1752. Account of a Piece called T A S TE. upon the lad, efpecially as I had met B with fuccefs in fome cafes before. Ac- HEN I fent you the cafe of the D dried up. 33 I told her the fhould take no farther care about it, that it did not fignify any thing, and that I had forgot I had ordered it. Whether this blifter had any fhare in recovering the boy's fight, or not, I will not take upon me to fay; but I would not omit any one circumftance, which, if not mentioned, might perhaps, after it was known, occation a fufpicion of an inpofition. Since I wrote you my lat, I have cured two girls of obftructions by the electrical fhock, one of whom took medicines a twelvemonth to no purpose. I am, &c. N. B. The cafe of the blind boy was attefted by Jeremiah Clarke, (father of the boy) Thomas Meech, M. D. Hubert Floyer, furgeon, John Swabridge, apothecary, Edward Stephens, gent. Arthur Mitchell, gent. The INSPECTOR's Account of Mr. FOOTE'S Piece, called TASTE, as it was afted at Drury-Lane, on Saturday, Jan. 11. HERE is indifputably more genuine Twit in this piece than in any of the kind ever produced among us: The characters are all natural, tho' many of them uncommon ones; their ftile and fentiments are adapted to them with perfect propriety; and the incidents are not forced or crowded together upon the audience, but they naturally introduce one another. There is an affociation between two defigning people, a painter, and a fellow, whofe bufinefs it is to bring perfons of pretended tafte to purchase his pictures under the name of thofe of eminent mafters. A quarrel between these two chaE racters difcovers what both are in the opening of the farce: The painter's profeffion brings a city lady, an alderman's wife, to be painted; her husband and fon follow her thither to fee the picture, and become acquainted with the limner and with his affociates: Preparations are making for an auction toward the end of the firft a&, and the fecond opens with the room decorated for it. A third affiftant now brings in feveral pretenders to tafte, and dictates to them what they fhall buy; and Mr. Puff, the affeciate of the painter, is difguifed as a German, to give his applaufe where it may be required: Much excellent fatire, tho' falfe pretenfions to judgment, is thrown into the fcene, where are examining the lots; and at length the fon of the city lady breaking a China bafon, and the German affenting to the high value fet upon it by the proprietor, the boy difcovers him to be the gentleman who was fo civil to his mother W blind boy, I forgot to mention F one circumftance, which was the ap- E 34 STORY of MORAD and ABOUZAID. mother in other cloaths in the morning. The painter revenges the quarrel of the firft fcene, by giving him up; and he concludes the farce, by turning the villany they would fix on him into ridicule upon themselves, and when he has fent them off, one by one, with great spirit and true raillery, applies to the audience A for their protection. This is the fkeleton of a piece, the mufcles of which are disposed with a juftice and ftrength unknown to the writers of this age, but not unlike the manner of the immortal Johnson. With all this merited applaufe, however, I cannot wonder that the performance was not perfectly relished by the whole audience. The fub- B ject is almost new; it has scarce been touched upon by any of our comick writers; and tho' extremely worthy all their force, is not of the nature of thofe which are generally understood. It requires true tafte to fee into the follies, as well as the villanies of the characters exposed; and they are not of the number of thofe that appear univerfally. Dupes, novices, and puffs, are only to be found in auctionrooms, and there are fo well difguifed, that it is not for the vulgar eye to diftinguish them from men of true taste and real knowledge. To this too general unacquaintance with the characters we are to add, that the piece is not of the nature of what D people ufually fee, and what, tho' I do not know with how much reafon, they expect to fee in farce: They there look for extravagancies, not characters within the bounds of nature; and are too much ufed to a Mock Doctor to receive favourably in this form any thing below its abfurdities. The The piece, which is the fubject of thefe obfervations, is indeed rather comedy than farce. Mr. Garrick introduced it by a very happy prologue written by himself, and fpoken in the character of an auctioncer. He delivered this, as he does every thing, with great fpirit, a happy manner, and perfect propriety: thoughts in it are of the fame turn with thofe of the latter part of the farce, and I am afraid the laft act of it fuffers not a Little by the anticipation. (See p. 4.) The Vanity of HUMAN GREATNESS, an Indian Story, from the RAMBLER of Jan. 11. with moral Reflections. MONG the emirs and vifiers, the Afons of valour and of wifdom, that ftand at the corners of the Indian throne, and affift the counfels, or conduct the wars of the pofterity of Timur, the first place was long held by Morad, the fon of E Jan. Hanuth. Morad having fignalized himfelf in many battles and fieges, was rewarded with the government of a province, from which the fame of his wif dom and moderation was wafted to the pinacles of Agra. The emperor called him into his prefence, and gave into his hands the keys of riches, and the fa bre of command. The voice of Morad was heard from the confines of Perfia to the Indian ocean, every tongue faultered in his prefence, and every eye was caft down before him. Morad lived for many years in profperity; every day encreafed his wealth, and extended his influence. But human greatnefs is fhort and tranfitory: The fun at Iaft grew weary of gilding the palaces of Morad, the clouds of forrow gathered round his head, and the tempeft of hatred roared round his dwelling. Morad now faw that his ruin was approaching. The firft that forfook him were his poets; their example was followed by all thofe whom he had rewarded for contributing to his pleafures, and only a few, whofe virtue had entitled them to favour, were now to be feen in his hall or chambers. He faw his danger, and proftrated himfelf