( 185 ) Account of the New Mafque, called, The Inftitution of the Order of the Garter; or, Arthur's Round Table reftored, as exhibited, on Monday, October 28, at Drury Lane Theatre. pageantry, and fhew, and they have, ther pains nor expence to gratify the audience, and merit fuccefs. The overture has fome merit, but is by no means the beft of Mr. Dibden's compofitions; a new march, which is performed during a grand proceffion to St. George's-hall, does great honour to the Gentleman who compofed it. Befides a variety of choruffes, fung by Bards and Aerial fpirits, in the masque are the two following songs: SONG. Sung by Mr. VERNON, in the Cha racter of the FIRST BARD. I. YE fouthern gales, that ever fly, excellent dramatic poem, written by Gilbert Weft, Efq; and which, as moft other poems are, for want of action is rather languid and heavy on the stage; Mr. Garrick (whom we take for granted to be the adapter of the Masque to theatrical representation) seems to have perfectly conceived the force of this obfervation, and has therefore written a comic part, and introduced in it fome occafional and very laughable fcenes, which agreeably relieve the attention of the audience, exhilarate their minds, and preferve them from the ddrowsiness a fucceffion of folemn, tho' well wrote declamations, must naturally effect, where the matter is mere pageantry, and the paffions are not worked upon by fenfations either of diftrefs or joy. The principal characters in the comic part are the Fool, performed with great fpirit by Mr. King; Roger, (a countryman) fupported with infinite nature and fimplicity, by Mr. Wefton; Nat Needle, (a drunken taylor) in which Mr. Parfons difplays uncommon humour; and Squallini, an attendant on the Fool, Mrs. Wrighten. The comic part con-tains a deal of wit and pleafantry, but we are afraid the taste of the Galleries has been too much confulted by the Author, as he now and then runs into abfolute buffoonery. The mafque itself was extremely well got up; Mr. Sung by Mrs. WRIGHTEN, in the Cha Reddish in the Genius of England, and Mr. Aickin in King Edward, were majestic, folemn, and emphatic; the young Gentleman who perfonated Prince Edward, fpoke with aftonishing propriety and fpirit for fo young an orator. A very fhewy and striking dance was introduced, and executed in a manner equally new, agile, and agreeable. The machinery, cloaths, and scenes were beyond all description admirable, fuperb, magnificent, and well adapted; in a word, the Managers feem well aware how much the prefent age are enraptured with pomp, VOL. VII. In frolick April's vernal train, Dip your light pinions in the main;1 Then thake them fraught with genial fhow'rs, O'er blooming Flora's primrofe bow'rs. II. Now cease awhile your wanton fport, away; Then to the flow'ry vale resort, And hither all its fweets convey; And ever, as you dance along, With fofteft murmurs aid our fong. SONG. rader of SQUALLINI. I. Account of the New Mafque, called, The Fairy Prince, as performed, on Tuesday the 12th of November, at Covent-Garden Theatre. IN Na prefatory advertisement to the printed book of it, the editor avows his having borrowed the greatest part from Ben Johnson, with fome few paffages of Shakespeare, and two choruffes, the one from Gilbert Wef's poem, the other from Dryden. The whole is an agreeable compofition, and ferves aptly enough for the occafion to which it is adapted, as it affords an ample opportunity to the poet, the mufician, and the painter, to display their several talents. Mr. Colman has fpared no expence to have his Mafque reprefented to the greatest advantage; the overture, and the whole of the mufic is, beyond all defcription, admirable, and does additional honour to Dr. Arne's already acknowledged eminence in his profeffion.-The fcenery (particularly the transparencies) are equally excellent: Indeed it is with the highest rapture we obferve the peculiar attention and encouragement given by the Managers of both our Theatres Royal to artists in this branch of their science, and we should do in juftice to the painters of Coventgarden theatre, were we not to declare, that we never remember to have seen on the stage, more masterly colouring, excellent proportion, or animated expreffion, than that which we obferved in the tranfparent fcenes. The others deferve general applaufe; but the peculiar merit of the laft fcene, the figures of St. George, and the Angel over the gate of St. George's hall, demand a public tribute and diftinction. The performers in the mafque met with that approbation their spirited execution deferved. Mrs. Woodman (a fcholar of Dr. Arne) appeared in the Second nymph, for the first time, and astonished the audience with a voice fingularly frong, clear, and mufical; fhe was encored in her fong, and kept the house in a continued clap for fome minutes. The little boy and girl who did the Fairy King and Queen, gave univerfal fatisfaction, particularly the girl, who fings very prettily. The proceffion of the Knights, was grand, but we think it no other way fuperior to that at Drury-lane, than from the happy thought of making it to the Chapel and not from it, by which means the Knights intended to be inftalled are feen in the filver veft, worn by them previous to their being covered with the black mantle, and other enfigns of the order, which had a fine effect. We would recommend it to the managers, either to abolish or alter the dance by the Fairies; it is too diffi cult for fuch young children to execult, and their being obliged to change their figure on a fignal given by a ftroke from a hammer is fo apparently mechanical, that it renders the dance in the highest degree farcical and ridiculous.