borrowed from one of Marmontel's Tales. The character of the Patron, faid to be Lord Melcombe, is that of a fuperficial pretender to wit and learning, who, being a man of fashion and fortune, affords his countenance and protection to a fet of contemptible writings, for the fake of the incenfe offered by them to his vanity. The character of a mere antiquarian, a favourite object of ridicule with Mr. Foote, is here introduced with great pleasantry, Mr. Ruft having fallen in love with a fine young lady, because he thought the tip of her ear resembled the Princefs Popca. Sir Peter Pepperpot, a rich Weft India merchant, comes in likewise, with his account of barbecues and turtle feafts; and a miferable poet, with a low Moorfields bookfeller, ferve to complete the entertainment.

12. The Commiffary, a comedy, acted with great fuccefs, at the Haymarket in 1765. Among other real characters drawn from life, the late celebrated Dr. Arne was ridiculed in this comedy.

13. Prelude on opening the Theatre, 1767.

14. The Devil upon two Sticks, a comedy, acted at the Haymarket in 1768, printed in 8vo. in 1778. This was one of the moft fuccefsful of our author's performances; but though it abounds with wit, humour, and fatire of the moft pleafant

and inoffenfive kind, yet it feems to have loft its exiftence with its parent.

15. The Lame Lover, a comedy, acted at the Haymarket in 1770. Though this piece was by no means inferior to any other of his writing, yet it did not meet with the deferved fuccess. Sir Luke Limp, the Serjeant, and his fon, are admirably drawn characters.

16. The Maid of Bath, a comedy, acted at the Haymarket in 1771, and printed in 8vo. in 1778. The ground-work of this very interesting performance is taken from a tranfaction which happened at Bath, in which a perfon of fortune was faid to have treated a young lady celebrated for her mufical talents in a very ungenerous manner. The delinquent is here held up to ridicule under the name of Hint, and it will be difficult to point out a character drawn with more truth and accuracy than this, efpecially in the fecond act. The parts of Lady Catherine Coldstream, Sir Christopher Cripple, and Billy Button, are all highly finished, and render this piece one of the most pleafing of all our author wrote.

17. The Nabob, a comedy, acted at the Haymarket in 1772, and printed in 8vo. in 1778. This piece is a fevere fatire on the greater part

of

of those gentlemen who have acquired wealth in the East Indies. At the time this play was produced, a general odium had been excited against the members of the Eaft India company, which was kept alive by every art that virulence and party could fuggeft. Mr. Foote, ever attentive to avail himself of popular subjects, seized the prefent occafion to entertain the town at the exexpence of fome individuals. The character of Sir Matthew Mite was intended for a gentleman who had risen from the low fituation of a cheesemonger.

18. Piety in Pattens, a farce, acted at the theatre in the Haymarket in 1773; but never printed.

19. The Bankrupt, acted at the Haymarket in 1776. This piece, like most others written by our author, contains little elfe than detached scenes without any plot. It exhibits, however, fome ftrong delineations of character, and is by no means a bad performance.

20. The Cozeners, a comedy of three acts, acted at the Haymarket in 1774, and printed in 8vo. in 1778. The character of Simony in this piece was defigned as a vehicle for fatire on the late Dr. Dodd. It may be observed, as fome apology for our author's ftage ridicule, that he rarely

pointed

pointed it at any perfons who met with public respect, or deserved to meet with it.

21. The Capuchin, a comedy, acted at the Haymarket in 1776, and printed in 8vo. in 1778.

22. A Trip to Calais, a comedy, intended for representation in 1776, at the Haymarket; but containing a character defigned for a lady of quality, fhe had intereft enough to prevent its obtaining a licence.

Mr. Foote, after having written these pieces, fuffered his name to be put to a work, entitled, The Comic Theatre, in five volumes, 12mo. being a tranflation of a number of French comedies. Of thefe, however, we are affured, the first only, The Young Hypocrite, is to be attributed to him.

All Mr. Foote's works are to be ranked only among the petites pieces of the theatre. In the execution they are fomewhat loofe, negligent, and unfinished; the plans are often irregular, and the catastrophes not always conclufive; but," with all these deficiencies, they contain more ftrength of character, more ftrokes of keen fatire, and more touches of temporary humour, than are to be found in the writings of any other modern dramatift. Even the language spoken by

his characters, incorrect as it may fometimes appear, will, on a close examination, be found entirely dramatical, as it abounds with those natural minutiæ of expreffion, which frequently form the very basis of character, and which render it the trueft mirror of the conversation of the times in which he wrote and published them.

Being on a party of pleasure, in the year 1766, with the late Duke of York, Lord Mexborough, and Sir Francis Delaval, Mr. Foote had the misfortune to break his leg, by a fall from his horse, in confequence of which he was obliged to undergo an amputation. This accident fo fenfibly affected the Duke, that he made a point of obtaining for Mr. Foote a patent for life, whereby he was allowed to perform, at the Little Theatre in the Haymarket, from the 15th of May to the 15th of September every year.

Our author now became a greater favourite of the town than ever; his very laughable pieces, with his more laughable performances, conftantly filled his house, and his receipts were fome feafons almoft incredible. Parfimony was never a vice to be afcribed to Mr. Foote; his hofpitality and generofity were ever confpicuous; he was vifited by the firft nobility, and he was fometimes honoured even by royal guests.

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