I

COMMIT this Comedy to the prefs with

all poffible gratitude to the Public for the reception it has met: I cannot flatter myself that the fame applaufe will follow it to the clofet; for, as it owed much to an excellent representation, I have neither on this, nor any preceding occafion, confidered myself otherwife than as a sharer only with the Managers and Performers, who have diftinguished themfelves in the exhibition of my trifling productions. But it is not on the score of fpectacle only that I am obliged to Mr. Garrick; I am, both in the inftance of this Comedy, and in that of the West Indian, materially indebted to his judgment, and owe the good effect of many incidents in both to his fuggeftion and advice: the correction' of a real critic is as different from that of a pretender, as the operation of a furgeon from the ftab of an affaffin.

The

The Comedy, now fubmitted to the reader, is defigned as an attempt upon his heart, and as fuch proceeds with little deviation from mine; if it should be thought, therefore, that I have meant well, the charge of having executed indifferently I shall patiently submit to: I have on this occafion (as on the two preceding ones) wholly refted my performance upon fuch poor abilities as I am master of: I am not confcious of having drawn any particular affistance, either in respect of character or defign, from the productions of others; altho' I am far from presuming to say or think, that I have ever exhibited any character purely original: the level manners of a polish'd country, like this, do not supply much matter for the comic mufe, which delights in variety and extravagance; whereever therefore I have made any attempts at novelty, I have found myself obliged either to dive into the lower clafs of men, or betake myself to the out-fkirts of the Empire; the center is too equal and refined for fuch purposes.

Whether the reception of this Comedy may be such, as shall encourage me to future efforts, is of small confequence to the Public;

but

but if it should chance to obtain fome little credit with the candid part of mankind, and it's author for once escape without those perfonal and unworthy afperfions, which writers, who hide their own names, fling on them who publish their's, my fuccefs it may be hoped will draw forth others to the undertaking with far fuperior requifites; and that there are numbers under this description, whose fenfibility keeps 'em filent, I am well perfwaded when I confider how general it is for men of the finest parts, to be subject to the fineft feelings; and I would fubmit whether this unhandfome practice of abuse, is not calculated to create in the minds of men of genius, not only a difinclination to engage in dramatic compofitions, but a languid and unanimated manner of executing them : It will drive men from a neceffary confidence in their own powers, and it will be thought convenient to get out of the torrent's way, by mooring under the lee of fome great name, either French or Italian, and fitting down contented with the humble, but less expofed, task of tranflation. Should this take place, a cold elaborate ftile will prevail in our drama, clearly oppofite to the national chracter,

1

character, and not at all at unifon with the
tafte of our writers themselves. Correctnefs

will become the chief object in view; by
which, though much may be avoided, little
will be obtained: nothing great can be ac-
complished on a plain; turn to Shakespear,
and you
find the Alps not more irregular than
his genius; had the critics of his days marked
his inaccuracies with that illiberal spirit which
seems reserved for our time, the bold and
daring fallies of the fublimeft Mufe would
probably have been fuppreffed, and neither the
great Actor who has brought his fcenes to life,
nor the elegant Effayift* who has defended
them, would have made such display of their
own genius in the celebration and protec-
tion of his.

RICHD. CUMBERLAND.

* Essay on the Genius and Writings of Shakespear.