at the foot of the throne. His accufers were confident and loud, his friends contented themselves with frigid neutrality, and the voice of truth was overborn by clamour. Morad was divested of his power, deprived of his acquifitions, and condemned to pass the reft of his life on his hereditary estate. Morad had been fo long accustomed to crouds and bufinefs, to fupplicants and flattery, that he knew not how to fill up his hours in folitude; he faw the fun rife with regret, because it forced a new day upon him for which he had no use. His difcontent in time vitiated his conftitution, and a flow difeafe feized upon him. He refufed phyfick, he neglected exercife, he lay down on his couch peevish and restlefs, rather afraid to die than defirous to live. His domefticks for a time redoubled their affiduities, but finding that no offiF_ciousness could please, they gave way to negligence, and he that once commanded nations, often languifhed in his chamber without an attendant. In this melancholy ftate Morad commanded metfengers to recal his eldest fon Abouzaid from the army; who, alarmed at the account of his father's ficknefs, hafted by long journeys to his place of Grefidence. Morad was yet living, and felt his ftrength return at the embraces of his fon; then commanding him to fit down at his bed-fide," Abouzaid, fays he, thy father has no more to hope or fear 1752. INSTABILITY of Human FORTUNE. fear from the inhabitants of the earth, In the all to whom thou art known. Morad expired in a few hours. Abouzaid, after the months of mourning, determined to regulate his conduct by his father's precepts, and cultivate the love of mankind by every art of beneficence. He wifely confidered, that domestick happinefs was firft to be fecured, and that none have fo much power of doing good or hurt, as those who are prefent in the hour of negligence, who hear the bursts of thoughtless merriment, and obferve the starts of unguarded paffion. He therefore augmented the pay of all his attendants, and requited every exertion of uncommon diligence by fupernumerary gratuities. When he was congratulating himself upon the fidelity and affection of 35 equal companions felected from among the chief men of the province. With thefe he lived happily for a time, till familiarity fet them free from restraint, and every man thought himself at liberty to indulge his own caprice, and advance his own opinions. They then difturbed each other with contrariety of inclinations, and difference of fentiments, and Abouzaid was neceffitated to offend one party by concurrence, or both by indifference. He then determined to avoid a clofe union with beings fo difcordant in their nature, and to diffuse himself in a larger circle. He practifed the fmile of univerfal courtesy, and invited all to his table, but admitted none to his retirements. Many who had been rejected in his choice of friendship, now refufed to accept his acquaintance; and of thofe whom plenty and magnificence drew to his table, every one preffed forward toward intimacy, thought himself overlooked in the croud, and murmured because he was not diftinguished above the rest. By degrees every one made advances, and every one refented his repulfe. The table was then covered with delicacies in vain; the mufick founded in empty rooms; and Abouzaid was left to form in folitude some new scheme of pleasure or fecurity. He then refolved to try the force of gratitude, and enquired for men of fciDence, whofe merit was obfcured by poverty. His houfe was foon crouded with poets, fculptors, painters, and defigners, who wantoned in unexperienced plenty, and employed all their powers in the celebration of their patron. But in a fhort time they forgot the diftrefs from which they had been refcued, and began to confider their deliverer as a wretch of narrow capacity, who was growing great by works which he could not perform, and whom they had already over-paid by condescending to accept his bounties. Abouzaid heard their murmurs and difmiffed them, and from that hour continued blind to colours, and deaf to panegyrick. As the fons of art departed muttering his family, he was one night alarmed by F threats of perpetual infamy, Abouzaid, robbers, who, being purfued and taken, declared, that they were admitted by one of his fervants; the fervant immediately confeffed, that he had unbarred the door, because another not more worthy of confidence than himself was entrusted with the keys. Abouzaid was then convinced that a de- G pendant could not easily be made a friend, and that while many were foliciting for the first rank of favour, all thofe would be alienated who were difappointed. He therefore refolved to affociate with a few who flood at the gate, called to him Hamet the poet. "Hamet, faid he, thy ingratitude has put an end to my hopes and experiments; I have now karned the vanity of thofe labours, which expect to be rewarded by human benevolence; I fhall henceforth do good and avoid evil without refpect to the opinion of men; for I am convinced at lait, that there is only one Being whom we are fure to please by endeavouring to please him, and refolve to folicit no other approbation." charming would 'prove, If once they were foften'd with fmiles and with love, If once they were foften'd with ímiles and with love. Poetical ESSAYS in JANUARY, 1752. A COUNTRY DANCE 37 The three firft women foot it in the middle, the three men foot it, and each of them go behind his partner and tap them on the right shoulder and peep over the left, they go on the mens fides, meet and turn partner, clap hands with your partner's right and left. Poetical ESSAYs in JANUARY, 1752. A New-Year's ODE. Written in 1739. who, pace,. Run'ft a never ending race, And driv'ft about, in prone career, beg but one fwift hour's delay. To fcatter blindly joys and woe; Life now prefents another scene, To Time's dark cave the year retreats, Then flies, the feafons in his train, See there, in various heaps combin'd, Friendships to fordid interefts given, heaven; What avarice, to crown his ftore, This cafket fhows, ye wretched train, See, there, undry'd, the widow's tears; The mallest alms, that want might live? Let's |