Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England 1749-1800 9780231889773

Citation preview

REVIVALS AND OF F R E N C H IN

IMPORTATIONS COMEDIES

ENGLAND

1749-1800

REVIVALS AND IMPORTATIONS OF FRENCH COMEDIES IN E N G L A N D 1749-1800

By

WILLARD AUSTIN

AMS P R E S S , I N C . NEW Y O R K

1967

KINNE

COPYRIGHT

I939

BY WILLARD

AUSTIN

KINNE

Reprinted 1967 with permission of Columbia University P r e s s

AMS P R E S S , INC. New York, N . Y . 1 0 0 0 3

M a n u f a c t u r e d in t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s of

America

TO M Y

WIFE

CLARA ADDISON

KINNE

CONTENTS I. Introduction

1

II.

1749-1760

16

III.

1760-1770

63

IV.

1770-1780

"4

V.

1780-1790

161

VI.

1790-1800

212

VII.

Conclusion

245

Appendix

250

Bibliography

256

Index

297

ERRATA Page 111, line 11, for 1767 read 1769 Page 168, lines 2-3, for Marivaux read Marmontel Page 220, between lines 1 and 2, supply heading New Plays 1790-1800 Pages 221-43, for right-hand running heads Revivals 1790-1800 read New Plays 1790-1800

P R E F A C E T h e chief purpose of this compilation will be to g i v e a yearto-year account of those acted comedies or comic entertainments w h i c h were either avowedly d r a w n from France or were ascribed to a French source by eighteenth-century reviewers. Choice of dates demands a word of explanation. Drury Lane and C o v e n t G a r d e n usually opened after the middle of September and closed within the month of June; the Haymarket was k n o w n for a number of years as a summer theater. It seemed only logical, therefore, to begin with the autumn of 1749 since this point of departure enabled us to conclude with the theatrical season of 1799-1800. T h e scope has been extended to include a f e w private theatricals, some productions at minor theaters, and a number of unacted plays. N o deliberate attempt has been made to cover ballets, pantomimes, harlequinades, interludes, or plays acted in French, or to consider, textually at least, dramatized tales and novels. T h e word "comedy" has been much abused because it has come to embrace nearly all forms of nontragic endeavor except the most somber drames, and even in the latter instance there have been cases of arbitrary choice. T h e genre's contamination with the sentimental strain is, of course, too well k n o w n for comment. A s to method, already indicated, the only deviation f r o m chronology, the grouping into revivals and new plays, was inspired by the hope that such an arrangement w o u l d be equally serviceable to at least t w o classes of readers: those w h o would be more directly interested in discovering what happened to old, stock plays; and those w h o might prefer to turn at once to n e w offerings. T h e fivefold division was merely one of convenience. It has been thought advisable to prefix the actual cataloguing of plays with an introductory

chapter on theatrical

conditions.

Debts to Moliere, usually but not always recorded under revivals, have been included with some hesitation, o w i n g to the fact that IX

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England much has been written on the subject. Therefore, to avoid needless repetition, we have relegated to the Appendix in chronological order a number of plays, chiefly by Restoration dramatists, which reveal partial borrowings from the great Frenchman. Bibliographical material falls under three headings: ( i ) "Plays," (2) "General Works, Special Studies, Annals and Histories of the Stage, and Biographical and Dramatic Dictionaries," and (3) "Magazines and Periodicals." T o these sections the reader is referred for full titles. The acknowledgments which are to follow will be made, with few exceptions, in abbreviated form. First editions of plays have been consulted whenever possible. In some cases the French texts have been available only in such collections as Le Texier's Recueil, the Recueil des pièces mises au théâtre français, Petitot's Répertoire, Collection des théâtres français (Library of Congress), Pièces de théâtre (Library of Congress), Eighteenth-Century French Plays (edited by Brenner and Goodyear). In English, helpful material has been supplied by Montague Summers's editions of Otway, Dryden, Shadwell, Congreve, and Wycherley; de Sola Pinto's edition of Sedley, Dobrée's edition of Vanbrugh's plays, and Rhodes's edition of Sheridan. Thanks to the Larpent collection of manuscripts contained in the Henry E. Huntington Library, it has been possible to comment on a number of unprinted plays. This collection was made by John Larpent, who not only preserved the plays he received as inspector (1778-1824) but also acquired nearly all the manuscripts submitted since 1737. These "scribal copies" were "sent from the playhouse by the manager or managers, whose autographs are usually found at the end of a brief statement of intention to produce addressed to the deputy licenser."1 La Harpe, Lanson, Brunetière, Sarcey, Gaifîe, Trahard, Lintil' The Huntington Library Bulletin, May, 1 9 3 1 , No. 1. Captain R. B. Haselden, Curator of Manuscripts, informed me in a letter dated June 10, 1938, that a complete list of "nearly two thousand items" is already in proof. X

Preface hac, Lenient, and Larroumet have contributed in no small measure to a better understanding of eighteenth-century French comedy and drame. In the search for material on English comic drama, we have contracted outstanding debts to the works of Bernbaum, Nettleton, Thorndike, and Nicoll. The most helpful information bearing on Moliere's "influence" came from studies by Charlanne, Miles, and Gillet. It should be noted at this point that little is known of Moliere's fate in England during the eighteenth century except in his survival in Fielding's adaptations. The most important borrowings from Voltaire, Favart, and Marivaux have been catalogued. Bruce has left an account of the first named (in the main, a tragic dramatist) upon the English stage; the vogue of Favart's comic operas in England forms part of Iacuzzi's findings in his investigation of the European diffusion of the Frenchman's productions; Sells, among others, has pointed out the influence of Marivaux upon Goldsmith. Among various records and memoirs, too numerous to list, should be mentioned the contributions of Boaden, Hazlitt, and Elbridge Colby. Colle's caustic remarks and Grimm's occasionally sentimental outbursts, when contrasted with the relatively restrained appraisals of La Harpe and Freron, have improved perspective as regards interpretation and reception of French plays before they were mutilated or improved by the borrowers. Diaries of the period and the famous Deffand-Walpole correspondence have been disappointing, for our purposes at least. References of English travelers to plays seen in Paris are also of a most fragmentary nature as Miss Kathryn Wood has already indicated. The interesting story of Garrick's French contacts has been told by Hedgcock. The Dictionary of National Biography, Biographia Dramatica, and Genest's Some Account of the English Stage have been indispensable. Among catalogues should be mentioned those of the British Museum, Bibliotheque nationale, Soleinne, Sonneck, Barxi

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England ton and Allen A. Brown Collections (Boston Public Library). The task of locating English magazines and periodicals was facilitated by the corrected Yale University Library copy of Crane and Kaye's check list. A better understanding of the relative importance of eighteenth-century English newspapers was gained by reading Gray's Theatrical Criticism in London to 1795 (New York, 1931). Among other helpful works of comparatively recent date, we wish to cite Miss Belden's The Dramatic Wor\ of Samuel Foote (New Haven, 1929); F. C. Green's Minuet. A Critical Survey of French and English Literary Ideas in the Eighteenth Century (New York, 1935); G. Louis Joughin's The Life and Wor/{ of Elizabeth Inchbald (unpublished Harvard dissertation, 1932); Eugene R. Page's George Colman the Elder (New York, 1935); and Dougald MacMillan's Drury Lane Calendar, 7747-/776 (Oxford, 1938). It is a pleasure to acknowledge special obligations. Among members of the Columbia University faculty, 1 am obligated to the late Professor G. L. van Roosbroeck for unfailing interest and help in the investigation which he suggested; to Professors Horatio Smith, Arthur Livingston, Norman L. Torrey, and George Sherburn for reading the manuscript as well as for sympathetic criticism, valuable advice, and guidance in completing the work. Professor Frank W. Chandler, of the University of Cincinnati, and Professor Allardyce Nicoll, of Yale University, also read the manuscript and made constructive suggestions for discussion of features of the treatment. I feel immeasurably indebted to Professor Nicoll whose wide and intimate knowledge of the period surveyed came to me through his studies devoted to the Restoration and eighteenth-century drama. His lists of "English and Foreign Models" rendered an indispensable service in the search for references to the adaptations contained in contemporary periodicals and elsewhere. At the University of Cincinnati, Professor Phillip Ogden cordially permitted me the use of his private xii

Preface library. T h e Charles Phelps T a f t Memorial F u n d provided a traveling-grant, generously defrayed costs of interlibrary

loan

books, and furnished an amount in aid sufficient to assure printing. I am greatly beholden to M r . E d w a r d A . H e n r y and Miss Gertrude Wulfekoetter, of the University of Cincinnati Library, f o r their cooperation and patience. F o r the courteous assistance of

personnel and officials of

Columbia,

Harvard,

Yale,

the

H e n r y E . Huntington, Boston, and N e w Y o r k libraries I am most appreciative. I wish to express my thanks to Professor L i v ingston for reading all the proofs. T o the sacrifices and varied assistance of my w i f e I owe a debt of gratitude which cannot be conveyed by mere words. WILLARD AUSTIN

University of Cincinnati March, 1939

xiii

KINNE

ABBREVIATIONS B.D. C.G. D.G. D.L. D.N.B. G.E.F. Hay. L.I.F. MLN PMLA S.A.

Biographia Dramatica Covent Garden Dorset Garden Drury Lane Dictionary of National Biography Grands Ecrivains français The Little Theatre in the Haymarket Lincoln's Inn Fields Modern Language Notes Publications of the Modern Language Association America Smock Alley

xv

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION The subservience of eighteenth-century tragedy to French classical doctrine is a commonplace. Equally trite is the statement that French fashions, language, and literature during the same period came to enjoy a European vogue. Extravagant splendors of court life at Versailles and cosmopolitan hospitality of Paris with opportunities to indulge in frivolous pleasures, learn polite manners, or partake of intellectual fare made France a country of perennial charm for all visitors. Davies is only one of many to point to France as a nation which pretended "to teach the rest of Europe the rules of decency and decorum."1 Wholesale borrowings from the Parisian stage were ascribed to the universality of the French language. France was blamed, of course, for the licentiousness of English plays, and there were those who had never forgiven Charles II for trying to model St. James on Versailles, yet the merits of French writers were keenly felt. "Were their poets as redundant in plot, incident, and character, as they are in sprightly dialogue and intrigue, they alone would bear the palm from all competitors," writes a contemporary Englishman.2 Citations more favorable to French dramatists could be adduced, but they would be less serviceable in their general implication. Dr. Iacuzzi has recently told us how Favart's comic operas supplied entertainments, not only for England, but for Germany, Central Europe, Italy, Spain, and northern Europe. Subsequent investigations may throw more light on the universal popularity of French ballet, petite pièce, proverbe dramatique, pièce de société. An announcement in The Critical Review is indicative of 1

Thomas Davies, Memoirs of the Life of David Garrick., Esq. A new edition (1780), I, 338. 2 "The Actor," No. IV, The Westminster Magazine, VIII (May, 1780), 242. I

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England much of the dramatic activity displayed in European court circles of that day and age: "The Theatre of the Hermitage or Théâtre de l'Hermitage of Catherine II, Empress of Russia, composed by that Princess, by many persons of her intimate Society, and by some foreign Ministers." Enumeration of nineteen titles is preceded by the brief notice: "These pieces were written in the French language and represented by French Actors in the private Theatre of the Empress . . . before that princess and her intimate friends at the close of the year 1787, and in the winter of 1788."3 But to return to France. French private theatricals under the Regency were an effective and natural manifestation of relief accompanying the disappearance of hypocritical restraint to which the entire country had been subjected during the final illness of le Roi Soleil. The parade or coarse farce made its appearance upon the stage of la Duchesse du Maine, but was merely one form of entertainment offered by "la Nymphe de Sceaux." From 1714 to 1753 her varied program included fêtes, comedies, ballets, intermèdes, operas, tragedies, poetic lotteries. Malézieu, Genest, and Voltaire were the chief purveyors of theatrical fare. To distract a bored monarch the extravagant Madame de Pompadour gave lavish entertainments at the Petits Cabinets (1747-1753). Here the celebrated Boucher, among others, was entrusted with decorations, famous actresses of the Comédie-Française (Mile Gaussin, Mile Dumesnil) occasionally directed rehearsals, while excellent artists and good musicians contributed to a repertory of operas, ballets, comic operas, tragedies, comedies. La Pompadour protected contemporary authors like Favart, and produced pieces by Molière, Dufresny, Dancourt, Gresset, La Chaussée, and Voltaire. In the salle resembling a dainty jewel box at the Trianon (1780-1785) Marie Antoinette showed a marked preference for comic operas, vaudevilles, petites comédies gaies, and excelled in rôles of coquettish 3

"Monthly Catalogue for August," X X V I ( 1 7 9 9 ) , 5 1 2 - 5 1 6 . The two volumes

were imported by De Bosse. 2

Introduction peasants. Here, too, the Queen took the part of Rosine opposite Monsieur de Vaudreuil as Almaviva in Le Barbier de Seville. A year earlier (April, 1784) Le Mariage de Figaro first saw the footlights at de Vaudreuil's private theater located at Genevilliers. The three Court theaters set the pace for Grands Seigneurs and lesser nobility.4 From the great and near-great the craze for amateur theatricals spread to professionals and rich demimondaines. Petits bourgeois followed suit, neglecting their work in order to spout their lines. Brazier assures us that over two hundred bourgeois societies were in existence from 1798 to 1806. Some of their managers would appear to have given creditable performances. We learn, for example, that Doyen produced meritorious plays for half a century. Voltaire discovered "ce monstre à figure humaine" (an expression coined by Collé) at Le Kain's own theater. Brazier gives an amusing picture of the lower classes in the throes of dramatic cholera : Les compagnons serruriers, les étaliers bouchers, les ferblantiers, les boisseliers, quittaient leurs forges, leurs boucheries, leurs marteaux, pour courir chez le directeur ou le costumier; ils perdaient souvent un ou deux jours de la semaine sans compter l'argent qu'ils dépensaient pour avoir le triste plaisir d'amuser à leurs dépens. Que j'ai vu de choses bouffonnes dans ces malheureux endroits!... J'ai vu des Agamemnons aux mains calleuses, des Iphigénies avec des engelures aux doigts, des Célimènes en bas troués; j'ai vu jouer l'Abbé de l'Epée par un jeune homme de quinze ans, et le Jeune Sourd-muet par une portière qui en avait au moins cinquante; j'ai vu jouer le Séducteur par un homme qui avait deux pieds-bots, le Glorieux par un malheureux dont la taille avait à peu près quatre pieds et demi, et le Babillard par un bègue!.. . 5 To precisely what extent repercussions of this furore were felt across the Channel it is impossible to determine. We know with * See Victor Du Bled, La Comédie de société au dix-huitième siècle ( 1 8 9 3 ) ; Eugène Lintilhac, La Comédie, dix-huitième siècle ( 1 9 0 9 ) . Nicolas Brazier, Chroniques des petits théâtres de Paris ( 1 8 8 3 ) , II, 3 0 2 - 3 0 3 .

3

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England some degree of certainty that the vogue came from France, that it spread over the British Isles, and that it was carried to the Colonies. Unlike the French, however, English private theatricals seem to have been confined largely to the upper classes. Let us now consider the scene of public performances in France. The first thing to note is that the entire age was marked by a struggle between state-subventioned and illegitimate theaters. Authorized houses were three in number: Académie Royale de Musique, Théâtre-Français, and Comédie-Italienne. For our purposes at least, little need be said about the first two. In 1673, Lully, wresting the lettres-patentes from Perrin, founded the Académie Royale de Musique with exclusive privileges of singing and dancing. Preserving a certain amount of Italian grace, adding orchestral elements, skillfully adjusting the recitative to Quinault's verses, and profiting by a long experience in presenting ballets, Lully made opera stageworthy and established its type form. The opera depended in principle upon the Secrétaire d'Etat de la Maison du Roi, but it received no regular subvention until 1780. Its actors were continually in revolt (1770-1789), but its spectacular performances and ballet pantomimes (as created by Noverre) achieved an international reputation. The ThéâtreFrançais or Comédie-Française, founded in 1680, was the home of classic répertoire. The administration of this harshly disciplined, businesslike organization was entrusted to a Commission de Conseil composed of les Premiers Gentilshommes de la Chambre du Roi.6 Among famous eighteenth-century actors and actresses who belonged to this august body were Le Kain, Mile Clairon, Adrienne Lecouvreur, Dazincourt, Fleury, and Mile Contat. During the Revolution, according to Lecomte,7 the sociétaires were divided into two rival companies, one playing at the faubourg Saint-Germain, the other performing at a theater located on the rue de Richelieu. The actors merged in 1799, and " [N.T.L.] Des Essarts, l^es Trois Théâtres de Paris . . . ( 1 7 7 7 ) , p. 154. ' L. Henry lecomte, Histoire des théâtres de Paris (1905—1012), I, 20.

4

Introduction took possession of the salle which had been constructed at the Palais Royal (1784). In 1680, les Italiens had become sole possessors of the Hôtel de Bourgogne. There they continued to stage their farces until 1697. That year the King banished them from Paris because pious Madame de Maintenon had taken offense at the announcement of Nolant de Fatouville's La Finta Matrigna (La Fausse Marâtre) as La Fausse Prude, recalling the highly insulting novel bearing a similar title, which had recently enjoyed a succès de scandale in Holland. During their long absence (1697-1716), various théâtres de la foire, or popular theaters, prospered, making good use of musical interludes formerly included in the repertory of the deposed comedians. The forains also parodied legitimate plays, and constantly poked fun at the sedate actors of the ComédieFrançaise to whom they referred contemptuously as les Romains. In 1714, two managers of Foire theaters merged interests and called their house L'Opéra-Comique. The Opéra-Comique continued to exist intermittently, depending upon whether the Opéra granted or withheld the right to sing. Boizard de Pontau enlisted the able services of Le Sage and many other writers (1722-1743), who contributed to the genre (comédie en vaudevilles) which employed songs with new words set to familiar tunes. Jean Monnets followed Pontau as director (to 1745, and from 1752 to 1757), and built the beautiful theater later used by the King as the Menus-Plaisirs. After paying a large sum of money to Madame de Pompadour and a police official, Monnet was granted the privilege of singing couplets mingled with prose. A memorable date in the long career of opéra-comique was marked by the appearance of Pergolesi's La Serva Padrona at the Royal Academy of Music, August 1, 1752. The following year Vadé's Les Troqueurs 8

See Jean Monnet, Supplément

la vie de Jean Monnet

au roman comique,

ou Mémoires

vie et aventures d'un entrepreneur

de spectacles au XVlll'

dice sur ¡'opéra-comique

à 17 ¡S

Garric\

and His French

pour servir à

(Londres, 1 7 7 2 ) , Vol. I; Arthur Heulhard, Jean de 1752 Friends

(1911).

5

(1884);

Monnet,

siècle avec un

appen-

Frank A . Hedgcock,

David

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England definitely established the type. Favart, Monnet's régisseur, became director in 1758. Quick to sense public demand, this born chansonnier drew freely from the Bouffon's repertory, and, merging sentiment and wit, decency and gaiety, demonstrated the adaptability of French words to Italian airs, thus making the OpéraComique a formidable rival of the Comédie-Italienne. After much dissention the two troupes were compelled to merge (1762) under the title of Comédie-Italienne, although they continued to be called the Opéra-Comique. The period that followed was one of the most brilliant in the history of this theater, which enjoyed a European popularity that can be ascribed to the collaboration of the best musical composers of the day (Grétry, Philidor, Monsigny) with Favart and Sedaine. The last named contributed the element of pathos9 to the genre's development. Both librettists wrote comédies à ariettes, or comedies with new airs. In 1801, the Comédie-Italienne, or "Opéra-Comique de la rue Favart," joined forces with the troupe called the "Opéra-Comique de la rue Feydeau." One is frequently reminded of the fact that the eighteenthcentury French theater was essentially aristocratic. This statement is true, but, like all generalizations, is a bit misleading to one unfamiliar with the age, since it overlooks the popular Boulevard theaters which were also frequented by the upper classes. Indeed, people of quality considered it quite smart to go slumming en masse, or as they expressed it, "s'encanailler avec la foule." So perhaps it might be wise to say something about the more important petits spectacles.10 Jean-Baptiste Nicolet seems to have established the oldest independent house. This manager was a product of the Foires where * Gaiffe has coined an appropriate formula for Sedaine's musical drama in Le Drame en France au XVlll* siècle ( 1 9 1 0 ) , p. 227. " B e f o r e 1789 there were six theaters located on the Boulevard du Temple: Nicolet's Grands Danseurs du Roi, Audinot's Ambigu-Comique, sieur Valcour's Délassements-Comiques, Théâtre des Associés (directed by Salé), salle d o Variétés-Amusantes, and salle des Elèves pour la Danse de l'Opéra.

6

Introduction he drew crowds come to laugh at a trained monkey which executed an extraordinary caricature of the famous comedian, Mole. In 1759, Nicolet received permission to open on the Boulevard du Temple. He gradually built up a répertoire of 250 pieces for a troupe of thirty actors, sixty dancers, and twenty musicians (1767). From 1772 to 1792 the company was called Les Grands Danseurs du Roi. Programs included harlequinades, farces, pièces grivoises, and, after 1791, more worthy plays taken from the répertoire of the Théâtre-Français. Taconnet, "le Molière du Boulevard," Dorvigny, Bohemian actor as well as prolific author, and the abbé Robineau, dit Beaunoir, wrote for Nicolet. The robust Nicolas-Médard Audinot drew crowds with his Comédians de Bois, who took off the Comédie-Italienne actors. From the Foire Saint-Germain Audinot moved to the Boulevard du Temple, not far from Nicolet, and inaugurated le Théâtre de 1'Ambigu-Comique, July 9, 1769. Soon Tout Paris was flocking to his doors (1772) to enjoy the added piquancy of licentious plays performed by a company of children. Both Nicolet and Audinot entertained the Court. Marionettes and la Compagnie des Enfants were abandoned for a more varied repertory consisting of comédies piquantes, arlequinades bouffonnes, ingenious vaudevilles, and dramas. In 1786, Audinot opened a new theater, introducing pantomime historique ou romanesque à grand spectacle, a popular form of entertainment until 1798. Audinot retired in 1791. From 1798 to 1830 the Ambigu-Comique was the home of melodrama. At the Variétés-Amusantes (1779), located on the Boulevard Saint-Martin, Dorvigny's extravagant farce entitled Janot, ou les Battus payent l'amende enjoyed a phenomenal run. For 200 evenings and twice daily all classes were diverted by the antics of a new type of simpleton (Janot) created by the actor, Volange. This coarse farce, somewhat similar to modern French vaudeville, served as a model for other writers (Patrat, Beaunoir). Beaunoir, for example, produced Jérôme Pointu, June 13, 1781, 7

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England thus creating an ancestor of a long line of Pointus who entertained Parisian theater-goers for fifteen years. In 1785, the Variétés-Amusantes moved to the Palais-Royal. That season the credit for a superior brand of farce went to Dumaniant (Jean Bourlin), actor-manager, who contributed to the progress of the théâtre des Variétés-Palais-Royal over a period of fourteen years. His intrigue comedies, cleverly imitated from the Spanish, made their author popular throughout Europe. Historically, perhaps the chief importance of the Petits Théâtres was the training they gave to actors, artists, and authors, some of whom achieved fame at the regular houses. As regards forms of entertainment, it is well to bear in mind that one must turn to the lesser genres for "novelties" during the second half of the eighteenth century: countless one-act sketches, broad farccs, musical pieces. After the Assemblée Constituante revoked the monopoly of the leading playhouses (January 13, 1791), the petits spectacles multiplied so rapidly that before the close of the century fifty were functioning. Revolutionary plays, reflecting changes in public opinion, left no lasting impression and were, in the main, mediocre. They did make a strong popular appeal, however, which, after Napoleon's restoration of censorship, found an outlet in boulevard melodramas. The three principal London theaters were Drury Lane, Covent Garden, and The Little Theatre in the Haymarket which were managed or directed by capable men. Drury Lane was managed jointly by Garrick and Lacy (1747—1773), by Garrick alone (1773-1776), and by Sheridan, who remained its nominal head from 1776 to 1809, although King performed the duties of acting manager (1782-1788), and Kemble served as director from 1788 to 1801. Renovations and enlargements were made in 1762 and in 1780. Later (1793), the theater was completely rebuilt by Holland at an expense of ,£200,000. The Dramatic Mirror contains some interesting information about Drury Lane. The stage, said to be the largest in Europe, was 105 feet long, 75 8

Introduction feet w i d e and measured 4 5 feet between the stage doors. T e n feet b e l o w there w a s a second stage " w h e r e the carpenters attend either to raise ghosts and p a n t o m i m e demons, or to obey the m a g i c w a n d which

consigns them

there w a s

to oblivion."

Underneath

this second

stage

D e p t h of about forty feet, furnished w i t h various m e -

chanical engines requisite for raising splendid and massive temples. . . . "

for scene painters and supernumeraries

pillars,

In addition to the barrel-loft, there w a s a m p l e room had

four huge water-reservoirs. Principals

separate green rooms. T o t a l

seating

and

capacity

a m o u n t e d to 3 , 6 1 1 : twenty-five rows in the pit ( 5 4 by 4 6 ) held 800 persons, f o u r tiers of boxes contained 1 , 8 2 8 , the two-shilling gallery a c c o m m o d a t e d 6 7 5 , the one-shilling gallery provided for 3 0 8 . A

full

house b r o u g h t ¿ 8 2 6 , 6 s.

John Rich built Covent Garden ( 1 7 3 3 ) and managed it until his death ( 1 7 6 1 ) . It was then taken over by Bencroft and Beard whose directorship was marked by the production of many comic operas and musical dramas. In 1767, the theater was sold for 60,000 to Colman, Powell, Rutherford, and Harris. T h e first named was its nominal head for seven years, at the expiration of which time Harris became chief proprietor. At the turn of the new century (1803) Kemble purchased a sixth share of the property for £20,000 and became stage manager. F i v e years later Covent Garden was completely destroyed by fire. Alterations had been made in 1782. During the 1792-1793 season the theater was greatly

enlarged from Holland's

designs at an expense

of

/25,000, ^15,000 of which were advanced by the D u k e of Bedford. According

to Brayley, the enlarged house held

3,013

persons. 11 T h e effect of these enlargements upon audience and producer cannot be exaggerated. T h e more intimate theater of earlier days had already practically ceased to exist with the removal, in 1763, " Pit (40' by 30'), 632; three circles of boxes, 1,200; lower gallery ( 5 5 ' by 40'), 820; upper gallery (55' by 25'), 361 (Edward Brayley, Historical and Descriptive Accounts of the Theatres of London [ 1 8 2 6 ] ) . Cf., however, Horace Foote's more conservative estimate of 2,800 persons ( A Companion [1829]).

9

to the Theatres . . .

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England except on benefit nights, of privileged stage-spectators. Acoustics were poor, and lighting, though improved, still left much to be desired. Consequently, producers were almost compelled to welcome farces and spectacles which gave the broadest effects. The Little Theatre in the Haymarket was so named in order to distinguish it from The King's Theatre in the Haymarket or the Grand Opera House which stood opposite. Its doors were first opened on December 29, 1720, to "the French Comedians of His Grace the Duke of Montague." From then until 1762 it saw a little of everything, including French companies, concerts, Italian opera, gladiators, back-sword men, rope dancers, English opera, Fielding's "moguls," Cibber's "rehearsals," and Foote's "morning monologues." In 1766, the house was granted a royal license. Foote then demolished the old building, which had been known for years as the Summer Theatre, and held the managerial reins for the next decade, at the expiration of which time directorship was assumed by Colman the Elder. Under the latter's benevolent dictatorship (1777-1790) the quality of performances was improved. After serving as acting manager during his father's illness (1789-1794), Colman the Younger became licensee (17941805). From September, 1793, to March, 1794, the Haymarket had housed the Drury Lane players. Information concerning minor theaters, private theatricals, and London Fairs, at this point and elsewhere would lead us too far afield. Brief mention should be made, however, of theater censorship in England. Although the Lord Chamberlain had, before 1737, prohibited some dramatic compositions, his authority was not fully felt until after the passing by Parliament of the famous Licensing Act, June 21st of that year, destined to check Fielding's satiric pen. The Act prohibited performance for gain or profit of any piece not previously sanctioned or licensed by the Lord Chamberlain, and limited all theaters to the city of Westminster 10

Introduction and to localities where the royal family was in residence; thus creating a monopoly of dramatic productions for the patent theaters, a monopoly which existed, theoretically at least, until 1843, when it was broken by the Theatres Act. Certain principles, logical or trivial, influenced the censors and puzzled the playwrights. Larpent, for example, deleted all lines lampooning the Methodists, saying, " T h e government did not wish the Methodists ridiculed." Colman showed antipathy toward the stage use of words like "angel" or "heaven" and toward any passage, no matter how innocuous, which he considered immoral. For the most part, however, the L o r d Chamberlain was tolerant, and the managers of little theaters found ways to circumvent the Act. Contemporary audiences opposed, outwardly at least, Restoration cynicism, and favored decency, benevolence, and the reign of the tender heart. Yet, despite considerable improvement upon the Restoration state of affairs, the general tone of a numerically greater and more mixed body of spectators was apparently lower in morals and manners than it is easy for us to imagine. Professor Nicoll is of the opinion that audiences were better behaved after 1770, but they were still noisy. Riots persisted and Party frequently interfered to condemn with catcalls, substantial missiles, or both. What the spectators missed in spicy dialogue was made up for by innuendo, entr'acte dancers from France, or by pretty young actresses in boys' costumes. Though not peculiar to England, there were physical annoyances such as uncomfortable jostling, struggling for places, making way for hilarious inebriates or for late arrivals. Moreover, it was no uncommon practice to keep up the chatter amid mutual ogling of the sexes and not unwelcome attempts of "bloods" to make a date with some charming young wife of a gout-ridden citizen. In other words, the play was of secondary importance unless a favorite player happened to be billed.

11

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England Many were the plays written for Garrick, Woodward, King, Kemble, Peg Woffington, Mrs. Cibber, Kitty Clive, Mrs. Siddons, Mrs. Pritchard, Mrs. Abington, Mrs. Jordan, and other stars. Perhaps we should not take too seriously the assumption that Garrick's more natural style of acting broke completely with sing-song delivery. W e are told that he tried to get away from it in tragedy. According to Hedgcock, the bombastic style Garrick had listened to at the Comédie-Française made him "realize all the horror of excess and of attitudinizing, and cured him forever of exaggeration." 12 Be that as it may, comic declamation was by its very nature much freer, and it developed into a fine art. But this was not the only quality expected. Actors had to know how to wear a sword well or how to "show a leg." A s late as 1794, Mrs. Cowley wrote in her Preface to The Town

before

You:

A great Actor, holding a sword in his left hand, and making aukward pushes with it, charms the audience infinitely more than he could do, by all the wit and observation which the ingenious Author might have given him; and brings down such applauses, as the bewitching dialogue of C I B B E R , and of FARQUHAR pants for in vain! Actresses were admired if they made a good breeches figure or if they proved themselves past mistresses in the art of parading elaborate finery. Quick to take advantage of homage rendered, players were forever "coming forward" to make a direct appeal. T h e vast size of the auditorium explains much, to be sure. In case of threatened hostilities or inattention, hired puffers lent their support. T h e "vulgar art of manucussion" was further bolstered by a venal press. In 1772, Garrick was accused of owning and controlling the policy of six newspapers. A t the patent theaters, managers not only sought to outrival each other in native fare but also kept an eye on the latest Parisian success in view of future adaptation for the London stage. A s the century moved on, borrowings from France assumed cpiu

Hedgcock, op. cit., p. 404. 12

Introduction demic proportions, and, until the furore of German translations swept over England, it became impossible to stem the advance of "cackling Gauls." Authors frequently apologized, in prologue or epilogue, for drawing their theme from France. In addition, these apologies were quite apt to be coupled with boasts of England's material glory or of Shakespeare's superiority. Protests were sometimes accompanied by references to French modes or to importation of French words. 13 "The poets, too, seem leagued against us, and our old farce is now called petite pièce; little pieces they may be, but why not, in the language of the drama, entertainments We think it a Bizzarerie or strange whim, to borrow w o r d s . . . from a people we hate as we do the devil, when we have some of our own more significant." 14 At the expiration of the Seven Years' War the two chief nations which had engaged in a bitter worldwide conflict proceeded to cement old bonds of friendship. Better feeling may have played its part in the undiminished flow of translations from France, but shortly before peace was concluded at Paris, February 10, 1763, a reporter for The Monthly Review had written : "The custom of copying from the French appears to be so thoroughly established with our dramatic poets, that the best of them do not disdain to adopt the practice."15 An ever increasing crowd of English visitors on pleasure bent helped to foster an interest in Parisian entertainment, though it would appear that few returned with any really constructive ideas 15

"These were the times when no infatuation, No vicious modes, no zeal for imitation Had chang'd deform'd, St sunk the British nation." The good old days were those when authors formed their taste on Shakespeare and "old Ben." (Taken from Garrick's Prologue to The Gamesters which was included in The Gentleman's Magazine XXVIII [January, 1758], 34). The same year The London Magazine (XXVII [September, 1758], 456-457) carried an article entitled "The Humble Remonstrance of the Mob . . . against Importation of French Words" and signed, "Legion." ™The London Magazine, XXVIII (September, 1759), 478. " The Monthly Review, XXVIII (January, 1763), 67. J

3

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England bearing on matters theatrical. These "birds of passage" are mentioned in the Prologue to Colman's The English Merchant, 1767. Each year how many English visit France, To learn the language, and to learn to dance. 'Twixt Dover Cliffs and Calais, in July, Observe how thick the birds of passage fly! Colman's Prologue was printed in The London Magazine for February. 16 It is not our intention to weary the reader by recording numerous periodical citations in order to stress the reaction to borrowings from the French stage. The general tone of the articles, unpleasant or dispairing, can be gathered from the following lines: The recreant bard, oh! scandal of the age! Gleans the vile refuse of a Gallic stage.17 Or: A kind of French mist plays before our eyes, and prevents us from seeing and imitating the beauties of the later ages.18 Or: A kind of Gallic mist has extinguished every ray of genuine wit and playful humour.19 Many adapters would doubtless have concurred with Dibdin in his justification of plagiarism. Having before him a list of 450 French authors who died between Shakespeare and Garrick, Dibdin made the observation that it was all right to use French plays if the borrower would put a little stamina into them.20 This was a common attitude, but it should not lead one to be" The London Magazine, X X X V I (February, 1767), 89. " The Gentleman's Magazine, XXXIX (December, 1769), 602. "The London Magazine, XLI (October, 1772), 457. "The London Magazine, XLII (January, 1 7 7 3 ) , 7. "Charles Dibdin, A Complete History of the [English] Stage (1800), V, 7. Although this prolific writer of comic operas preferred native talent, he did not forget to point out that "Comic-Opera never had settled into absolute regularity until Marmontcl's Talcs gave an idea of the exact nature for plot formation." (Ibid; II, 188.) '4

Introduction lieve that stolen material was always well assimilated or that it was always selfishly appropriated without acknowledgment. Intelligent people, adapters included, recognized the superiority of Molière without question. What the borrowers did with his plays is another story. Warton, thoroughly familiar with English literature, and a precursor of the Romantic revival which took Shakespeare as its idol, held up Molière "as the most consummate master of comedy that former or later ages have produced" and regretted "that no English writer of comedy" could be "produced as a rival," concluding, and this is typical: "although it must be confessed that Falstaff and Morose are two admirable characters, excellently supported and displayed." 21 " From an article in The Adventurer compares ancient and modern writers.

15

(February 12, 1754) in which Warton

CHAPTER II

1749-1760 R E V I V A L S

1

Molière in English dress suggests at once revivals of Restoration models and the great dramatist's contribution to them. When the Cavaliers returned to England they soon tired of Jonson's heavy moralizing and attempted to inject into their productions the sparkling wit of the French genius. In their endeavor to please a corrupt Court, however, they showed lack of taste and balance; the comic in human nature became the comic in society. T h e Frenchman's lighter vein was of service in touching up a character that would reflect contemporary manners, a Sir Fopling Flutter, for example, but efforts to utilize his more serious side usually resulted in satire or sentiment. Constant demand for incident led the borrowers to use Molière as a convenient storehouse for situations, plots, or characters; and it was no uncommon practice to fuse hints from three or four of his comedies with little, if any, regard for reproducing those carefully constructed and well-balanced scenes which had embodied a central idea. During the first half of the eighteenth century Molière was in constant demand; from 1750 to 1800 he received more nearly adequate translation, and some of the adaptations were purportedly taken from the original rather than from second-hand sources. Before discussing the nine adaptations which belong to 1

In most cases the revival date of each play will be preceded directly by the

initial date. B o r r o w i n g s of twenty-one plays treated in this section will be apportioned as f o l l o w s : ten f r o m eleven of Molièrc's comedies, two f r o m three f r o m Dancourt: one each f r o m T . Corneille. L a Chappelle,

Regnard,

Hauteroche,

L e Sage, Brueys, and Boursault. In order to avoid needless repetition w e relegated

to the Appendix

nineteen

additional

plays

(Nos.

1-19),

Restoration dramatists, which show partial borrowings f r o m Molière.

16

have

chiefly

by

Revivals

1749-1760

this period ( 1 7 4 9 - 1 7 6 0 ) , there should be m e n t i o n e d a v e r y p o p u lar c o m e d y the central character of w h i c h w a s indirectly gested b y L'Etourdi In The

Busie

Body

ou les Contretemps

sug-

(1655).