-The first dance also is by no means fo ftriking as that of the Warriors, at the other Theatre. The method of performing the ceremony of the fupper, is exceedingly apropos for the purpofe of a making a magnificent fight. The following are the moft favourite airs: Air, Sung by Mr. Mattocks, in the Character of Firit Satyr, and re-echoed by Mr. Dubellamy. Idle nymph, I pray thee be Air, Sung by Mr. Reinhold, in the Cha- Beauty AM not able, upon the most deli It is a great chance when you fall into I berate recollection, to fix the period a mixed company, if the difcourfe do of time when inordinate lafcivioufnefs, and the spirit of incontinency were more prevalent than in the present age. I fhall not offer any conjectures, though never fo well grounded, why fuch filthy and abominable vices are become fo fashionable to us; because, upon the best information, I am induced to believe, that luft is as predominant in other nations as our own. In Germany, young women are encouraged to prostitute themselves, by the judgment their courts of juftice pafs on their pregnancy; the Deflowerer, by their decrees, being obliged to pay the proftitute damages, as well as to maintain the child. In Italy and Holland, licenced Brothels are fupported; and hiftory informs us, that before the infection broke out at Marseilles fome years ago, the pollution of the place was fo abominable, that travellers whose business detained them there any time, were compelled to refort to the Convents, and converfe with grave monaftics, to avoid beholding continually what was shocking to nature. Every one who has the least knowledge of the town, cannot be ignorant of the mighty prevalence of this vice. In Coffee-houfes men talk of their iniquities and difeafes without referve. not turn upon obfcenity; there feems to be no other immodeft words left in our language than the terms whore and bawd, when applied to women that are not afhamed to be whores and bawds; but if they happen to be drabs of diftinction, fuch appellations, in fpite of truth, are scurrilities and indecencies, fomething worse than the vices they imply. Luft has always been accounted an infatiable vice; men are violent in the purfuit of it, as of money, and as little fatisfied with the acquifition of it. The gallants cannot relish it without being highly feafoned with impiety. Inceft, and all kinds of horrid debauchery, are no ftrange things in this great city. Numerous arguments might be drawn against fuch beaftly vices, from religion, reason, profit, health, and very ftrong ones, even from pleasure itself; but luft feems to have gained fuch force, as not to be repelled by weaker arguments than the judgment of our Creator, which, when I reflect upon our immorality, irreligion, and impenitency, I can eafily forefee, without the least pretenfions to the spirit of prophecy. A Religionif, I should not have troubled your readers with any thoughts upon this fubject, which I am perfuaded will be irkfome to great numbers of them, had I not been urged to it by the late incident of Captain S- debauching the wife of his relation, patron, and friend;-a crime against the laws of God, of nature, of this realm, of friendship, and of hofpitality;-a crime attended with the most fatal confequences, and always to be remembered with the greatest infamy. If fuch heinous offenders fhould pafs unpunished, fathers would be obliged to deny to their fon-in-laws the civilities of their houses, if they had any remaining daughters. By this means, a powerful inducement to the matrimonial ftate, (a life few have delicacy enough to relish rightly) would be taken off: We should be deprived of the most natural and eafy way of enlarging the number of our friends, and ftrengthening our interests by new alliances. As I profefs myself a friend to the propagation of every thing that tends to morality, fo I fhall take every opportunity to exterminate vice, and brand the promoters of it with the infamy they deferve; not doubting but our civil government will, as far as their power extends, take care to make fuch offenders, with all blafphemers and fpreaders of impious notions, terrible examples to those who can only be reftrained by fenfible arguments. I moft fincerely lament the notoriety of the conduct which now characterizes a youth of the highest birth, royalty, title, and estate; endowments Provi to the Editor. the cause of virtue, we fee prostituted dence certainly meant to be devoted to and applied to the gratification of a paffion, which invades the tranquility of thofe whofe union was effected by the most facred ties. However he may he may employ to impede the due varnish his crimes over, or what efforts course of law, the guilt still remains; -the evasion of Justice is but little faith in religion, I with I could fay it proof of innocence. To impeach his ftances he every day furnishes, gain were a hard task; but the flagrant inupon my opinion, and perfuade me, fuch a task would not be attended with any great difficulty: For, he who can without contrition repeatedly commit curfe against, viz. " Curfed is he that a crime which God pronounces his layeth with his Neighbour's wife," muft imagine that religion and fcripand only created by fuperftitious fools ture are unworthy a ferious thought, to tyrannize over the free agency of man. perfonal fafety of a king of England, It is the duty, it deeply concerns the to discountenance vice, let his own private inclinations be of what nature on the throne, whofe difpofition feems they will. We have now a King upfwayed by what virtue and religion prefcribes; it is therefore the furprize of difciplined men, that he should allied to him by blood: For no conconnive at the impiety of one fo nearly otherwife, can juftify the with-holding nections, whether form'd by nature or juftice from culprits, whofe crimes fo loudly call for it. A RELIGIONIST. To the EDITOR of the OXFORD MAGAZINE. SIR, Α UCTIONS are now become fo very common, that almost half the bufinefs of the city of London is carried on in that mode. Look into the Daily Advertiser, and you will nerally find a whole page full of adverge. fements for Auctions. Whatever may be the general opinion, I am con- matters |