AS PERFORMED AT THE THEATRE-ROYAL, DRURY-LANË. REGULATED FROM THE PROMPT-BOOKS, "The Lines distinguished by inverted Commas, are omitted in the Representation." LONDON: Printed for the Proprietors, under the Direction of M DEE XCI.. Engl Universität Bera * he WILLIAM WYCHERLY. was THIS Comic Poet, was born about the year 1640. Like several of the Muse's ornaments, intended for the profession of the lawbut the gay and seducing amusements of the town allured him from the severities of that study, and finding the production of Comedy the shortest step into favour and fashion, he commenced a Writer for the Stage. The reign of the Second Charles was favourable thus far to literature, that the Court patronized what was believed the brightest talent among the people.-WYCHERLY came in for a full share of this distinction; and what has seldom happened from crowned heads, CHARLES in person condescended to visit the poet in a severe indisposition, under which he was reduced to the last extremity. His Majesty laid his commands upon him to go into the South of France, and liberally ordered him 500l. to defray his expences.-At his return, the Monarch told him that his opinion of him was so high, that his Son should be consigned to his tuition, and that as his governor he should receive an appointment of 1500l. per ann. At Tunbridge, however, chance threw him into the way of the Countess of DROGHEDA, and shortly after he married her.-This contumacy to the disposition of the king, and the added ingratitude of making not the smallest communication to his Majesty of his intention, lost him deservedly the royal favour. The Countess embittered his life by a jealousy, which never suf fered him a minute from her sight. She indeed relieved him shortly from this torment by her death-but his title to her fortune was disputed. He became embarrassed and indigent, and was thrown into prison until JAMES the Second, luckily seeing the Plain Dealer, gave orders that his debts should be discharged, and himself allowed a pension of 200l. per annum. WYCHERLY struggled with the dishonour of disclosing the whole of his debts, and thus rendered the king's bounty in some measure ineffectual.-His father's death did not much relieve him-he found his inheritance here too involved.-Eleven days before he died he married again, for the express purpose of paying his creditors with his wife's fortune of 1500/.-He was summoned finally from all his cares on the 1st of January, 1715. THE COUNTRY GIRL. THIS Comedy is an alteration from the Country Wife of WYCHERLY. The usual taint of the time in which he wrote had so infected the whole mass, that Mr. GARRICK found himself reduced to the necessity of lopping off a limb (HORNER) to save the whole from putrefaction. As it is here given, there is a considerable degree of sprightly dialogue, keen remark, and facility of invention. If we except CONGREVE, WYCHERLY is equal to any of his followers; with them he has one common defect, that they are not sufficiently scrupulous as to tendency-and the spoiler of domestic peace unpunished riots in the perversion of legitimate principles, and the injury offered to the wise and the worthy.-A foible is without, distinction punished as a vice, and the profligacy of the pleasing debauchee rewarded as a virtue. It would be unpardonable if we were to close this article without observing, that the excellence of Mrs. JORDAN in the Country Girl is so powerful-every girlish trick so minutely and naturally delineated, that we pronounce the performance to be HER chef d'œuvre, and assuredly the boast of modern acting. B |