( D . L . , M a y , 1 7 0 9 ; S e p t e m b e r 16, 1 7 4 9 ) , the

intrigue of w h i c h c o m b i n e s an occasional hint f r o m M o l i è r e a n d earlier E n g l i s h sources, 2 M r s . C e n t l i v r e 3 t r a n s f o r m e d L é l i e , the b l u n d e r i n g F r e n c h lover, into a w e l l - m e a n i n g but stupid servant called M a r p l o t w h o s e d e v o u r i n g curiosity nearly ruins the plans of t w o sets of lovers a n d thus heightens the stage entertainment. M a r p l o t ' s stupid mistakes w e r e originally motivated, a n d no deliberate attempt w a s m a d e to reproduce M o l i è r e ' s effective series of c o m i c repetitions. Mascarille's carefully laid plans are upset either by s o m e accident or b y Lélie's naïve interventions. M a r p l o t is neither a M a s c a r i l l e nor a L é l i e , yet he exists as a stage a u t o m ' The theme of the jealously guarded slave girl in Molière is freely reworked in the subplot where a foolish old gentleman, who is a great admirer of Spanish customs, is duped into marrying his daughter to the right man masquerading as a Spanish merchant. In the main plot, the incident of the unexpected appearance of a "dead man" has been changed almost beyond recognition (cf. however, English, Act IV, sc. 4, and Act V, sc. 1 ; with French, Act II, sc. 2, 4). The character of Marplot as a comic butt resembles that of Pug in Jonson's The Divell is an Asse (acted, 1 6 1 6 ) . Sir George Airy's bargain and the way in which it is carried out (Act I, sc. 1 ; Act II, sc. 2) revert to Jonson and Boccaccio. (See W. S. Johnson's edition of The Devil is an Ass [New York, 1905.]) The name Marplot came from Dryden's Mar-All, but the resemblance stops there; Mar-All is a caricature of Lélie. Dryden's popular piece, Sir Martin Mar-All; or The Feign'd Innocence (L.I.F., August, 1667), was reworked from a translation of L'Etourdi made by the Duchess or the Duke of Newcastle. (See Harvey-Jellie, Le Théâtre classique en Angleterre, dans l'âge de John Dryden [Montreal, 1932.]) 3 As a writer of the best intrigue comedy of the early eighteenth century and because she made concessions to the sentimental vein, Susannah Centlivre ( 1 6 6 7 ? 1723), popularly known as "the celebrated Mrs. Centlivre," forms a connecting link between the work of Aphra Behn and that of Mrs. Inchbald, continuing the former and announcing the latter. She seems to have mastered several languages before becoming "the Cook's wife of Buckingham gate." (Pope also gave her a place among the minor dunces.) Her dramatic output ( 1 7 0 0 - 1 7 2 2 ) , comprising nineteen plays, shows familiarity with French and Spanish sources. She had even boasted of having improved Molière in her ingenious Preface to Love's Contriv-

17

Revivals

and Importations

of French

Comedies

in

England

aton, " a standing memorial of u n m e a n i n g vivacity and assiduous impertinence." 4 H e seems to have been something of a novelty in his day, and m a y n o w be considered as the founder of a stage f a m i l y w h o s e most f a m o u s m e m b e r w a s to appear over a century later as P a u l P r y . M r s . Centlivre's intrigue comedy, the indifferent dialogue of w h i c h appears to have been overlooked, enjoyed a long life, passing through at least seven editions d u r i n g the eighteenth century. 5 W o o d w a r d , w h o had entertained audiences in the character of Marplot, m a d e slight alterations in M r s . Centlivre's sequel, Mar-Plot; Body Lisbon

or, The

Second

Part of the

Busie-

( D . L . , D e c e m b e r , 1 7 1 0 ) . T h e lively servant in Marplot

in

( D . L . , M a r c h 20, 1 7 5 5 ) , 6 continues to whiffle about w i t h

considerable volubility amidst a love imbroglio in w h i c h the errance; or, Le Medecin Malgre Lui (1703). It has been said that Congrcve "had the humility to be jealous of the favor with which her works were received by the public." (Remarks to A Bold Stroke for a Wife, Inchbald's British Theatre, Vol. III. Mrs. Centlivre's collected plays (1760-1761, 3 vols.), were reprinted as The Dramatic Work,! of the Celebrated Mrs. Centlivre, with a New Account of Her Life (1872, 3 vols.). For information on Mrs. Centlivre consult the following works: Robert Seibt, Die Komodien der Mrs. Centlivre (Halle, 1909), condensed in Vols. XXXII-XXXIII of Anglia; F. W. Bateson, English Comic Drama, 17001750 (Oxford, 1929) Chap. IV; Walter and Clare Jerrold, Five Queer Women (1929), pp. 139-199; John W. Bowyer, The Life and Wor^s of Mrs. Susannah Centlivre, Harvard University "Summaries of Theses" (Cambridge, Mass., 1 9 3 1 ) ; Frederick T. Wood, "The Celebrated Mrs. Centlivre," Neophilologus, XVI (1931). 268-278. ' Hazlitt, "On the Comic Writers of the Last Century," The Complete Worlds (London and Toronto, 1930-1934), Vol. VI. * W. and C. Jerrold state, without proof, that there were fourteen editions. The piecc was printed: 1709 (2d), 1732 (5th), 1746 (London and Norwich), 1753, and 1787 (7th). It was acted thirty-seven times (1749-1760), and Genest lists twenty-five performances for 1760-1770, thirteen for 1770-1780 (including Liverpool and Bath), thirteen for 1780-1790 (including Bath and York), and sixteen for 1790-1800. The last performance of The Busie Body was given at the Hay., September 3, 1824. "It was printed in Dublin, 1760. Strangely enough, this title was retained in Mrs. Centlivre's collected works, and the supposedly original cast was in reality that of Woodward's alteration. 18

Revivals

1749-1760

i n g h u s b a n d , w h o has g o n e to L i s b o n in order to settle an estate, is s a v e d f r o m the clutches of a m a r r i e d w o m a n b y the t i m e l y a r r i v a l of his w i f e in disguise. The

Moc\

Doctor;

or, The

Dumb

1 7 3 2 ; S e p t e m b e r 16, 1 7 4 9 ) , b y F i e l d i n g , piece to The

Busie

Body.

Lady 7

Cur'd

(D.L., June,

w a s revived as a n a f t e r -

S i n c e this adaptation contained

nine

original airs, it m a y be said to h a v e continued the g e n r e usually known Médecin

as ballad opera. 8 malgré

lui

Disregarding

earlier versions 9 of

Le

( 1 6 6 6 ) , F i e l d i n g condensed M o l i è r e ' s three-

act c o m e d y to one act,' 0 m a d e it c o n f o r m to E n g l i s h taste in g e n eral tone a n d setting, a n d introduced some c o n t e m p o r a r y satire in order to enlarge the rôle of M a r t i n e ( D o r c a s ) f o r the actress, M i s s R a f t o r , the f u t u r e K i t t y

C l i v e . O n e original

allowed

to impersonate

Gregory

(Sganarelle)

scene

a local

(13)

French

q u a c k , D r . M i s a u b i n , to w h o m the piece w a s dedicated;

more

' Henry Fielding ( 1 7 0 7 - 1 7 5 4 ) became familiar with the French language while he was studying law at Leyden. Molière is the one French author with whom Fielding's name has been most closely associated. For information on Fielding consult the following works: Wilbur L. Cross, The History of Henry Fielding (New Haven, 1 9 1 8 ) ; George Henry Nettleton, English Drama of the Restoration and Eighteenth Century, 1642-1780 (New York, 1932); G. E. Parfitt, L'Influence française dans les oeuvres de Fielding (1928); S. E. Glenn, Some French Influences on Henry Fielding, University of Illinois "Abstracts of Theses" (Urbana, 111., 1932). ' The Welsh Opera ( 1 7 3 1 ) marked the beginning of Fielding's work in The Beggar's Opera style. See, for various names of this genre, Nicoll, A History of Early Eighteenth Century Drama, 1700-1750 (1929), p. 237, note 1 . Cf. Edmond McAdoo Gagey, Ballad Opera (New York, 1937). 'Lacy's The Dumb Lady; or. The Farrier Made Physician ( 1 6 7 2 ) ; Mrs. Centlivre's Love's Contrivance ; or, Le Medecin Maigre Lui (1703). "French, Act I, sc. 1 - 2 , was used for English, sc. 1 - 3 ; French, Act I, sc. 4-5, for English, sc. 4-5; French, sc. 1 , 3, for English, sc. 6; French, Act I, sc. 1 , for English, sc. 7; French, Act II, sc. 1, for English, sc. 8; French, Act II, sc. 4, for English, sc. 9; French, Act II, sc. 5, for English, sc. i o - i i ; French, Act III, sc. 2, for English, sc. 12; French, Act III, sc. 5-6, for English, sc. 1 5 - 1 6 ; French, Act III, sc. 7, for English, sc. 1 7 ; French, Act III, sc. 8-9, for English, sc. 19; French, Act III, sc. 1 1 , for English, sc. 20. Scenes 13, 14, and 18 were original.

19

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England amusement was furnished by another new character, Dr. Hellebore (sc. 14), who is summoned by the former to treat Dorcas, afflicted with a husband complex. There were a few minor changes,11 and the adapter made "improvements" whenever he saw fit,12 but the text as a whole shows that Molière was kept constantly in mind. An Epilogue carried a warning to the medical profession: Doctors beware, should once this Quack take Root I gad, he'd force you all to walk on Foot! The MocDoctor appeared three times 13 with The Beggar's Opera and was performed, with The Busie Body, as a special opening attraction at the Haymarket on August 22, 1755. Fielding's ballad opera was repeated twenty-nine times at Drury Lane during the first decade of the present survey. Frequent revivals made it a stock piece until the end of the century.14 When Fielding's The Miser was brought out at Drury Lane, February 17, 1733, contemporary audiences had forgotten Shadwell's earlier arrangement of Molière. The reading public could have enjoyed Ozell's translation (The Miser: a Comedy from Molière), an edition of which had appeared in 1732. The work of Ozell may be dismissed as a fairly close translation; that of Shadwell demands a few words of explanation as to general tone and the possibility of its having been of service. Shadwell, it will be 11

Gregory does not appear as a toper; punch replaces wine to loosen the dumb lady's tongue; Sganarelle's vulgar remarks to Jacqueline have been omitted (Act II, sc. 2 - 3 ) . " In the amusing reconciliation scene between Sganarelle and Martine "touchelà" becomes "touch me if you dare" (cf. sc. i , with Act I, sc. 2, of the Frcnch). Further on, however, Fielding correctly describes the situation (sc. 3 ) . " C.G., September 28, 1 7 5 1 , September 1 2 , 1 7 5 3 ; and September 16, 1754. " R e v i v a l s : 1760, 1 7 6 1 , 1 7 6 3 , 1767, 1 7 7 2 (Bath), 1 7 7 3 (Liverpool), 1776, 1784, 1 7 8 7 - 1 7 8 8 , 1793, 1 7 9 6 - 1 7 9 7 , and 1799. The Mock, Doctor was printed: 1 7 3 2 (anon.), 1 7 3 2 (2d, with additions), 1734, 1 7 3 5 (Dublin), 1742 ( 3 d ) , 1743, 1 7 5 2 (Dublin), 1 7 5 3 (4th, with additional songs and alterations), 1 7 6 1 , 1779 ( ?), and 1794.

20

Revivals

1749-1760

recalled, had, in a prefatory note, boastfully claimed more than one-half of the adaptation as his own, asserting that not only had Molière's "part of it not suffer'd" in reproduction but that the present adapter "never knew a French Comedy made use of by the worst of our Poets, that was not better'd by 'em." Moreover, " 'Tis not barrenness of wit or invention, that makes us borrow from the French, but laziness; and this was the occasion of making use of L'Avare."15 No doubt more than a grain of truth lies in this statement. At any rate, Shadwell overcrowded his comedy with action, boisterous dialogue, and new characters, including debauchees, rogues, and strumpets, whose utterances are often unfit for print. After reading the two adaptations, one is convinced that Shadwell may have supplied Fielding with an occasional hint, 16 but that in the main Fielding's interpretation of Molière became his exclusive property, revealing a marked improvement over the earlier version.17 The Prologue ("Written by a Friend. Spoke by Mr. Bridgwater") is pleasantly subservient; for example: Moliere [/»«•], who Nature's inmost Secrets knew, Whose justest Pen, like Kneller's Pencil, drew. In whose strong Scenes all Characters are shewn, Not by low Jests, but Actions of their own. Happy our English Bard, if your Applause Grant h'as not injur'd the French Author's Cause. From that alone arises all his Fear; He must be safe, if he has sav'd Moliere [sic]. " T h e first edition of Shad well's The Miser appeared in 1672. See Montague Summers's edition of The Compiete Worlds (1927), Vol. II. " The infamous Cheatly, a Procurer, may have suggested to Fielding the idea of enlarging the original róle of Frosine for the benefit of his favorite actress; Lappet is not wantonly indecent (cf., however, Shadwell, Act II, sc. I, with Fielding, Act II, sc. 6). Goldingham was changed to Lovegold. There was a final dance in both English versions of Molière's L'Avare. "Fielding's dialogue is relatively chaste in comparison with that of Shadwell; his plot is simpler and better constructed.

21

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England It will be our pleasant duty to show how Molière was "sav'd." With regard to plot18 arrangement, the adapter retained the original double love intrigue and the rivalry of father and son, but, dissatisfied with Molière's weak ending, discarded the recognition scene between long-lost father 19 and children, substituting one of his own. He turned the charming, docile Mariane into a coolly calculating coquette,20 who, having taken offense at Harriet's remarks, gives vent to her anger by accepting Lovegold's hand in marriage, thus heightening suspense. Mariana's demands " The original, five-act prose comedy, derived from Plautus and many other sources, was utilized thus: French, Act I, sc. i, for part of English, Act I, sc. 3-4; French, sc. 2-3, for part of English, sc. 5-6; French, sc. 4, for part of English, sc. 7-8; French, sc. 5, for English, sc. 9; French, Act II, sc. 1, for English, Act II, sc. 1; French, sc. 2, for English, sc. 2; French, sc. 4, supplied a hint for English, sc. 5; French, sc. 5, was followed fafrly closely for English, sc. 6; French, Act III, sc. i , for part of English, Act III, sc. 2; French, sc. 1-2, for English, sc. 3; French, sc. 5-7, for English, sc. 5; French, sc. 8, with a hint from sc. 9, for English, sc. 6; French, Act IV, sc. 1, could have suggested English, Act IV, sc. 7; French, Act III, sc. 9 (the stage business of La Merluche running into Harpagon) may have led Fielding to allow Lappet to bump into Lovegold, English, Act IV, sc. 8; French, Act II, sc. 5 (comique des grimaces, where Harpagon lends a deaf ear to Rosine's request for financial aid), for English, Act IV, sc. 9 (Lovegold's similar tactics with Lappet); French, Act IV, sc. 6, for English, Act IV, sc. 15, French, sc. 7, for English, sc. 16; French, Act V, sc. 1, for part of English, Act V, sc. 4; French, sc. 3-4, for English, sc. 11; and French, sc. 3-4, 6, for English, sc. 18. Original scenes may be listed as follows: Act I, sc. 1-2, pan of sc. 3; Act II, the greater part of sc. 3, all of sc. 4; Act III, sc. 1, 4, 7 - 1 3 ; Act IV, sc. 1-6, 10-14; Act V, sc. 1-3, 5-10, 1 2 - 1 7 , ' 9 ("Dance here"). There are a few typographical errors in the text used (Harvard University Library copy of Fielding's The Miser [ 1 7 3 3 ] ) . Sc. 13 and 14 of Act IV should read 14 and 15; sc. 17 of Act V should read 19. " Anselme reminds us of Spindle only in so far as he is the miser's choice of husband for his daughter (Elise-Harriet). w To change a more or less conventional, intriguing servant into a coquette seems to have been a favorite device of the adapters. Colley Cibber was particularly successful in this respect. Cf., however, the hint that Fielding could have taken from the French, where Cleante tells his father, referring to Mariane: "Son air est de franche coquette." (L'Avare, Act IV, sc. 3.)

22

Revivals fill the miser's home with servants and tradesmen. T o rid himself of this female plague Lovegold is obliged to forfeit his marriage bond, which the coquette hands over to the son. T h i s sacrifice is rewarded by the return of the missing casket (cassette ). T h e daughter will be well provided for, since it turns out that her lover, Clermont (Valére), is financially independent. Frosine's episodical role was enlarged, again for the actress's (Miss Raftor's) benefit. As Lappet, Harriet's maid, this character largely conducts the intrigue, occasionally working at crosspurposes with Ramilie, the English L a Flèche, who christens her "the glory of all chambermaids." 21 A dance is followed by the moral enunciated by Clermont : He hoards eternal Cares, within his purse And what he wishes most, proves most his Curse. Miss Raftor spoke the Epilogue, written by Colley Cibber. Fielding's blend of so-called Jonsonian "humours" and Molièresque wit is not always a happy one, but it pleased contemporary audiences. T h e success of Lappet's role can be best explained by a popular actress's vivacious interpretation of the part. But in the closet the caricature of Molière's femme ¿'intrigue strikes one less forcibly than all the bustle and noise employed to throw into greater relief Mariana's extravagances. In Act V , largely an outgrowth and original interpretation of the famous bethrothal s u p per (French, Act III), we first see several servants, who are making the necessary preparations (sc. i ) ; then a succession of tradesmen arrive: upholsterer (Furnish), jeweler (Sparkle), mercer (Sattin), a man bringing "new Snuffers for Madam" (Charles Bubbleboy), tailor (List). Lovegold, after showing them the door (sc. 2-7), is informed by James that "the very Wild-Fowl that my Lady has sent for will take up a Dozen Spits," a remark that is accompanied by the beating of drums, off stage, to wish the miser n

The Miser, Act III, sc. 4.

23

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England a long life and many children—". . . and so God save the King, Drums" (sc. 8). As soon as the drums have been silenced the same servant tells his master that 500 people have been invited to supper within the hour (sc. 9). Lappet announces that creditors are coming in whole flocks (sc. 12), and another servant (Thomas) brings the news that the "Musick" from Drury Lane will arrive shortly (sc. 15). In despair, Lovegold is at last ready to "fetch the Money" for Mariana's release (ibid.). During the course of all this burlesque, and elsewhere for that matter, Fielding presents his miser in a more ridiculous light than Molière did. This does not mean that Harpagon is not absurd, far from it, but that in Fielding we may look in vain for a consistently skillful reproduction of that more somber, cringing, human marionette, aptly described by Brander Matthews (after reading Goethe) as "comic in intent, b u t . . . often almost tragic in intensity."22 Molière, by means of exaggeration, contrast (of what should happen with what does happen), repetition (the familiar sans dot, for example), gesticulation—to mention only a few of his comic devices—never quite allows us to forget his central figure with his amusing, though sometimes disquieting, fixation. The dialogue often fails to keep pace with the staccato effects of the original. Indeed, Molière's rapid-fire or rapier-like thrusts are beyond the adapter's linguistic powers. In an attempt to be fair to Fielding, however, there follow parallel passages from the celebrated monologue which owed its origin to the Aulularia and other sources.23 Harpagon (Il crie au voleur dès le jardin, et vient sans chapeau.) Au voleur! au voleur! à l'assassin! au meutrier! Justice, juste Ciel! je suis perdu, je suis assassiné, on m'a coupé la gorge, on m'a dérobé mon argent. Qui peut-ce être? Qu'est-il devenu? Où est-il? Où se "Brander Matthews, Molière, His Life and His Worlds (New York, 1926), p. 252. " Aulularia, Act IV, sc. 9; Lari ve y's Les Esprits, Act III, sc. 6. 2

4

Revivals

1749-1760

cache-t-il? Q u e ferai-je pour le trouver? Où courir? Où ne pas courir? N'est-il point là? N'est-il point ici? Qui est-ce? Arrête. Rends-moi

mon argent, coquin. . . . (Il se prend lui-même

le bras.) Ah! c'est

moi. (Act I V , sc. 7 . )

Lovegold, in the utmost

Distraction.

Thieves! Thieves! Assassination! Murder! I am undone! All my Money is gone! Who is the Thief? Where is the Villain? Where shall I find him? Give me my Money again, Villain (Catching the Arm.)

himself

by

I am distracted! I know not where I am, nor what I am,

nor what I do. ( A c t I V , sc. 16.)

T h e above lines comprise but a part of the entire speech in each text; the English is approximately one-third as long as the original. But Fielding makes no gain by condensing. As for the French, even if we disapprove of Molière's farcical extravagance 24 we cannot condemn his technique altogether. He did not need to stress the fact that Harpagon is about to come on "in the utmost Distraction." Harpagon is Distraction, or if you prefer, Bewilderment itself. And what could be more spontaneously funny than the French miser, calling himself a coquin,

seizing

his own arm, and suddenly exclaiming: " A h ! c'est moi." Contrast Lovegold, assuring the audience that he is distracted. Manifestly, when Fielding makes a noticeable effort to follow closely the French text his dialogue limps beside the verve endiablée

of

Molière's lines. A more serious charge can be brought against the adapter for too much moralizing, 25 clogging the action. Of minor importance, though slightly annoying to the reader, is a tendency 21

Jacques Arnavon, in his Notes

sur l'interprétation

de Molière

(2d edition,

1 9 2 3 ) , has enumerated Harpagon's various phases of emotion as follows: "hurlement de souffrance," "égarement

hallucinatoire,"

"tendresse

. . . mêlée de

sanglots," "colère et menace," "adresse au public," "appel à la police avec une étrange attaque de folie." ^ See The Miser, Act I, sc. 4, 9; Act II, sc. 6; Act III, sc. 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, n , Act IV, sc. 3, 4.

25

13;

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England to overwork the words "hang" and "hang'd." 26 So much for some of the more or less outstanding defects in dialogue. Certain merits should not be overlooked, however. There are several good scenes and situations in which the action moves nearly as rapidly, if not always quite so nimbly, as in the original: Lovegold's sudden announcement to his son of his intention to marry the latter's sweetheart (cf. English, Act I, sc. 7, with French, Act I, sc. 4); comic repetition of "without a Portion," followed by the steward's ironical reflections (cf. English, Act I, sc. 9, with French, Act I, sc. 5), other instances of the miser's fixations;27 Ramilie's enumeration of articles and goods in lieu of money (cf. English, Act II, sc. 1, with French, Act II, sc. 1 ) ; mutual abuse of borrower and lender meeting unexpectedly as son and father (cf. English, Act II, sc. 2, with French, Act II, sc. 2); the scenc between miser and starved cook (cf. English, Act III, sc. 3, with French, Act III, sc. 1 ) ; comic asides leading up to and including the ring incident (cf. English, Act III, sc. 5, with French, Act III, sc. 6-7). Such common devices as bits of colorful description,28 references to contemporary manners,29 or topical allusions,30 mark ''ibid., Act V, sc. 4, 10, 12, 15, 18. 17 We cite a f e w lines of ibid.. Act I V ,

sc. 8, ending in comic reversal of situa-

tion (motivation is original; technique is Molieresque): Lovegold. Oh! my poor Gold. Lappet. Perhaps she has a fine set of Teeth. Lovegold. My poor Plate that I have hoarded with so much Care. Lappet. What arc the Roses on her Cheeks, or the Lilies in her Neck? Lovegold. My poor India Bonds, bearing at least three and a half per cent. See also, English, Act III, sc. 1 2 ; and cf. English, Act V , sc. 1 1 , with French, Act V , sc. 3. " T h e old hunck's purse

(ibid.,

Act III, sc. 4 ) ; his three-fold nightcap and

flannel shirt (Act II, sc. 3 ) ; tottering feet, watering eyes, chattering teeth, and shaken trunk (Act III, sc. 4 ) . " F o n d n e s s for the bottle and quadrille, neglect of the theater, frequent attendance at the Court of Request

(ibid.,

Act I, sc. 2 ) ; cards (Act I, sc. 5; Act II,

sc. 3 ) ; gambling (Act II, sc. 6 ) ; sinecures (Act I, sc. 7; Act I V , sc. 8 ) ; doctors

26

Revivals

1749-1760

concessions to native taste. W e

even witness a resurrection of

M a r i a n e ' s i n v a l i d m o t h e r in the person of one M r s . W i s e l y . F r o m the date of its r e v i v a l at D r u r y L a n e , S e p t e m b e r 16, 1 7 4 9 , to the e n d of the 1 7 5 9 - 1 7 6 0 season, The

Miser

p r o v e d to be the

m o s t p o p u l a r of all the adaptations f r o m M o l i è r e . 3 1 T h e o n l y u n f a v o r a b l e criticism of the first p e r f o r m a n c e w a s that nature h a d been violated in s h o w i n g

an old miser in love w i t h a

young

w o m a n of i n d i f f e r e n t f o r t u n e . 3 2 S h u t e r , p o p u l a r as L o v e g o l d , 3 3 (Act II, sc. 3 ) ; dangerous young bloods (Act IV, sc. 4, 14); tendency of tailors to visit France for new ideas in style (cf. tailor List, Act V, sc. 7). 30 Reference to the heroine's rescue after her boat has upset between Richmond and Twickenham and mention of her second "rescue" while watching the play from Burton's box {ibid., Act I, sc. 3 ) ; cheap clothes on Monmouth Street (Act I, sc. 7); one large silver watch bearing Tompson's name, one snuffbox bought at Deard's (Act II, sc. 1 ) ; comparison of the coquette to no more crabbed a study than Coke upon Lyttleton (Act II, sc. 4); new characters spoken of in connection with wedding-feast preparations: Mr. Mixture, the wine merchant, Mr. Lambert, the confectioner in Pall Mall, Mr. Grey, the horse jockey (Act V, sc. 1 ) ; the great china shop in the Strand (Act V, sc. 1 5 ) ; the Duchess of Glitter's jewels, my Lady Raffle's solitaire (Act V, sc. 3 ) ; analogy of the crowd that will fill the Miser's house within the hour to that at Westminster Hall the last day of the term (Act V, sc. 9); Lappet's advice carrying a threat: "Get rid of her at once; what are two thousand Pounds? Why, Sir, the Court of Chancery will eat it up for a Breakfast" (Act V, sc. 14). 31 Appearing sixteen times at the aforementioned theater and twenty-eight times at C.G.; thus achieving a total of forty-four performances. The check was made from theatrical lists in The Gentleman's Magazine, The London Magazine, and Genest's Some Account of the English Stage (Bath, 1832). * The Gentleman's Magazine, III, 138; IX, 172. According to Voltaire, Fielding added some beauties of dialogue peculiar to his nation (noted in Le Moìiériste. III, 1 4 5 - 1 4 6 ) . Murphy callcd The Miser a copy from a great painter by an eminent hand ("Remarks on The Miser," Cumberland's British Theatre, Vol. X X X V ; B.D., III, 45). Dibdin held that Fielding had greatly improved L'Avare (Charles Dibdin, A Complete History of the [English] Stage ( 1800), V, 42). Genest, while deploring lack of incident, praised the improved catastrophe, and found no characters in either Molière or Shadwell so well drawn as those of Mariana and Lappet (Genest, op. cit., Ill, 369). 33 The part was acted by Macklin (C.G., September 24, 1750) and by Yates (D.L., May 29, 1760). Genest, quoting from the Theatrical Examiner, 1757,

27

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England occasionally rivaled Woodward as the Starved Cook. Frequently revived in either its original or in an altered form, The outlived the century.

Miser

34

Colley Cibber35 adapted two of Moliere's comedies for purposes of political and social satire. As regards The Non-Juror

the au-

recorded: "Collins is no bad comedian in the low cast; he is the best Miser I have seen." "Revivals: 1 7 6 1 - 1 7 6 5 , 1 7 6 7 - 1 7 7 3 , 1 7 7 3 (Liverpool), 1774, 1 7 7 6 (Liverpool), 1777, 1777 (Bath), 1779, 1 7 8 4 - 1 7 8 5 (Bath), 1 7 8 6 - 1 7 8 7 , 1787 (Bath), 1 7 8 8 1789, 1795, 1795 (Bath), 1797 (Bath), 1 7 9 8 - 1 8 0 0 . A three-act alteration ( 1 7 8 9 ) was performed as late as October 14, 1818, at C.G. Editions of The Miser. A Comedy. Taken from Plautus and Moliere: 1 7 3 3 (London, Edinburgh, Dublin), 1744 (2d), 1748 (Glasgow), 1754, 1754 (3d). >755 (Glasgow), 1 7 6 1 (4th), and 1762 (Dublin). " Far from being the stupid fellow pilloried for all time in Pope's Dunciad, Colley Cibber ( 1 6 7 1 - 1 7 5 7 ) , born comedian, unexcelled fop, poet laureate by accident, was above all an opportunist, a kind of cighteenth-century David Belasco. Historically, he is important as the first prominent figure in the development of sentimental comedy and because of his incomparable record of theatrical portraits in An Apology for the Life of Colley Cibber, Comedian and Late Patentee of the Theatre-Royal . . . Written by Himself ( 1 7 4 0 ) . An output of twentyfive dramatic pieces included farces, operas, tragedies, comedies. Three of seven tragedies came from Corneille: The Heroic Daughter; or, Ximena, published in 1 7 1 8 , gave a happy ending to Le Cid; Cinna's Conspiracy, 1 7 1 3 , was a fairly close translation of Cinna; Caesar in Egypt, 1 7 2 5 , followed the general plan and construction of La Mort de Pompee. Three of four comedies were indebted to the following French authors: Thomas Corneillc's Le GaJand double (1660), suggested the main title to The Double Gallant, the subtitle, The Sick. Lady's Cure, obviouslv reverting to Moliere; Moliere's Le Tartuffe and Les Femmes savantes were freely adapted as The Non-Juror and The Refusal; or, The Ladies Philosophy. I have used the 1721 edition of Cibber's Plays for the last two titles. Other editions of Cibber include: the five-volume sets of 1736 and 1 7 7 7 , and the four-volume set of 1760. For bibliographical material consult: DeWitt C. Croissant, Studies in the Work, of Colley Cibber, in the "University of Kansas Humanistic Studies" (Lawrence, Kan., 1 9 1 2 ) , Vol. I; Dorothea Frances Canfield, Corneille and Racine in England (New York, 1904); Ernest Bernbaum, The Drama of Sensibility (Cambridge, Mass., 1 9 2 5 ) ; and F. Dorothy Senior, The Life and Times Colley Cibber (London, 1928).

28

of

Revivals thor in his Apology36

1749-1760

clearly states his intention of exposing

Jacobitism : T o give Life, therefore, to this design, I borrowed the Tartuffe

of

Molière, and turn'd him into a Nonjuror: Upon the Hypocrisy of the French character, I ingrafted a stronger Wickedness, that of an E n g lish Popish Priest, L u r k i n g under the Doctrine of our own Church, to raise his Fortune, upon the Ruin of a worthy Gentleman, w h o m his dissembled Sanctity had seduc'd into the treasonable Cause of a Roman

Catholick Out-law. H o w this Design, in the Play, was

executed, I refer to the Readers of it; it cannot be mended, by any critical Remarks, I can make in its favour: Let it speak for itself.

The Non-Juror

( D . L . , December, 1 7 1 7 ; C.G., January 4, 1750)

forms part of the chain of a prolific line of hypocrites extending from the work of Medbourne (1670) 3 7 to that of BickerstafTe (1768). Cibber followed the first English translation more closely than he did Le Tartuffe, ou l'Imposteur (1664-1669), but adhered slavishly to neither text. By following Medbourne, who had enlarged the servant's part, Cibber achieved a more artistic dénouement: the master's overthrowal by the introduction of a duplicate deed. When D r . Wolf is unmasked the servants break into huzzahs of joy, while the principal characters, showing more restraint, "severally embrace" and "silently join, in their Congratulations." Then Heartly, the English Valére, whose final lines remotely suggest Molière's tactful intervention of the

King,

sounds a paean to political liberty: Grant us, but this, and then of course you'll own, T o guard that Freedom, GEORGE must fill the throne. "Colley Cibber, An Apology jor the Life of Colley Cibber. . . . (3d edition, 1750), p. 427. " Matthew Medbourne, encouraged by Etherege, translated Molière's masterpiece as Tartuffe; or, The French Puritan (1670). On the title page he proudly added: "rendered into English with much Addition and Avantag'." Gillet has written a good account of this work in the twelfth chapter of his Molière en Angleterre ( 1913).

29

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England Cibbcr's indifference to Moliere's method is revealed when he fails to include Madame Pernelle, Cleante,38 and Dorine, 36 who play such an important part in paving the way for Tartuffe's first appearance in the second scene of Act III. Dr. Wolf makes his entrance in Act I. Asides frequently replace Moliere's favorite device of repetition for comic effect, and when the adapter wishes to follow the text he does not hesitate to add some amusing touches of his own. 40 The chief comic improvement lay in converting Orgon's spineless daughter into a coquette.41 Maria leads Heartly, her lover, a merry chase, strikes a hard bargain with the hypocrite, and shares with the servant (whose aching heart she has soothed) an active part in exposing the villain. As a stage character she makes one forget the sentimental language that too frequently clogs the action; 42 and the role, created by Mrs. Oldfield, attracted playgoers long after Cibber's dubious blend of politics43 and moral purpose was forgotten. Peg Woffington, as * Cf., however, Colonel Woodvil's reflections with Cleante's speeches (Act I, 11. 297 ff., with French, Act I, near the end). ** Dorine is, of course, the very life and source of the humor in Moliere. 40

Lady Woodvil (Elmire) thoughtfully provides her husband with a comfort to relieve his cramped position under the table. Dr. Wolf, entering with a book, remarks; "I just dipt into poor Eloisa's Passion for Abelard: it is indeed a piteous Conflict." (Cf. English 1 7 2 1 edition, Act V, 11. 3 5 1 - 3 5 7 , with French, Act IV, sc. 4-8.) " T h e character may have been suggested by Crowne's mordant satire, The English Friar; or, The Town Spares (1690). Here, Laura is listed as "Lord Stately's eldest daughter, a great Gallant and Coquet." Perhaps the gay Father Finical, described in dramatis personae as "made a Bishop in partibus fidelium" led Cibber to make Dr. Wolf a bishop of the vacant see of Thetford (Act III, 1. 359). 42

Charles's soliloquies on unrequited love, the story of his sad life; the relations of Dr. Wolf to the women. 43

See Cibber's amusing account of how Mist's Weekly Journal seldom failed to pass "some of his Party Compliments upon" the author for fifteen years and how Cibber, announced as dead, suddenly came to life upon the stage and gained the plaudits of the town ( A p o l o g y , p. 428).

30

Revivals

ly^g-iyóo

Maria, drew crowdcd houses at both theaters as late as 1757,44 and on one occasion, when Mrs. Pritchard was playing the part, we are informed that servants were allowed to keep places on the stage, "the boxes not being equal to the demand." 45 Although The Non-Juror was performed less often between 1749 and 1760 than the play we are about to consider, its temporary popularity was far from negligible.46 In The Refusal; or, The Ladies Philosophy (D.L., February, 1721; 4 7 C.G., October 31, 1750), Cibber distorted Les Femmes savantes, 1672, in order to write a satire on contemporary business practices; Molière's well-balanced scenes and unity of tone being sacrificed to complication of intrigue and character. The elder daughter's role has been enlarged, and her platonic armor is pierced by a calculating dowry-seeker (a new character) while her father and former gallant become eavesdroppers to love's victory. The younger daughter, changed into a coquette, assists in an original denouement by outwitting a South Sea beau. The main title derives from a bargain struck between the father, a South Sea director, and the coxcomb just mentioned, by virtue of 44 The popular actress had previously played that part at D.L., January 4, 1750, and had repeated her triumph at C.G., September 22, 1754.

" T h i s was a benefit performance for Theophilus Cibber, who portrayed Dr. Wolf (D.L., February 6, 1754). During this decade Dr. Wolf was also enacted by Sparks and Yates. Mrs. Hamilton appeared as Maria at C.G., October 27, 1757, and November 26, 1759. * There were nineteen performances as compared with twenty-eight for The Refusal. A Dublin edition was brought out in 1759 (earlier editions: 1 7 1 8 [5th] and 1746). •"In 1 7 2 1 , Curii published a second edition of Thomas Wright's The Female Vertuoso's (1693), as No Fools like Wits; or, The Female Vertuosoes, in order to poke fun at Cibber's title: His Title, not his Play, we set to Sale: If Patch-work pleases, Molière's Sense can't fail. Cibber owes nothing to Wright's coarse reworking of Molière (Acts III and IV were original), unless it be the name, Witling, for Widess. Subsequent references to The Refusal are made from Plays ( 1 7 2 1 ) , Vol. II.

31

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England which the young man. is to be rewarded with the refusal of either daughter provided South Sea stock reaches a certain level within one year. Cibber's chief caricatures include the learned ladies, the husband, the two daughters, and the English Trissotin. Lady Wrangle (Philaminte), half the age of Sir Gilbert, has been taught Latin and Philosophy by an uncle. She usurps Bélise's rôle when she imagines that her younger daughter's suitor is in love with her. She dismisses her maid for allowing the cook to skewer on the roast beef a brand new "Translation of Byblis" (Act III, II. 419-424). Sophronia (Armande) can be downright vulgar when talking to her sister (Act II), or she can engage Granger, a young man schooled in France, in a love duo to the accompaniment of blank verse (Act V ) . There remains little, if any, of Chrysale's quiet humor in the noisy, South Sea director; and the level-headed, younger daughter, now a coquette, as mentioned above, dances a jig (Act IV, 1. 439). Witling, the English Trissotin, after cleaning up in Change-Alley, finds time to regale, in falsetto, "the Good Company with a small Crash of Instrumentais" (Act IV, 11. 436-437) ; having previously entertained the ladies, so it is announced, by reading ten comedies (Act IV, 1. 429). T h e entire cast, except Charlotte (Henriette), quote verse.48 There were twenty-eight performances of The Refusal for these years, and the play had passed through its fifth edition in I753-43 Vanbrugh's adaptation of Le Dépit amoureux, 1656, as The " F r a n k l e y ( C l i t a n d r e ) cites Latin verse ( A c t I, 1. 3 7 5 ; Act II, 1. 4 0 1 ) and quotes f r o m Suckling (Act II, 1. 3 9 9 ) ; L a d y W r a n g l e also cites Latin verse (Act III, 1. 4 1 9 ) ; Sir Gilbert reads t w o lines of his wife's translation (Act III, 1. 4 2 3 ) , makes an obscene c o m m e n t , and closes the act with a couplet; G r a n g e r relates h o w the British Virgil sings his Sway (Act IV, 1. 4 4 7 ) ; while Sophronia's contribution to this epidemic consists in closing Act II with a couplet, reciting verse (Act III, 11. 407, 4 1 4 ; Act IV, 1. 4 3 3 ) , and t e r m i n a t i n g the play with exccrable lines in praise of the p o w e r of love. " E a r l i e r editions: 1 7 2 1 and

1737

(4th); reissued in 1764. Mrs. Clive actcd

Sophronia at D.L., December 2c, 1 7 5 3 ; December 19, 2 1 , and 27, 1 7 5 9 . Peg Woflington appeared as Charlotte at C.G., October 3 1 , 1 7 5 0 and January 8 and

32

Revivals Mistake

IJ49-IJ60

( H a y . , D e c e m b e r , 1 7 0 5 ) , 5 0 s a w seven revivals b e t w e e n

1 7 5 2 a n d 1 7 6 0 . 5 1 T h e a u t h o r took f e w e r liberties 5 2 w i t h M o l i è r e ' s text t h a n he d i d w i t h that of D a n c o u r t o r B o u r s a u l t , but the g e n eral tone is a c o n t i n u a t i o n of the spirit of M i d d l e t o n o r of M a s singer

rather

than

any

direct

reflection

of

Molière's

kindly

p e s s i m i s m . A specific e x a m p l e of V a n b r u g h ' s b u o y a n t spirit m a y be observed in the r o u g h - a n d - t u m b l e c o n c l u s i o n of the second act, w h e r e D o n

Alvarez

(Albert)

boots M e t a p h r a s t u s off

the

stage w i t h a bell at his ear. T h e a t r i c a l R e g i s t e r s in The revivals of The

Country

Wife

Gentleman's for 1753.

