in the dedication, that this C. was written by the command of Charles the 2d of ever blessed and beloved memory-the King gave Crown a Spanish play called "It cannot be "-this Spanish play had been adapted to the English stage, and acted at L. I. F. in 1668, as Tarugo's Wiles-Crown has however vastly improved the original piece by adding to it the characters of Sir Courtly Nice-HotheadTestimony and Surly-his play is a very good one; and, as he tells us in his preface to Caligula, was as fortunate a Comedy as had been written in that age -both Downes and Cibber speak in the highest terms of Mountford's acting in Sir Courtly-the characters of Hothead and Testimony-a hot Cavalier and a Fanatic-are still very entertaining, and must have been exquisitely so in 1685-Testimony in the 1st act says" Suppose I see not many vices, morality "is not the thing; the Heathens had morality, and "forsooth would you have your Coachman or your "Footman to be no better men than Seneca ?"-in the 4th act, Testimony is asked what o'clock it is? Truly I do believe it is about 4, I cannot say it positively, for I wou'd not tell a lie for the whole "world." 66 66 There are half a dozen good lines in the Epilogue, but they must not be quoted; they allude to a house of ill fame kept by a Jew close to the theatre-the song of Stop Thief is taken from Moliere's Romantick Ladies. = Duke and no Duke. Trappolin Leigh: Lavinio Wiltshire: Brunetto Carlile: Alberto Williams: Barberino Gillow: Mago Percival: Flametta = Mrs. Twyford: Isabella Mrs. Currer: Prudentia = |