53

des maris,

list three

W y c h e r l e y ' s coarse m a s -

terpiece w h i c h b o r r o w s f r e e l y f r o m L'Ecole a n d L'Ecole

Magazine des

femmes,

1662,

1 6 6 1 , is too w e l l k n o w n f o r m u c h textual

I0 > !757- Sir Gilbert was performed by MackILn at C.G., October 3 1 , 1750; D.L., December 19, 2 1 , and 27, 1759. The Refusal was revived: 1761 (about five times), 1763, 1766, 1769, 1770, 1772, 1775 (London and Liverpool), 1777; last performance at D.L., October 4, 1 8 1 7 . M Vanbrugh's title derives from Lorenzo's confusion over the identity of Camillo, whose French prototypes are Valére and Ascagne. The English adaptation was printed, 1706 and 1726 (Dublin). For separate and collected editions of Vanbrugh, see The Complete Worlds ( 1 9 2 7 - 1 9 2 8 ) , Vol. I (The plays ed. by Bonamv Dobrée; the letters, by Geoffrey Webb). 51 The date of the first revival for this decade was March 3, 1752 (C.G.). The piece was played by an all-star cast at D.L., March 13, 1755, including Garrick as Don Carlos (Eraste); Mrs. Clive as Jacinta (Marinette). "This excellent C. was never so well acted before and in all probability never will be again (Genest, op. cit., IV, 408)." The Mistake continued to appear ( 1 7 6 1 , 1762, 1763, 17641766, 1780, 1785), and there were alterations. K Spanish names and setting may have added local color, but the success of the play depended upon the adapter's enlargement of the low-life passages furnished by the servants, Sancho (Gros-René), Lopez (Mascarille), and Jacinta (Marinette). " At C.G., March 20, 1753, the rôles of Horner, Fidget, and Sparkish, were enacted by Ryan, Macklin, and Dyer (the last named repeating his part at the same theater, November 7); at D.L., May 4, 1753, The Country Wife was played for Miss Raftor's benefit. These dates were recorded before Professor MacMillan published his Drttry Lane Calendar, 7747-/776, Oxford, 1938. MacMillan lists an earlier performance, December 7, 1749. The Country Wife was first acted at D.L., January 12, 1675 (according to Ursula Todd-Naylor in her edition of the piece, issued at Northampton, Mass.,

33

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England comment.54 The vicious satire with its original Sparkish-Alithea subplot hammers home the horrors of jealousy with a vigorous prose dialogue far removed in tone from Moliere's urbane verse. In the next chapter we shall see how Lee, Garrick, and Murphy rework the theme from Wycherley and Moliere. More popular at this time was Otway's The Cheats of Scapin, Dorset Garden, c. December, 1676, anonymously altered and produced at Drury Lane, April 30, 1753, but never printed in this form.55 The original English afterpiece, a fairly close adaptation of Les Fourberies de Scapin, 1671, omitted the character of Nerine, and improved Moliere's weak ending by discarding the gypsy episode and by representing Clara (Hyacinthe) as being in danger of imprisonment. The racy dialogue is occasionally unprintable, and more bluster accompanies the hilarious sack scene where the English Scapin assumes with equal ease Welsh, Lancashire, Irish, a hoarse seaman's voice, a broken French-English jargon, and a combined mixture of all. The Cheats of Scapin was repeated thirty-one times during the next seven years.56 It was especially popular at the minor theaters where it continued to be See also Montague Summers's edition of The Complete Worlds of William Wycherley ( 1 9 2 4 ) ; and Paul Sandmann, "Moliires Ecole des femmes und Wycherleys Country Wife" in Archiv jiir das Studium der neueren Sprachen und Literaturen . . . (Braunschweig, 1 8 8 4 ) . " The stupid guardian-naive ward theme of L'Ecole des femmes was altered to that of jealous husband (ex-rake)—innocent (?)—country wife. Horner's device came from the Eunuchus of Terence. For instances of indebtedness to L'Ecole des maris, cf. English, Act IV, pp. 66 ff. (Vol. II of Summers's edition), with French, Act II, sc. 5 - 8 (business of the letter); English, Act V, pp. 7 3 - 7 5 (mistaken identity), Mrs. Pinchwife (Isabelle) for Alithea (Lconor), the dupe being Pinchwife (Sganarelle), the successful rival being Horner (Valere), cf. French, Act IV, sc. 3. Cf. also Wycherley's The Gentleman Dancing Master, where a blockhead acts as go-between. 1931).

65 Produced as Scapin . . . Altered from Otway, with Several Additions. There had been earlier alterations. "Additional revivals: J 7 6 2 , 1 7 6 4 , 1 7 6 5 , 1 7 7 0 , 1 7 7 2 , 1 7 7 6 , 1 7 8 6 , 1 7 8 9 , 1 7 9 3 , 1 8 0 8 , and 1 8 1 2 .

34

Revivals

1749—1760

played as late as 1 8 5 2 , a n d it w a s a l w a y s a great favorite in the provinces. T h o m a s Sheridan's The

Brave

Irishman

(Aungier-street, D u b -

lin, F e b r u a r y , 1 7 3 7 ) , revived at C o v e n t G a r d e n , M a r c h 18, 1 7 5 5 , 5 7 w a s a one-act curtailment of Molière's three-act Monsieur

de Pourceaugnac,

comédie-ballet,

1669. Sheridan's adaptation w a s obvi-

ously m a d e in order to introduce the hilarious madhouse scene. 5 8 T h e plot is freely motivated, 5 9 and the coarse dialogue, like that of O t w a y ' s Scapin,

is occasionally unprintable. Molière's

h a d been previously used by Ravenscroft and others

80

piece

and it will

be used a g a i n b y M r s . Parsons. 31 According to D.N.B., Thomas Sheridan (1719-1788), father of the famous dramatist, was, in turn, actor, theatrical manager, elocutionist, lexicographer, dramatic author or altérer of some dozen plays, miscellaneous writer, and editor of The Wor\s of Swift, with Life (1784). While an undergraduate at Trinity he had written a farce called Captain O'Blunder, which was first acted, as previously stated, in 1737, but with the changed title of The Honest Irishman; or, The Cuckold in Conceit. (See Nicoll for editions.) When printed, 1759, the full title was: The Brave Irishman; or, Captain O'Blunder. A Farce. As it Is Acted at the Theatre Royal in Smock-Alley: with the Genuine Songs, not in Any Other Edition. Supposed to be Written by T . . . SS N, Esq; and Revised by Several Corrections and Additions by J . . . NP. . . ST. . . .N [John Preston]. The Brave Irishman was issued in Belfast, 1773. M Cf. sc. 3 of The Brave Irishman with Act I, sc. 8, of Monsieur de Pourceaugnac. 5 * O'Blunder, unlike the crushed lawyer from Limoges against whom the laugh is pushed a little too far, is of a more assertive nature; soon bring of the doctors' gibberish, he seizes a chair and drives them off the stage. Unlike Pourceaugnac, he marries Lucy (Lucette) and generously offers his defeated rival and cousin Cheatwell (Eraste) £ 500 as a matrimonial nest egg. More incident was furnished by a third suitor, a ridiculous French fop named Ragou, who is worsted in a fight with O'Blunder, while the latter's sergeant (Jerry) makes small contribution to the general merriment. As for the other characters: Oronte becomes Mr. Trader, Sbrigani appears as Sconce, Dr. Clyster combines features of lc Premier Médecin and L'Apoticaire, and the Second Médecin bears the name of Dr. Gallypot "Earlier versions included: Ravenscroft's The Careless Lovers (1673), The Citizen Turn'd Gentleman (1672); Dryden's Love Triumphant (1694); an unacted version by Ozell, entitled Monsieur de Porceaugnac; or, Squire Trelooby (1704); Squire Trelooby (1704), by Vanbrugh, Congreve, and Walsh, altered

35

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England At Garrick's request John Hawkesworth (i7i5?-i773) altered Dryden's Amphitryon; or, The Two Sosias (D.L., April, 1690),81 and brought it out at Drury Lane the fifteenth of December, 1756, "with a New Interlude of Music and an Occasional Prologue." Hawkesworth 62 was a miscellaneous writer, who, as member of the celebrated Rambler Club, had enjoyed Johnson's friendship. But the success of his The Adventurer (1752-1754) together with the acquisition of an honorary LL.D. seem to have turned his head, and their intimacy ceased. In addition to inferior alterations, Hawkesworth had published, at Garrick's suggestion, an account of the late voyages in the South Seas; a piece of work that was severely criticized for its inaccuracies and indecency. Nothing daunted, he next sought to please contemporary taste by chastening Dryden's language and by pointing out certain inaccuracies belonging neither to Plautus nor to Moliere. The examples of inverisimilitude, which Hawkesworth takes pains to enumerate in his Preface, fail to impress the reader. And a few glances at the insipid dialogue, which replaces Dryden's salacious but vigorous lines (especially those supplied by that capital comedy quartette: Sosia, Bromia, Phaedra, and Mercury), suffice to show how "honest" wit suffers by comparison.63 Neither Dryden, who leaves nothing to the imagination, nor Hawkesworth, who robs Dryden's version of its vigor, caught the spirit of Moliere's spectacular piece a machines, 1668, which presents a story that should be told romantically. Indeed, the French genius's "free blend of fact and fantasy in which wisdom and truth break by James Ralph as The Cornish Squire The Intrigues

of a Morning

( 1 7 3 4 ) . Mrs. Parsons's picce was entitled

(1792).

" See Summers's edition of Dryden's The

Dramatic

Worlds in Six

Volumes

( 1 9 3 1 - 1 9 3 1 ) , Vol. VI. " See the article on Hawkesworth in D.N.B. by George Fisher Russell Barker. " Dryden's additions to Moliere included the lively Mercury-Phaedra intrigue, and the mercenary maid's "grosser Freedoms" with her lecherous uncle, Judge Gripus.

36

Revivals

7749—/ 760

s u d d e n l y into a s m i l e " 0 4 w a s not w i t h i n their range.

Hawkes-

w o r t h ' s alteration w a s w e l l acted, h o w e v e r , a n d , after e n j o y i n g eleven p e r f o r m a n c e s that season, w a s repeated five times b e f o r e 1 7 6 1 . In

1 7 5 6 , an excellent cast 6 5 i n c l u d e d W o o d w a r d

(Sosia)

w h o s e portrayal of stolid simpletons w a s never surpassed, v i v a cious K i t t y C l i v e ( P h a e d r a ) , M r s . M a c k l i n

(Bromia),

remem-

bered f o r her u n r i v a l e d p e r f o r m a n c e of W i d o w B l a c k a c r e in Plain

Dealer,

jaunty

Palmer

(Mercury),

and Yates

w h o s e forte lay in l o w c o m e d y . Amphitryon touches c o n t i n u e d to be played until The

Miser,

The

(Gripus),

w i t h occasional re-

1784.™

repeated f o r t y - f o u r times, a n d The

Moc\

Doctor,

e n j o y i n g t w e n t y - n i n e p e r f o r m a n c e s , r a n k e d first a n d third a m o n g the nine adaptations f r o m M o l i è r e f o r this period. A f t e r a t t e m p t i n g to m a k e

Molière "safe"67

t u r n e d to R e g n a r d

68

f o r the E n g l i s h

stage,

Fielding

a n d succeeded in surpassing the efforts of

Noted by John Palmer in Molière, His Life and Worths (London, 1930), p. 380. " M r s . Yates as Alcmena; David Ross as Jupiter; Havard (who spoke the "Occasional Prologue") as Amphitryon; Miss Minors as Night. " I t was revived: 1762, 1769, 1 7 7 0 - 1 7 7 1 , 1 7 7 3 - 1 7 7 4 , 1 7 7 6 - 1 7 7 7 , 1779-1780, 1784; Liverpool and Bath, 1776; D. L., November 18, 1826 (in two acts). Exclusive of drama collections, Amphitryon was printed: 1756 and 1780. " C f . the line in the Prologue to The Miser: "He [the author] must be safe, if he has sav'd Molière [tic]." " F o r the indebtedness of Jean François Regnard (1656-1709) to Molière see P. Toldo's "Etudes sur le théâtre de Regnard," Revue d'histoire littéraire ( 1 9 0 3 1905). Regnard, apdy called Molière's "petit neveu" by Voltaire, led an adventuresome life in several countries, bought a government position, and wrote for the theater (1688-1708) twenty-eight dramatic compositions, twelve of which came out at the Théâtre-Italien, twelve more being produced at the ThéâtreFrançais. Regnard wrote gay comedies of intrigue in the Italian manner, discarding the moral element and not primarily concerned with either manners or character, although both are present in his theater. The verve and fantasy of his comédies-farces is often expressed in a brilliant, polished style which approaches classical perfection. His works began to appear in 1698; collected editions were issued: 1708, 1 7 3 1 , 1789—1790 (nouvelle édition, 4 vols.; Vol. Ill for Le Retour imprévu), 1 8 1 9 - 1 8 2 0 , 1822, 1876 (2 vols.). See de Marchéviile, Bibliographie et iconographie des oeuvres de J.-F. Regnard ( 1 8 7 7 ) .

37

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England other adapters to reproduce the gaiety of the Master's chief heir. Le Retour imprévu, Théâtre-Français, February n , 1700, was a most suitable piece for Fielding to adapt, because he had a special talent for farcical extravagance and because he was at his best when painting externals. Regnard's piece was Englished as The Intriguing Chambermaid (D.L., January, 1734; September 28, 1749), a freely reworked two-act enlargement.69 This is the third instance of the same author's rewriting a part taken from the French in order to give greater scope to the title rôle played by his favorite actress, Kitty Clive. This time the piece was dedicated to her. The plot hinges upon the unexpected return of a father who discovers that his house is overrun with the gay companions of his profligate son, much of the fun arising from the chambermaid's (valet's in the original) attempts to forestall the old man by telling him, among other things, that his house is haunted.70 The lively dialogue of servants, who conduct the intrigue, is equal if not superior to Regnard's verve. 71 Colonel Bluff, a more colorful reproduction of Regnard's drunken Marquis, plays a more active part as master parasite, driving off a constable and assistants. Oldcastle, an original creation, is a ridiculous coxcomb of seventy-five, who is much more worried over the devastating effects upon his health of an east wind than thrilled by the thought of marriage to a young girl. The success of the play can be ascribed largely to Mrs. Clive's acting. The Intriguing Chambermaid was performed at least fifty-three times between 1749 " I n order to give Mrs. Clive more lines, Fielding omitted the business of Lisette's pretending to abscond with Géronte's cassette. The author also discarded Cidalise, Lucile's cousin, and Jaquinet, a servant. 10 Le Retour imprévu, printed 1700, was, of course, indebted to the Mostellaria, a subject used by Larivey for Les Esprits (1579) and taken over by Montfleury for the first act of Le Comédien poète ( 1 6 7 3 ) . Regnard's farce met with La Harpe's superlative praise ("ce que nous avons de mieux dans ce genre," Cours, I, 658). n Especially in the artfulness they display in making Goodall (Géronte) and Mrs. Highman the aunt (Mme Bertrand) each believe the other insane.

S»

Revivals /749-/760 and 1760. The piece was published in 1734. It saw several revivals72 and was often reprinted.73 Though less popular in its day than The Busie Body, Mrs. Centlivre's The Gamester (L.I.F., January, 1705) 74 had played an important part in establishing her fame as a dramatist, and had enjoyed four editions before appearing at Drury Lane, October 13, 1756. Regnard's most ambitious attempt at character drawing {Le Joueur, Théâtre-Français, December 19, 1696)" had presented a gambler whose luck serves as a barometer to his love for Angélique, winnings causing neglect and losses carrying in their wake genuine remorse and temporary devotion. Consistently portrayed to the very end, the central figure remarks to his faithful valet: Va, va, consolons-nous, Hector: et quelque jour Le jeu m'acquittera des pertes de l'amour. (Act V.) Mrs. Centlivre's approach was diametrically opposed to that of Regnard, and her sentimental passages, a necessary concession to public taste, permitted her hero to repent and marry.76 It is safe to assume, however, that the author's arrangement of the merry "Revived: 1 7 6 1 , 1763, 1765, 1 7 7 1 , 1773, 1785, 1787, 1789, 1790 (There was an anonymous alteration, produced at D.L., November 3, 1790, in which Mrs. Jordan played the title rôle), 1 7 9 1 , 1798. "Reprinted: 1748 (Dublin), 1750, 1758 (Dublin), 1 7 6 1 , 1765 (Cork), 1776, 1780, 1783 (Edinburgh), 1790 (alteration), printed for the proprietors (no date). " Nicoll's date. "Printed in Oeuvres (1698); issued separately, 1700, 1705. Voltaire considered Le Joueur worthy of a place beside Molière (Oeuvres, XIV, m ) . La Harpe held that it was superior to Le Légataire universel (Cours, I, 656). " Sentiment extends to the subplot since Angelica's coquettish sister, unlike her giddy-headed prototype, La Comtesse, is redeemed by the patient Lovewell. Other changes: Lady Wealthy sends Valere a £ 100 note so that he may revert to his vice; the Marquess of Hazard (Le Marquis) proves to be the nephew and not the cousin of Mrs. Security (Mme la Ressource); the episodic Toutabas, maitre de trictac, has been discarded, not a bad move since his mistaking Géronte for Valere is hardiy convincing; Angelica, disguised as a man, wins her pawned portrait from Valere.

39

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England intrigues of the two principals, Valère and Angélique, served to win greater appreciation than the serious moral lesson involved. Moreover, Regnard's lively dialogue was improved with all the local color and technicalities of the gaming tables. The

Gamester

was issued in 1756 (5th edition), 1765, and 1767. A s to style, Dancourt 77 is inferior to Regnard, yet most of the prolific output of the "Père

du Vaudeville"

(Lemaître) offers

lively, witty, and natural dialogue in pleasing tableaux de moeurs; a satirical record of passing events like our modern revues. Further on, we shall recognize in Foote a kindred spirit, who brightened his passing shows with suggestions from the Frenchman. But here we wish to speak of three adaptations, one by Garrick 7 * " F l o r e n t Carton, sieur d'Ancourt ( 1 6 6 1 - 1 7 2 5 ) , actor and able director of the Comédie-Française for thirty-three years ( 1 6 8 5 - 1 7 1 8 ) , wrote some fifty pieces, if we include collaboration with Sainctyon and others. His Collected

Worlds ap-

peared: 1693, 1 7 1 1 (7 vols.); 1 7 2 9 (9 vols.); 1 7 3 8 (4th, 8 vols.); 1 7 4 2 (8 vols.); 1760 ( 1 2 vols., edition used). See Jules Lemaître, La Comédie théâtre

de Dancourt

après Molière et le

1903, deuxième édition conforme à celle de 1 8 8 2 ) ;

Barthélémy, La Comédie de Dancourt, 1685-1714

Ch.

(1882).

" D a v i d Garrick ( 1 7 1 7 - 1 7 7 9 ) of Huguenot extraction on his father's side (the de la Garrique family came from Bordeaux) and of Irish blood on his mother's, has perhaps never been surpassed as an actor. As joint partner, then manager of Drury Lane

( 1 7 4 7 - 1 7 7 6 ) , he began and ended an era in theatrical

history.

Many of the reforms he introduced, matters of discipline, stage lighting, and costumes, had been learned during his trips abroad. The lavish display with which his funeral was solemnized, at an estimated cost of >£1,500, was in keeping with much of the ostentation and pageantry that had marked his Drury Lane productions. Thirty-four coaches of mourners, led by Sheridan, were followed, among others, by one containing Colman, Banks, Charnier, and Gibbon. (See The

Gentleman's

Magazine,

I., 472.) For Garrick's French contacts, begin-

ning with Monnet and the French actors in London, 1749, continuing with his memorable journeys to Paris, see Frank A. Hedgcock, David French friends

Carried

and

His

( 1 9 1 1 ) . The Diary of David Carrick.- Being a Record of His Mem-

orable Trip to Paris in 1751,

has been edited by Rvllis Clair Alexander (Oxford,

American branch, 1 9 2 8 ) . (The editor includes a brief but interesting commentary on theatrical conditions, the plays Garrick saw, and the people he met.) Garrick's Dramatic

Worlds were published in 1798. See N'ettleton's "Bibliography" to Chap.

IV in Vol. X of the Cambridge

History of English

40

Literature.

Revivals

1749-1760

a n d t w o b y V a n b r u g h . T h e f o r m e r , u s i n g hints f r o m D a n c o u r t as a f r a m e w o r k f o r his c o n t e m p o r a r y satire, p r o d u c e d o n e of the m o s t p o p u l a r afterpieces of the c e n t u r y ; the latter, b r e a t h i n g a n English

soul

into a F r e n c h

body, left t w o caricatures, o n e

a

masterpiece. It is impossible t o m a k e a n y complete statement of

Garrick's

share in m a n y plays that w e r e d r a w n f r o m the F r e n c h a n d passed f o r his o w n . W e k n o w that he w a s at his best in those parts that h e w r o t e or adjusted f o r himself. T h u s D a n c o u r t ' s one-act La

Parisienne,79

Théâtre-Français,

June

13,

1691,

bluette,

served

its

a d a p t e r w i t h a c o n v e n t i o n a l gallant w h o could be t r a n s f o r m e d into a n e f f e m i n a t e f o p f o r purposes of effective contrast w i t h a l o u d e r c o w a r d . T h e E n g l i s h piece, entitled Miss or, The

Medley

of Lovers,80

in Her

Teens;

w a s originally produced at C o v e n t

G a r d e n , J a n u a r y 1 7 , 1 7 4 7 , a n d w a s r e v i v e d at D r u r y L a n e , O c t o ber 3 , 1 7 4 9 . A n initial r u n of e i g h t e e n p e r f o r m a n c e s c a n be ascribed to the " Dancourt presents a charming young lady fresh from the convent. Her subtle wit lies hidden beneath naïve simplicity, thus enabling her to circumvent a mother's plans and bewilder three suitors. One of the most amusing scenes, a lover's unwitting dismissal of a rival (sc. 16) was taken from Montflcury's L'Ecole des filles. La Parisienne was acted thirteen times the first year and had enjoyed 135 performances before Garrick produced Miss in Her Teens. La Parisienne was printed: 1694, 1738 (4th), and 1742. Angélique becomes Miss Biddy Bellair, a country maid of sweet sixteen, who moves to town and becomes a coquette. Promised to Loveit Senior, she encourages a quarrel between the effeminate Fribble and the blustering Captain Flash, two would-be suitors. As these bravos stand with drawn swords, but at a safe distance, the timely arrival of Loveit Junior permits the latter to play the hero and drive off the pair. And now Miss in her teens, suddenly becoming a pattern of love and constancy, decides to spend the rest of her days with this casual rcscuer whom she had met in Berkshire as Rodophil and from whom she had received no word in two years. She makes the following excuse for her actions: "I'm afraid the town will be ill-natured enough to think I have been a little coquettish in my behavior; but I hope, as I have been constant to the Captain [Young Loveit's father had bought his son a commission] I shall be excused diverting myself with pretenders."

41

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England farcical portrayal of two swaggering officers whose originals filled the coffeehouses at that time. According to Wilkinson, "Woodward had altogether the most elegant proportioned figure; and when displayed and saying (as Captain Flash), 'Look at me now, Miss! What do you think of me now? damme!'" he had no equal.81 Although Garrick was at first considered too silly as Fribble,82 he often enacted that part. Mrs. Pritchard, who created the rôle of Tag (Lisette), was found to be worthy of pity "if it is a disagreeable task to be brought upon the stage for no other purpose than to talk Bawdry."83 The sentiments expressed were considered worthy of the two galleries. Six of the forty-four performances of this stock piece (1749-1760) were staged by children.84 The best of Dancourt's theater, if we except excellent descriptions of peasants from outlying districts of Paris, is to be found in the lively dialogue furnished by bourgeois wives who would become ladies of quality (Les Bourgeoises à la mode, ThéâtreFrançais, November 15, 1692, and printed the next year).85 In Vanbrugh's popular masterpiece, The Confederacy (Hay., March, " T a t e Wilkinson, Memoirs of His Own Life . . . (York, 1790), II, 3 1 ; cf. Genest, op. cit., IV, 214. " T h e part was also played by Shuter (1762, 1765), Dodd (1766, 1770, 1774), and Quick (1786). The character owes its origin to that of Maiden in Thomas Baker's Tunbridge-Wai\s; or. The Yeomen of Kent, D.L., January, 1703. " The London Magazine, XVI (February, 1747), 82-84. " T h e s e childrens' companies performed at D.L.: April 29, 1755; January 15, 19, and May 10, 1756; April 5, and June 28, 1759. Miss in Her Teens was revived: 1762-1776, 1786-1787, 1792, 1794-1795. (Acted at Bath, July 1, 1793). Editions: 1747 (3); 1748, 1758, 1759, 1777, 1779? ; drama collections: Fugitive Pieces, 1 7 6 1 , 1762, 1765, 1 7 7 1 ; supplement to Bell's British Theatre (1784), Vol. I; A Collection of the Most Esteemed Farces (1786, 1789), Vol. I. M Before Vanbrugh, Richard Estcourt used Dancourt's piece for The Fair Example; or. The Modish Citizens; D.L., April 10, 1703, printed, 1706. The author of The Confederacy was not influenced by Estcourt, whose piece, by the way, should have been called The School for Cuckolds.

42

Revivals

1749-1760

1704; D.L., November 9, 1749), high-flavored speech sets off the brilliant caricatures. This was Vanbrugh's primary concern; 88 almost any bit of dialogue chosen at random will show how he leaves nothing to the imagination, while Dancourt lets one read between the lines. Enter, Jessamin. Madam, there's the Woman below that sells Paints and Patches, Iron-Bodices, False Teeth, and all sorts of Things to the Ladies; I can't think of her Name. Flippanta. 'Tis Mrs. Amlet, she wants Money. (Act I, sc. 2.) Jasmin. Madame Amelin, votre Marchande de modes. . . . Lisette. C'est de l'argent qu'elle vous demande. (Act I, sc. 6.) Flippanta, created by Mrs. Bracegirdle, dominates the intrigue; Brass, "exquisite Brass," has risen from the position of servant to that of companion, 87 which gives him a freer rein in the blackmailing business. K i n g remained undisputed master of this part. Bred up in modest lore, Bashful and young he sought Hibernia's shore; Hibernia, fam'd, 'bove ev'ry other grace, For matchless intrepidity of face. From her his Features caught the gen'rous flame, And bid defiance to all sense of shame: Tutor'd by her all rivals to surpass, 'Mongst Drury's sons he comes, and shines in Brass.88 " T h e r e were three original scenes: the opening scene between Mrs. Amlet and her neighbor, Mrs. Cloggit (a new character); Act III, sc. 1, between Mrs. Amlet and her son; Act V, sc. 2, up to the entrance of the goldsmith. Dancourt more consistently completed his comic plot in the same spirit it had been begun; after the husbands have been duped, things resume their normal course, for jealousy is a bourgeois quality. As an unwilling but necessary concession to morality, Vanbrugh has his city wives promise to reform. 81 B

Dancourt makes less of this relationship (cf. Frontin and the Chevalier). Quoted from Dobree's edition of The Complete Wor\s, Vol. III.

43

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in The Confederacy

England

has had a long and interesting history, and it

is perhaps the only comedy by Vanbrugh that has been revived during the present century. 89 During the first half of the century The Country House, Drury Lane, January, 1698, had been exceedingly popular, but it was revived only twice during the latter half. 90 Dancourt's intention in La Maison de campagne (Théâtre-Français, August 27, 1688) was to satirize those lawyers (les robins), who, after fleecing clients in town, have retired to country estates where, in turn, they become the unwilling victims of parasites. Again the adapter's usual buoyancy is to the fore, and lighter French dialogue is thickened in order to supply more flesh-and-blood personages.91 T h e remainder of the revivals for this period came from Thomas Corneille, L a Chappelle, Hauteroche, L e Sage, Brueys, and Boursault. Borrowings will be considered in the order named. T h e theme of the hero who makes love to two women under different names reverts to Thomas Corneille's he Galand

doublé,

1660,92 but treatment of and credit for the two best characters " R o y a l t y Theatre, November 28, 1904; Playhouse, Oxford, March 1 , There were eighteen performances between 1767-1770, 1778, 1 7 8 1 - 1 7 8 2 ,

1749-1760.

Revivals:

1926.

1760-1765,

1785-1786, 1 7 8 8 - 1 7 9 1 , 1793, 1795-1796,

1798.

The last performance listed by Genest was given at D.L., November 2, 1825. The Confederacy

was printed: 1 7 0 5 , 1 7 5 1 , and 1 7 6 2 (Dublin).

" C . G , April 3, 1 7 5 8 ; April 25, 1760. " Cf. the incident where brother and sister from the city confound the already harassed country gentleman with their ridiculous requests for a rest cure (cf. English, Act II, sc. 1 , with French, sc. 1 2 ; Shuter played Janno, the city cousin). Or, cf. Thibaut's simple announcement of a stag arriving "tout essoufle" (Act I, sc. 1 4 ) , with Collin's hearty "comes towards our Geat a puffing and blowing like a Cew in hard labour." (Act II, sc. 1.) In the love intrigue, Barnard, the future father-in-law, would not only like to give away his daughter, but would toss in his wife for good measure (an original gesture). The wife's mania for house guests has compelled him to pose as an innkeeper in order to put the spongers to flight by charging exorbitant rates. Separate editions of the piece appeared: 1 7 0 3 , 1 7 1 5 , 1 7 1 9 , 1 7 3 0 , 1740, and 1 7 6 2 (Dublin). " For Corneille's indebtedness to Calderón and Spanish intrigue comedy see G. Revnier, Thomas

Corneille,

sa tie et son théâtre ( 1 8 9 2 ) Chap. IV. Corneille's

comedy was printed: 1660 and 1690.

44

Revivals

1749-1760

(Atall and Lady Dainty) in The Double Gallant; or, The Sicl{ Lady's Cure93 (Hay., November, 1707; C.G., November 17, 1749) belong to Mrs. Centlivre and Burnaby since Cibber was little more than their impresario.91 Pope would have called

The

Double Gallant "a vast, vamped, future, old, revived new piece 'twixt

Plautus, Fletcher, Shakespeare and Corneille."95

This

strange combination remained popular until the end of the century and beyond.96 Assisted by Motteux, Farquhar enlarged Jean de la Chappelle's episodical, one-act farce (Les Carosses d'Orléans)*1 to three acts, and produced it as The Stage Coach (L.I.F., February 2, 1704). The initial failure of the piece has been ascribed to the presence of French dancers at the rival theater. Although it soon became very popular, there were but three revivals for 1749-1760.98 A n M

The suggestive title of the subplot reminds one of Molière. " T h e main plot came to Cibber by way of Mrs. Centlivre's hove at a Venture (1706). (See Hobohm, Das Verhältnis von S. Centlivre's "Love at a Venture" zu T. Corneille's "Le Galant Doublé" [Halle, 1900.]) Cibber changed his dramatis personae and rewrote a good deal of the dialogue. The subplot, about one-fourth of which was taken over verbatim, combined The Reform'd Wife (1700), and The Ladies Visiting-Day ( 1 7 0 1 ) , by C. Burnaby. K See the article by F. W. Bateson, "The Double Gallant of Colley Cibber," The Review of English Studies, I (1925), 343-346. "*The Double Gallant was acted twenty-five times (1749-1760), was revived: 1 7 6 1 - 1 7 6 3 , 1770, 1 7 7 2 - 1 7 7 3 , 1779, 1780, 1782, 1784-1786, 1788, 1791, 1792, 1797. 1798, 1801, 1 8 1 7 , and was printed: 1707 (bis), 1 7 1 9 (3d), 1723 (4th), 1725 (Dublin), 1729 (2d), 1740, 1760 (Worlds, Vol. III). " A c t e d for the first time, August 2 or 9, 1680, and printed, April 24, 1681. Jean de la Chappelle ( 1 6 7 8 - 1 7 0 7 ) served for a time the Prince de Conti, succeeded Furetière in the Academy, and was the author of mediocre tragedies and romans poétiques. The present comedy was sketched, so the author declares, "pour me délasser des fatigues d'un assez long voyage pendant lequel j'avois souffert tout I'ennuy, & toutes les incommoditez qui accompagnent toujours les carrosses de voiture." (Preface to the :68i edition.) " C . G . , March 17, 20, 1750; November 6, 1750. The Stage Coach was originally printed in Dublin, 1704. There was a second issue of Farquhar's piece the following year. In 1760, Farquhar's Works were published in two volumes. (9th edition). The latest edition of Farquhar is that of Charles Stonehill, The Complete Worths of George Farquhar (1930).

45

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England alteration of this boisterous, tavern farce will be treated in the next chapter. The Stage Coach has been mentioned here chiefly in order to note that it apparently served Farquhar as a rough sketch for his greatest literary triumph, The Beaux'

Stratagem,

in 1 7 0 7 . " From Motteux's translation ( A l l without June, 1697) of Hauteroche's Le Soupé

Money,

mal-apprêté,

100

L.I.F., c. Garrick

derived some assistance toward a two-act enlargement called The Lying

Valet, in which an astute servant entertains unwanted

guests and provides them with a meal while helping his impecunious master to an heiress. But in the main Garrick owed little cither to All without Money or to Le Soupé mal-apprêté.101 When The Lying

Valet first came out, November 30, 1741, the patent

houses were deserted, and the route which led from Temple Bar to Goodman's Fields was filled with carriages. Professor Nicoll has listed an impressive number of performances of Garrick's piece for the first half of the century. There were at least thirtysix performances from 1754 to 102 1760. It remained a great favorite at Drury Lane and Covent Garden until the end of the century and passed through several editions.103 " For an account of the brilliant career of Farquhar's masterpiece see the Temple Dramatists edition ( 1 9 1 4 ) . IW Noël Lebreton, sieur de Hauteroche ( 1 6 1 7 - 1 7 0 7 ) , actor and writer of farces inspired by Molière. The piece was printed: 1670. The text used was Les Oeuvres de théâtre ( 1 7 3 6 ) , Vol. I. Other editions of Hauteroche's plays appeared in 1692, 1696, 1742 (3 vols.), and 1772 (3 vols.). 101 Unlike the valets of Motteux and Hauteroche (Speedwel and Philipin), Sharp, played by Garrick, saves the supper by collaring a drunken cook who has mistaken Gayless's (Valèrc) house for that of Mr. Treatwell (in the original, a rumor of smallpox routs the company). Garrick, for the sake of more incident, added the heiress motif and four new characters: Beau Trippit, Mrs. "frippit, Justice Gadabout, Mrs. Gadabout. m

The Lying Valet was revived at C.G., March 18, 1754. MacMillan, op. cit., lists D.L. performances from 1747 to 1776. 103 Exclusive of drama collections, the piece was issued as follows: 1742, 1743 (2d and 3d edition), 1756 (6th edition), 1769 (7th), 1779? . I have used the sixth edition. The Lying Valet was revived: 1762-1767, 1770-1772, 1 7 7 3 - 1 7 7 5 ,

46

Revivals

1749-1760

Less successful was Vanbrugh's The False Friend

(D.L., c.

February, 1702; 104 revived at C.G., January 28, 1752, and February 6, 1753), later altered anonymously as Friendship

à la Mode (S.A.,

Dublin, May 30, 1766), and finally reworked by Kemble as The False Friend

(D.L., October 24,1789). Vanbrugh's piece, repeated

at Drury Lane, March 31, 1767, was derived from Le Sage's Le Traître puni,105

La Haye, 1700, which was in turn a five-act en-

1776, 1782, 1784, 1 7 8 7 - 1 7 9 0 , 1793, 1799; Liverpool ( 1 7 7 5 ) , Bath ( 1 7 8 4 , 1788, 1791. 1797)Vanbrugh's piece was printed anonymously in 1702. Edition used, Recueil des pièces mises au théâtre jrançois ( 1 7 3 9 ) , Vol. I. Alain-René Le Sage ( 1 6 6 8 - 1 7 4 7 ) , became interested in Spanish intrigue before turning to social satire. Unwelcomed by the Théâtre-Français, he, aided by d'Orneval and Fuzelier, published in ten volumes his prolific contributions to the Théâtre de la Foire ( 1 7 3 7 ) . His works reveal "une philosophie moyenne, aimable et souriante, mêlée de finesse et de malice." (Lenient, La Comédie en France au XVIII' siècle [ 1 8 8 8 ] , I, 124.) See also, E. Lintilhac, Usage (In G.E.F. series), 1893; Brunètiere, Les Epoques du théâtre français ("Autour de Turcaret"), 7th edition. Smollett's translation (1749, 4 vols.) of Le Sage's Gil Bias ( 1 7 1 5 - 1 7 3 5 ) 1 was probably the most immediate source of Edward Moore's unsuccessful play bearing the same title and performed for the first time at D.L., February 2, 1 7 5 1 . The adaptation reverted to the Frenchman's story of Aurora in Chap. 1 - 3 and 5 - 6 of Book IV. Moore's piece was repeated at D.L., February 4, 5 - 9 , 1 1 - 1 2 . (See John Homer Caskey, The Life and Wor\s of Edward Moore [New Haven, 1 9 2 7 . ] ) Moore's Gil Bias was altered anonymously: as The Counterfeits, D.L., March 26, 1764 (not printed); as The Female Adventurer; or, Stop Her Who Can, C.G., April 29, 1790, repeated three times, first, as Female Pursuit, in four acts, C.G., May 11, 1790, then as Female Adventurer, June 1 2 and November 6, 1790 (not printed). Joseph Reed's two-act farce, The Imposters; or, The Credulous Don (Larpent) performed at C.G., March 19, 1776, as The Imposters; or, A Cure for Credulity, 1(H 103

admits of borrowing the outlines of the fabie from Gil Bias (Prologue). Actually, this farce is a reflection of the general tone of Le Sage rather than a deliberate attempt tc reproduce specific incidents of the story. Additional bits of indebtedness to Le Sage include: a burlesque entitled The Humours of Gil Bias (Royal Grove, August 2, 1788) and a pantomime called Gil Bias; or, The Fool of Fortune (Royalty Theatre, 1 7 8 8 ) , ascribed to Bates, music by W. Reeve, scenery by Dixon. According to Professor Nicoli, an interlude, The Knights of the Post; or, The Blackamoor '797)> w a s a I s o derived from Le Sage.

47

Wash'd

White

(Newcastle,

Revivals

and Importations

of French

Comedies

largement of R o j a s ' s three-act verse c o m e d y , La el castigo.1™

in

England

Traición

busca

S a v e f o r occasional s h i f t i n g of scenes, V a n b r u g h fol-

l o w e d the first three acts closely e n o u g h . H i s customary t h i c k e n i n g process a f f o r d e d m o r e color to the l o w characters. 1 0 7 happiest c h a n g e in dramatis

consisted in g i v i n g

personae

The the

n a m e of D o n J o h n ( D o n A n d r é ) to the false f r i e n d w h o is u n f a i t h f u l to his trust of a lady's honor. T h e m o r e serious note that creeps into the c o n c l u d i n g speeches leads one to believe that the adapter w a s f a m i l i a r w i t h the literal F r e n c h translation, 1700. The

D r u r y L a n e , A p r i l 30, 1 7 5 4 , retained the cen-

Grumbler,

tral features of Sedley's able translation of Brueys's Le Théâtre-Français,

February

3,

1691.108

already pointed out, the alteration "* By Francisco 1640-1645. This 1918), Vol. LIV. tions, presented a

110

As

Miss

Grondeur,

Wood109

has

has been ascribed to G a r -

de Rojas Zorrilla (c. 1607-1660). His plays were published, one can be read in Biblioteca de autores españoles (Madrid, Le Sage, discarding Rojas's preciosity and needless complicamore symmetrical plot.

Especially noticeable in the interpolated first scene of Act IV with its wantonly indecent dialogue. ,0

" Sir Charles Sedley's piece appeared posthumously in his collected works, 1722. Except for the curtailed scenes, Sedley's first act was almost a literal translation. The other two were more freely rendered. The Poetical and Dramatic Worths have been recently edited by V. de Sola Pinto (1928). David-Augustin de Brueys (1640-1723), intimate friend and collaborator of Jean Palaprat, sieur de Bigot (1650—1721), was converted by the celebrated Bossuet and became the author of several theological treatises, but he is best known for his sparkling character-farce, Le Grondeur, and the still more popular alteration of L'Avocat Patelin. Self-praise of the first act of Le Grondeur and condemnation of the other two, largely the work of "ce barbouilleur" Palaprat who also wrote the Prologue (Les Sifflets), has since met with the general approval of French critics (cf. Fréron, L'Année littéraire [1755] Vili, 29 fï.; Voltaire, Oeuvres, XIV, 47; La Harpe, Cours, I, 650). Le Grondeur was printed: •693. ' 7 5 9 ( I 7 7 1 ) . ' 7 8 5 (Le Texier's Recueil [Vol. II, edition usedl, 1787 [Petite Bibliothèque des théâtres}). Collected works: 1698; 1735 (3 vols.); 1 7 5 5 1756 (5 vols.). '"Alice I. Perry Wood, (ed.), The Grumbler. An Adaptation by Oliver Goldsmith (Harvard University Press, 1931 ), listed in the Bibliography under Goldsmith. "" Whoever made the alteration discarded the entire third act, except for two 48

Revivals

ij^g-iyôo

rick, without proof, because of the following note in the Larpent manuscript: Sir This Farce we have given Mr. Pritchard leave to have for his Benefit, if it meets with ye Approbation of my L (or) d Chamberlain from yr humble serv" D Garrick Ap.22d for Mr. Lacy 1754 & himself T h e main plot runs as follows : A miserly physician who grumbles for grumbling's sake is seized with admiration for the effective manner in which a young girl berates a servant. Admiration soon yields to love, and unwittingly the Grumbler becomes his son's rival. But the assumed, extravagant behavior of this paragon of womanly virtues cools the old man's ardor, while intriguing servants and a benevolent uncle aid both son and daughter in their respective heart interests. The Grumbler

was repeated at

Drury Lane, May 2, 7, 1754, but was never printed. 111 Vanbrugh's Aesop (D.L., Part I, c. December, 1696; Part II, c. March, 1697, 112 revived at the same theater, December 28, 1758, 1 1 3 and repeated six times (1758-1759), is an improvement over Edmond Boursault's "episodic morality" 1 1 4 as to wit and humor, final scenes, and gave the characters English names. Thus M. Grichard, the Grumbler, becomes Doctor Snarl (played by Yates); Aristus, Worthy; Clarice, Victoria; and so on. 111 Goldsmith's one-act curtailment, mentioned in the next chapter, furnishes no proof that its author was familiar with Garrick's (?) earlier alteration of Sedley's translation of Brueys. ,u Parts I and II were printed separately and together: 1697; and were printed together: 1702, 1 7 1 1 , 1725 (Dublin), 1735, and 1763 (Dublin). Part II has no connection with Boursault's piece. Genest lists a revival as an afterpiece, D.L., December 19, 1778. 114 Boursault's most popular character first appeared in Les Fables d'Esope, ou Esope à la ville, Théâtre-Français, January 18, 1690 (Joannidès, lu1 ComédieFrançaise de 1680 à 1900 [ 1 9 0 1 ] ) , and ran for forty-eight nights. It was printed

49

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England but inferior as to sentiment. The adapter changed personae

dramatis

at will, made free use of the original text, 115 and

crowded a country gentleman into the fourth act, for which he apologized in the Preface: "For though it [ E s o p e a la ville] swam in France,

it might have sunk in England.

Their Country

abounds in Cork, ours in Lead." Poor as the piece is, the reader must agree that Vanbrugh's buoyancy knows no bounds, extending to the denouement where Aesop, in order to burlesque the superannuated dandy, enters "in an Airy Brisk manner," wearing "a gay Foppish Dress, Long peruke," and accompanied by "a Gaudy Equipage of Pages and Footmen." A flourish of trumpets follows as Aesop bestows his blessing upon Oronces (Agenor) and Euphronia (Euphrosine). Before the curtain falls he turns to the boxes and gives the ladies some salutary advice on matrimony. The majestic Mossop in the part was said to have been too stiff, but it seems to the present writer that in certain scenes, where that character is made the butt of "General Clive's" sprightly humor as Doris, this defect might have been turned to good account, unconsciously of course. Seven performances that season can be accredited largely to Mrs. Clive's acting as the impudent nurse

(confidante).

as Les Fables d'Esope (1690; 4th edition, 1 7 2 4 ) , and was later included, with Esope à la cour, in Pièces de théâtre ( 1 7 0 1 ) . For information on Boursault ( 1 6 3 8 - 1 7 0 1 ) , see Victor Fournel, Les Contemporains de Molière ( 1 8 6 3 - 1 8 7 5 ) ; Saint-René Taillandier, Etudes (1881).

littéraires

. . . Boursault,

sa vie et ses

oeuvres

115

For example, Doucet, généalogiste, becomes Quaint, a Herold; Aminte, mère d'une fille enlevée, appears as Aminta, a lewd mother. A number of fables have been turned into verse, others have been omitted. Aesop's portrait is given in blank verse. The first two acts keep fairly closely to the original; the remainder following the French thus: English, Act III, utilized French, Act III, sc. 4 - 5 , 1, 3; English, Act IV, took hints from French, Act IV, sc. 1, 5, 4; as did English, Act V , from French, Act V, sc. 1 - 2 . The rest of the adaptation is original. The omissions of characters included: Agaton, petit garçon fort beau, fils de Léarque; Cléonce, petite fille fort laide, soeur d'Agaton; Colinctte, femme de Pierrot.

5°

New Plays 1749-1760 NEW

PLAYS

The author of the first of ten new plays drawn from the French 116 during this period was Mrs. Susannah Cibber (17141766), sister of the celebrated composer, Dr. Thomas A. Arne. After achieving success as a singer, Mrs. Cibber burst into fame as a tragedy queen in the title rôle of Hill's version (Zara, 1736) of Voltaire's dramatic masterpiece (Zaire, 1732). 117 Several triumphs at Covent Garden followed before this actress joined Garrick at Drury Lane (1753) where she remained until her death. When "the English Roscius" heard the sad news he exclaimed: "Then tragedy expired with her; and yet she was the greatest female plague belonging to my house." 118 The year before Mrs. Cibber joined Garrick's company she appeared at Covent Garden in a charming little masque ( T h e Oracle, March 17, 1752), based on Saint-Foix's L'Oracle (Théâtre-Français, March 22, 1740). 119 Acting the title rôle, she gave a delightful interpretation of innocence (Cinthia-Lucinde) gradually discovering in the deaf and dumb Oberon (Alcindor) something more than a perfect machine. By admitting her love Cinthia unconsciously brings about the oracle's fulfillment. The piece " ' T h e new offerings were indebted to the following writers: Saint-Foix (one), De Boissy (three acted; one unacted), Delisle (one unacted), Fagan (one), Moissy (one), Dufresny (one), and Voltaire (one unacted). See Dorothy Brewster, Aaron Hill, Poet, Dramatist, Projector (New York, 1 9 1 3 ) ; Harold Lawton Bruce, Voltaire on the English Stage (Berkeley, Calif., 1918). " • B . D . , I, Part I, 125. '"Germain-François Poullain de Saint-Foix (1698-1776) was more celebrated' for his duels than for his works. His most notable contribution to letters has been adjudged the Essais historiques sur Paris ( 1 7 5 4 - 1 7 5 7 ) , Londres, 1759, 1 7 6 $ (5 vols.); Paris (7 vols.); English translation, 1767 (3 vols.). As dramatic author he turned out twenty-three pieces, chiefly in one act There are several editions of his collected works. Text used: Oeuvres de théâtre . . . nouvelle édition ( 1 7 6 2 ) , Vol. I.

51

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England was favorably received and repeated eleven times. There were nineteen performances at Drury Lane (1753—1759). 12 ' The same theme was to prove more popular, however, in the form of Bickerstaffe's alteration. The latter's comic opera will be mentioned in the next chapter. Foote's The Englishman in Paris, Covent Garden March 24, 1753, is an imitation of De Boissy's Le Français à Londres, Théâtre-Français, July 3, 1727, 121 in so far as it presents a fop in order to satirize national manners. The author had probably seen De Boissy's piece during his stay on the Continent (1749-c. 1753), where he had been running through his third fortune. Samuel Foote (1720-1777), 1 2 2 often mentioned as "the English Aristophanes," eccentric "summer fly of the Haymarket," and "mimic extraordinary," has left a series of caricatures in the nature of revues which deserve a place beside Hogarth's pictures. These passing shows served to scourge some of the chief evils of that age: effrontery of vice, pretentiousness of cant, and affectation in taste. Nearly one-half of Foote's twenty comedies were indebted to French sources. >x

The

Oracle, according to The Monthly

Review

(March, 1752, Vol. V I ) , had

been published anonymously in 1 7 4 2 . Mrs. Cibber saw the French piece, was struck by the novel subject, simplicity, and delicacy of the sentiments, and decided to translate it (advertisement to the 1 7 5 2 edition). The author allows the Fairy to take a dig at Beaus: (to Cinthia) " H a v e you already forgot that these animals called Beaus repeat every thing by chance, and just as they learnt it?" Mrs. Cibber's piece was revived: C.G., March 26, 1765; Bath, May 9, 1823. The Oracle was printed: 1 7 5 2 , 1 7 6 3 , and 1 7 7 8 . 1,1

The caustic wit and facile pen of Louis de Boissy ( 1 6 9 4 - 1 7 5 8 ) have left

their mark upon amusingly drawn portraits and excellent episodic scenes. The piece was printed: 1 7 2 7 , 1 7 3 3 Oeuvres

(Utrecht), 1 7 3 5

( 2 d ) , 1 7 4 6 (3d), 1 7 5 9

( 1 7 3 2 - 1 7 5 8 ) , 7 vols.; Oeuvres de théâtre, nouvelle

(4th).

édition ( 1 7 7 3 , 8 vols,

in 4 ) . See Charles Franklyn Zeek, Jr., Louis de Boissy, auteur comique,

1694-1758

(Grenoble, 1 9 1 4 ) . 13

Foote's Dramatic

Work,s were issued in four volumes ( 1 7 7 0 - 1 7 8 6 ) ; in two

volumes, 1799. His Comic Mcgic Belden, The Dramatic

Theatre

( 1 7 6 2 ) , will be mentioned later. Sec Mary

Work, oj Samuel Foote (New Haven, 1929).

52

New Plays

1749-1760

But to return to the story of Le Français à Londres.123

Two

in Paris124

there

years after the production of The Englishman

was published an anonymous translation of D e Boissy's piece. The

Frenchman

in London

carried a flattering dedication to

Samuel Foote, Esq.: " T h e rough Briton will, doubtless, give the Palm to you: for he loves sound Sense and surly Satire: T o the light, the prejudiced, and frivolous Frenchman, 'twill perhaps appear due to Boissy: But none will know better how to value their Judgment than yourself." T h e translator made a f e w timid concessions 120 to English taste as well as an occasional attempt to "improve" the original dialogue: Le Marquis (à Rosbif). A votre place, j'aurois toujours à mes côtés un homme qui écrirait toutes mes reparties. Cela serait un beau livre au moins. Marquis (to Roastbeef). . . . Were I such a Man as you, I would have a Secretary continually by me, who should set down all my Repartees—Roastbeefiana ! 'Twould be an excellent Book of Entertainment. ( Sc. 8.) 1:3

The piot runs as follows: Milord Craf (Lord Craff) judges a wise French baron more suitable for his widowed daughter than either a foppish French marquis or a dull English merchant, heavy with common sense. Compliments are freely bandied about; the Baron assures Craf that no character is superior to that of a polite Englishman, while Jacques Rosbif is equally certain that the French baron should have been born in England. Milord Craf's son, Milord Houzey (Lord Hussay), having "profited" by the French marquis's lessons, will take a postgraduate course abroad. It was originally billed as " A n Answer to a French Farce." The Englishman in Paris enjoyed sixty-five performances (»753-1760), was revived: 1760-1763, 1769, 1 7 7 1 , 1773 (Liverpool), 1 7 7 6 - 1 7 7 8 , 1777 (Liverpool), 1780, 1784, 17861787, 1790, and 1792, and was printed: 1753 (London and Dublin), 1763, 1765, and 1778. The lesson "taught" by this play and pronounced by Buck senior is: "He who transports a profligate son to Paris, by way of mending his Manners, only adds the vices and follies of that country to those of his own." (Act II.) Milord Houzey becomes Lord Hussay, as previously noted. The King's Arms replaces Le Lion Rouge (sc. 6), and sc. 16 has an interpolated song.

53

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England The following examples of incorrect translation should be noted : Nous autres François—we other Frenchmen (sc. i); Je vais le congédier à la Françoise—I'll give him a French Reception (sc. 2); Vous valez bien trois schelings—It's worth a Shilling a-piece to see you (sc. 10). The Frenchman in London attracted no comment other than that it had been ill translated.128 Genest laconically recorded: "Well written, but rather dull, . . . mere conversation."127 The next year, forestalling Murphy, Foote brought out a sequel entitled The Englishman Returned from Paris, Covent Garden, February 3, 1756.128 Here we see the "finished" product of French refinement returning to inherit an estate. He comes on, commandeering a band of French servants and speaking an atrocious jargon. A broken-down post chaise and poor roads have not left him in very pleasant humor: ". . . Not a Word, mi Lor, jernie, it is not to be supported—after being rompu tout vif, disjointed by their execrable Pave, to be tumbled into a Kennel, by a filthy Charbonier, a dirty Retailer of Sea-Coal, morbleu!" Buck (the part was played by Foote) next refers contemptuously to Crab, the executor of his father's estate, as "the veritable Jack Roast Beef of the French Comedy." Indeed, before the play is over, satire assumes such proportions that The Critical Review queries : "Is not the author too national in his sarcasms upon the French ? " What Foote stole from Murphy remains a mystery since the latter's Englishman from Paris was never printed. Poor Murphy's feelings may have been temporarily soothed by the applause which accompanied the following speech: "O yes! I grant you there has been an imposter about town, who . . . has stolen my '"The Monthly Review, XII (May, 1 7 5 5 ) , 384. Genest, op. cit., X, 178. ' " T h e piece was acted twenty-eight times ( 1 7 5 6 - 1 7 5 8 ) ; was revived: 1 7 6 0 1763, 1770; and was printed: 1756 ( 1 7 8 0 ) , 1780 (3d), and 1788 (new edition).

54

New

Plays

ij49-1760

w r i t i n g s . . . , a n d not o n l y thus treacherously robbed m e , but i m p u d e n t l y d a r e d to a s s u m e m y very n a m e to m y f a c e ; b u t I a m the true S i r C h a r l e s B u c k , I can assure y o u . " 1 2 9 Cleland's130

T ombo-Chiqui:

or, The

American

Savage,

1758,

n e v e r e m e r g e d f r o m the closet and, so f a r as I have b e e n able to ascertain, created little, if a n y , stir in E n g l a n d . Y e t D e l i s l e ' s d'essai

(Arlequin

sauvage,

1

Théâtre-Italien, J u n e 1 7 , 1 7 2 1 ) "

coup was

so w e l l k n o w n in F r a n c e that w h e n V o l t a i r e a n n o u n c e d his intention of presenting in Alzire

a contrast b e t w e e n N e w

World

a n d O l d W o r l d m a n n e r s some one w a s heard to e x c l a i m :

"Je

vois d'ici ce q u e c'est, c'est l'Arlequin

sauvage,"

V o l t a i r e never f o r g o t . 1 3 2 Tombo-Chiqui

has been g i v e n a n E n g -

a comparison

lish setting (the scene b e i n g shifted f r o m Marseilles to L o n d o n a n d e n v i r o n s ) w h e r e the central figure m a y satirize c u s t o m s a n d teach the other characters that N a t u r e a n d R e a s o n s h o u l d

be

f u t u r e , co-pilot s t a r s . 1 3 3 C l e l a n d ' s prose is not bad o n the w h o l e , 1M

Noted by Genest, op. cit., IV, 456-457. For the reference to The Critical Review, see loc. cit., I, 83. Murphy's comedy was acted but once, D.L., April 3. 1756. ""John Cleland (1709-1789), after a gay life in the East, became a popular novelist. His succès de scandale was Fanny Hill; or The Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (1750, 2 vols.). 131 Published, 1722; acted with two new scenes, June 18, 1723. Its success was due to the novel subject, a moralizing clown, and to the actors who played the title rôle (Dominique, Tomassin, Carlin). The author, whose full name is LouisFrançois Delisle de la Drevetière ( 1 6 8 2 - 1 7 5 6 ) , wrote twelve dramatic pieces, five of which were never published (Soleinne, Bibliothèque dramatique, 1843-1844). His dramatic works were included in the Nouveau theatre italien ( 1 7 3 3 - 1 7 5 3 ) ; Petite bibliothèque des théâtres ( 1 7 8 3 ) ; and in the Collection des théâtres français (Senlis, 1829). For the French play I used Nolan A. Goodyear's edition (according to the Briasson text, 1737 [New York, 1928]). 13J

Noted by La Harpe, Cours, II, 694.

133

There is a double love intrigue that follows the French closely enough. The last scene of Act III and the concluding French vaudeville were omitted. Delisle's theme had been partially adapted by James Miller (1706-1744), co-translator (with Henry Baker) of The Workj of Molière, French and English (1739, 10 vols.). For his Art and Nature ( 1 7 3 8 ) , Miller had based the character of Julio

55

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England but it is inferior to Delisle's polish and lightness of touch. The play itself was dismissed as a commendable satire on the foibles of certain European nations which consider themselves superior because of their polite accomplishments.134 Garrick's The Guardian, Drury Lane, February 3, 1759, should be set apart as one of the two best pieces for this period; the other being Murphy's The Way to Keep Him. The original, Fagan's chef-d'oeuvre (La Pupille, Théâtre-Français, July 5, 1734) 1 3 5 had been heralded by Voltaire as the most complete petite pièce upon the French stage, an observation that Garrick repeated in his advertisement."6 The key scene of this charming comedy of situation shows the enamored ward dictating a billet doux to her wilfully stupid (from the reader's viewpoint) but kindly guardian on the wrong side of forty. The note is really meant for him, but of course he thinks it is intended for a young fop. The letter is sent and Young Clackit soon appears with musicians to celebrate the wedding. More amusement is furnished when Jack's uncle is informed that Harriet prefers an older man. Sir Charles naturally assumes that he has been singled upon that of Delisle's Arlequin. There were several dull scenes drawn from J. B. Rousseau's Le Flatteur. Five of Miller's twelve plays ( 1 7 3 0 - 1 7 4 4 ) came from the French. For the most interesting noble savage upon the eighteenth-century English stage read O'Keeffe's Ornai, C.G., December 20, 1785, a colorful pantomime, depicting in fourteen sections "a kind of visual summary of Cook's voyages." (See William Huse, " A Noble Savage on the Stage," Modern Philology, XXXIII [February, 1936], 303-316.) "'The Monthly Review, XVIII ( 1 7 5 8 ) , 648. 13 " Incidental music was supplied by Mouret. La Pupille was printed: 1734, 1742, 1758, 1760, 1777, and 1789 (t. 30 of Petite Bibliothèque . . . ). Théâtre: 1760 and 1761 (4 vols.) Barthélcmy-Christophe Fagan de Ligny ( 1 7 0 2 - 1 7 5 5 ) , of Irish ancestry, probably bccame interested in the theater through association with Pannard. He wrote twenty-eight pieces, variously acted at the Foire, Italiens, and Français. His work was held in high esteem by Fréron (L'Année littéraire, II [1760], 1 4 5 - 1 6 3 and Collé (Journal et mémoires. II [Avril, 1755], 15-16)"" The Guardian. A Comedy of Tu/o Acts ( 1 7 5 9 ) .

56

New Plays 1749-1760 out despite his sixty-five years with their attendant gout and rheumatism. The Guardian finally sees the light and gives vent to his joy by throwing himself at his ward's feet and expressing in verse the wish that the fond husband may "still the Guardian prove." Garrick made the common two-act division and curtailed the divertissement, but the most noticeable concession to English taste consisted in transforming a conventional petit maitre into a presumptuous product of the grand tour, who uses French phrases on seventeen occasions and relapses into Italian once. The adapter's depiction of Young Clackit's confident vanity is far removed from the Frenchman's restrained portraiture, yet one commentator held that the applause which greeted this piece was a fair indication of "improving taste" since most Farces taken from French petites pieces are "below all kinds of animadversion." 137 Obviously, the only unfavorable comment arose from the unconvincing characterization of the Guardian; this referred to the printed," 8 not the acted version. Supported by an excellent cast,138 Garrick performed the title role seventeen times that season, after which The Guardian became a stock piece.140 Arthur Murphy (1727-1805) spent six years of his life in France as a student at the English College of Saint Omer (1738131

The London Chronicle (March 18-20, 1759), Vol. VI. See also The Gentleman's Magazine, XXIX (February, 1759), 84-86; Lloyd's Evening Post, IV (1759), 2 1 1 - 2 1 2 ; The Monthly Review, X X (March, 1759), 272-273. Cf. Dibdin, op. cit., V, 140; Genest, op. cit., IV, 547; B.D., II, 274. 13

*The

Critical Review, VII ( 1 7 5 9 ) , 1 7 1 - 1 7 2 .

' " T h e ward's role was written expressly for the stage debut of Miss Pritchard, daughter of the celebrated actress. If Garrick hoped that this young lady could duplicate the success of Mile Gaussin in the original he was doomed to disappointment. Mrs. Clive was given the maid's part; the Clackit tribe were ably defended by Yates (the uncle) and O'Brien (the nephew). The first performance was a benefit for Christopher Smart, an unhappy poet imprisoned for debt. 140 Revived: 1 7 6 0 - 1 7 6 1 , 1 7 6 3 - 1 7 6 5 , 1767, 1768, 1 7 6 9 - 1 7 7 1 , 1772, 1774, 7 7 5 - 1 7 7 6 , 1784-1785, 1787, 1796-1797, 1800, 1807; also popular at Bath. Editions: 1759 (bis), 1 7 7 1 , 1773 (4th), 1779, and 1786 (Bell's British Theatre, Vol. I). i

57

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England 1744). He was a sensitive and ill-tempered Irishman whose prolific and diversified output was characteristic of the man's varied pursuits as bank clerk, periodical writer, translator of Tacitus and Sallust, barrister, actor, playwright, and biographer of Fielding and Garrick. As a biographer he is untrustworthy, but as a playwright he rose from personal and farcical satire to such good comedy 141 that during the sixties he bore off with his plays the superlatives. Murphy drew from Molière, Destouches, Fagan, Voltaire, Moissy, and other French dramatists, usually displaying considerable skill in adapting borrowed material. His collected Dramatic Wor\s were published in 1786, in seven volumes. The Way to Keep Him was brought out with the author's Desert Islandat Drury Lane, January 24, 1760, and both plays were on the same bill for about ten nights. The first mentioned, freely reworked from Moissy's La Nouvelle Ecole des femmes, Théâtre-Italien, April 6, 1758, 143 teaches that if a wife would retain her husband's love she must devote more time to perfect those charms which first won his admiration. There is also a corollary which advises husbands to keep the home fires burnlu

Cf. Bruce op. cit.; and Professor Caskey's article entitled "Arthur Murphy and the War on Sentimental Comedy," The Journal of English and Germanic Philology, X X X ( 1 9 3 1 ) , 563-577. 141 Based on Metastasio's ìsola deshabitata. Murphy did not use Collet's revamped version, L'lsle deserte ( 1 7 5 8 ) . ' " I t was printed the same year and reissued, 1770, 1772. It had been published with incidental music, 1765, and was issued as a comic opera (music by Philidor) in 1770 and 1777 (Recueil général des opéra bouflons, Vol. II). The Oeuvres de théâtre appeared in 1768. Alexandre-Guillaume Mouslier de Moissy ( 1 7 1 2 - 1 7 7 7 ) was an inveterate gambler, a soldier of fortune, teacher in Russia, and prolific composer of comedies and dramatic proverbs of little value ( 1 7 5 0 - 1 7 7 6 ) . La Harpe was of the opinion that La Nouvelle Ecole des femmes was one of the few productions at the Théâtre-Italien which merited its success (Cours, II, 697). Collé (Journal et mémoires, II, 133—136), and Grimm (Correspondance, IV, 23-24) were more severe. Fréron (L'Année littéraire, VI [ 1 7 5 8 ] , 263-276) objected to weaknesses in plot construction and certain indecencies in the dialogue, but praised several comic scenes, lively dialogue, elegant diction, clever dénouement.

58

New Plays 1749-IJ60 ing. T h e story of the composition of the play has been summarized in Murphy's advertisement. After reading Dr. Swift's poem, "Strephon and Chloe," the future adapter ran across a copy of Moissy's comedy. Before he could proceed with the work he had to improve certain situations: first, it was considered more proper for the philanderer to pay court to a charming widow from Bath; in addition, he must take an assumed name and admit that he is married (in the original, Saint-Fard, after giving his real name to the unmarried Laure, had pretended to be single); finally, the guilty parties must needs be more effectively exposed. Consequently, an "original" third act substitutes a good old English rout for Moissy's allegorical ballet which reconciled love and marriage. In the English, then, would-be lover, erstwhile rival, and erring husband see the moping wife transformed into a charming hostess.144 After the philanderer has become the unwilling butt of wife, mistress, and friend, and after an intercepted letter reveals the friend's treachery, all ends in mutual forgiveness. T h e most humorous part of this admirably cast 145 comedy was taken by Mrs. Clive. It is, indeed, a far cry from the conventional dialogue supplied by the French Margot to the topical allusions of the English maid. T h e way Muslin belabors her moping mistress will serve as an example: Muslin. If all the Women in London, in your Case, were to sit down and die of the Spleen, what would become of all the public Places?—They might turn Vaux-Hall to a Hop-Garden, make a Brew-House of Ranleigh, and let both Play-houses to a Methodist Preacher. (Act I.) Mrs. L o v e m o r e has been coached by the widow, who, to atone for leading Lovemore astray, has promised to return him to the fold. T h e incident of the W i d o w Bellmour's reception of the forsaken wife is more comically described by Murphy. " J Garrick—Lovemore

(Saint-Fard);

King—William,

his servant

(Frontin);

Palmer—Sir Brilliant Fashion (le Chevalier des Usages); Mrs. Yates—Mrs. Lovemore ( M e l i t e ) ; Miss M a c k l i n — t h e W i d o w Bellmour ( L a u r e ) .

59

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England Contemporary periodicals were generally eulogistic; commending diverting incidents, lifelike characterizations, and restrained humor.146 The more conservative Critical Review, referring to the printed copy (1760), compared the Widow Bellmour and Lovemore to Millamant and Mirabel, found the dialogue occasionally unnatural, and objected to certain inconsistencies in character portrayal: that of the wife being too weakly drawn reasonably to compel the husband to leave home ; that of the husband being unconvincing since his repentance was too abrupt even for an honorable libertine.147 Murphy's play was acted fourteen times (1759-1760). There was another London as well as a Dublin edition that year, and in the next chapter we shall show how The Way to Keep Him, enlarged to five acts, turned out to be one of the outstanding successes of the century. John Rich (1682P-1761), theatrical manager and pantomimist par excellence, confided to his friend Wilkinson that he was the author of The Spirit of Contradiction, Covent Garden, March 6, 1760. Neither adapter nor reviewers gave any credit to Dufresny's 148 little chef-d'oeuvre, L'Esprit de contradiction, Théâtre-Français, August 27, 1700. Parallel plots run as follows: ""The

London

Magazine,

X X I X (January, 1 7 6 0 ) , 42; The Monthly

X X I I (February, 1 7 6 0 ) , 1 4 0 - 1 4 5 (new edition); Scots Magazine, 1 7 6 0 ) , 7 3 - 7 9 . Detailed plots were carried by The (February,

1760),

96-98;

and The

Gentleman's

London

Magazine,

Review,

XXII (February, Magazine,

XXIX

XXX

(February,

a pleasure-loving

spendthrift

1 7 6 0 ) , 69-74. '"The

Critical Review,

IX ( 1 7 6 0 ) ,

Charles-Rivière Dufresny

141-143.

(1648-1724)

was

protected by Louis X I V . He was variously proficient as painter, musician, journalist, novelist, and dramatic author of thirty-seven pieces, if we include collaborations with

Regnard

and Dominique. T h e best of

this author's lively

dialogue was used to sketch the piquant silhouette of a femme

within the restricted framework of one act. From 1 7 0 0 - 1 7 6 0 L'Esprit tradiction

de

con-

was actcd 445 times, and was absent from the repertoire only once, the

year 1 7 2 7 . It was printed: 1700, 1 7 1 7 , were issued: 1 7 3 1 Répertoire,

prose

contredisante

1776, and 1802. The collected works

(6 vols.); 1 7 4 7 , 1 7 7 9 (4 vols.). The text used was Pctitot's

Vol. X X .

60

Neu> Plays 1749-1760 When Madame Oronte (Mrs. Partlet), a femme contredisante, becomes convinced that her husband and daughter are trying to force her to consent to the latter's marriage to the uncouth but wealthy Thibaudois (Steer, a boorish Grazier), she suddenly changes her mind, and insists that the impecunious suitor ( ValèreLovewel) be her son-in-law. When the trick is discovered she angrily threatens to desert husband and daughter, and to punish the gardener and notary by placing a rope around their respective necks (in the English, the servants are to be sent to Bridewell, and the lawyer will be placed in the pillory). Rich enlarged Dufresny's excellent character sketch to two acts for the sake of more incident, and altered the dénouement.149 Although some of the characters are more naturally drawn than their prototypes,130 the dialogue can not keep up with Dufresny's verve. The Spirit of Contradiction preserved an occasional flash of the virago spirit in Mrs. Partlet's character, but it was condemned as "one of the most insipid performances that ever appeared on the English stage." 151 The borrowings from the French for this period terminate with an anonymous version of Voltaire's L'Ecossaise, 1760, entitled The Coffee-House; or, Fair Fugitive, 1760. The translator of this tearful comedy admits that his version is nearly literal: "I have neither added to the author's wit, nor retrenched what he has thought proper to give." (Preface.) As for contemporary apThe rejected suitor decides to marry the maid, and generously offers to "summon down the whole Band of White-Chappel Cleavers" to celebrate the double wedding. 150 Randal, the gardener, who plays an active part in the intrigue, is not overwitty like Lucas. (Wilkinson was perfect in the part according to Genest, op. cit., IV, 592.) Steer is a more humorous character than Thibaudois, too stupid to be alive. Harriet, however, loses by comparison with the charming Angélique. 151 The Critical Review, IX (1760), 240; B.D., Ill, 295. There were two additional performances (C.G., March 8, 10, 1760), and a second edition (1760, text used). The piece was also included in A Collection of the Most Esteemed Farces (1786), Vol. IV. 6l

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England praisal, one reviewer commended the author for preserving the ease and freedom of the original; 152 another condemned him for giving "too literal [a translation] to bear either acting or reading." 133 The present writer is of the opinion that the translator has left an intelligible rendition of an inferior model. Historically, The Coffee House is important since it preceded Colman's The English Merchant, 1767, which will be discussed in the next chapter. 153

The Critical Review, X (1760), 241. The Monthly Review, XXIII (1760), 237 (new edition).

62

CHAPTER III

1760-1770 R E V I V A L S

1

O n J a n u a r y 10, 1 7 6 1 , M u r p h y brought out at D r u r y L a n e an enlarged,

five-act

version of

The

Way

based, as w e

have seen, on Moissy's

femmes,

and

n o w containing

Chaussée.

2

Lovemore's

to Keep La

Him,

Nouvelle

originally Ecole

des

additional b o r r o w i n g s f r o m

La

philanderings h a v e been altered to

in-

clude L a d y Constant. S i r B a s h f u l C o n s t a n t , also n e w , considers it bad f o r m to display any admiration f o r his fashionable w i f e , so he quarrels w i t h her publicly a n d sends her presents secretly by his friend L o v e m o r e ; all of w h i c h is reminiscent of Le jugé à la mode,

Pré-

T h é â t r e - F r a n ç a i s , F e b r u a r y 3 , 1 7 3 5 . S i r Brilliant

is attentive to the three ladies. A f t e r several a m u s i n g but i m p r o b able complications, the w o m e n f o r g i v e repentant husbands a n d lovers. 1 Twelve revivals and alterations, treated textually, were derived from the following French writers: Moissy and La Chaussée (one), Molière (seven), La Chappelle (one), Corneille (one), Saint-Foix (one), Molière and Le Sage (one). Three alterations reverting to Molière have been added to the Appendix (Nos. 20-22). Five of the first nineteen titles, included in the Appendix as partially indebted to Molière, are not mentioned by Genest for these years. They were: The London Cuckolds (probably an oversight), She Wou'd if She Cou'd, The Amorous Widow, The Man of Taste, Sir Thomas Callicoe.

* In he Préjugé à la mode, Duval does not deliberately seek a quarrel with Constance. For similarities, cf. Sir Brillant's announcement of "the rarest piece of news" (Act II, sc. 1 ) with Clitandre's discovery (Act II, sc. 3); Lady Constant, like her namesake, returns the unwelcome presents (English, Act IV, sc. 1 ; French, Act IV, sc. 5 and Act V, sc. 1 ) ; Sideboard, Sir Bashful's servant, reports a new comedy in rehearsal at one of the theaters, The Amorous Husband; or, The Man in Love with His Own Wife (Act IV, sc. 1 ) ; in the French sentimental comedy Damon sponsors a private performance of a contemporary hit entitled L'Epoux amoureux de sa femme (Act II, sc. 4).

63

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in

England

The long life 3 of this moral-immoral comedy can be attributed to the author's arrangement of a Restoration setting in reverse. A s Professor Thorndike has pointed out, "the morals of the old comedy are reversed, but the methods are the same. T h e value of constancy is discovered through intrigue and celebrated by wit. T h e drama appeals to good sense through ridicule, never to sentiment through pathos."4 A s regards the relative position of The Way to Keep Him,

Professor Nicoll has observed: "Unbiassed

judgment might well lead to placing this comedy, along with Colman's Jealous

Wife

and a half dozen others, . . .

above that of The Rivals and The Good-Natur'd

at least

Man."'

' The Way to Keep Him was repeated at least forty-two times during the present decade. It was revived: 1 7 7 1 - 1 7 7 3 , 1774, 1 7 7 6 - 1 7 7 8 , 1 7 7 7 - 1 7 7 9 (Bath), 1780, 1 7 8 1 - 1 7 8 2 , 1 7 8 5 - 1 7 8 7 (Lady Constant—Mrs. Inchbald, Mrs. Lovemore— Mrs. Siddons) (Bath, 1780, 1782, 1784, 1787), 1 7 8 9 - 1 7 9 0 , 1 7 9 7 - 1 7 9 8 (Bath, 1 7 9 1 , 1 7 9 8 - 1 7 9 9 ) , last performance listed by Genest, C.G., October 1, 1 8 1 8 . The piece was also privately staged at the Duke of Richmond's theater, 1 7 8 6 - 1 7 8 7 (see Genest, Some Account of the English Stage, VI, 463-464). New York saw it, April 23, 1 7 7 3 (Odell, Annals of the New Yor{ Stage, I, 1 6 1 ) , after it had appeared in Philadelphia, November 23, 1772, where it was revived, May 2, 1796 (Pollock, The Philadelphia Theatre in the Eighteenth Century, p. 1 1 6 ) . Murphy's comedy was translated into French, German, Italian as follows: The Way to Keep Him, 011 la Fafon de le fixer (see M. J. Riccoboni, Oeuvres completes [ 1 8 1 8 ] , Vol. V ) ; C. F. Weisse, Die neue Wieberschule . . . (Gotha, 1 7 6 1 ) ; II Ripiego felice (see Elizabeth Camincr Turra, Composizioni teatrali moderne [Venezia, 1 7 7 2 ] , Vol. III. The Way to Keep Him was issued as follows: 1761 (4th), 1765 (5th), 1770 (6th), 1785, 1787, and 1797 (Bell's British Theatre, Vol. V ) . Seven nineteenth ccntury drama collections in which the comedy can be read have been excluded. With regard to the reception of Murphy's piece by contemporaries: The writer for The Critical Review (XI [ 1 7 6 1 ] , 48-52), praising Yates and Mrs. Davies for their interpretations of the characters of Sir Bashful and Lady Constant, inserted specimen dialogue in which the aforementioned performers participated; Dibdin (A Complete History of the [English] Stage [V, 1 5 7 ] ) was interested in pointing out borrowing from La Chaussee; the reporter for The Monthly Reiiew (XXIV, 158—159) held that although Sir Bashful was "a supposable character," his portrayal in English dress was less acceptable than it had been on the French stage. 4

Ashley H. Thorndike, English Comedy Nicoll, Introduction to Lesser English (reprint, 1 9 3 1 ) . 5

64

(New York, 1929), p. 424. Comedies of the Eighteenth

Century

Revivals /760-/770 Murphy's All in the Wrong, produced at Drury Lane, June 15, 1761, was heralded by Genest as marking the seventh appearance8 upon the English stage of Sganarelle, ou le Cocu

imaginaire,

1660. T h e plot of Moliere's popular, one-act farce evolves from a series of misunderstandings caused by the heroine, who faints and loses her sweetheart's picture. Posterity has condemned the piece as a retrogression, although the requisite artificial plot admirably preserves the necessary features of such a play: coincidence, repetition, symmetry. Murphy stretched the well-balanced scenes into a five-act comedy with new complications, incidents, characters, all for the sake of elaborating upon a farcical exposition of groundless jealousy.7 Sir John Restless's conclusion that in the future the principal characters will endeavor to be All in the Right 8 is less amusing than Sganarelle's final lines: De cet exemple-ci ressouvenez-vous bien; Et, quand vous verrez tout, ne croyez jamais rien. All in the Wrong "was well acted in all its Parts, [was] received with great applause," and was even held to be an improvement "Genest lists the six earlier versions (op. cit., IV, 433-434). ' Murphy reworked Moliere's text in the following manner: Sc. 2-5, for Act I, sc. 1; sc. 6, for Act II, sc. 1 ; sc. 9, for Act II, sc. 2; sc. 1 1 suggested Act III, sc. 2 (Beverley, however, does not faint but enters the house in search of the lost picture); sc. 14, for the opening of Act III, sc. 3; sc. 16 suggested Act IV, sc. 2; sc. 18-20, 22, for Act V, sc. 1 ; sc. 22-23, f ° r Act V, sc. 2. Murphy omitted two of the most amusing scenes, 17, 2 1 . He complicated the business centering on Moliere's jealous quartet by making Belinda (Celie) promised to BellmontValere but in love with Bcverley-Lelie, the friend of Clarissa, Beverley's sister who is in love with Bellmont. Moreover, the Restless pair suspect each other of affairs with Lord Conquest and his maid (Act I, sc. 1; Act II. sc. 2); Lady Restless's composure receives a severe jolt when Beverley walks out of her closet (Act IV, sc. 4), and Sir John is embarrassed when a sedan chair "is opened, and Belinda appears." (Act V, sc. 2.) The reassuring advice of Robert, Sir John's servant (Act I), was suggested by "Un parent de la femme de Sganarelle." (Sc. 12.) Minor characters are Tattle, Lady Restless's maid, and Marmalet, maid of Lord and Lady Conquest. 'This expression seems to have suggested an anonymous piece entitled All in

65

Revivals and Importations

of French Comedies in England

over Molière. 9 Objection to the jumble of incidents 10 did not serve to check its popularity either as a stage attraction or as a closet piece. 11 Attention should next be called to an anonymous alteration of Farquhar's The

Stage

Coach,

published as an opera, Dublin,

1761. 1 2 Since there are seventeen light airs, operetta or operatic farce would be a more fitting designation for this one-act curtailment, which is ultimately indebted to L a Chappelle's Les rosses

d'Orléans

Ca-

(1680; revived, 1 7 5 1 ) . T h e action of the Frtnch

episodic farce takes place at an inn where, amid misdirected thumps and night concealments, a favored suitor unexpectedly meets and succeeds in eloping with his sweetheart, who has been brought there for the express purpose of marrying a country bumpkin. the

Right:

or, The

Cuckold

in Good

Earnest

( 1 7 6 1 or 1 7 6 2 ) . Some five years

later T h o m a s Hull produced a farce called All in the * The

Monthly The

472-473.)

Review Critical

wrote "greatly improved." Review,

praising

Right, (XXV

situations,

from Destouches. [December,

1761],

characters, dialogue,

and

moral, felt that Murphy had improved Molière, but held that there was still room for more wit and repartee (XII

[December, 1 7 6 1 ] , 4 3 1 - 4 3 7 ) . T h e piece

enjoyed ten performances during the summer of 1 7 6 1 . Yates created Sir John Restless, but King was said to equal him in the part (Genest, op. cit., 10

The

Dramatic

Censor,

II ( 1 7 7 0 ) , 2 7 3 - 2 9 0 ; Dibdin, op.

cit.,

V, 6 8 ) .

V , 1 5 7 . Years

later, Boaden observed that Murphy's flattened dialogue, the inevitable result of such a procedure, did not compensate for Moliere's verse, and that the laughter excited was not of the hearty kind. On this occasion Mrs. Siddons played the "Restless Lady" ( [ D . L . , March 29, 1 7 8 7 ] , from Boaden's Memoirs

of Mrs.

Siddons

[ 1 8 2 7 ] , II, 2 2 2 - 2 2 4 ) . "There

were thirty-five performances at D . L . ( 1 7 6 1 - 1 7 7 0 ) . Revivals:

I77Ì-I774 17S4),

(Liverpool, 1 7 7 4 , 1 7 7 7 ) , 1 7 7 6 - ' 7 7 9 . 1 7 8 3 - 1 7 8 7

1789-1790,

1793, 1797,

1803,

1 8 1 0 , and

(Bath, 1780,

1824. Editions:

1761,

( D u b l i n ) , 1765 ( C o r k ) , 1765 ( D u b l i n ) , 1 7 7 5 , 1 7 8 7 , and 1 7 9 7 (in Bell's Theatre, 12

1770, 1782, 1762 British

Vol. X I I ) , and in five additional drama collections.

An unsuccessful ballad opera, Dublin, 1 7 3 0 - 1 7 3 1 , was never printed. Nicoli

lists: The Ballad

Stage

Opera

Coach

Opera,

D.L., May 1 3 , 1 7 3 0 . Cf. Edmond McAdoo Gagey,

(New York, 1 9 3 7 ) , p. 106.

66

Revivals / 760—/770 The English version13 retains Farquhar's original denouement, brought on by the lost-key incident which prevents an elopement. But there is an accommodating parson. Boisterous dialogue becomes more wantonly indecent than that of the French, but good use has been made of double entente by the Captain (Cléante) and Isabelle (Angélique) at Nicodemus's (Dodinet's) expense.14 Foote, like Corneille (Le Menteur, 1643), wrongly ascribed The Lyar (C.G., January 12, 1762) to Lope de Vega. 15 We bring to-night a stranger on the stage: His sire De Vega; we confess this truth, Lest you mistake him for a British youth. What gallant Briton can be such a sot, To own the child a Spaniard has begot. (Prologue.) That Foote was familiar with Steele's The Lying Lover (D.L., December, 1703; printed, 1704; 6th edition, 1760) is evidenced by passages common to both and not in Corneille. He discarded the former's sentiment and improved the latter's improbable denouement. The action centers on a mistake in identity and the hero's lies16 to create an impression. Papillon (Cliton) and Kitty are " I t omitted la Plaideuse, la Provinciale, and a minor character. La Chappelle's drunken Dutchman was replaced by an Irishman with a rich brogue. " Genest lists a one-act alteration of The Stage Coach at D.L., May 1 1 , 1764; C.G., April 16, 1787. " I n La Verdad sospechosa (c. 1628), unlike Corneille, Juan Ruiz dc Alarcon y Mendoza (1581?—1639) punished his liar by a forced marriage to the girl he does not love. "Topical allusions extend to the French and Indian Wars where Young Wilding has covered himself with glory in the capture of Quebec. In Steele's play which bears the subtitle, The Ladies Friendship (that of Victoria and Penelope), the liar, after being sent to prison on a charge of murdering his rival in a duel, is rewarded for his repentance by the other lady's promise to marry him. Steele may have been familiar with The Mutagen Beauty; or, The Lyar, printed, 1685 (an anonymous translation). Kitty's device interprets more logically the hero's sudden change of heart.

67

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in

England

original creations. T h e former, 17 who has nearly starved on The Monthly

Review,

is introduced to Old Wilding as L e Marquis

de Chateau Briant, of an ancient house in Brittany (Act II). Kitty, the maid, poses as Young Wilding's wife from the county of Berks, makes a scene, and cures the liar who will now marry the right girl. Although the comedy was acted only four times that season, its stage career outdistanced that of Foote's other plays. 18 T h e press was divided. 19 Allusion to The Monthly

Re-

view was repaid in kind by reference of that periodical to the would-be comedy as one of the poorest and most contemptible of the minor family of farces, wholly destitute of wit, invention, character, or moral. 20 Lee was the first of three writers who altered Wycherley and Molière; the other two being Garrick and Murphy. T h e aggressive vanity

and quarrelsome

disposition

of

John

Lee

(d. 1781), the original Pinchwife in his adaptation of Wycherley's comedy, caused this actor to break with Garrick for the sec" Without funds, Papillon cannot be a Methodist preacher, and a stage career would bring disgrace upon his family. But as a fake French valet de chambre he finds that all doors fly open to him. "The Lyar was revived: 1 7 6 7 - 1 7 7 5 (forty-four times), 1 7 7 7 - 1 7 7 8 , 1778 (Bath), 1780, 1781 (Bath), 1784, 1 7 8 7 - 1 7 8 9 , 1 7 9 1 , 1792, 1796, and 1798. The piece was printed: 1764 (London and Dublin), 1769, 1776, 1780, 1784 (Bell's British Theatre, Vol. II), 1786, 1793 (Dublin), and 1805. It was acted as late as 1896. 10 The stage play was well received (Foote enacted the role of Young Wilding), but it was observed that almost all the principal lines had been used by Steele or Corneille ( T h e London Chronicle, XI [January 1 2 - 1 4 , 1 7 6 2 ] , 47; Victor, The History of the Theatres of London . . . , III, 32). Lloyd's Evening Post (XV [August 9, 1764], 139) dismissed the central character as outre and inserted specimen dialogue in order to illustrate the author's extravagant style. The Critical Review, on the other hand, insisted that Foote excelled all others in his catastrophe, and that he had best caught from Lope "that true comic flame"; this reviewer also gave specimen dialogue (XVIII [ 1 7 6 4 ] , 1 2 0 - 1 2 4 ) . The Gentleman's Magazine was willing to overlook several improbabilities in the plot for the sake of the spirited lines ( X X X I V [ 1 7 6 4 ] , 382-388). 20

The Monthly Review,

X X I X (December, 1 7 6 3 ) , 464.

68

Revivals /760-/770 ond time (c. 1752) and to purchase Canongate Concert Hall in Edinburgh where, as manager, he reformed many abuses and definitely raised the morale of the Edinburgh stage. After being imprisoned for debt (February, 1756), Lee was actively engaged either on the stage or as manager in Dublin, Edinburgh, London, and Bath. Although he seems to have been on the whole a competent actor, he was handicapped by certain peculiarities of speech, and was accused by Foote as forever "doing the honours of his face." 21 The Country Wife, Drury Lane, April 26, 1765, is a two-act curtailment22 (best described as a vapid amalgam) of Wycherley's masterpiece. Dorilant falls in love with Margery Pinchwife. Upon receipt of her letter23 he angrily throws it down, wherewith Sparkish picks it up and reads it aloud. Pinchwife's anger is appeased when his sister counsels reasonable liberties. And the curtain falls on this drivel: Those wives are chastest, whom indulgence charms, Those husbands happiest, whom no fear alarms. No wonder Biographia Dramatica mentions Lee's tamperings as literary murders! Yet this farce was acted six times (1764-1765) and was relished as late as 1786.24 Hearing that Murphy was busy with an alteration of Wycher" See the article on John Lee by Joseph Knight in D.N. B. 23

Omitting Horner, the Fidget-Squeamish tribe, and three minor characters. Act II begins with the scene where Harcourt enters, disguised as a parson (Wycherley, Act IV, sc. i ) . Lee also discarded the Country Wife's escape in Alithea's clothes. " Ct. Act II with L'Ecole des maris, Act II, sc. 5-8. * Revivals: 1766, 1768-1769, 1776, 1777 (Liverpool), 1779, 1782, and 1786. The original performance was a benefit for Miss Slack who played the Country Wife. King doubtless made a good Sparkish. Pinchwife was later acted by Hull and Wilson; the Country Wife was taken by Mrs. Wilson (C.G., December 23, 1779) who, having previously appeared in that part at Liverpool, June 18, 1777, later enacted it at C.G., November 16, 1782. Mrs. Brown, called by Genest "a good

69

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England ley's comedy, Garrick hurriedly prepared his version with the intention of starring Miss Reynolds.25 It was produced at Drury Lane, October 25, 1766, as The Country Girl.26 The piece was an improvement over the work of Lee, 27 although the greater part of Garrick's dialogue appears insipid in comparison with Wycherley's vigorous lines.28 The language, supposedly chastened, still retains coarse speeches, and resorts to innuendo regarding the "marital state" of Moody and Miss Peggy. The ex-rake's decision to run wild about his garden, cursing the world and everybody in it, is reminiscent of Alceste's desert. The Country Girl was repeated fourteen times that season. The next year Mrs. Abington was well received in the title role, but the combination that rendered it extremely popular as a stage piece was made up of King (Moody) and Mrs. Jordan. The former first acted the part at Drury Lane, December 30, 1771, where he supported Mrs. Abington. King and Mrs. Jordan co-starred for the first time at Drury Lane, October 18, 1785. From that night to the end of the century The Country Girl was their exclusive property. The long life actress," was the last one to interpret Lee's Country Wife (C.G., February 7, 1786 [op. cit., VI, 392-393]). The piece was printed: ( 1 7 6 5 ) , 1786. 55 Advertisement to The Country Girl. A Comedy. Altered from Wycherley (no date). This actress was at first approved, but later became careless in the part and was dismissed (Genest, op. cit., V, 1 1 6 ) . "Dorilant, Horner, a Quack, and the Fidget-Squeamish crew were omitted. In Act I, some of Horner's lines were given to Harcourt, thus paving the way for Moody's (Pinchwife's) entrance. When the guardian arrives with his ward's letter (Act IV, sc. 2 - 3 ) , Belville (Horner) hides the maid whose muffled laughter is later heard from the closet (shades of China!). In the fifth act which begins with Wycherley's Act IV (near the end), Peggy Thrift is not led in to Belville but is allowed to visit his apartment, disguised as Alithea. When Moody discovers the trick it is too late; the newlyweds appear on the balcony to taunt him. 51

Garrick stole from Lee, Sparkish's song (Act III, sc. 1 ) .

3

Only in the rare instances where he keeps to the original adaptation is Wycherley's vigor retained. The best example of this can be found at the beginning of Garrick's second act.

70

Revivals

/760—/ 7 7 0

of the piece, 2 9 h o w e v e r , can be attributed to the popular acclaim w h i c h a l w a y s greeted M r s . J o r d a n . Those w h o remember how that delightful woman seemed made for every trusting enjoyment,—how she could unite boisterous animal spirits with a brimful sensibility,—how she would come dancing on the stage at forty, a girl still in spite of her fat,—will sigh to think that circumstances rarely produce creatures made of such cordial human d a y . 3 0 M u r p h y 3 1 expressed astonishment at b e i n g forestalled by G a r rick, a n d

assured his

readers that

his only

aim

was

to

bid

Moliere's " S i m p l e G i r l assert the s t a g e . " 3 2 L i k e G a r r i c k , he h a d hoped to star a favorite actress, M i s s Elliott, w h o spoke both P r o l o g u e and E p i l o g u e . N o t only w a s the suggestive title, School L'Ecole

for

Guardians

des maris,

( C . G . , January

The

10, 1 7 6 7 ) , derived f r o m

but the plot w a s freely based on the F r e n c h

c o m e d y . 3 3 M o s t of the b o r r o w i n g c a m e f r o m L'Ecole

des fern mesz*

M Revivals: 1767-1769, 1770, 1 7 7 1 , 1774, 1785, and 1787-1800. It was acted sixty-nine times from 1785 to 1800 (count made from The Gentleman's Magazine). In addition to the 1766 publication, the piece was issued: 1790 and 1791, and was included in The New English Theatre (1776), Vol. XI; Bell's British Theatre (1797), Vol. XIII; and in several nineteenth-century drama collections. The last performance recorded by Genest was given at C.G., December 6, 1828. 30 Thomas Campbell, William Gifford, Leigh Hunt Stc., itc., Lives of British Dramatists (Philadelphia, 1846), p. 366.

" I n his advertisement to The School for Guardians (1767), he states that the piece was written three years earlier. " Prologue. 35

Disregarding, however, Moliere's thesis. " T h i s includes: the Oldcastle-Biddulph (Arnolphe-La Souche) combination and the guardian's willingness to assist the lover, Young Brumpton-Horace (cf. English, Act I, sc. 2, with French, Act I, sc. 4); Young Brampton's abuse of Oldcastle (cf. English, Act I, sc. 2, with French, Act I, sc. 4 to the end of the scene); the servants' delay in opening the door (cf. the Oldcastle-Bridget-Peter dialogue, Act II, sc. 4, with that of Arnolphe-Georgette-Alain, Act I, sc. 2); the servants' abuse of the guardian (cf. English, Act IV, sc. 2, with French, Act IV,

71

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England while hints from L'Etourdi3* and Wycherley's The Country Wife were thrown in for good measure. The beating of Brisk, disguised as a procuress, was originally motivated, and new touches were given to the rather poorly contrasted pair of wards and guardians. A reputable cast36 was unable to save Murphy's comedy, which seems to have died a natural death after the sixth performance (D.L., February 18, 1767). A few episodical scenes were considered good, but the author was accused of laboring under a handicap of too many forerunners; 37 as a result of which, Molière's celebrated play had become too thin of business and too thick of narrative.38 In Murphy's works, The School for Guardians was reduced to three acts (1786), having been previously turned into a comic opera by Hull (i777)- 39 Since Bickerstaffe's alteration of The Plain Dealer was preceded by his arrangement of Mrs. Cibber's The Oracle, we shall be obliged to turn from Molière to Saint-Foix. But first, a few words about the author of Daphne and Amintor (D.L., October 8, 1765). Isaac Bickerstaffe (1735?—1812P) possessed little creative dramatic power, but he displayed considerable facility in adapting the work of others. Mrs. Inchbald ranked his popular musical farces second only to the work of Gay. Between 1760 and 1771 sc. 4); description of the ward's innocence (cf. English, Act II, sc. 4, with French, Act II, sc. 5; account of the gallant's visit (cf. English, Act II, sc. 4 with French, Act II, sc. 5). Mary Ann's (Agnès) "he bids me read the marriage act and a heap of trumpery" (Act V, sc. 3) was suggested by Les Maxima du Mariage, Act III, sc. 2. " T h e announcement by Brisk (Mascarille) that Sir Theodore Brumpton is dead, the receipt of ¿200 from Oldcastle (Anselme), followed by the "ghost's" sudden appearance (cf. English, Act III, sc. 1, with French, Act II, sc. 2, 4). "Including Woodward—Young Brumpton; Shuter—Oldcastle. " The Monthly Review, XXXVI (January, 1767), 7 1 - 7 2 . Dibdin approved of the materials, but thought they were badly fused (op. cit., V, 252). "The Critical Review, XXIII (1767), 59-60; Lloyd's Evening Post, XX (January, 1767), 43. "Murphy's comedy was included in Bell's British Theatre (1797), Vol. XXXIII.

72

Revivals /760-/770 Bickerstaffe produced a score of pieces, never collected, but listed by title in Biographia Dramatica. His first important comic opera, Love in a Village (C.G., December 8, 1762), partly based on Marivaux, was tremendously successful; and The Hypocrite (D.L., November 17, 1768), reworked from Molière and Cibber, was not devoid of merit. Bickerstaffe had been well received socially until he was suspected of a capital crime (1772), and was forced into exile on the Continent where he died forty years later. Saint-Foix's little masque had made a direct appeal which was doubtless reinforced by a revival of Mrs. Cibber's The Oracle at Covent Garden, March 26, 1765. But Bickerstaffe objected to the Fairy's "childishness," so, aided by Garrick, he substituted a magician for the Fairy's wand. Galuppi's delightful music and Miss Wright's excellent interpretation of Daphne gave this comic opera a run of thirty-one nights.40 Five editions came out that year, another one was published in 1766, and Daphne and Amintor was later included in the fifth volume of A Collection of the Most Esteemed Farces (London, 1786; Edinburgh, 1792). Bickerstaffe was correct in his apprehension that an alteration of Wycherley 41 would only heighten his own shortcomings. The Plain Dealer (D.L., December 7, 1765) was dedicated to Garrick as a mark of gratitude for the latter's judicious aid.42 Attempts to reduce "enormous length, and excessive obscenity" merely resulted in ineffectual concentration of a few minor characters,43 trivial 40

Nicoli records "Music pasticcio from Piccinni [j 1774 (Bath), 1779, 1782, 1788, Hay., June 25, 1793 (first time in two acts). Two London and one Dublin edition of The Commissary appeared, 1765 (his); a third and fourth were brought out, 1 7 7 3 , 1782; and the piece was included by Bell in his British Theatre ( 1 7 8 4 ) , Vol. ¡V, suppl.

92

New Plays

ij6o-i-]jo

because the English intriguer satirizes a ludicrous type of manners while remaining an admirable comic type of general human nature. Indeed, the author grew so attached to her that she was allowed to serve as a mouthpiece for personal satire in two additional plays. 111 It would be a waste of time and energy to attempt a lengthy comparison between Destouches's Le Philosophe marié, ou le Mari honteux de l'être (Théâtre-Français, February 15, 1727) and the most representative English comedy of its day. First, it is a commonplace that The Clandestine Marriage (D.L., February 20, 1766) by Colman and Garrick had the same sentimental basis as that of the French drame. Equally trite is the knowledge that those comic scenes upon which the chief strength and long life of this play depended owe little or nothing to French sources, and so far overshadow the sentimental parts of Fanny (Mélite) and Lovewell (Ariste) as to render them insignificant. 112 The other new piece indebted to the French for this season (1765-1766), All in the Right from Destouches's Le Triple Mariage (Théâtre-Français, July 7, 1716; incidental music by Gillier), 113 was never printed and appeared only once (C.G., April 26, 1766). It was the work of Thomas Hull (1728-1808), a careful but none-too-brilliant actor whose long histrionic career at Covent Garden (1759-1807) enabled him to give a practical turn to an easy prose style that sometimes achieves happy effects. '"The

Nabob

( 1 7 7 8 ) ; The Cozeners

(1778).

1,1

King and Mrs. Clive, creators respectively of Lord Ogleby and Mrs. Heidelberg, made these rôles immortal. Le Philosophe marié, adapted by John Kelly as The Married Philosopher ( 1 7 3 2 ) , was the first French sentimental comedy directly borrowed before 1750. We shall have occasion to return to Kelly's work in connection with Mrs. Inchbald's The Married Man ( 1 7 8 9 ) . Hankiss gives parallel characters of Le Philosophe marie and The Clandestine Marriage, but conservatively notes that both plays may have had a common source (op. cit., pp. 1 3 0 - 1 3 1 , 160, 386). For the latest history of the English comedy see Page, George Colman the Elder, pp. 1 1 1 - 1 2 8 . 113

Printed the same year and contained in Petite Bibliothèque

des

(1789), Vol. VI. For hints from Dancourt see Hankiss, op. cit., p. 99 ff.

93

théâtres

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England Biographia Dramatica credits Hull with nineteen dramatic compositions of a varied nature: tragedies, masques, musical entertainments, operas, comedies, farces. His alterations revert to Italian, French, and Spanish sources, but by their titles it would appear that he preferred to tamper with the work of earlier adapters or translators rather than to make direct use of any original text. All in the Right, for example, had already appeared in Foote's Comic Theatre, 1762, under another name, the only striking differences between The Triple Marriage and Hull's piece being: the latter's two-act enlargement, which is misleading as to greater length; change in dramatis personae; and a few new touches as to plot. In all three pieces a selfish widower, after contracting a secret marriage, learns that his son and daughter, whom he would marry off sans dot, have already chosen life partners. Unlike Destouches's piece or the free translation, Hull's comedy lets us suppose that the rejected suitors—the wealthy but superannuated parties are Mr. Wentworth (Michaut) and Lady Wishou'd (La Comtesse de la Ruffardiere)—will probably marry since misery loves company. Emily (Javotte), a younger sister and precocious little minx, who ferrets out family secrets and renders "songs in character," is the best of the cast.114 After a great deal of masking and unmasking there is a final dance in which it was announced that Miss Pitt would introduce a hornpipe. The only new French author to contribute to stage plays for the 1766-1767 season was Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The imitation of Rousseau was preceded by an adaptation from Le Sage and followed by an improvement over Voltaire's "ghost of a ghost," an alteration from Favart, a school performance of Marivaux, and an anonymous, unacted translation of Diderot. Garrick's farce, Nec\ or Nothing (D.L., November 18, 1766), was based on Le Sage's popular curtain raiser, Crispin rival de 1,1 This character is listed simply as "Young Lady, her 1st attempt on any stage." (Genest, op. cit., V, n o . )

94

New Plays

IJ6O-IJJO

son maître (Théâtre-Français, March 15, 1707). 115 The most striking deviation from the French lay in the denouement of this twoact version: dispensing with L e Sage's bitter irony in rewarding rascally servants, Garrick metes out punishment to the pair, who have failed to cheat Stockwell (Oronte) out of his daughter's fortune. Topical allusions and coarser language also contribute to native tone. Harlowe senior, an old gentleman of Derbyshire, is more convincingly crusty and gout-ridden than his prototype, M. Orgon de Chartres, just another stage father. Brisk dialogue retains much of Le Sage's verve. Nec\ or Nothing was repeated ten times, then laid aside until 1773-1774. Victor was of the opinion that audiences were over-supplied with intriguing servants. 116 Severe moralists looked upon Hume's protégé with disfavor, but the general public enjoyed Rousseau's sentimentalism, while grandes dames like Mrs. Greville, the Duchess of Portland, Lady Hervey, made considerable fuss over him. The Duke of Brunswick paid a secret visit to the eccentric gentleman, and Garrick made him guest of honor at Drury Lane performances of Lethe and Zara. During the progress of this double bill, their Majesties, who happened to be present, looked oftener at the hermitphilosopher than at the players. 117 After the performance "the celebrated John James Rousseau . . . made our English Roscius 111

When Garrick's adaptation appeared, Le Sage's little piece had been acted eighty-six times as compared to forty-eight performances of the Frenchman's dramatic masterpiece, Turcarct. Crispin was printed: 1709, 1 7 3 7 (Théâtre françois, Vol. X I ) , 1785 (Le Texier's Recueil, Vol. VII). "* Victor, op. cit., Ill, 96. T w o periodicals carried the plot without comment (The London Chronicle, X X [November 18-20, 1766], 496; The London Magazine, X X X V [November, 1766], 592-593); a third rated Neck or Nothing among inferior "petite pieces" ( T h e Critical Review, XXII [July-December, 1 7 6 6 ] , 468). Dibdin errs in calling Neck, or Nothing "almost a literal translation" (op. cit., V, 236). It was, however, a close adaptation. There were a few revivals: 1774 (seven times), 1774 (Liverpool), 1784. It was printed: 1766, 1767, 1774; and contained in Bell's British Theatre (1784), Vol. II, and in A Collection of the Most Esteemed Farces (1786), Vol. II. 111 "For his part, the hermit-philosopher had something better to do than to notice a pair of monarchs; he passed the evening leaning half-way out of his box,

95

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England the following compliment: 'Sir, you have made me cry at your Tragedy, and laugh at your Comedy, though I scarce understand a word of your language."" 1 8 T h e paradoxical author of La Lettre sur les spectacles was no dramatist, but he was always interested in the theater, and even produced one very successful operetta entitled Le Devin du village, originally acted at Fontainebleau on October 18, 1752. Repeated there, October 24, it was then taken to the Royal Academy of Music, March 1, 1753, where it had an uninterrupted run of 100 nights. 119 The flimsiest of plots is conducted by a village soothsayer, who smooths over a rift between rustic lovers. Though unequally written, this little piece made a direct appeal by its happy blend of simple verse and delightful melodies. Dibdin's caustic remarks concerning its reception in England as The Cunning Man (D.L., November 21, 1766), though partly true, were needlessly severe: Dr. Burney,120 an ingenious and elegant writer, whose History of Music, is full of general inquiry, and sound knowledge, translated Rousseau's dry and correct piece . . . , and, that it might be as cold and as dull as it was in French, the original music was perserved so as to show himself to the inquisitive public—an altruistic movement, which might have finished ill had not Mrs. Garrick hung on to his coat-tails so as to prevent him from falling into the pit." Related by Hume and included by Hedgcock (Garric^ and His French Friends [ 1 9 1 1 ] , p. 3 3 9 ) . ' " S e e The London Chronicle, X I X (January 2 5 - 2 8 , 1766), 90, or The Sr. James's Chronicle for January 2 3 - 2 5 , 1766, No. 764. The date seems to ha\e been January 23. " ' C a l l e d by the arbiter of taste "Une Bagatelle mais de fort bon goût" (La Harpe, Cours, II, 585). Cf. Sonncck. Catalogue of Opera Librettos Printed hejore 1800, I, 374-375. Printed: 1760 (Geneva), 1761 (Paris, edition used). Included in Nouveau Théâtre de la Foire ( 1 7 6 3 ) , Vol. I. Dr. Charles Burney ( 1 7 2 6 - 1 8 1 4 ) was a fashionable music teacher, author, member of nearly every literary coterie, and finished man of the world. His History of Music formed the basis of the majority of subsequent English treatises. (D.N.B., article on Dr. Charles Burney by W. Barclay Squire.)

96

New Plays

1760-1770

[sic]. It was called the Cunning-Man. Rousseau . . . heard it performed, but he had the mortification to find that nobody was cunning enough to find out the merit of it. 121 Burney is most apologetic in his advertisement: "following in the footsteps of the great reputation of M. Rousseau." He dares to add a second act, then fearing satiety, indicates possible retrenchments. 122 T w o scenes are "improved": one by an original air (Act I, sc. 2), the other by new words and music (Act I, sc. 5). Finally, after the manner of Rousseau, the imitator hopes the words and music "will be always considered together." The London Chronicle reported that this "anglicised French froth" was well acted, and that the music was singularly pleasing. 123 T w o other periodicals were also favorably disposed 124 and if, as the conservative Critical Review asserts, "the coincidence of the words with the music [was] its greatest recommendation," 12 '' Burney's hopes of exemplifying Rousseau's theory were realized. However, several Englishmen who had seen the original told Victor "it was with some Difficulty they could discover it to be the same Piece, that gave them so much Pleasure at Paris."12* The Cunning Man, enjoyed fourteen performances (1766-1767) and was printed twice. 127 The next year saw two performances and an anonymous translation, entitled The Village Conjurer, m

Dibdin, op. cit., V , Chap. IX, "Inferior Authors," 3 1 1 - 3 1 2 . Airs and dances after the reconciliation of Phoebe (Colette) and Colin.

1M

"It may not be Caviare to the multitude, who sleep unless they are enter-

tained with a jigg, or a tale of bawdry. Considering the difficulty that must attend placing this exotic on the English stage, the managers are entitled to commendation." ( T h e London 184

The Monthly

Chronicle,

Review,

X X [November 2 1 , 1 7 6 6 ] , 5 1 1 . )

X X X V (November, 1 7 6 6 ) , 406. " T h e beauties of this

little piece improve by repetition, and receive new graces from the performers." (Lloyd's

Evening

Post, X I X ( 1 7 6 6 ) , 540. Some of the airs were inserted, p. 498.

The Critical Review, ,J

X X I I ( 1 7 6 6 ) , 379.

* Victor, op. cit., Ill, 96-97.

117

1 have used the second edition, entitled: The Cunning-Man,

tainment,

in Two

seau. Imitated,

Acts . . . Originally

and Adapted

Written and Composed

to His Original

97

Music

(1766).

a Musical

Enter-

by A/. /. /. Rous-

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England which was contained in the same volume with Narcissus; or, The Self-Admirer,128 The following, all too brief, account of the next adapter and well-known theatrical figure, George Colman the Elder, is indebted chiefly to his latest biographer, Eugene R. Page.129 The elder Colman (1732-1794) was born in Florence where his father resided as envoy to the Court of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. His mother, becoming a widow the year following the birth of her son, returned to England where the Government provided her with a house in St. James's Park. She lived there until 1767. At the age of nine the boy was placed under the guardianship of an uncle, William Pulteney, who became Earl of Bath. The latter sent him to Westminster School where he qualified as King's Scholar and formed several valuable friendships. At Christ Church, Oxford, he was awarded an M.A. To please "the richest man in England," Colman next occupied chambers in Lincoln's Inn (1755-1764), traveled the Oxford Circuit four or five times by way of apprenticeship (1758-1761), but never practiced law thereafter. His great love had always been the theater, which he had attended at every opportunity at the risk of incurring the Earl of Bath's displeasure. From 1759 to 1776 he became intimately associated with Garrick, and as dramatic author, news" " T h e Miscellaneous Works, Vol. II. Neither translation was literal. The first mentioned omitted the Village Pastoral and Pantomime scene, and mistranslated "dans le fonds un Hameau" as " A View of a Hamlet in the Front" (stage directions of the opening scene). Narcisse, ou l'Amant de lui-même ( 1 7 5 2 ) was not ill translated. To modern readers its most amusing feature is the rendering of Rousseau's long-winded abuse of his public in the Preface. Page, George Colman the Elder, Essayist, Dramatist, and Theatrical Manager (New York, 1935). The three chief source books, as Page points out, are: Posthumous Letters, from Various Celebrated Men; addressed to Francis Colman, and George Colman, the Elder: with annotations, and occasional remarks, by George Colman, the Younger (1820); Random Records of My Life (1830), by the same writer; and Richard B. Peake's Memoirs of the Colman Family, Including Their Correspondence, in two volumes ( 1 8 4 1 ) .

98

New Plays 1760-1770 paper writer, pamphleteer, counted among his friends, Lloyd, Thornton, Churchill, and others. While acting manager of Covent Garden (1767-1774) he succeeded in giving the public a more varied program than they had witnessed theretofore at that theater. After emerging as winner in a long, bitter dispute with comanagers, a personal triumph that was increased with the knowledge of having made a respectable yearly profit, he was enabled to sell his share of the patent to Harris for ¿5000 more than it had cost him. In 1776-1777 there was published a four-volume set of his Dramatic\ Worlds containing seventeen plays. From 1777 to 1790 Colman created a reputation as "The little Dictator of the Haymarket," but his dictatorship was of a benevolent nature, serving to build up the theater which Foote had formerly managed until it became a worthy competitor of Covent Garden and Drury Lane, 130 lengthening the season for new plays, improving the quality of old ones, and allowing actors of real promise to make their début there. As playwright his forte lay in straight comedy; his comic spirit as revealed in two of the century's outstanding hits (The Jealous Wife and The Clandestine Marriage) combines Vanbrugh's hearty laughter, Wycherley's wit, and a dash of Destouches's sentiment. Nine of thirty-five dramatic compositions (1760-1789) owe something to the following French authors: Marmontel, Destouches (two), Voltaire, Anseaume, Beaumarchais (two), Molière, Marivaux. Although writing plays and managing were Colman's chief interests he also merits our esteem for his share in The Connoisseur, one of the century's outstanding periodicals. Moreover, he has left the best verse translation of Terence's comedies. "Little Coly," as he was familiarly known, was a man of tact, enterprise, and taste; a truly repre,M

"With the accession of the elder Colman to the managerial throne of the Haymarket began the golden era of "the litde theatre,' which for the next forty years and more continued in full meridian splendor." (H. B. Baker, History of the London Stage [1889], I, 188.)

99

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England sentative author who held the respect and affection of the best men of his day. Bruce 131 has left an excellent account of how the elder Colman improved Voltaire's mediocre L'Ecossaise (Théâtre-Français, July 26, 1760) as The English Merchant (D.L., February 21, 1767). Briefly, Colman's improvements consisted in transforming a French "original" (Freeport) into an English humor character; in bestowing upon the female villain (Lady Alton) a "literary conceit"; in dealing out punishment to Spatter, the English Frelon. The climax of this tearful comedy is reached when the benevolent merchant's happy intervention reunites father and daughter. As Bruce has demonstrated, sentiment made an unnecessarily long stand at the conclusion, whereas the French ending was brief and decisive. Colman's play was "so very tender, sentimental, and affecting, that night after night the audience [was] melted and dissolved away."" 2 Yates, not gifted "in parts that require manliness of deportment, gravity, and good breeding," 133 was miscast as Freeport. With this exception the actors received ample praise. Indeed, the initial run of the piece would have been longer but for Garrick's recent decision to cut short new runs, presenting them frequently rather than consecutively. 134 T h e greatest number of revivals took place at the Haymarket, where The English Merchant was acted until 1789.135 1,1

Bruce, op. cit., Chap. VII. T h e closest adaptation can be found in Acts

III-V. 133

Court Miscellany,

133

B.D., II, 197.

III, 97 ff. (Quoted from Bruce, op. cit., p. 108.)

Page, op. cit., p. 13.). It was acted fifteen times the first season. The cast included: Yates—Freeport, Powell—Falbridge, King—Spatter, Mrs. Abington—• Lady Alton, Mrs. Palmer—Amelia,

Havard—Amelia's

father, Mrs.

Hopkins—

Landlady. 135

Revivals:

1788-1789)

1768,

1769,

1771

(Bath, 1 7 7 5 , 1789)

(Hay., 1 7 7 7 , 1779. 1 7 8 1 - 1 7 8 2 ,

Charleston, 1 7 7 4 ; Jamaica, 1780; N e w York, 1786 chant),

1784,

1786,

(Liverpool, 1 7 7 6 ) (York, 1 7 7 7 ) . In America: (as The

Benevolent

Mer-

1789, 1 7 9 5 ; Philadelphia, 1 7 8 9 - 1 7 9 1 , 1 7 9 5 - 1 7 9 6 ; Baltimore, 1 7 9 5 - 1 7 9 6 .

Printed: 1767 (bis),

1774 (in A Collection of New Plays, Vol. II).

100

New Plays /760-/770 Colman's play was the last new offering from French sources at the patent theaters for the 1766-1767 season. Mention should be made, however, of a school performance of Marivaux. The Agreeable Surprise, 1766, an innocuous translation of an inferior piece {La Joie imprévue, Théâtre-Italien, July 7, 1738), 136 lacking Marivaux's usual charm, was translated and published by John Rule with the announcement that it had been performed by his "scholars at Islington . . . Whitsuntide—with general applause." The plot runs as follows: A young gambler, hoping to recoup heavy losses, is granted a revenge match by a wily Chevalier. The former is completely cleaned out, but the masked opponent proves to be his benevolent father, who has thus sought to administer a rude lesson. Moreover, genuine repentance must carry as its reward the hand of Constantia (Constance) whom the youth has previously met in a garden adjoining his lodging house. Tedious sentimental passages are occasionally relieved by the servants' more matter-of-fact language. An epilogue, spoken by Master Witherston as Pasquin (the valet), assures us that all fathers are not so broad-minded as the one in the play: But since men rob in masks, they mask'd may game; Gamesters and robbers have but one common aim. Perhaps Diderot's" 7 fame as editor of the Encyclopédie and originator of new dramatic theories weighed too heavily in the " ' W r o n g l y ascribed by Nicoll to La Surprise d'amour. La Joie imprévue was printed: 1738 (bis), 1758. The full title of the translation, contained in Poetical Blossoms, is: "Poctical Blossoms; or, the Sports of Genius. To Which is Annexed, The Agreeable Surprise. A Comedy of One Act. Translated from an Original Piece of Monsieur DE MARIVAUX . . . 1766." John Rule, A.M., takes advantage of the opportunity to praise his Academy and to announce his own forthcoming publications, for example, a French Letter-Writer. 131

Diderot is ranked as "the most German of Frenchmen" by Morley (Diderot, I, 39); Bruneticrc found the works of this writer "full of England" (Manuel de l'histoire de la littérature française [ 1 8 9 8 ] , pp. 3 2 1 - 3 2 2 ) . Cf. Brunctière, Les Epoques du théâtre français (1896) p. 3 1 3 ; F . Loliée, Les Littératures comparées, p. 268; Texte, Etudes de littératures européenes, pp. 1 6 - 1 7 . These referIOI

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England balance when Dorval; or, the Test of Virtue. A Comedy. Translated from the French of Monsieur Diderot . . . 1767 received the following press notice : "The characters are all of the sublime cast, the sentiments philosophically refined, and the language pure and expressive."138 The work as a whole is a fairly close translation, including stage directions, a few of which have been omitted in Act IV. At the conclusion of Act V , the reader is spared two paragraphs of wholesale weeping. Although this translation may have delighted many contemporary English readers, the more discriminating smiled tolerantly, no doubt, if they took the trouble to compare the texts. For examp : Et j'y suis enchaîné—I am fascinai, d here [Act I, sc. 1 ] ; un banquier qui chancelle—A banker who has failed [Act I, sc. 6]; au moment— in the moment [Act II, sc. 1]; les chevaux sont mis—the horses are put to [Act II, sc. 6]; le hasard nous engage—this was an accidental rencounter [Act III, sc. 4]; Dispensez-moi de vous dire le reste— Dispense with me from relating the sequel [Act IV, sc. 7]; C'est Rosalie qui le dit! Elle. . . . Il ne lui restait plus, pour m'accabler, que d'accuser mon ami!—Rosella his accuser! she!—There wanted only this to sink me to the grave! [Act V, sc. 2.] Hedgcock asserts that the author was Mrs. Griffith, and quotes from Sterne's letter to Garrick, written in Paris under date of April 10, 1762, in which Yorrick notes: . . . given me by a lady of talents, to read and conjecture if it would do for you. 'Tis from the plan of Diderot, and possibly half a ences have been taken from R. Loyalty Cru's Diderot as a Disciple of English Thought (New York, 1 9 1 3 ) , p. 5. Cru holds that The London Merchant and The Gamester "helped Diderot both to confirm and generalize his theory that everything in life could be made an object of dramatic imitation, and that of alt concerns those most like our own would prove most interesting to us." (Ibid., p. 325.) he Fils naturel, ou les Epreuves de la vertu, comédie en 5 actes et en prose . . . was published (Amsterdam and Paris, 1757). It was listed among the foreign books in The Monthly Review, XVIII (January, 1738), 96. Le Fils naturel is contained in Oeuvres complètes de Diderot (ed. J. Assézat, Vol. VII). ""Scots Magazine, XIX (July, 1767), 369. The London Magazine, X X X V I (April, 1767), 205, had found the piece "very affecting and sentimental."

102

New Plays /760-/770 translation of it. . . . It has too much sentiment in it (at least for me), the speeches too long and savour too much of preaching—this may be a second reason it is not to my taste . . . so I fear it would not do for your stage, and perhaps for the very reason which recommends it to a French one. . . . 139 An anonymous alteration of Lloyd's The Capricious Lovers should have been mentioned sooner, but since the piece never reached the London stage its inclusion here causes no serious damage to chronology so far as the patent theaters are concerned. Phillis at Court was brought out at the Crow Street Theatre, Dublin, February 25, 1767. Its plot differs little from that of the earlier English comic opera except for the Duke's exposure, which is more closely based on the French of Favart. There were minor changes in airs and dialogue, music was composed by Giordani, and the entertainment was made more interesting by the presence of foreign actors, among whom were Signora Cremonini who acted Phillis.140 Theatrical fare for 1767-1768 as far as French influence goes, was made up of incidental thefts from Destouches, minor hints from Marivaux, an alteration reverting to Favart, and borrowings from Regnard. Hedgcock, David Garrick. and His French Friends, p. 152, note 1, is quoting from Letters of the Late Rev. Mr. Laurence Sterne, Published by His Daughter, 1775 (dedicated to Garrick). According to Professor Cross, Sterne "interested himself in all things dramatic, purchasing and sending to his friend Garrick comic operas and pamphlets on the stage. . . . But as time wore on, the French theatre and all matters pertaining to it lost their attraction for him. He was bored by the conversations beard everywhere over the comic opera, then at the height of fashion, and by passionate disputes over what should be done with the Jesuits." (The Life and Times of Laurence Sterne [New York, 1909], Chap. XII, "Paris, January-June 1762," p. 274.) 140 See Iacuzzi, op. ctt., pp. 67 ff., for a fuller account. Musical dialogues "in conformity with the Italian Burletta [were] added towards the end of each Act" and the action, strangely enough, "is supposed [to take place] in Germany, part at a Farm and part at Court." (Advertisement and directions to the printed copy, 1767.)

103

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England If the finessing of Miss Richland and Leontine in The Good Natur'd Man, which appeared at Covent Garden, January 29, 1768, was suggested by that of Hortense and Le Marquis in Le Legs, Théâtre-Français, June 11, 1736, 141 Goldsmith may be accused of minor indebtedness to Marivaux. 142 At the time of its performance, however, the author was charged with borrowing from several French dramatists, among whom, strangely enough, the name of Marivaux did not appear.143 Since the two plays are so radically different in tone and treatment further textual comment seems needless.144 Bickerstaffe's two-act farce, The Absent Man, produced at Drury Lane, March 21, 1768, should not be confused with Hull's unprinted piece bearing the same title, which had been brought out at Covent Garden, April 28, 1764. Hull's suggestive title could have played its part in Bickerstaffe's choice of subject heading, but the last-named author's characterization and plot management revert to La Bruyère by way of Regnard and The Spectator,145 It will be recalled that Regnard's popular, five-act verse comedy, Le Distrait, Théâtre-Français, December 2, 1697, 141

Le Legs was printed: 1 7 3 6 , 1 7 4 0 , 1 7 7 3 , and 1 7 8 1 . Sells draws admittedly imperfect parallels in his Les Sources françaises

Goldsmith

de

( 1 9 2 4 ) pp. 1 4 8 - 1 5 5 . Less convincing is the same writer's attempt to

link She Stoops to Conquer

with Le Legs

(ibid.,

p. 162, note 2 ) .

143

The London

144

Love is the main theme of Marivaux's simple tableau

Magazine,

X X X V I I (February, 1 7 6 8 ) , 59-62. de genre

whereas

Goldsmith's larger canvas alternates comedy with sentiment, amusing ( L o f t y and Croker) with " l o w " bailiffs' scenes. The

Good

Natur'd

humors

Man

was

acted ten times the first season. Revivals outlasted the century: 1 7 7 1 , 1 7 7 3 , 1 7 7 7 , 1 7 8 3 - 1 7 8 5 , 1 7 8 8 - 1 7 8 9 , 1800, 1804, and 1826. The play was printed: 1768 (six editions), Theatre, 14

1784

(Dublin),

1792

(London and Perth),

1797

(in Bell's

British

Vol. X V I I ) .

" " M y Friend Will Honcycomb is one of those Sort of Men who are often

absent in Conversation, and what the French call a revcur Monsieur Bruyere

[sic] and a distrait...

.

[i/r] has given us the Character of an absent Man, which

he has pushed to an agreeable Extravagance; with the Heads of it I shall conclude my present paper." (No. 7 7 . )

104

Neu/ Plays /760-/770 had been suggested by the absent-minded Ménalque in La Bruyère's Les

Caractères.

vieille quinteuse,

In Regnard's play Madame

Grognac,

wishes her daughter to marry Léandre. Bicker-

staffe uses the same general idea but shifts the characters around to suit his purposes; Dr. Gruel favors the marriage of his daughter to Shatterbrain. In both plays the young lady loves another. But here close resemblances cease. Regnard's denouement, indebted to "that of Les Femmes

savantes,

is brought about when

Madame Grognac sponsors her daughter's break with Léandre, after it has been announced falsely that the latter's uncle has disinherited him. And the consistent portrayal of le Distrait

termi-

nates when this character forgets that the day for the nuptial benediction has arrived. Bickerstaffe carried on from this point. Shatterbrain absentmindedly goes off to the country on the very morning of his wedding day. Later, his merry friends, whom he had invited to supper, follow him to Dr. Gruel's house where the poor fellow's attention is diverted while his wife-to-be is marrying the man of her choice. In the meantime, Dr. Gruel has been called out by the sudden illness of Shatterbrain's uncle. When the father returns he finds his daughter wed to another. From this brief summary it would appear that Bickerstaffe made free use of borrowed material. 146 Dibdin remarked that

Bickerstaffe's

piece was "too flimsy to do any thing material." 147 King was in146

Among hints from the French should be mentioned: Frank's (Carlin) ac-

count of his master's habit of misdirecting letters, Act I, sc. 3 (cf. Léandre's actions, Act V , sc. 1 , 4 - 6 ) ; the Absent Man's failure to find his sword, Act I, sc. 10 (cf. French, Act II, sc. 5 ) ; Shatterbrain's behavior in the room of bedridden Mrs. Feeble, Act II, sc. 5 (et. Carlin's récit scabreux,

Act II, sc. 1 ) ; the

incident of Shatterbrain's mistaking Wclldon's for Flavia's hand, Act II, sc. 8 (cf. the incident of Léandre's mistaking the Chevalier's hand for that of Clarice, Act II, sc. 1 0 ) . Welldon, unlike his French prototype, is no libertine. The characters of Clarice, Valére, and Lisctte were omitted. N e w characters included: Captain Slang, Coxcomb, Mrs. Junket, Miss Frolick, Landlady. Dibdin, op. cit., V , 262. 105

Revivals and Importations of Trench Comedies in England imitable, however, in the title rôle.148 The Absent Man was printed twice.149 Dr. Paul Hifïernan (1719-1777), eccentric character, political writer, translator, was the alterer of Favart's L'Anglois à Bordeaux which had been translated anonymously.150 Hifïernan produced his two-act version as National Prejudice at Drury Lane, April 6,1768. All we know about the piece comes from Genest who merely records a French dance, the Cotillino, which had been added to the first act. 151 National Prejudice was never printed; there is no Larpent manuscript. Of greater interest is King's "dramatic trifle," Wit's Last Stal^e, brought out at Drury Lane, April 14, 1768, a one-act curtailment of Le Légataire universel in five acts (Théâtre-Français, January 9, 1708). 152 According to the Dictionary of National Biography, the popular actor, Thomas King (1730-1805), began his London stage career at eighteen, playing the Herald in King Lear (1748). After eight years upon the Dublin stage (1750-1758), he returned to Drury Lane where he remained until 1802. King acted 150 parts, embracing the whole range of comedy. He excelled in valets's rôles, achieved stardom as Lord Ogleby (1766), and won everlasting renown as a comedian when he created the part of Sir Peter Teazle. 153 But to return to Wit's Last Stake. The "EngGenest, op. cit., V, 167. Mrs. Barry played the part of Flavia (Isabelle). The Absent Man was repeated at D.L., March 24; April 4, 28, 29; May 30, 3 1 , 1768. It was revived twice at D.L. the following season and appeared there again in 1772 and at C.G. in 1784, 1795. '"Printed, London and Dublin (according to Nicoll), 1768. ,M

Cf. supra. Genest, op. cit., V, 168.

152

Printed: 1708, 1 7 1 3 , and 1714. For sources and plot parallels in Molière and Dante, see Toldo, "Etudes sur le théâtre de Regnard," Revue d'histoire littéraire ( 1 9 0 3 - 1 9 0 5 ) , Vols. X-XII, and Altrocchi, "The Story of Dante's Gianni Schicchi and Regnard's Légataire Universel," PML.A, XXIX ( 1 9 1 4 ) , 200 ff. 153

See the article on Thomas King in D.N.B. by Joseph Knight. Cf. Doran, Annals of the English Stage (New York, 1880), II, 337.

I06

New Plays

1760-ijjo

lish Preville" 1 " doubtless saw an opportunity to excel in the scene where Martin (Crispin), impersonating the dying Linger (Geronte), dictates a will to his own advantage. If we consider how few incidents155 could be brought within the compass of one act, we should give the author some credit for his work. Although the lively dialogue cannot cope successfully with the sparkle of Regnard's lines, there is a gain, if we choose to call it such, in the direction of chasteness since many of the French servants's indecencies have been deleted. According to Victor, the piece was successfully performed for several nights.156 At the close of the century Wit's Last Stafe was brought out as Will or no Will, a benefit performance, the author taking the part of Linger. 157 Beaumarchais in English dress was preceded the following season (1768-1769) by Reed's adaptation of the French Tom Jones, which had been derived from Fielding. Joseph Reed (1723-1787), like many self-educated men and would-be dramatists, formed an unwarrantably lofty opinion of his literary achievements.158 He was the possessor, however, of caustic wit and much energy, two qualities that are occasionally to the fore in his comic opera which derived hints from the 154

He was so christened by Dibdin (op. cit., V, 346 ff.). Cf. Hedgcock, op. cit., p. 161 ff. Preville, who acted valets to perfection, was the creator of the immortal Figaro. 155 The most important of wholesale reductions were Crispin's antics as the nephew from Normandy, niece from Maine, and all the business connected with the funny little apothecary, Clistoral. Victor, op. cit., Ill, 1 3 6 - 1 3 7 . The Critical Review, XXVII (January, 1769), 80, approved of the scene suggested by the tide. The piece received favorable mention by The London Chronicle, X X V (January, 1769), 73; and by The London Magazine, XXXVIII (February, 1769), 102. 111 D.L., April 24, 1799. Bannister, Jr. played Martin. Earlier revivals of Wit's Last Stak.e include: 1769 (eight times), 1770 (once), 1771 (once), 1772 (three times). The piece was printed: 1769, 1769 (2d), and 1803 (4th). "* Author of some half dozen inferior dramatic pieces. The Impostors (acted, 1776) is supposed to be an adaptation from Gil Bias.

107

Revivals

and Importations

of French

Comedies

in

England

F r e n c h and w h i c h bore the same title as Poinsinet's Continental success. 1 5 9 In the P r e f a c e to the second edition of Tom ( C . G . , January

Jones

14, 1 7 6 9 ) the author makes the f o l l o w i n g ack-

nowledgments : While I was writing the last act of this opera [June, 1 7 6 5 ] , the French Tom Jones fell into my hands. I found its plan so very confined, and so materially different from mine, that I could reap little or no benefit from it. T h e only particulars of which I have availed myself from Mons. Poinsinet, are the hint of legitimating Jones, and the thought which gave rise to my second air. I have quoted the lines, from which I received advantage in the latter instance. S i x lines w i t h paraphrase have been left for the reader's edification. R e e d m a y be said to have grafted an E n g l i s h body to a flimsy

F r e n c h plot, w h i c h had existed merely as an excuse f o r

songs and lively dialogue. Y e t , despite more incident and more colorful characterizations, 1 6 0 Reed's piece w a s condemned as incoherently

stupid, contemptible, most u n c o m m o n l y

indelicate:

" T o m Jones has ill-exchanged a thousand qualifications for legiti159 Tom Jones, comédie lyrique, en trois actes, imitée du roman anglais de M. Fielding . . . musique par M.A.D. Philidor, Comédie-Italienne, February 27, 1765. Joseph Caillot, the famous bass, played Western. There were five Paris editions within four years after its première, and the piece was reprinted for local French theaters at Avignon, Amsterdam, Mannheim, Dresden, Frankfort, and Copenhagen. Antoine-Alexandre-Henri Poinsinet ( 1 7 3 5 - 1 7 6 9 ) , author of numerous parodies, comic operas, and a few comedies, was considered a joke by Grimm and La Harpe. His ignorance, presumptuousness, and credulity made him the laughing stock of wits and the sport of salons. His best piece was Le Cercle (Thcâtre-Français, September 7, 1764).

In the subplot, Young Nightingale's elopement with Nancy brings more characters to the inn. Dowling is more active than Poinsinet's kindly Quaker. Blifil's machinations appear more complicated, and when this character is detected he is treated leniently at Jones's request. Supple, a character not used by Poinsinet, is, of course, Fielding's parson, but here he is changed into a country squire "to avoid giving offense to the cloth." (Preface.) The Maid, Squire Western, and the political Aunt are all more colorfully drawn than their French prototypes.

I08

New macy, notwithstanding

Plays

IJ6O-IJJO

it w a s a F r e n c h i m p r o v e m e n t . " 1 6 1

Less

delicate, perhaps, w e r e those audiences w h o f o r thirteen n i g h t s w e r e kept in a c o n t i n u o u s state of hilarity b y S h u t e r as S q u i r e Zounds!1*2

W e s t e r n , w h o s e most violent oath, b y the w a y , w a s M r s . G r i f f i t h in her School

for Ra^es

( D . L . , F e b r u a r y 4, 1 7 6 9 )

chastens a n d brightens the m o r e s o m b e r F r e n c h drame, (Théâtre-Français, January

29, 1 7 6 7 ) ,

163

t r e a t i n g of

Eugénie

abandoned

innocence. E l i z a b e t h Griffith ( i 7 2 o ? - i 7 9 3 ) , novelist, p l a y w r i g h t , translator, f o l l o w e d in the w a k e of C i b b e r a n d Steele. S h e seems to h a v e been a constant source of a n n o y a n c e to G a r r i c k ,

who

aided her in the present adaptation. H e r first v e n t u r e as a p l a y w r i g h t w a s m a d e in 1 7 6 5 . T h a t year The f r o m M a r m o n t e l ' s tale, L'Heureux 1,1

Divorce,

Platonic

Wife,

drawn

h a d lingered f o r six

The London Magazine, XXXVIII (January, 1769), 3-8. But, queries Genest, has not the author "reduced Tom Jones to a mere walking gentleman [by stripping] the hero of his libertinism?" (Op. cit., V, 240-241.) See also The London Chronicle, X X V (January 1 4 - 1 7 , 1769), 49-50; Lloyd's Evening Post, X X I V (January 1 3 - 1 6 , 1769), 54; The St. James's Chronicle, January 1 4 - 1 7 , 1769, No. 1230; The Monthly Review, X L (January, 1769), 65-68. 102 Tom Jones was revived at C.G., April 12, 1 7 7 1 , after passing through two London editions and a Dublin edition, 1769. Sec Sonneck, op. cit., for various composers. 1M Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais ( 1 7 3 2 - 1 7 9 9 ) was to make another attempt after the manner of Diderot before turning to Molière. Then, combining his multifarious experiences with contemporary ideas, he became the most fascinating and representative of eighteenth-century celebrities. His many interests, too well known for comment here, served to dramatize man and author, creating for both a European vogue. Even the celebrated Mémoires have been styled a five-act tragi-comedy (Lintilhac, Beaumarchais et ses oeuvres [ 1 8 8 7 ] , pp. 144 ff.). All of his important plays were cither adapted or translated, his two masterpieces proving nearly as popular in England as in France. La Mère coupable, in which he reverts to his first manner, viz., as a follower of Diderot, was translated by James Wild as Frailty and Hypocrisy (1804). See Cordier (Bibliographie des oeuvres de Beaumarchais, 1883), for editions. I have used Oeuvres complètes (1809), Vol. I. As regards the various sources of Eugénie, including personal experiences in Spain, Richardson's novels, probably the most useful was the story of the Comte de Belflor in Le Sage's Le Diable boiteux. IO9

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England nights at Drury Lane. 1 6 4 Four of her six comedies were taken from the French. 1 6 5 But to return to The School for

Rakes.

More restraint is shown in describing Harriet's situation, and the political aunt (taken by Mrs. Clive), an eccentric of native growth 1 6 6 who dominates the comic interest, is a great improvement over Madame Murer, "une vieille évaporée." Frampton, who has no exact counterpart, has recently been called the real hero. 167 T o the present writer he appears rather as a tiresome raisonneur,

since nearly one-half of the twenty-two soliloquies

are delivered by this reformed rake, wavering between devotion to the nominal hero who has pulled him out of the gutter and disgust at his rescuer's underhanded ways. It should be noted, however, that Frampton was the hero to contemporary audiences, the part being ably interpreted by Reddish. Hackneyed situations in the freely reworked plot and the rake's too abrupt repentance did not prevent The School for Rafles from producing "higher pleasure than laughter can bring." 168 Garrick, not forgetting to '** The play terminates after the manner of Marmontel's Conte Contes moraux,

(contained in

Vol. I V ) : an estranged couple's reconciliation. An original sub-

plot adds claptrap to sentimental drivel. Low comedy is furnished by the servants w h o play an active part in a thwarted elopement. Emilia, Lady

Frankland's

cousin, having previously spurned the advances of a fop, accepts the man who had in vain offered to provide the misunderstood wife with "sentimental passion." Powell acted the husband's part; Mrs. Yates played the rôle of

Lady

Frankland. Marmontel's Céphise became the emancipated Lady Fanshaw, ably interpreted by Kitty Clive. T h e full title of this piece, written as a protest against too romantic views of marriage, was: The Platonic Wife, a Comedy, at Drury

Lane.

as

Performed

By a I^ady ( 1 7 6 5 ) . Unfavorable comment and reasons for the

premiere's ill reception will be found in The Critical Review,

X I X , 1 5 3 ; and in

Victor, op. cit., Ill, 59-62. The other two were The Barber of Seville, and The Times ,M

a mediocre translation

( 1 7 8 0 ) , adapted from Goldoni's Le Bourru

bienfaisant

(1776), (1771).

The rôle of this absurd Welshwoman is reminiscent of that of Mrs. Western

(Tom

fones)

or Mrs. Margate Maxwell (The

Devil

" " O l i v e r Elton, A Survey of English literature,

upon Two

1730-1780

Sticks).

(New York, 1 9 2 8 ) ,

I, 292. "*The

Monthly

Review,

XL

(February,

1769),

153-156.

Dibdin

(op.

cit.,

V , 282) called this "translation" the best of the lady's productions. The conscrva-

110

New Plays 1760-1 jjo mention his valuable recommendations to the authoress, wrote Beaumarchais that his spirited imitation was being received with great applause by large audiences. 169 Mrs. Griffith's play, after an initial run of thirteen nights, lasted seven years.170 There was only one new play from the French at the patent theaters during the 1769-1770 season. Marylebone Garden, however, brought out a burletta from J. B. Rousseau and there were two anonymous translations from Favart and Diderot. Less deftly drawn than in Destouches is the character of Sally in Colman's Man and Wife; or, The Shakespeare Jubilee (C.G., October 7, 1767) 171 admittedly based on that of Babet in La Fausse Agnès (1759). Colman's three-act comedy allows this ingénue to conduct the intrigue, thus enabling her elder sister to escape two unwelcome suitors, marry Colonel Frankly, and outwit ever wrangling parents. T h e borrower forgot to add acknowledgments to the same French author's Le Triple Mariage where Javotte, like Sally, plays a lively rôle. After enjoying a run of seventeen performances, Man and Wife was cut down to a twoact afterpiece without the pageantry. 172 tive Genest recorded that although there were dull parts it was "on the whole far from a bad play." (Op. cit., V , 222.) Cf. B.D., Ill, 246. The reviewer for London

The

Magazine, XXXVIII (February, 1769), 59-64, pointed out that "not a

single personage [was] new": Eustache—Lovelace, Frampton—Belford, Capt. Lloyd — B e n (Love for Love), Trumion—Peregrine Pickle, and so on. There were longwinded accounts of The

School

for Rakes in The

Universal Magazine,

XLIV

(February, 1769), 85-91; and in The Dramatic Censor, II (1770), 20-39. For further information consult The Gentleman's Magazine, XXXIX (April, 1769), 199; Lloyd's Evening Post, XXIX (October, 1 7 7 1 ) , 428; and The Theatrical Review, I (October, 1 7 7 1 ) , 1 1 8 - 1 2 1 . ""Dated April 10. See De Loménie, Beaumarchais et son temps, I, 221-222. "" 1770-1771, 1776. Printed: 1769 (three editions), 1795, 1797 (Bell's British Theatre, Vol. X X X ) . 1,1

Written to forestall Garrick. Interest in Colman's play, which was preceded

by a Prelude, centered on a Shakespearean pageant and representation of the Amphitheatre at Stratford; each inserted between the acts. See Page, op.

cit.,

PP- 174-176. "'Man

and

Wife

was revived:

1771-1773, III

1776 (Liverpool),

1777-1779,

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England The celebrated lyric poet, Jean-Baptiste Rousseau (1671-1741), known for his misfortunes as well as for his talents, furnished George Carey (1743-1807), printer and unsuccessful actor,173 with a two-act burletta called: "The Magic Girdle: A Burletta. Taken from the French of Monsieur Rousseau. Set to Music by Mr. Barthelemon and Performed at Marybone [¿/c] Gardens. London: 1770." Ceinture magique, in one act, from which it was drawn, first appeared at Versailles, 1701, but was never performed at Paris. It was printed that year, however, and was later included in the third volume of Oeuvres, nouvelle édition (Londres, 1753). The slender thread upon which the plot is based deals with a credulous guardian, who, placed in a ridiculous position by a pseudo-astrologer, is forced to relinquish his young ward. The two-act division is misleading as to greater length since dramatis personae were curtailed by half. This move meant considerable loss in comic contrast, especially that of the guardians.174 Granting the absurdity of taking any of these burlettas very seriously, we may conclude with the remark that Carey's dialogue is distinctly inferior to that of Rousseau in sprightliness. Favart's Les Moissonneurs (Théâtre-Italien, January 27, 1768; music by Duni) 1 7 5 was published anonymously as The Reapers; or, The Englishman out of Paris, an Opera, 1770. Names and situations were Englished, airs were freely rendered, and lan1783—1784. Three London editions and one Dublin edition were published in 1770. The Dramatick. Work,s were printed: 1777 (4 vols.). 173 Also miscellaneous writer, public lecturer, and author of inferior comedies, entertainments, and burlettas.

' " H o r a t i o , for example, does duty for Francisque (homme d'intrigues), and the poorly differentiated lovers, Octave and Horace; Cephisia replaces the colorless Lucette and the affected Baliverne; the Guardian (Trufalo) is less amusing than either the braggart-coward Capitan Escarbombardon de la Spopondrillade or the less assertive Trufaldin whose rôles he combines. Violantine, the aunt, is more flesh and blood than Mme Merluche. ' " S o u r c e s : Biblical story of Ruth and Voltaire's Le Droit du seigneur. Iacuzzi, op. cit., pp. 7 1 - 7 4 , for a more detailed account.

112

See

New Plays /760-/770 guage was made so decorously moral that the piece became hopelessly dull. Plot alterations included the overworked recognition scene between daughter and long-lost father. 1 ' 6 A really successful adaptation of Favart's comic opera was not to appear until 1782. 1 " This period is brought to a close with an anonymous translation of Diderot's Le Père de famille (Théâtre-Français, February 18, 1761). The Father, 1770, was rendered by the translator of Dorval. Diderot's enflures are, on the whole, faithfully reproduced. 1 " There are unimportant changes in dramatis personae,179 and the author heightens suspense by allowing Saint-Albin to believe that Sophia has been carried off from her lodging to a house of ill fame (in the original Saint-Albin learns that "la maison est honnête"). Though lacking action, the work was judged a good translation by The Critical Review, while The London Chronicle carried detailed plot with specimen dialogue.190 Diderot's dramatic masterpiece was never destined to gain a foothold upon the English stage, but, as we shall see later, it did provide hints for at least two popular successes: Miss Lee's The Chapter of Accidents; Burgoyne's The Heiress. 1IC Two new scenes. Act I (second half of sc. 4) and Act III (most of sc. 8) were shortened. Rosina by Mrs. Brooke. Another edition of the anonymous translation appeared as The Reapers; or, The East of Paris (1780). " ' T h e best dialogue can be found in Act II, sc. 4. " " Count D'Orbesson for the Père de famille, Col. D'Auvilé for the Commandeur. 180 The Critical Review, XXXI (January-June, 1 7 7 1 ) , 70; The London Chronicle, XXIX (January 3-5, 1 7 7 1 ) , 21 ff. The Father was listed among new publications in Scots Magazine, XXXIII (March, 1 7 7 1 ) , 148.

"3

CHAPTER IV

1770-1780 REVIVALS

1

Except for the work of Sheridan which bears the stamp of that brilliant dramatist's originality, the adaptations or borrowings from Molière for these years were decidedly inferior. Hackneyed situations were not always saved by capable actors. For example, in the case of An Hour before Marriage (C.G., January 25, 1772), 2 anonymously drawn from Le Manage forcé (1664), we learn that the audience responded all too favorably to Woodward's ludicrous advice in the Prologue: " H o w e'er full of plot, wit and humour, he cram it, I Harlequin, humbly beseech you to dammit!" So, when Shuter, as Sir Andrew Melville (Alcidas), brought on two swords to force Stanley (Sganarelle) to marry his sister Fanny (Dorimène) "a candle was thrown upon the Stage FROM T H E BOXES, as a signal of general censure, upon which the curtain dropped, leaving the piece unfinished." 3 The printed copy was dedicated to Colman, to whom permission was granted to make as many changes as he saw fit.4 The following season saw another version of Molière's piece, 1

T h e following pages present ten revivals: seven from six of Molière's come-

dies, two from one of Dancourt's pieces, one from Brueys. Under the following numbers in the Appendix will be found nine additional titles (chiefly alterations) which show minor bits of indebtedness: No. 23 (Corneille and Molière); Nos. 24, 26, 28, 29, and 3 1

(Molière); No. 25

(Scarron); No. 27

(Favart);

No. 30

(Boursault). In the following order there continued to appear nine of the nineteen plays mentioned in the second chapter or division as being partially indebted to Molière: Appendix Nos. 5, 2, 7, i i , 8, 1 2 , 1 8 , 4, and 3. 2

An Hour before Marriage:

Acted

at the Theatre-Royal

A Farce of Two in Covent-Garden.

Acts, as It Was Attempted By a Gentleman

from

to be Dublin,

1772. 3

W. C. Oulton, The History of the Theatres of London

. . . , I, 6 - 7 .

* Molière's piece was considered "so naked as hardly to deserve the name."

114

Revivals

1770-1780

a d a p t e d a n d p r o d u c e d at D r u r y L a n e , O c t o b e r 2 3 , 1 7 7 2 , a s Widou/.5

Irish of

The

S c a n t p r a i s e w a s m e t e d o u t to G a r r i c k , the a u t h o r

this t w o - a c t

farce. F o r

example:

"Were

not the W i d o w

in

M r s . B a r r y ' s h a n d s , e v e n t h e b o o b y g a l l e r i e s w o u l d hoot at h e r : g a y w i t h o u t g a i e t y , a n d s p l e n d i d w i t h o u t o n e f e a t u r e of a g e n t l e w o m a n , w e w o n d e r h o w a n y m a n c o u l d f a l l in l o v e w i t h we

also w o n d e r

where

m a n y " I r i s h i s m s , " replacing sentiment, m a d e no one laugh, here " n o o n e " m e a n s

her;

the devil the author f o u n d her."®

no discriminating

v i e w e r . A c t u a l l y , the W i d o w

The 7

p e r s o n , to w i t , n o

B r a d y continued her r o m p

t h e E n g l i s h s t a g e u n t i l 1 8 2 1 . 8 T h i s a n d the a n o n y m o u s

but re-

upon

version

(Preface.) Among changes to be cited, the heroine remains faithful to her young lover (Elwood) who takes over some of Geronimo's lines. Elwood also relieves Stanley's anxiety by his timely appearance with proverbial fortune amassed in the East Indies. Omissions included the two comic philosophers and the Egyptiennes. As to general tone, it is a far cry from Fanny's sentimental outbursts to Dorimene's cynicism. 5 The plot runs as follows: Upon Old Whittle's consent depends the future happiness of his nephew and that of the Widow Brady, but when the old gentleman meets the bride-to-be he falls in love with her. The intrigue, therefore, turns largely upon the lady's extravagant behavior, Old Whittle being forced to terms when she poses as an avenging brother. The new, minor humors include a superannuated fop (Kecksy) married to a young wife and blind to her gallantries, while more amusement arises from the reflections of Thomas, Whittle's servant. ' S e e The London Magazine, X L I (October, 1 7 7 2 ) , 458-460, for a full account. Oulton pronounced it "an indifferent production" (op. cit., I, 9); the reviewers for The London Chronicle ( X X X I I [October 22-24, ' 7 7 2 ] , 339) and Scots Magazine ( X X X I V [December, 1 7 7 2 ] , 672) were less severe, but the reporter for The Westminster Magazine (I [ 1 7 7 3 ] , 3 3 ) called each scene a "literary monster." ' The London Magazine, X L I (October, 1 7 7 2 ) , 460. " According to Genest, the Widow was Mrs. Greville's best role, although Mrs. Taylor "was a very neat breeches figure." (Some Account of the English Stage, VI, 470.) The Irish Widow was acted twenty times ( 1 7 7 2 - 1 7 7 3 ) and was revived: 1 7 7 4 - 1 7 7 6 , 1774 and 1 7 7 6 (Liverpool), 1778, 1780, 1 7 8 1 , 1781 and 1782 (Bath), 1784 (Bath), 1 7 8 6 - 1 7 8 9 , 1793, 1794 (Bath), 1795, 1795 (Bath), 1796, 1797; last performance at C.G., September 26, 1 8 2 1 . The comedy was issued as follows: 1 7 7 2 (his), dedicated to Mrs. Barry; 1 7 7 3 , 1773 (4th), 1774, 1778 (A Collection oj New Play-),

1 7 8 1 , 1786 (A Collection of the Most Esteemed

"5

Farces, Vol. V ) , and 1787.

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England utilizing hints from Molière's hastily written, prose comédieballet, Le Mariage forcé, were preceded and followed respectively by partial borrowings from Dancourt. In The Nabob, produced at the Haymarket, June 29, 1772, Foote's personal satire9 combines features of Dancourt's La Femme d'intrigues. Mrs. Mechlin (Mme Thibaut), of Commissary fame, has been altered as the infamous Mrs. Match'em, who, after swindling Sir Matthew Mite in doubtful love affairs, regrets inability to operate on a greater scale by becoming Mrs. Mite (Act II). Her activities are described, however, rather than carried out, and her rôle is of a more episodic nature than that of Mrs. Mechlin.10 A far more effective blend of contemporary satire and Dancourt is seen in the character of Mrs. Fleece'em, 11 who made her appearance in The Cozeners, Haymarket, July 15, I774-'2 This time Madame Thibaut's English sister is aided and abetted by a crooked lawyer, who is of valuable assistance in covering up her mistakes. She carries on a thriving business, offering: "to procure posts, places, preferments of all conditions and sizes; to raise cash for the indigent, and procure good securities for such as are wealthy; suitable matches for people who want husbands and wives, and divorces for those who wish to get rid of them (Act I, sc. 1)." When Fleece'em and Flaw are unable to pass off a black girl upon a country bumpkin the author takes a last fling at contemporary manners: "(Mrs. Fleece'em) I am detected, distressed, and must therefore submit! But gentlemen, if all who have offended like us, were, like us, pro* Directed at Gen. Richard Smith (cf. Belden, "The Dramatic

Wort^ of

Samuel

Foote, p. 1 4 7 ) . 10

The

Nabob enjoyed twenty-four performances, 1 7 7 2 , and was revived: 1 7 7 4 -

1778, 1 7 7 8 (Bath), 1 7 8 1 , and 1786. It was printed: 1778 and 1795. 11

Intended for Mrs. Grieve whose notoriety had reached its height at this time

(cf. Bclden, op. cit., p. 1 6 2 ) . 12

T h e piece appeared the twenty-first time at the Hay., September 1 5 , 1774,

and was revived: 1 7 7 5 - 1 7 7 6 , 1 7 7 8 , 1 7 7 S (Bath), 1782, and 1792. According to Gcnest, the last performance took place at D.L., November 8, 1800. It was printed twice in 1778 (one pirated edition), and was issued again in 1795. Il6

Revivals

IJJO-IJ8O

duced to the public, much higher names would adorn the OldBailey Chronicle than those of poor Fleece'em and Flaw." (End of Act III.) The year before Foote produced The Cozeners, Goldsmith brought out for Quick's benefit (C.G., May 8, 1773) a one-act abridgment of Sedley's The Grumbler, ultimately derived from Brueys's Le Grondeur.13 " A n Entertainment of One Act can not be expected to contain much," observed The Westminster Magazine, and "the whole merit of this is centered in one character and perhaps one Scene."14 Goldsmith's arrangement was never revived and has only recently been edited by Miss Alice I. Perry Wood from a manuscript in the Larpent Collection of the Henry E. Huntington Library, 1931. 15 Although Professor Bernbaum has classed Cumberland's 16 The Choleric Man (D.L., December 19, 1774) as nonsentimental, the dramatist's Preface reveals clearly enough his sympathies. Moliere was forgotten in the author's angry denial of indebtedness to Shadwell's The Squire of Alsatia17 and in his strong assertion: "But I would beg leave humbly to observe that the plot of Terence was never in my contemplation."18 Partial indebtedness to L'Ecole des maris was pointed out, however, by the St. James's Chronicle under date of December 22, in a long article on "The 13 Goldsmith used seven characters where Sedley and Brueys had used twelve and sixteen respectively. The daughter, her lovers, younger brother, and tutor were discarded; Scamper, the Grumbler's servant, replaced Jasmin, Lolive, and Catau. The subplot was omitted entirely.

"T/ie Westminster Magazine, I ( 1 7 7 3 ) , 3 1 9 . Quick starred as the Grumbler. The scene referred to could have been either Clarissa's scolding the servant (an improvement over Sedley, who merely described the incident) or the Grumbler's ridiculous dancing lesson; probably the latter. 15

Before the appearance of Miss Wood's edition only a specimen scene of Goldsmith's alteration had been printed (in Miscellaneous Works [ 1 8 3 7 ] , IV, 333>"Richard Cumberland ( 1 7 3 2 - 1 8 1 1 ) , "last and the best of the Sentimental school" (Henry Neele's Lectures on English Poetry, p. 1 5 3 ) , survives as the author of The West Indian, although he wrote fifty-four plays. He was less under the sway of the tearful muse which came from France than either Kelly or Hoi-

117

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England different effects of a harsh and severe, and a mild and gentle education [as treated by Terence, Molière, Shad well, and Cumberland]." Possibly Le Sicilien, ou l'Amour peintre (1667) contributed an additional hint since Charles Manlove's courtship of Laetitia Fairfax is carried on in the character of an artist. Had not Weston's death in 1776 left no fit successor to the low-comedy role of Young Nightshade, it is more than likely that The Choleric Man would have enjoyed a longer life. 19 Charles Dibdin (1745-1814) has frequently been mentioned with reference to his History of the Stage (1795). In his day, however, he was best known as a versatile song writer, revealing a special talent in the composition of sea songs. From 1764 on he was variously engaged as actor, manager, and dramatic author of some seventy pieces. Dibdin was particularly fond of Sedaine from whom he borrowed freely. Molière, Favart, Marmbntel were also laid under contribution. But despite admitted thefts and the advantages of twenty-two months in France ("to expand my ideas and store myself with theatrical materials"), Dibdin disliked the French with the same stubborn prejudice that many other patriotic Britons of that age were wont to display. Molière's Le Sicilien and George Dandin (1668) avowedly furnished the catastrophe and the character of a blundering servant to The Metamorphoses, a two-act comic opera produced at the Haymarket, August 26, 1775.20 Weston's low-comedy role, reworked croft. (See S. T. Williams, Richard Cumberland, His Life and Dramatic Wor\s [New Haven, 1 9 1 7 ] . ) 17 "Dedication to Detraction," The Choleric Man. A Comedy (1775). 18 Cf. Genest's comment, op. cit., V, 446. 19 It was repeated thirteen times in London (Genest, op. cit., V, 445) and was acted at Bath, February 14, 1775; Liverpool, July 14, 1775. For its American vogue see Odell, Annals of the New Yor\ Stage, I, 273, and Seilhamer's History of the American Theatre ( 1774-1792), p. 267. Editions: 1775 (three), 1775 (Dublin). 20

The characters from Le Sicilien, Hali, Adraste, Isidore, Za'ide, became Fabio, Leander, Marcella, and Julietta. The character of Lubin from George Dandin, changed to Perez, was utilized for Act I, sc. 2, and Act II, sc. 7. Il8

Revivals

1770-1780

from George Dandin, ou le Mari confondu, was doubtless its chief support, although Spanish names may have furnished the necessary bit of local color for a successful elopement.21 Sheridan's "recollections" of Le Sicilien are clearly seen in one of the century's outstanding hits. As in Molière the entire action in The Duenna (C.G., November 21, 1775; music by T. Linley) depends upon the change of clothes. Moreover, the hoodwinking of Old Jerome is managed very much like the duping of Don Pèdre. In the freely motivated plot, however, Sheridan substitutes father and daughter for guardian and beautiful Greek slave. The Duenna as well as the ugly but wealthy little Jew (an original creation), who has been promised to the daughter, offer genuinely vital scenes and reveal more finished portraits than Molière ever intended to leave in his thoroughly charming comédie-ballet, which has provoked comparisons with Shakespeare and which "stands somewhere between Horace, molle atque facetum, and de Musset."22 The phenomenal run of seventy-five performances, outrivaling the initial success of The Beggar's Opera, can be ascribed to Sheridan's skillful blend of traditional themes with borrowed sources23 and his brilliant lyrics to the music composed chiefly by Linley.24 Perhaps Dibdin was jealous of Sheridan's superior wit and original treatment of the same theme. Be that as it may, he wrote in the following vein: 25 "The whole of the plot 21

The full title of Dibdin's picce reads: The Metamorphoses. A Comic Opera in Two Acts . . . the Music by Mr. Dibdin (1776). " C f . Palmer, Molière, His Life and Worlds (London, 1930), p. 156. M Milne "imagines" borrowings from Molière that perhaps never should be included among Sheridan's "recollections" (James M. Milne, Molière and Sheridan [Glasgow, 1 9 1 2 ? ] ) . For further discussion of possible sources see The Plays and Poems of Richard Brinsley Sheridan (Oxford, 1928), Vol. I, ed. by R. Crompton Rhodes, and the same editor's article in The London Mercury, XV (1926-1927), 381-390. 2 * See Rhodes's edition of Sheridan. "Dibdin, A Complete History of the \English) Stage, V, 297-298. The same writer calls Father Paul, Marmontel's Philosophe soi disant. Incidentally, the monastic scenes were not "universally liked" (cf. The London Magazine, X L V [January, 17/6], 47-48).

119

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England of turning the daughter out of doors is conjointly the Sicilien of Molière and II Filosofo di Campagna, where every circumstance is to be found from the serenade in the first scene to the marriage in the last." The Duenna enjoyed a long life. The songs had reached a twenty-ninth edition by 1783, but the comic opera was not printed until 1794, and then without the author's authority since the copyright had been sold to Harris of Covent Garden in I 775-26 Probably The Spleen will be best remembered for its Prologue in which Garrick announced his retirement, but our chief interest is Colman's partial debt to Molière, which lies pretty well buried beneath contemporary satire. The advertisement to The Spleen; or, Islington Spa, a two-act farce produced at Drury Lane, March 7, 1776, informs us that although the first hint came from Le Malade imaginaire (1673), the author has "deviated without scrupule from his admirable original." 27 The dedication to Dr. Schömberg praises that gentleman's honesty and integrity, and condemns quackery not only in medicine but in letters and morals. The Prologue, written by Garrick, spoken by King, humbly acknowledges the supremacy of Molière, Jonson, and Shakespeare : Then let our Bard with safety come To pick up straws, dropt from their harvest home. Borrowing from Molière is limited to the character of D'Oyley and the ridiculous diagnosis of Dr. Anodyne. D'Oyley, a wealthy and retired woolen draper, is "eaten up with the Spleen." His affiM

There was a pirated edition which was published in Dublin, 1777, as The Governess. The Duenna was issued again in Dublin, 1795, and in London, 1797. Revivals: 1775-1778, 1778 (Bath), 1 7 7 9 - 1 7 8 1 , 1783 (Bath), 1786, 1788-1790, 1792-1794, 1795 (Bath), 1796, 1797, 1797 (Bath), 1798. The last performance recorded by Genest was given at C.G., December 2 1 , 1825. B

Some of D'Oyley's traits were admittedly drawn from Drugget's retirement in The Idler (see No. 16). Rubrick senior is kept in perpetual motion like Jack Whirler (The Idler, No. 19). Colman had previously sketched Rubrick fili in one of the numbers of the Connoisseur

120

Revivals

ijyo-iy8o

anced bride, already secretly married, enlists the services of a madcap cousin (Laetitia) and godfather (Aspin) in order to force the old man to renounce his claims. First, Laetitia, disguised as Dr. Anodyne, tells him that he is afflicted with almost every disease described in materia medica; then, Aspin arrives and accuses the "bride-to-be" of improper relations with the young diagnostician. All this business is climaxed by the timely appearance of an avenging brother (be Mariage force). D'Oyley forswears nostrums, and gladly forfeits his share of the marriage bond in favor of the young couple, who now receive paternal blessing. Colman's imitation of Moliere's manner was of minor importance compared to his satire on the Rubricks, Islington Spa, and the newspapers. The elder Rubrick (played by King) is not only a bookseller and dispenser of quack medicines, but a publicity seeker who thrills at the prospect of sending in "a flaming paragraph to all the newspapers" after he has forgiven his daughter for contracting a secret marriage. T h e Noon-Post will be the first to receive it: The morning and Evening are quite overloaded—Besides, it will serve for an early Morning Paper at the West end of town, and will come out just about Change Hours in the East. Then it will include all that has been said in the Morning papers—Play Bills, etc. . . . and will foretell all that is to be in the Evening ones. Rubrick, Jr., 28 is a young Cantab who confuses college mathematics with a four-mile heat on the long course at Newmarket. Islington Spa, where the Rubrick family are spending the summer, is described as the New Tunbridge Wells: . . . where nobody goes, that's fit to go anywhere else.—Cripples, and Sharpers! phtisicky old gendewomen, and frolicksome young Kenrick, insisting that this caricature was intended for him, wrote a savage satire on the author entitled The Spleen; or, The Offspring of Folly, a Lyric 18

Comic-Tragic Tale, in Four Cantos, Addressed to George Colman, Esq.; By John Rubrick, A.M. (This title appeared in The Gentleman's Magazine, XLVI [July,

1776]. 325-)

121

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England ones! Married ladies that want children, unmarried ladies that want sweethearts, and gentlemen that want money! Newgate out of town, the London Hospital in the country, sister! The character who delivered this harangue was one of four singled out for special merit.29 The Spleen; or, Islington Spa was repeated six times that season and it was acted in Liverpool, August 28, 1776. Less interesting but more successful was the comic opera, Love Finds the Way (C.G., November 18, 1777; music by Dr. Arne, Sacchini, Dr. Fisher), a three-act abridgment30 by Hull of Murphy's The School for Guardians. Much of the dialogue was omitted to make way for the songs in "an attempt to track the ingenious author of the Duenna." 31 A few passages were misunderstood on the first night, but with their removal the piece was well received32 and enjoyed eleven performances.33 It should be noted, incidentally, that the ultimate debt to Molière was not overlooked. Only the songs were printed, passing through at least four editions.34 " T a b i n t h a , Mrs. Rubrick's old-maid sister (played by Mrs. Love) was considered "well imagined" (The London Chronicle, X X X I X [March 7-9, 1 7 7 6 ] , 2 3 7 ) . The other three characters, receiving special praise, were D'Oyley (Parsons), Rubrick, Sr. (King), and Dr. Anodyne (Mrs. King). (See Genest, op. cit., V , 491; The London Magazine, X L V [March, 1 7 7 6 ] , 1 1 9 ; The London Chronicle, loc. cit.) The Critical Review, XLI [April, 1 7 7 6 ] , 324, was the only periodical to affirm that Colman had improved Molière to such an extent that his comedy deserved to be called an original production. The celebrated scene painter, Dc Loutherbourg, was praised for his splendid work, which represented the Pantheon at Spa fields (Act II). (Lady's Magazine, VII [March, 1 7 7 6 ] , 1 4 5 - 1 4 6 . ) 30 Brisk is absent from the dramatis personae in the fourth edition of Songs . . . (1777). 31

"All the music is compiled but by no means selected with the same taste as the pieces in the above mentioned opera." ( T h e London Magazine, X L V I [November, 1 7 7 7 ] , 575.) " O u l t o n , op. cit., I, 69. " G e n e s t , op. cit., VI, 16. The principal parts were distributed thus: Oldcastle

122

New Plays N E W

1770-1780

PLAYS

3 5

F o r 1770-1771, unacted translations from Saint-Foix, Fagan, and Diderot were preceded by a burletta from Anseaume. A n seaume's piece is typical of this decade since fully one-third of the new offerings were of a musical nature. The Portrait (C.G., November 22, 1770; music by Dr. Arnold) was admittedly based on Le Tableau parlant, a popular comédieparade (music by Grétry) written by Anseaume and originally produced at the Théâtre-Italien, September 20, 1769. 36 Since the (Arnolphe)—Quick; Young Brumpton (Horace)—Mattocks; Mary Ann (Agnès) —Miss Brown. 14

The fourth edition of the songs was printed: as Airs, Duets, Trios, in the New Comic Opera, Called Love Finds the Way ( 1 7 7 7 ) . The periodicals which had referred to the author's "original compilation from three celebrated comedies of Molière" were The London Chronicle, X L I I (November 18, 1 7 7 7 ) , 492; and Lloyd's Evening Post, X L I (November 1 7 - 1 9 , 1 7 7 7 ) , 483. " This decade saw twenty-five acted plays and ten of the closet variety notable for their French derivation. The acted plays were distributed in the following manner: Anseaume (one), Audinot (one), La Font (two), Sedaine (five), Marivaux (three, from two of his plays), Favart (one), Beaumarchais and Marmontel (one), Falbaire (one), Favart and Marmontel (two), Destouches (two), Goldoni (two), Marmontel (one), Beaumarchais (one), Pont-de-Veyle (one, a private performance), Diderot and Marmontel (one). Unacted plays were indebted to the following French authors: Saint-Foix (two), Fagan (one), Diderot (one), Rousseau (two), Beaumarchais (one), Corneille (one), Dancourt (one), and Regnard (one). "Le Tableau parlant was printed the same year. Louis Anseaume (1721—1784), prompter, then actor-secretary of the Comédie-Italienne, wrote several pieces for the Opéra-Comique. His output, consisting chiefly of comic-opera librettos, totaled twenty-three pieces without counting a few dramatic compositions written "en société." Grimm's enthusiasm for this comédie-parade was doubtless inspired by Grétry's music (cf. Correspondance [October, 1 7 6 9 ] , VIII, 349). It is interesting to note that Grimm's judgment was to be substantiated by Grove, who exclaimed; "What life and spirit there are in this refined jesting! How natural and charming are the melodies with their skilfully varied, but always animated rhythm! How

123

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England elder Colman's piece ranks among the best burlettas, perhaps we should include Page's definition of the genre 37 with additional comment by Colman, Jr.: The Portrait may be called a burletta because of its inclusion of recitative and aria . . . although technically the distinction should probably be more sharply drawn. Colman the Younger calls his father's piece one of the four best examples of the type, which he defines as "a drama in rhyme, entirely musical, a short comic piece, wholly accompanied, more or less, by the Orchestra." The plot gives a new turn to the jealous guardian-closely watched ward theme: Pantaloon (Cassandre) returns unexpectedly from a feigned business engagement, cuts out the head of his portrait, inserts his own, and listens to mutual love vows exchanged between his ward and nephew. When the young couple kneel before the picture and ludicrously request its consent to their union, Pantaloon suddenly appears, severely upbraids the pair, makes a lot of noise, capers about the stage in good commedia dell' arte style, and finally consents to the match. Servants add their share to comic dialogue. The Portrait gave Shuter (Pantaloon) a chance to exercise his comic drollery in which he was ably supported by the "amazing musical powers of Miss Catley" (Ward) and "the true burlesque humour of Mrs. Thompson" (Columbine). Pierrot's role, eventually omitted as unessential to the main business,38 is not included in the fourth volume of Colman's Dramatic^ Wor\s (1777). Arprettily does Isabelle make fun of Old Cassandre and his antiquated love-making! How appropriate, and how thoroughly in keeping is the action on the stage! How pointed and dramatic the duet between Pierrot and Columbine! Grimm was right in proclaiming Le Tableau Parlant a real masterpiece." Grove's Dictionary

of Music

and Musicians, II, 238. Page, George Colman the Elder, p. 194; cf. Nicoll, A History of Late Century Drama, p. 194. "Town

and Country

Magazine,

II (November 23, 1 7 7 0 ) , 594.

124

Eighteenth

New Plays 1770-1780 nold's songs were welcomed without unfavorable comparison to the "Molière of Music." 39 There were sixteen performances that season, followed by revivals at Bath (April 14, November 26,1774, "Bills very defective") and at the Haymarket, July 22, 1778.40 Three Comedies: The Uneasy Man, The Financier, and The Sylph, "Freely translated from Messrs. De St. Foix and Fagan, 1771," were published in order to illustrate as many favorite specimens of dramatic writings. The pathetic type presents a mild satire on social conditions by a Chevalier-Raisonneur, who routs a pleasure-loving Marquis in time to preserve innocence and virtue for himself (from Saint-Foix's Le Financier, ThéâtreFrançais, July 20, 1761); the genteel type shows how a Marquis's alternate disguises as provincial niece and sylph enable him to transfer a romantic maiden's longings to a more earthly plane (from Saint-Foix's Le Silphe, Théâtre-Italien, February 5, 1743); the humorous type lightly depicts the mental anguish of a timid soul whose silly vacillations cause loss of friends, sweetheart, and self-respect (from Fagan's L'Inquiet).41 Contemporary comment was limited to "tolerably well executed,"42 to which the present writer subscribes. Charles Jenner (1736-1774) 43 dedicated to Garrick, "the man of feeling and the scholar," his Man of Family (1771), a closet-piece which utilized Diderot's Père de famille only "to adopt some of its exalted sentiments, and to follow, in some degree, the general idea of the fable." (Preface.) There is some improvement in dé39

Uoyd'.r Evening Post, XXVII (November 23, 1770), 500; The London Chronicle, XXVIII (November 22-24, I77°)i 5°3- The Monthly Review, XLIII (December, 1770), 498, laconically records "not the worst we have seen." "The Portrait was printed: 1770 (bis) and 1772. Fagan's triple division, of which this piece formed the first act to Les Caractères de Thalie (Théâtre-Français, July 18, 1737) may have suggested a similar plan to the anonymous translator. "Town and Country Magazine, III (May, 1771), 261. *3 The author was a clergyman, who sought to increase his miserable stipend by writing poems, novels, and two dramatic compositions.

125

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England nouement where Solomon Vavasor (Le Commandeur d'Auvilé) is exposed by Worthy (Germeuil) as the father and not th • uncle of Charlotte (Sophie), but Jenner's characters are badly developed, his dialogue with its trite maxims of morality lags behind that of the French, the exalted sentiments of which he fails to reproduce.44 Humor is not lacking, however. The English father of a family worships Collins's Peerage, and objects strenuously to his brother's proposal to buy the son a share in Alderman Sweetwort's brewery, thus burying "the ancient and honourable family of Vavasor in a tumbrel of grains!" Yet the present Vavasor menage is kept afloat by this proud gentleman's second marriage to a rich widow of a dry-salter in Cateaton Street. To her daughter who dislikes ostentation Lady Vavasor retorts: "And so it's no triumph to you now, to have a lady turn pale at your petticoat, as you flounce by her, while she's ready to burst, toss her head, and cry, 'Creature'1" Postponement of Dodd's comic opera, The Funeral Pile (S.A., Dublin, 1772),45 leaves only one offering for 1771-1772, an adaptation by Dr. Arne of Audinot's Le Tonnelier. If Brazier46 be correct, Audinot47 lived for sixty years upon the reputation he had achieved with his little one-act musical farce drawn from La Fontaine's well-known conte du Cuvier. " C f . The Monthly Review, X L V (July, 1 7 7 1 ) , 74. Scots Magazine, XXXIII (August, 1 7 7 1 ) , 428, however, praised well-supported characters, animated conversation, and moral sentiments. 13 From La Font's Le Naufrage ( 1 7 1 0 ) . See Dodd's Gallic Gratitude ( 1 7 7 9 ) . 44

Brazier, Chroniques des petits théâtres de Paris, I, 58-59. •"According to Bachaumont, Memoirs secrets (see Index), the robust Nicolas-

Médard Audinot ( 1 7 3 2 - 1 8 0 1 ) led an active life as comedian, dramatic author, producer. In the rôle of Blaise (Blaise le savetier, January 3, 1764) he was "received with transport." A few years later his "Comédiens de Bois" were drawing Tout Paris (February 16, 1769); as director of a children's company performing licentious plays, he became "la rage du joir," drawing larger crowds than "Nicolet dans le temps de son singe" (October 7, 1 7 7 1 ) . He was the founder of the Théâtre de l'Ambigu where melodrama was introduced as "pantomime dialoguée."

126

New Plays 1770-1780 Le Tonnelier first appeared at the Foire Saint-Laurent, September 28, 1761. Touched up by Quêtant (1733-1823) and Gossec (1733-1829) it was taken to the Théâtre-Italien (March 16, 1765), where it continued to be performed for half a century.48 Dr. Arne (1710-1778), popular musical composer of Rule Britannia fame, adapted both libretto and music with an additional act and more horseplay; The Cooper was produced at the Haymarket, June 10, 1772. Its flimsy plot tells how a pair of lovers, aided by an accommodating uncle, bring to terms a jealous guardian and employer. Twigg, a drunken farmer (Père Sep), increases the general merriment by disturbing a lovers' tryst and awakening the Cooper (Martin). One commentator noted that this piece was well received owing to the enchantment of Arne's music, the singing of Mrs. Jewell (Fanny-Fanchette), and the antics of Parsons and Weston as Martin and Twigg 4 9 ; while the vogue for musical farces bordering upon insipidity caused another reviewer to observe sadly that the inimitable Molière's Misanthrope and Tartuffe had been recited to the walls of an almost empty theater.50 The 1772-1773 season witnessed adaptations from La Font and Sedaine. To these contributions we have added conjectural borrowings from Marivaux. La Font's 51 one-act verse farce, Les Trois Frères rivaux (Thé48 Le Tonnelier and Le Maréchal ferrant were Quétant's most popular librettos. The former was printed at least seven times (as late as 1878), and was translated into German and Dutch. See Bibliothèque nationale catalogue and Sonneck, Catalogue oj Opera Librettos, Vol. I. Grimm spoke of it as a "Rapsodie detestable de quolibets et de doubles croches." (Correspondance, VI, 248.)

"Town

and Country Magazine, IV (June, 1772), 299-300.

50

"Persons of every denomination have crowded to see the representations of the lowest farces, of the musical kind." ( T h e London Magazine, XLI [June, 1 7 7 2 ] , 264. Scots Magazine ( X X X I V [July, 1 7 7 2 ] , 438) granted that the piece was appropriate enough for the Hay., but found it "less tolerable in perusal." "Joseph de la Font ( 1 6 8 8 - 1 7 2 5 ) was known as a kind-hearted gambler and author of tragedies, comic operas (with Le Sage and d'Orneval), and ballets. His petites pieces display real comic talent.

127

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England atre-Fran^ais, August 4, 1713; printed that year), furnished William O'Brien, actor (d. 1815), 52 with material which he expanded to two acts as Cross Purposes (C.G., December 5 or 8, 1772). In the French version, improbability as to the identity of three brothers and an oversymmetrical plot are more than offset by an easy verse dialogue and a well-managed denouement. In the adaptation, O'Brien explains more satisfactorily the status of three rivals, but La Font's simplicity yields to heavier depiction of manners; beauty, innocence, and fortune being the reward meted out to a gambler. Servants direct the liveliest shafts at reigning follies. Robin, who waits upon Harry Bevil (law student), is forced to bask in the reflected glory of Chapeau, who attends George Bevil, officer in the foot guards (Le Chevalier Lisimon). Chapeau, kept by a married woman, plans to retire some day "and enjoy the fruits of [his] industry, purchase some genteel fine cure, take a snug box in the country, and kill [his] own mutton."53 In the heroine's father, one Grub (M. Philidor, Bourgeois de Paris qui s'est enrichi au Palais), we meet a successful manipulator of India stock, forced by his nagging wife to move to a smarter part of town. The hero concurs with his future father-inlaw in accusing the Great of too many follies, but insists that there are those who are worthy of imitation: "We should consider, Sir, that the Greatest Couple in the Nation is the happiest in it." Cross Purposes, originally intended for private amusement,54 was well acted and generally well received.55 O'Brien was 52

According to Horace Walpole, "Cibbcr and O'Brien were what Garrick could

never reach—coxcombs and men of fashion." (D.N.B., article on O'Brien by Joseph Knight.) " The Cooper, Act I. M

Preface to Cross Purposes:

55

Shuter performed as the parvenu,

A Farce of Two Acts ( 1 7 7 2 ) . Mr. Grub; the third brother's role was

taken by Thompson as Francis Bevil (wealthy M.P.) Lewes and Dyer enacted the parts of Chapeau and Robin. For favorable comment see: Town

128

and

Country

New Plays

ijyo-ij8o

b l a m e d , h o w e v e r , f o r c h o o s i n g a flimsy subject that p r o p e r l y bel o n g e d to the F r e n c h theater a n d d i d not deserve to be c a r r i e d across the C h a n n e l . 5 6 M o r e o v e r , the a u t h o r w a s reprehended f o r not p u n i s h i n g his f o r t u n e h u n t e r . 5 7 Three

d a y s later O ' B r i e n

introduced

audience by adapting Le Philosophe F r a n ç a i s , D e c e m b e r 2 , 1 7 6 5 ) 5 8 as The

S e d a i n e to a n

English

sans le savoir (ThéâtreDuel

( D . L . , D e c e m b e r 8,

1 7 7 2 ) . T h e d r a m a t i c interest of S e d a i n e ' s masterpiece arises f r o m contrasted The

joy

and

sorrow

v i r t u o u s characters

caused b y

a wedding

and a

duel.

reflect their respective " c o n d i t i o n s "

in

scenes of restrained f e e l i n g that attain s u c h a degree of excellence that the drame

has been rated o n a s m a l l scale as " a m o d e l of

artistic s i m p l i c i t y a n d m e a s u r e . " 5 8 Magazine, IV (December, 1772), 656-657; The Gentleman's Magazine, XLII (December, 1772), 577-580, containing several citations taken from the piece; The London Chronicle, XXXII (December 5-8, 1772), 548; Dibdin, op. cit., V, 316; B.D., II, 144; Genest, op. cit., V, 363. Cross Purposes was repeated several times that season and remained thereafter a stock piece. Revivals: 1772 (Bath), 1773 (Liverpool), 1773-1776, 1777 (Bath), 1782, 1787, 1789, 1790, 1792, 1793 (Bath), 1796 (in one act), 1798, 1799, last performance (according to Genest), January 22, 1821 (Bath). Cross Purposes was printed: 1772 (his) ( i 7 7 3 ) . 1783, 1786 (A Collection of the Most Esteemed Farces, Vol. VI), and 1788 (British Stage). M The London Magazine, XLI (December, 1772), 564. " T h i s writer asserted that even the "original" part was borrowed, adding that O'Brien could not even dress up a French dish in an English manner (The Westminster Magazine, I [ 1 7 7 3 ] , 35-36). M An answer to Palissot's satire, Les Philosophes (1760), and an attempt to reconcile the public to the true meaning of philosophe by demonstrating without too much preaching that personal worth is superior to rank (cf. Sedaine's Quelques Réflexions sur l'opéra comique). The drame best exemplified Diderot's theories, and marked its author as the real founder of domestic drama in France. Michel-Jean Sedaine (1719-1797), stonecutter, then architect's assistant, rose from humble station to membership in the august French Academy, and remained for fifty years a popular dramatist and librettist. See Ladislas Giinther, L'Oeuvre dramatique de Sedaine (1908); Professor T . E. Oliver's variorum critical edition of Le Philosophe sans le savoir (New York, 1914). Nitze and Dargan, A History of French Literature ( N e w York, 1938), p. 427.

129

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in

England

Walpole saw it in Paris and was so favorably impressed that he sent a copy to Lady Hervey, having previously written her: 60 Monsieur de Lillebourne, who sets out in two or three days, will bring your Ladyship the Philosophe sans le ¡(¡avoir which is at last printed. It has run eight and twenty nights. You will lose a great deal, as it was acted in the highest perfection, still, though it has many faults, the natural simplicity, I think, Madam, will please you. (Letter dated March i, 1766.) Convinced of the French drama's merit and of Sedaine's vogue, O'Brien dedicated The Duel to Lady Mary Fox as follows: After having, so frequently, drawn tears from the brightest eyes in France; after having been admired by all the polished young people of this country, who have lately been abroad, and by Lady Mary Fox in particular, there can be no doubt of the merit of the Piece; and I must own, that although I did not at first mean my hasty translation for the stage, I thought it might please in public as well as private representation. T h e actor-author made the customary concession to humors and sentiment by grafting British limbs upon the French body, and by allowing Maria (less charmingly described than Victorine) to marry Melville (Vanderk fils). The two humor characters transformed respectively Desparville pere, ancien officer, into Sir Dermot O'Leinster, a boastful Irish baronet; and LJne Marquise, into Lady Margaret Sinclair, with a pronounced Scottish burr. Despite changes and a good cast the performers 61 had considerable difficulty in getting through the fifth act. In fact, clamor for the Epilogue reached such a height that Messieurs Weston, Parsons, and Jefferson came on and delivered a "dialogue" said " H o r a c e Walpole, Letters, VI, 383. " Especially good were Barry as Melville (Vanderk pere).

Reddish as Young

Melville (Vanderk fils), Mrs. Barry as Maria (Victorine), Miss Younge as Lady Sinclair (Une Marquise).

Strangely enough, King as Hargrave (Antoine) escaped

notice ( T o w n and Country

Magazine,

IV [December, 1 7 7 2 ] , 6 5 7 - 6 5 8 ) .

I30

New Plays /770-/7&) to have been written by Foote; and when Reddish attempted to give out O'Brien's piece for the next night the audience refused to listen until they were assured that it would be withdrawn. 62 When reviewers had exhausted such expressions as "languid imitation," "worn-out sentiments," "limited appeal," "well deserved hissing," they asserted that the poor author had become "bewildered in a French mist [which] led him astray."83 Both Genest and Biographia Dramatica have noted, however, that The Duel deserved a better fate.64 The reader is referred to Sells for a demonstration of Goldsmith's indebtedness to Marivaux. 65 Here, let it suffice to point out that the heroine of She Stoops to Conquer (C.G., March 15, 1773), like the heroine of Le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard (Théâtre-Italien, January 23, 1730), has been informed by her father of the arrival of her future husband. But, unlike Silvia, Miss Hardcastle does not "stoop to conquer" until Marlow, who is not disguised, mistakes her for a servant. From this point on Kate's rôle often resembles that of Silvia. The rest of this stage classic, " Town and Country Magazine, loc. cit.; The London Chronicle, XXXII (December 8-10, 1772). 559" The London Magazine, XLI (December, 1772), 562-563; The Westminster Magazine, I ( 1 7 7 3 ) , 34; Scots Magazine, X X X V (February, 1 7 7 3 ) , 88; Oulton, op. cit., I, 9. w Genest, op. cit., V, 343; B.D., II, 177. The Monthly Review (XLVIII [January, 1 7 7 3 ] , 39-42), praised the touching scene between father and son before the duel, and saw fit to insert, as specimen dialogue, the "truly comic scene" depicting the maiden aunt's arrival. ** Cf. also the note by Maurice Baudin, entitled "Une source de She Stoops to Conquer (le Galant coureur de Le Grand)," PMLA (1930), X L V , 2. Sells informs the reader {l-es Sources françaises de Goldsmith, "Avant-Profos," p. V ) that he was tempted to call his book Goldsmith et Marivaux. It is understood that much has been done since Sells began to point out Goldsmith's indebtedness to the French, but scholars agree, I believe, that the author of the Vicar of Wakefield was deeply obligated to Marivaux. She Stoops to Conquer was revived: 1 7 7 3 - 1 7 8 1 , 1785, 17881790, 1793-1794, 1797-1798, and 1800 (exclusive of provincial performances). It was printed: 1773 (four editions), 1786, 1 7 9 1 , 1792 (Perth), 1793 (Dublin), and 1797 (Bell's British Theatre, Vol. IX).

131

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England admirably constructed, charmingly written, filled with farcical incidents, bears the stamp of Goldsmith's humor; the pranks of that "pretty monster" Tony Lumpkin, a triumph of low comedy, being inconceivable with Marivaux. In the season of 1773-1774 Dibdin and Garrick produced two musical entertainments from Sedaine and Favart; Beaumarchais provided hints for a sentimental comedy by Colman. Fully one-half of Sedaine's fame rests on his comic operas. Their great popularity throughout Europe can be attributed to the librettist's happy collaboration with the foremost composers of that day: Philidor, Monsigny, Grétry. Sedaine's contribution to the genre consisted in freeing it of the vestiges of the Foire tradition and in purifying or, at least, enriching it with more elevated subjects.06 His style, combining Favart's charm with Vadé's realism, is far inferior to that of the former writer as to polish and wit, but surpasses that of the latter in its greater avoidance of coarseness. The French type of comic opera passed over to England where its progress was made easier by the success of Italian opera and other musical productions.67 As previously noted, Charles Dibdin evinced an especial fondness for Sedaine. The Deserter, which followed As You Life It at Drury Lane, November 2, 1773, was announced as coming from the most popular musical piece that had appeared upon the " F o r information pertaining to eighteenth-century comic opera consult: J. A. J. Desboulmiers,

Histoire

anecdotique

C. Lenient, La Comédie Favart

et

raisonnée

en France au XVIll'

(Toulouse, 1 8 9 4 ) ; Gunther, op. cit.

Vogue of Favart

du

Théâtre-Italien

(1769);

siècle ( 1 8 8 8 ) ; A. Font, Essai sur ( 1 9 0 8 ) ; A. Iacuzzi, The

European

(New York, 1 9 3 2 ) ; Louise Parkinson Arnoldson, Sedaine

musiciens de son temps ( 1 9 3 4 ) ; A. P. Moore, The Genre Poissard and the Stage Favart's

of the Eighteenth Unpublished

Century

(New

York,

1935)

Plays, the Rise of the Popular

and Paul J .

Comic

et les French

Salvatore,

Opera ( N e w York,

1935). " See Nicoll's early and late eighteenth-century studies; also, Burney, A eral History English

of Music, Vol. IV, and Chap. VIII of E. J. Dent's Foundations

Opera (Cambridge, England, 1 9 2 8 ) .

132

Genof

New Plays /770-/7S0 French stage for the past five years, namely, Le Deserteur, Theatre-Italien, March 6, 1769 (music by Monsigny). 68 It was enriched with four original songs and two airs from Philidor, "a name of no inconsiderable note in the musical world." "Monotonous" French recitative was condensed to two acts since it was considered "much too grave to stand the least chance of success in an afterpiece."69 Although comic-opera plots ought not to be taken too seriously, it should be noted that Dibdin's curtailments70 carry in their wake a badly motivated intrigue, botched characterizations (especially that of Skirmish whose antics as Montauciel had contributed largely to the success of the French piece), insipid dialogue, and a weak denouement. The

Deserter

was successfully acted, too successfully according to Genest, but it was severely treated by reviewers. 71 For example, the reporter ™ Printed the same year. Fusion of comedy and pathos in the same musical piece marked Sedaine as an innovator. Plot: A mock wedding causes the hero to believe his fiancee false. Overcome with sorrow, he makes no effort to prevent arrest as a deserter, although he is actually innocent of the charge. While he is in prison his sad plight is well contrasted with the droll remarks of a drunken dragoon. In the meantime, the heroine makes amends for her part in the fake ceremony by securing the king's pardon and by arriving with the precious document just as her lover is being led to execution. Lenient has given the most succinct classification of Sedaine's piece, calling it the most popular, least logical, least well written, but the most dramatic and pathetic of that author's comic operas (Lenient, op. cit., II, 228). Henry's The School for Soldiers (Jamaica, 1 7 8 3 ) , has been wrongly ascribed by Nicoll to Sedaine. It was taken from Mercier's Le Deserteur ( 1 7 7 0 ) , which also served as the ultimate source of Charles Kemble's The Point of Honor (1800). "Advertisement to The Deserter; a New Musical Drama "Omissions include: sc. 4 - 5 of Act III where Montauciel annoys Alexis; and the greater part of sc. 6. In the latter delivered by the heroine's father attempts to cover Sedaine's

. . . (1773). "studies" a'oud and instance one speech

more vivid account of the girl's intercession with the king, told by Courchemin. (Cf. French, Act III, sc. 6, with English, Act II.) "The

London

Magazine

(XLII

[November,

1 7 7 3 ] , 526); Scots

Magazine

( X X X V [November, 1 7 7 3 ] , 597), Town and Country Magazine (V, [November, 1 7 7 3 I , 5 7 2 - 5 7 3 ) , and The Critical Review ( X X X V I [November, 1 7 7 3 ] , 396) allowed scant praise for songs and overture.

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England for The Westminster Magazine72 called it: " . . . a Half-French Half-English medly of botched wit, seldom pleasing to the ear, very seldom to the sight, and never to the understanding . . . a frivolous fable, with childish incidents, linked together in a flimsy texture." Dibdin's piece was repeated twelve times (1773—1774)» fourteen times (1774-1775), twelve times (1775-1776), and was revived at the Haymarket, August 24, 1784, following which date it continued to appear: 1785, 1787-1789, 1791-1793, 1795, 1799. There were a number of editions, and the piece reached America where it was acted "with universal Applause." 73 Dibdin also wrote the music for Garrick's A New Dramatic Entertainment, called A Christmas Tale, in Five Parts, produced at Drury Lane, December 27, 1773. Garrick's piece was partially indebted to Favart's La Fée Urgèle, ou ce qui plait aux dames, Fontainebleau, October 26, 1765 (music by Duni). 74 According to Dr. Iacuzzi, to whom the reader is referred for a full account, the title was evidently suggested by the season since an actor in character begins the story (Prologue). Historically, the piece is important neither for its complicated sources nor for its ageworn theme, the transformation of a repulsive hag into a beautiful maiden, but because of its contribution to the art of scene" The Westminster Magazine

(I [November, 1 7 7 3 ] , 6 2 5 - 6 2 6 ) .

" J u n e 8, 1787, New York (see Odell, op. cit., for other performances) and in Philadelphia, July n , 1787, where it was repeated, 1 7 9 0 - 1 7 9 6 , 1 7 9 8 - 1 7 9 9 . T h e comic opera was played in French in the latter city, May 1 4 , 1798 (Pollock, Philadelphia

Theatre

in The

Eighteenth

Century

neck, op. cit., Vol. I, Delphini's arrangement, The Deserter of Naples 1 7 8 8 ) , utilized Dibdin. Editions of Dibdin's piece: 1 7 7 3 (his), lin); contained in Bell's British Theatre the Most Esteemed

The

[ 1 9 3 3 ) ) . According to Son(Royalty,

1776, 1789 (Dub-

( 1 7 8 4 ) , Vol. IV and in A Collection

of

Farces ( 1 7 8 6 ) , Vol. IV. The last London performance was

given at C.G., June 1, 1825. 14

"The

only

suggestion

which

can be definitely labeled

as coming

from

Favart is Garrick's detail of giving Floridor a squire and of involving him in a love affair with Camilla's cousin." (Iacuzzi, op. cit., p. 87.) ! 34

New Plays /770-/7S0 setting.75 Compared to Favart's simple féerie, Garrick's piece is "top-heavy with extravagant necromancy,"76 and adds ideas from Fletcher and Dryden. Although severely and perhaps unjustly treated by Dibdin, Walpole, and the Biographia Dramatica, A Christmas Tale was admired by contemporary reviewers for its mise en scène and for some of its airs. The first season saw eighteen performances; in 1776, it was condensed to three acts as an afterpiece.77 Having made his audiences weep over the situation of la fillemère, Beaumarchais erroneously thought that all social conditions were equally suitable for dramatic effects. So he tried his hand at a drama of bankruptcy with an episodic love plot. To Beaumarchais's story of a friend's devotion (Les Deux Amis, ThéâtreFrançais, January 13, 1770)78 Colman joined the tale of a gambler's rehabilitation ( T h e Man of Business, C.G., January 29, 1774). More specifically, Colman's five-act sentimental comedy is a thing of shreds and patches assembled from Plautus, Terence, Marmontel, Destouches, and others. Plautus, Terence, and Marmontel, have contributed to enrich it. A play lately exhibited on the French stage, the Deux Amis of " Marking the début of De Loutherbourg, an Alsatian, who had already achieved fame in Paris, and who was to remain at D.L. until 1 7 8 1 . *" Iacuzzi, op. cit., p. 86. " The abridgment shortened every scene and discarded the greater part of Act I, sc. 2, of the original, the remaining material being used for the new Act I, sc. 3 (Iacuzzi). Printed: 1774 (three editions), 1774 (Dublin), and 1776 (in three acts). "Printed that year. It had been previously announced under various titles: Le Bienfait rendu, Le Marchand de Londres, La Tournée du fermier général, Les Deux Amis, ou le Négociant de Lyon. Collé spoke of Les Deux Amis as "cette rapsodie éphémère, dont les honoraires doivent être abandonnés à la troupe, n'a pu avoir que 1 1 représentations, presque sans spectateurs." (/ournal, III [ 1 3 janvier, 1 7 7 0 ] , 2.41-245.) De Loménie mentions ten performances (Beaumarchais et son temps, I, 224); Joannidcs lists twelve (La Comédie-Française de 1680 à 1900). A wit, finding Beaumarchais's intrigue too complicated, is quoted as saying " L e mot de l'énigme au prochain Mercure!" (Gaiffe, Le Drame en France, au XVUl* 'iècle, p. 142.)

!35

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England M. Beaumarchais, also suggested some hints of the fable; but the traces of them in this Comedy are so litde apparent, that if I did not acknowledge the sources from which I have drawn, I question if the ingenious author himself would be able to claim his own property.79 There were thirteen performances to average houses.80 After being taken to Bath and Liverpool (1774) the piece seems to have died a natural death. 81 In Boaden's Memoirs of the Life of John Philip

Kemble,82

Gibbon is quoted as having condemned

The

Man of Business as follows: "It is a very confused miscellany, of several plays and tales, sets out brilliantly enough; but as we advance, the plot grows thicker and the wit thinner, till the lucky fall of the curtain preserves us from total chaos." In addition to H u g h Kelly's utilization of hints from Marmontel, 83 the 1 7 7 4 - 1 7 7 5 season saw two musical entertainments "Prologue. See Genest, op. cit., V , 419, for indebtedness to Plautus and Terence in Act IV, sc. 2. Probably Marmontel's L'Amitié à ¡'¿preuve supplied a few hints. Both I*e Dissipateur and Le Jeune Homme à l'épreuve had been freely translated in Foote's Comic Theatre ( 1 7 6 2 ) . Page, George Colman the Elder, p. 2 1 7 . The Man of Business was favorably reviewed by The lj>ndon Chronicle, X X X V (January 29-February 1, 1774), 1 0 5 :o6; The London Magazine, XLIII (February, 1774), 57-59- For similarities in plot to Beaumarchais, cf. Fable's attachment to the riotous Beverley and his partner Golding, with Mélac senior's devotion to Aurelly; also, Lydia (though differently motivated)—Pauline, and Check—Dabins. Andre's stupid remarks were omitted. Denier was original. " I t was printed: 1774 (three editions; one, Dublin), and 1775. E

Boaden, Memoirs of the Life of John Philip Kemble, I, 287.

" T h e successful author of False Delicacy ( 1 7 6 8 ) , and avowed enemy of Goldsmith, states in his advertisement to The Romance of an Hour (C.G., December 2, 1 7 7 4 ) that his central character, Zelida, and the circumstances of a young lady's falling in love with her fiance's best friend, were based on Marmontel's well-known tale, L'Amitié à l'épreuve (cf. Marmontel, Contes moraux, Vol. II). In order to expand the Frenchman's mournful recital, Kelly added amusing humors and a good supply of " l o w " dialogue. The two-act comedy was well received and was repeated at C.G., April 1, December 2, 1775, and April 26, 1788, having previously appeared at Bath, January 5, 1 7 7 5 . It was printed in England, 1774 [1786.])

(bis);

in America, 1777. (Cf. The Peruvian;

136

a Comic

Opera

New Plays

IJJO-IJ8O

which were derived from Sedaine and Falbaire. Rousseau's wellknown Pygmalion was translated in 1775. T h e brilliant success of Sedaine's musical farce, Blaise le savetier84 at the Foire Saint-Germain, March 9, 1759, can be ascribed to restrained characterization, lively action, brisk dialogue, varied harmony in Philidor's songs. T h e failure of Dibdin's adaptation, which was produced at Drury Lane, December 9, 1774, as The Cobler; or, A Wife of Ten Thousand, can be partly attributed to lack of balance, especially in the low-comedy parts. T h e author's acknowledgments 85 and statement of intentions may be of interest: The hint of the subsequent trifle is taken from the Blaise le Saveteir [sic] of Sedan [iic] as is the hint of the Club-scene from an essay of Dr. Goldsmith; and if the indulgent public find a few passable airs, and allow the dialogue to be worthy of filling the intervals, which are necessary in musical pieces, to set off the songs; I trust they will overlook the pictures of low life, I have in a manner considered myself obliged to draw as the proper subjects for ballads, which, unless they are familiar, and have something like character and contrast, 'tis next to impossibility but they must be dull and insipid. Dibdin's rollicking, two-act ballad opera, discarding little and overgenerous with incident,86 will probably be best remembered 84 The full title runs as follows: Blaise le savetier, opéra-comique, suivi de la Noce de Nicaise, intermède mêlé de chants & de dances; par monsieur S . . . la musique de M. Philidor . . . ( 1 7 5 9 ) . For Sedaine's amplification of La Fontaine's Le Conte d'une chose, see Günther, op. cit., pp. 105 fï. Sedaine's plot can be briefly stated: Blaisine frees from debt and reforms a husband without sacrificing

her honor to an obdurate landlord. The husband lends a hand by duping the latter's amorous wife. A closet in full view of the audience serves as a champ de bataille. Cousin Nicaise's wedding procession and a ballet général entertainment. M Advertisement to The Cobler; or, A Wife of Ten Thousand. in Two Acts ( 1 7 7 4 ) .

conclude the

A Ballad

Opera

" T h e clubroom scene (sc. 6 of Act 1) adds five characters. Sedaine is "improved" by the omission of la Noce de Nicaise, by giving Alice an additional lover (Tapster Froth, the gayest blade in town), by allowing Snob to become

137

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England for the popular air beginning, " 'Twas in a village, near Castlebury," which, like Sedaine's duet (sc. II), amusingly but less charmingly summarizes the story of Alice (Blaisine) and Snob (Blaise). The Cobler ceased to heel-piece evening entertainments after a clique had secured its removal on the tenth night.87 More low comedy came from the pen of Kane O'Hara ( 1 7 1 4 ? 1782), who had established his reputation by travesties of Italian burletta. O'Hara was credited with good musical taste, and the Musical Academy in Dublin had been founded (1758) chiefly by his untiring efforts. Little is known about the man, other than that he came from an old Sligo family, that he received an M.A. from Trinity College, Dublin, 1735, and that he spent a lot of time at the country seats of his friends, who considered him something of a fop. His dramatic output consisted of four burlettas and one musical farce. The farce, entitled The Two Misers (C.G., January 21, 1775; music by Dibdin), was based on Falbaire's popular opéra bouffon, Les Deux Avares (Fontainebleau, October 27, 1770; music by Grétry). Except for English names and the lovers' agreement to elope to Ireland instead of to France, O'Hara's plot differs little from that of Falbaire.88 Lively intrigue, gloriously intoxicated, pursue Mrs. Nipikin (Mme Pince) ardently and threaten to commit suicide with one of his awls if she does not surrender. When sober, however, he is certain that he possesses a wife of ten thousand. Dibdin lives up to his promise of low comedy. ** T h e adaptation was considered inferior to the original (The zine,

XLIII

Monthly

[December,

Review,

1774],

570-571)

and

unworthy

of

London

Maga-

imitation

(The

LI [December, 1 7 7 4 ] , 485). The piece was issued again, 1 7 7 5

(Dublin), 1776 (Dublin). "Charles-Georges Fenouillot de Falbaire de Quingey ( 1 7 2 7 - 1 8 0 0 ) , Inspector General of the salt mines in eastern France, was the popular author of nête Criminel,

the subject of which recalls the famous Calas tragedy. In

L'Hon1767,

Diderot had vainly suggested it to Garrick for adaptation. Falbaire's drama was later translated, however, as The G . L . Les Deux Avares,

Honest

Criminal;

severely treated by Mémoires

or, Filial

Piety

( 1 7 7 8 ) , by

secrets, Fréron, Collé, and

Grimm, was printed twice, 1770, translated into German, 1 7 7 3 , and later appeared in Dutch, 1 7 8 1 . In the French version, Caillot, the famous bass, rendered the best airs. The Janizaries' procession was also very popular.

138

New Plays

IJJO-IJ8O

farcical situations, and amusing tableaux arise from the unhappy plight of two misers, who fail to find buried treasure, and who are compelled to part with the patrimony of their respective wards, mutually in love. The dialogue, much coarser than that of the French piece, was dismissed as insipid,88 but Dibdin's songs, meeting with general applause, were found to be well adapted to the situations.90 The Two Misers appeared at Covent Garden for the fourteenth time, March 28, 1775. After the performance, Shuter, "by particular desire [spoke] his observations in his Poste haste Journey to Paris." (Genest, op. cit., V, 466.) According to Professor Draper, a poor translation of Rousseau's I'vgmalion, scène lyrique (1775), was published that year by William Mason.91 Three stage plays for 1775-1776 were indebted to Favart, Marivaux, and Destouches; two unacted comedies were drawn from Beaumarchais and Corneille. De Loutherbourg's sets and Mrs. Abington's acting (Roxelana) were the most important factors contributing to the short initial run of Bickerstaffe's inferior two-act farce (with incidental music) entitled The Sultan; or, A Peep into the Seraglio, Drury Lane, December 12, 1775, derived from Favart's successful comic opera Soliman Second, ou les Trois Sultanes (music by Gibert), Théâtre-Italien, April 9, 1761, which in turn was based on Marmontel's Soliman II. The English version failed to catch Favart's wit, replacing Roxelana's refreshingly pert logic with ponderous 59

"A piece of empty pantomimical sing-song." (The edition, LII [February, 1 7 7 5 ] , 173.)

Monthly

Review,

new

K Town and Country Magazine, VII (Januarv, 1775), 43—44; The London Chronicle, XXXVIII (January 2 1 - 2 4 , J 775)> 81. It is not k n o w n whether or not

Dibdin used any of Gretry's c h a r m i n g music (Sonneck, op. cit.. Vol. I ) . Revivals: 1775 (Bath), 1776, 1776 ( B a t h ) , 1786, 1790, 1794, last performance at D.L., April 6, 1816. Printed: 1775, and included in The Modern British Drama ( 1 8 1 1 ) , Vol. V; The London Theatre ( 1 8 1 5 ) , Vol. XIX; and The London Stage (1824), Vol. III. 81 See John W. Draper, William Mason. A Study in Eighteenth ( N e w York, 1924).

139

Century

Culture

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England sentimentality.92 According to Town and Country Magazine, The Sultan, already condensed,93 was further curtailed the second night.94 Bickerstafle's farce enjoyed ten performances that season. Thomas Vaughan (fl. 1772-1820), who may have served his friend Sheridan as a model for Dangle in The Critic, was a lawyer and mediocre dramatist, who produced at Drury Lane, April 15, 1776, an unsuccessful farce called Love's Metamorphoses, the bald plot of which corresponds to the fable but not to the spirit of Marivaux's Le feu de l'amour et du hasard, Théâtre-Italien, January 23, 1730: Sir John Murray (Orgon), father of Maria (Silvia) and Colonel Murray (Mario), receives a letter from Dormer's (Dorante's) father informing him that the latter's son intends to exchange places with his valet, Moody (Arlequin), in order to test Maria's love. Maria also decides to pose as her maid, Feather (Lisette), having first won her father's approval of the scheme. The two couples thus disguised fall mutually in love, are finally restored to their original stations, and a double wedding will ensue. Love's Metamorphoses was published in 1791 under the title fully described as: "Love's Vagaries; or, The Whim of the Moment. A Dramatic Piece, as rejected by Mr. Kemble the manager of Drury Lane, 1789, and since rejected, " F o r detailed treatment see Iacuzzi, op. cit., pp. 91 ff. M Act I discarded most of the first scene of Favart's Act I; Act II utilized only part of Act III, sc. 1 3 , and omitted sc. 5, 10—11. According to The Westminster Magazine, III [ 1 7 7 5 ] , 662-663) the managers introduced three new scenes: the outer gate of a seraglio, an inner view of the place, a garden terminating in a prospect of the sea. Of five airs producing a very good effect, the first two were by Dibdin. Other tunes were selected from various composers. Genest lists a seventh performance at D.L., February 14, 1776. " Town and Country Magazine, VII (December, 1 7 7 5 ) , 672. Further alterations include Hodgkinson's The American Captive, New York, May 3, 1794 (Roxelana becomes an American slave); Thomas Morton's The Sublime and Beautiful (music by G. A. Lee), C.G., December 5, 1828 (greatly changed). In England, from 1787 to 1795, Roxelana's rôle was often acted by Mrs. Jordan. Revivals: 1782, 1787, 1787 (Bath), 1 7 8 9 - 1 7 9 0 , 1790 (Bath), 1 7 9 1 - 1 7 9 7 ; last performance, D.L., June 2, 1 8 1 7 . Printed: 1787 (bis).

140

New Plays

ijyo-ij8o

1791, by Colman Jr., manager of the little theatre in the Haymarket, although most flatteringly received April 15, 19, 1776." In their day, Vaughan's characters would have been labeled walking shadows devoid of Marivaux's subtleties. Probably Kemble and the younger Colman rejected the piece because it lacked requisite incident.95 Destouches's unsuccessful L'Amour usé, ou le Vindicatif généreux (Théâtre-Français, September 20, 1741; printed, 1742), which had already been freely translated and included in Foote's Comic Theatre (1762), as The Whimsical Lovers; or, The Double Infidelity, now appeared at the Haymarket, June 12, 1776, as The Contract. The author, the Rev. Thomas Francklin (1721-1784), aptly styled "that self satisfied and shifty academician,"96 had made a name for himself, in 1759, as translator of The Tragedies of Sophocles. The Wor\s of Mr. de Voltaire, with Smollett (1761-1765, 25 vols.),97 added to his renown. Moreover, he had been especially successful with The Earl of Warwick,Drury Lane, December 13, 1766, stolen from La Harpe.98 Tragedy, not comedy, was Francklin's forte, although the present piece seems to have deserved a better fate. As to plot, The Contract runs thus: A couple, who have waited twenty years, are at last free to wed. Meanwhile, however, the spark of love has been extinguished, K

Vaughan's piece was originally "brought out for the benefit of the celebrated Mrs. Wraighten and Mr. Vernon" (Preface), who appeared in the cast as Feather and Moody; other characters being distributed thus: Sir John Murray—Jefferson, Col. Murray—Davies, Dormer—King. Love's Vagaries is usually dismissed as a two-act curtailment of Popple's Double Deceit; or, A Cure for Jealousy, printed in 1736. The author of this five-act, sentimental comedy, protesting violently against translations from the French, tried to be original by using an octuple exchange of rôles. Vaughan reduced Popple's dramatis personae from fourteen to six and discarded the latter's subplot. " Cf. Bruce, Voltaire on the English Stage, p. 93. " T h e completed set contained thirty-eight volumes ( 1 7 7 8 - 1 7 8 1 ) . "Le Comte de Warwick., Théâtre-Français, November 7, 1763, performed sixteen times that year. Francklin owed his success to Mrs. Yates's acting (Margaret of Anjou).

141

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in

England

each having turned to youth, but, realizing that the contract is still binding, each resorts to subterfuge by introducing respective heart interests as nephew and niece. Of course it turns out that the young people are in love. But this impasse is surmounted by the old maid's rebuffed lover, who not only brings the oldsters to their senses but unselfishly bestows

10,000 upon pseudo

nephew and niece. Francklin's chief concession" to English taste consisted in turning Destouches's Vindicatif

généreux

into a blustering old sea

dog named Commodore Capstern, 1 " 0 who sings two songs and gives final sailing orders in verse to the young couple about to embark upon the rough sea of matrimony. French polish yields to vigor and vulgarity, but the "improvements" seem to have made no lasting appeal to the galleries. 101 Erratic spelling and careless or incorrect translation 102 prove " T h e principal characters were Englished as: Col. Lovemore (Lisimon, vieux militaire), Miss Eleanor Briggs, an old maid (Isabelle, vieille fille), Capstern (Damon), Capt. Spritely (Le Chevalier), Maria (Angélique). The author discarded four notaries upon whose portrayal Dcstouches mistakenly counted for effective comedy. ,n

° Ably performed by Bannister. Commodore Capstern as a type was suggested, no doubt, bv Commodore Trunnion in Smollett's Peregrine Pickle. 101 After being applauded for two nights and honored by their Majesties' presence. The Contract was repeated once more, then dropped from the répertoire. The Westminster Magazine, IV (June, 1776), 3 2 1 , errs in calling it a translation. Francklin's picce was favorably reviewed by The London Chronicle, X X X I X (June 1 1 - 1 3 , 1 7 7 6 ) . 568; The London Magazine, X L V (June, 1 7 7 6 ) , 287-288; and Oulton, op. cit., I, 48. It was condemned by The Monthly Review, L V (July, 1 7 7 6 ) , 67; Scots Magazine, XXXVIII (July, 1 7 7 6 ) , 382; The Critical Review, XLII (November, 1776), 3 9 1 ; and B.D., II, 1 2 5 . The Contract was

printed: 1776. yjl

The examples that follow are damaging: "Oui quelque feu follet"—"Yes, shou'd take Fire" (Act II, sc. 1 ) ; "sous mon bureau"—"upon the Bureau" (Act III, sc. 7); "Comment! lorsque je les prends sur le f a i t " — " H o w , when 1 catch her in the Fact!" (Act III, sc. 1 3 ) ; "Je les ai vus comme je vois ce pupitre"— "I saw it as plain as I do that Musick Book" (Act III, sc. 1 4 ) ; " à quatre

142

New Plays

ijjo-ij8o

either that Mrs. Griffith wrote hurriedly her "translation" of Beaumarchais's masterpiece (Le Barbier de Séville, Théâtre-Français, February 23, 1775) 1 0 3 or that her knowledge of the idiom was faulty. Certainly her Barber of Seville; or, The Useless Precaution (1776), needed repolishing by the same helping hand which had rendered such valuable service in the production of her School for Rakes. Dedication was made to R. B. Sheridan, Esq., and the Introduction craves indulgence: As I claim no Merit from publishing this Translation, I believe I need not fear disinterested Censors; and the Gentlemen Reviewers will, I trust, shew the same Candor and Impartiality to this Piece of Mr. Beaumarchais they have shewn before to that Part of his jusdy admir'd Works that have been translated into the English Language. The answer was condemnation by two periodicals and an ambiguous compliment by a third.104 Minor reductions105 made no startling deviations from the original text, and the authoress heures"—"In a Quarter of an Hour" (Act IV, sc. 1 ) ; "Sa nièce? Il n'en a pas. Voilà ce qu'ils ont dit au notaire."—"Figaro's niece! He has no Niece that I know of. That's what the lawyer told me" (ibid.); "Voilà mon passe-partout."— "Take my Cloak" (ibid.); "Cest notre Notaire"—"Your Notary" (Act IV, sc. 7 ) ; "notre ami"—"my dear Friend" (ibid.). Le Barbier de Séville was first composed as a parade, next reworked into a comic opera, then written as a four-act comedy of intrigue and manners, and finally curtailed skillfully, "the failure of Friday" becoming "the triumph of Sunday." It was acted twenty-seven times the first season, and passed through three editions that year. Enhanced by Rossini's music, its popularity has never waned. w The London Chronicle, X L (October 1 2 - 1 5 , 1776). 3 6 1 ; The Monthly Renew, LV (October, 1776), 316. The writer for The Critical Review, XLIII (January, 1777), 78, observed that although the piece possessed little claim to novelty of character, it did contain several comic incidents; its humor equaling that of the French. 10 La Jeunesse—Youthful; L'Eveillé—Sprightly. One song was omitted (Act II, sc. 12), another was shortened (Act II, sc. 1 3 ) , and a third was partly curtailed (Act III, sc. 4). An original duet with the Count was added (Act IV, sc. 6); all songs were freely rendered.

143

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England lacked the initiative to make "improvements" by further condensation.106 An anonymous translation (1776) 107 of Corneille's Mélite (1625) completes the record of new borrowings from the French for 1775-1776. The next season saw four stage plays from Goldoni, Marmontel, Destouches, and Beaumarchais, to which should be added translations from Regnard and Dancourt. Thomas Vaughan's unsuccessful two-act farce, The Hotel; or, The Double Valet, Drury Lane, November 21, 1776 (printed that year), revived the old commedia dell'arte manner by freely combining Goldoni's II Servitore di due padroni,108 in three acts, with its five-act, French version, Arlequin, valet de deux maîtres, performed at the Théâtre-Italien, 1763. Merriment is furnished chiefly by Trimwell (Truffaldino-Arlequin) whose antics as servant to a pair of lovers succeed in reuniting them at an inn. It goes without saying that the dialogue is less sprightly than that of the "Molière of Italy." Jephson's alterations of The Hotel were well received.109 Selima & Azor, a Persian Tale, in Three Parts was produced at Drury Lane, December 5, 1776 as "an imitation of the French Zémire and Azor,"110 the latter title being Marmontel's popular " " I n her Introduction Mrs. Griffith had inferred that Beaumarchais's comedy might be improved, if curtailed. 101 This translation seems to have passed unnoticed. It was intelligibly rendered; published by T . Bell. See Canfield, Corneille and Racine in England, 246.

" " Pisa, 1 7 4 5 ; it was first performed at Milan in 1749. 'w Annales dramatiques, I, 353, listed in the Bibliography under Babault, deplore the difficulty of reporting such foreign pieces where Arlequin varies his rôle ad lib. As for the author, "On éspérait que le sieur Goldoni monterait sur les planches; apparemment que sa qualité d'avocat ne lui a pas permis cette incartade, ou qu'il ne présume pas assez de ses talens." 1,0 Zémire et Azor, comédie-ballet en quatre actes, Fontainebleau, le 9 novembre, 1 7 7 1 ; par les comédiens ordinaires du roi, le 16 décembre, Paris; musique de Grétry (Théâtre [ 1 8 1 9 ] , Vol. I X ) .

144

New Plays 1770-1780 comédie-ballet arrangement of Beauty and the Beast. Although Selima and Azor was declared to be one of the most wretched dramatic entertainments ever attempted,111 there were fourteen performances that month. Three factors explain this: Linley's plagiarism of Gretry's music plus a few airs of his own, the excellent acting of Mrs. Baddeley as Selima, and De Loutherbourg's skill with the supper scene, where a table rises as if by magic and chairs for guests are whirled into place. 112 The author, "a gentleman of the navy," was Sir George Collier (1738-1795), who wrote his only dramatic piece in America just before the beginning of hostilities. During the war, incidentally, he rendered effective service with Clinton along the North River and the Connecticut coast. He has left an interesting journal of a visit to Paris and Brussels during the summer of 1773. The complications113 resulting from Murphy's reworking of Destouches's unsuccessful L'Irrésolu (Théâtre-Français, January 5, 1713) 1 1 4 as Know Your Own Mind (C.G., February 22, 1777) mark no improvement over the Frenchman's simpler intrigue, better contrasts, and more consistent characterization of the central figure, who ends the piece with the oft-quoted line: "J'aurois mieux fait, je crois, d'épouser Célimène." Compare the sickly sentiment and atrocious verse employed to pronounce Millamour's "cure": But when our hearts victorious beauty draws, We feel its pow'r, and own its sov'reign laws; To that subservient all our passions move, And even my constancy shall spring from love. '"The

London

"'The

St. James's Chronicle,

Magazine,

X L V (December, 1 7 7 6 ) , 6 2 1 . X L (December 5 - 7 , 1 7 7 6 ) , 545. In his advertise-

ment, Collier thanks Linlcy for excellent music and expresses appreciation of the "taste and judgment of Sheridan for judicious alterations." The piece was revived: 1777 (Bath), 1778, 1788, 1800; printed: 1784 (songs, 1 7 7 6 - 1 7 7 7 ) . ' " T h e main plot follows Destouches but not slavishly: Millamour (Dorante) cannot decide upon which one of two nieces (daughters) he should marry; for

145

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England Yet heavier moralizing, more incidents, more characters, more action, gave the average playgoer what he expected; despite a divided press,115 Know Your Own Mind was well received for eighteen nights that year, and was frequently repeated thereafter, outlasting the century.116 Colman's The Spanish Barber (Hay., August 30, 1777) has an a time he even considers the aunt (mother) seriously. Finally, preference rests with the lively Lady Bell (Julie). Millamour's character is further differentiated by his wavering friendship for the "railing cynic with a good heart" (Dashwould, originally intended for Foote) and the malicious Malvil. Then there is the Mrs. Bromley-Malvil intrigue in which the villain is unmasked in the apartment of the shady Mme La Rouge; preserved innocence (Miss Neville, the poor relation) is now free to marry virtuous Sir Harry Lovewit. Murphy omitted Nérine, the maid, and freely motivated minor characters drawn from the French. u< Printed: 1 7 1 3 . It was neglected until 1760 but appeared seventeen times during the next decade as compared to thirty performances for the century. Although the writer for The London Magazine was erf the opinion that Lewis's portrayal of Millamour's rôle was outré, he praised the piece as possessing more wit and more just observations than any other comedy since Congreve, without mentioning the advantage of enough sentiment to insure the approbation of the most rigid moralist (XLVI [February, 1 7 7 7 ] , 64). The London Chronicle approved of good dialogue, good character contrasts, the novelty of Millamour's perpetual inconsistencies, but affirmed that the piece would have had a more natural effect were it less founded on the French (XLI [February, 1 7 7 7 ] , 189). Lloyd's Evening Post also preferred the English version, maintaining that Murphy allowed his characters to act their follies whereas Destouches merely permitted his personages to describe the situations ( X L [February 2 1 - 2 4 ] , '9°)Plots of the piece were carried the following month by The Lady's Magazine which gave a detailed account (VIII [March, 1 7 7 7 ] , 1 2 3 - 1 2 7 ) , and by Town and Country Magazine, which commended the well-drawn characters, ingeniously contrived situations, and natural, though unexpected, dénouement (IX [March, 1 7 7 7 ] , 149—150). The Westminster Magazine praised the performance of Mrs. Mattocks as the coquette, but maliciously observed that since the playhouses were then almost deserted by persons of quality it was a fair sign that discriminating persons preferred French comedies and tragedies in the original to the mangled and mutilated versions of plagiarists and translators (V [February, 1777], 83-85). "'Revivals: 1777 (Liverpool), 1778 (London and Bath), 1786, 1789-1793,

146

New Plays

IJJO-IJSO

amusing Prologue, written by the author and spoken by Parsons, acknowledging its indebtedness to French sources: A Little Weaver, whom I long have known, Has work'd it up, and begs to have it shewn— But pray observe, my friends—'tis not his own. I brought it over—nay, if it miscarries, He'll cry—" 'tis none of mine, it came from Paris." But should you like it, he'll soon let you know 'Twas spun and manufactured in Soho. 'Thad a great run abroad; which always yields Work for our Grub-street, and our Spital-fields. France charms our ladies, naked bards and beaux, Who smuggle thence their learning and their doaths; Buckles like gridirons, and wigs on springs; Tetes [sic] built like towers, and rumps like ostrich wings. If this Piece pleases, each Summer I'll go over, And fetch new Patterns by the Strait of Dover. Beaumarchais's comedy does not suffer particularly by being compressed into three acts. Colman's most noticeable omission was the scene in which the Count appears disguised as a drunken dragoon (Act II, sc. 12). This incident was supposed to be harmful to morality. Incidentally, the author had thought that the fool in King Lear was "too gross for a London audience." 117 There is only one striking example of coarse language in The Spanish Barber; Bartholo addresses some unpolished epithets to Rosina in the second act. T w o passages have been chosen to illustrate Colman's ability to enlarge or condense. The first is worthy of 1 7 9 5 - 1 7 9 6 , 1798, last performance listed by Genest (Bath, February i , 1 8 1 9 ) . Know Your Own Mind was issued: 1778, 1787 (1800); included in Inchbald's British Theatre (1808), Vol. X V ; Oxberry's The New English Drama ( 1 8 1 8 ) , Vol. X I V ; London Stage ( 1 8 2 4 ) , Vol. II; Cumberland's British Theatre ( 1 8 2 9 ) , Vol. VIII; British Drama ( 1 8 6 4 ) , Vol. X . ' " N o t e d by Doran, Annals of the English Stage (New York, 1880), II, 205. M7

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in

England

Vanbrugh's pen. T h e Count has asked Figaro (Lazarillo) where he lives: Figaro. Ma boutique, à quatre pas d'ici, peinte en bleu, vitrage en plomb, trois palettes en l'air, l'oeil dans la main, Consilio Manuque, Figaro. (Il s'enfuit.) (Fin du Premier Acte.) Lazarillo. Hard by, Sir. Not twenty Paces off, you'll see my Shop. Painted Blue, old Stumps and Porringers, with red Rags in the Window, a long Pole in the Air, and a Board inscribed with gold Characters, Shave, Bleed and draw Teeth., Lazarillo. (Act I.) The second comparison deals with the enumeration of Bartholo's "qualities": Figaro (vivement). C'est un beau gros, court, jeune vieillard, grispommelé, rusé, rasé, blasé, qui guette et furette, et gronde et geint tout à la fois. Le Comte (impatient). Eh! je l'ai vu. Son caractère? Figaro. Brutal, avare, amoureux et jaloux à l'excès de sa pupille, qui le hait à la mort. Le Comte. Ainsi ses moyens de plaire s o n t . . . . Figaro. Nuls. Le Comte. Tant mieux! Sa probité? Figaro. Tout juste autant qu'il en faut pour n'être point pendu. (Act I, sc. 4.) Lazarillo. An old, ugly, peeping, watching, growling, grunting Curmudgeon; Jealous to an excess; hated by his Ward; and just honest enough to save him from the Gallows. (Act I.) Colman attempts neither a word-for-word, nor a linear translation, and it is equally apparent that Beaumarchais's rapier-like dialogue was beyond his linguistic powers; yet he has presented a recognizable likeness. The Spanish Barber, received with great applause, was repeated seven times the first season before crowded and brilliant audiences. Miss Farren in her inauguration of Ro148

New Plays

ijjo-ij8o

sina "rarely charmed" the town by her "playfulness and dign i t y " ; 1 1 3 and her popular song hit beginning, "Love, the soul firing, Love all-inspiring," was immediately printed in the September issue of The London

Magazine.119

T h e next year Dr. Arnold's new songs "happily hit the humour of the characters." Edwin's dry manner enabled him to give the proper interpretation of Lazarillo's rôle, but Blisset's acting was considered a bit too refined as Basil. 120 From August, 1777, to June, 1799, The Spanish Barber enjoyed ninety-four performances, a record which compares not too unfavorably with that of Le

Barbier

de Séville, repeated 118 times from 1775 to 1793. 1 2 1 The

Spanish

Barber was never printed, 122 but Colman's son turned it into a comic opera, in which form the Philadelphia stage saw it, July 4, 1794. Several passages of the printed version (Philadelphia, 1 8 1 1 ) are marked with inverted commas, indicating omission in representation, and there are new songs and minor alterations which do not impair to any great extent Colman Sr.'s plot. 123 "* Doran, op. cit., II, 205. ' " U n d e r "Poetical Essays," The London

Magazine, X L V I (September, 1 7 7 7 ) ,

479™The London Chronicle, XLIII (June 1 1 - 1 3 , 1 7 7 8 ) , 564. The original cast was distributed thus: Count Almaviva—Palmer, Lazarillo—Edwin, Bartholo— Parsons, Basil—Blisset, Rosina—Miss Farren, Argus (L'Eveillé)—Jackson, TallBov (La Jeunesse)—R. Palmer. 1,1 The English check was made from theatrical lists in The Gentleman's Magazine, The Westminster Magazine, and The European Magazine. According to Joannidès, op. cit., Appendice B, the Comédie-Française was closed from September 3, 1793, to May 30, 1799. " 2 The complete title as given by the Larpent manuscript is: The Spanish Barber; or, The Fruitless Precaution. A Comic Piece in Three Acts. ,M T h e alteration adds an alcalde, a notary, and two servants. The inverted commas affect eighty-one lines in Act I; seventy-nine in Act II; and 205 in Act III. There was a revival: January 3, 1795. This is perhaps as good a place as any to note that the character of Trip in The School jor Scandal (D.L., May 8, 1 7 7 7 ) recalls Figaro simply because the

French valet is the greatest representative of an established type of comedy, having many English predecessors, among whom may be mentioned: Brush in The Clandestine Marriage, My Lord Duke in High Life below Stairs, Jeremy in Love for Love (see Rhodes's edition of Sheridan, II, 9).

149

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England Two unacted translations, rendered by a mediocre actor, Thomas Warboys, remain. Both were printed in the same volume, 1777. The Preceptor; a Comedy of Two Acts, avowedly drawn "from Le Besoin de L'Amour of M. D'Ancourt," tells how Sir Liquorish Caution (Pantalon) is compelled to bestow his melancholy daughter upon Young Pectoral (Octave) disguised as Syllogism, a philosophy teacher. Warboy's curtailments124 include two of Dancourt's servants. He gives the most amusing part to Kitty, who, as "directress to the family" plays nurse to a lecherous hypochondriac and spiritual adviser to the latter's neurasthenic daughter. The second piece was an inferior adaptation of Regnard's La Sérénade (Théâtre-Français, July 3, 1694)125 called The Rival Lovers; a Farce of Two Acts. The two-act division,126 rather than enlargement, fails to profit by the well-knit scenes, lively airs, and dances, hinging upon Trim's (Scapin's) fourberies to dupe a miserly father, his son's rival in love. The intrigue lags while chaster dialogue is unfortunately purged of Regnard's verve. Trim is a poor copy of Scapin, and it is a far cry from the French valet's final gay song to the English lover's solemn promise to his future mother-in-law. The patent theaters did not produce any new French adaptations127 in 1777-1778, but there was an interesting private perThe divertissements which followed Dancourt's three-act comedy. According to Desboulmiers, op. cit., II, 1 9 1 - 2 1 6 , which has been of service in making our comparison, the French title was not Le Besoin de l'amour but Le Besoin d'aimer, acted, December 2, 1723. Dancourt published the piece, but the edition was soon exhausted. 1,5 This popular croquis dramatique announced Figaro's monologue in Scapin's speech, sc. 12. From 1694 to 1777 it had been acted 495 times. (Joannidès, op. cit.) 1M The scene is shifted to London. Act I ends with sc. 12. Sc. 15, 17, 21 were omitted, and by greatly curtailing sc. 25, most of Regnard's serenade was removed, entailing loss of lively airs, dances, and Gripon's fake holdup. Jewels are mentioned, but they do not play so effective a part as does the necklace in La Sérénade. Trim's disguise as a long-bearded Jew wearing a cloak is less amusing than Scapin's eye-patch. m Dr. Iacuzzi has recently demonstrated (op. cit., pp. 105 ff.) that Dibdin's

150

New Plays /770-/7S0 formance of a kind of entertainment aptly described in the Mémoires secrets128 as: "Ces folies de société, ou sous les apparences les plus frivoles, règne une philosophie ornée de grâces & pleine de gaieté." This folie, entitled The Sleep Walter,12* was a two-act enlargement, by Lady Craven, of Pont-de-Veyle's Le Somnambule,130 Théâtre-Français, January 14,1739. Lady Craven, who became Margravine of Anspach, was a cosmopolite, traveler, translator, writer of French plays for a Court theater in Germany, and, from 1780 on, provider of magniñeient festivals at Brandenburgh House. The Sleep Walker was brought out for a charitable purpose at Newberry. The scene has been transferred to an English country house. The main theme centers on the actions of a young somnambulist, who disgusts his bride-to-be and future mother-in-law by appearing clad only in a nightgown and by making absurd remarks. Following instructions, the gardener awakens him by pulling his little finger. Devasthouse (Dorante) joins in the laugh at his expense, generously renounces suit in favor of his host's nephew, and philosophically comic opera entitled The Gipsies (Hay., August 3, 1778) does not come from Favart's La Bohémienne, but has been lifted from La Gitanilla de Madrid (by Antonio de Solís y Rivadeneyra); contained in Bibl. de autores españoles, Vol. XLVII. 1M Bachaumont, Mémoires secrets, Vol. VII. 7 septembre, 1774. ""The Sleep-Walker, a Comedy: In Two Acts. Tr. from the French in March, 1778. Strawberry-Hill: printed by T. Kirgate, 1778. TTie mania for private theatricals in the eighties and nineties brought forth much comment. Smart periodicals were usually servile; dramatists made a lot of fun of these amateur declamations (cf. Sicklemore's continuation of Murphy's travesty, The Apprentice, in The Dream [Brighton, 1796]; and reference to this "epidemic disorder among the young ladies and gentlemen" in The Carlton House Magazine, V [December, 1796], 34 I _ 343)- The fashion probably came from France (see Nicoll, op. cit., 19-22; Jullien, Histoire du théâtre de Madame de Pompadour . . . 1874). 130 The authorship of this piece has been contested (cf. La Harpe, Cours, II, 492). It was produced anonymously. Antoine de Ferriol, comte de Pont-de-Veyle (1697-1774) wrote occasional verse, satiric couplets, and folies de société. He was notorious for his long liaison with Madame du Deffand. He left to posterity an exceptionally large theatrical library.

151

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England concludes that he is not the first man to lose a wife while fast asleep. Aside from more colorful names of characters,131 the chief improvement lay in substituting a Dutch gardener's broken English for Thibaut's jargon. Lord Orford prefixed a doubtful compliment to his Strawberry-Hill edition: does to genius not belong; But its own modesty repairs the wrong; And while it waves th'invention it cou'd boast, It gains a virtue for a talent lost. TRANSLATION

H. W. Except for one poor adaptation from Marivaux, new borrowings from the French for the 1778-1779 season were devoted exclusively to musical entertainments, the flimsy plots of which owed their existence to Sedaine, Marmontel, Favart, La Font, and Rousseau. Returning to London after a twenty-two-months' sojourn in France, Dibdin presented Harris with six short pieces, two of which were brought out the same night at Covent Garden (September 18, 1778) as professed imitations of one-act French comic operas. 132 The curtain raiser, Rose and Colin, based on Sedaine's Rose et Colas (Théâtre-Italien, March 8, 1764; music by Monsigny) does not live up to its author's boast to preserve the charm of original recitative by curtailment and "varied" dialogue. 133 131

Le Baron—Lord

Vandergrass, Thibaut—Clipman,

Frontin—Frontless,

Do-

rante (a wealthy banker from Bordeaux)—Devasthouse (son of a rich Hamburg merchant), la Comtesse—Lady Belmour, Rosalie—Lady

Emily,

Valère—Valen-

tine. ' " A d v e r t i s e m e n t s to both pieces, 1 7 7 8 . See " A

Biographical Account of the

Works of Charles Dibdin," by E . Rimbault Dibdin, Notes

and

Queries,

9th

Scries, VIII, 279 (begun in Vol. VIII and concluded in Vol. X I I ) . 1M

For differences between

Sedaine's

piece and

Desfontaines's Le

Van,

sec

Giinther, op. eit., pp. 5 ! ff. Dibdin's borrowed " p l o t " is limited to a single incident relative to the loves uf a rustic pair, rendered more piquant by the interference of an old busybody. Mere Bobi (Goody Fidget, in English). Despite the latter's

nosiness and

Romanesques)

real or pretended

parental

the young people have their way.

152

objection

(cf. Rostand's

Les

New Plays

ijjo-ij8o

Of a livelier nature was The Wives Revenged, freely translated from the same French author's Les Femmes vengées, ou les Feintes infidélités (Théâtre-Italien, March 20, 1775; music by Philidor). 134 Omission of concluding vaudeville, racier dialogue, more colorful English names, make the customary concessions to native taste.130 Although both pieces were dismissed as "two French dishes of no extraordinary relish in themselves, rendered still more insipid by an English cook," they did not vanish completely from the boards. 136 The same author's comic opera, Annette and Lubin, Covent Garden, October 2, 1778, which bears traces of hasty composition, derived three-fourths of its plot from Marmontel's Annette et Lubin, utilizing only a few bits of dialogue and taking over two songs from Favart's dramatization of the tale.137 In his advertisement, Dibdin foolishly boasted that "the subject matter [was] wholly preserved" and that the dialogue was "both varied and compressed." Genest pointedly remarks that "so much is said about Annette's being in a family way, it was quite absurd for Mrs. Farrel to play Lubin." 138 After reading Marivaux's La Fausse suivante, ou le Fourbe puni (July 8, 1724), in three acts, and James Cobb's two-act farce, The Contract; or, Female Captain (D.L., April 5, 1779), we may say that the maiden effort of this prolific and poor dramatist139 134

For Sedaine's debt to La Fontaine's licentious tale, Les Rhimois, see Günther, cp. cit., p. 65. Sedaine thought that the division of the stage into compartments, with three actions taking place simultaneously, was a daring innovation. Günther is of the opinion that Les Femmes vengées is one of the last of Sedaine's pieces to reflect traces of the old vaudeville. 135

First, as to plot: Concealed in a closet, yet in full view of the audience, two philanderers comment on their sad plight as they see their wives alternately welcome the proposals of an accommodating painter. As to names: A dignified French President becomes a jocular wine merchant, Alderman Tokay; the pompous M. Lek is changed to Deputy Dimity, an eloquent tailor; M. Riss, the painter at whose house the action takes place and who has been coached in his part, is appropriately called Vermillion. ""Quoted from The Monthly

Review,

L1X

!53

(October, 1 7 7 8 ) , 3 1 2 . Rose

and

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England shows no interest in splitting hairs over sentir and connaître. Cobb's curtailment, 140 introducing horseplay and a new disguise, was announced with this jingle: Our privateering bard began his Cruise— Soon saw a Sail, and found she was a foe Commanded by—one Captain Marivaux At once she strikes—resistance was in vain— She's now sent into Port at Drury Lane Where her whole Cargo will remain on shew Consign'd to Mess'5 Sheridan And Co. "Mess" Sheridan and Co." consigned it to the scrap heap. 141 Colin enjoyed twelve performances the first year, and was revived: 1787 and 1794. Wives Revenged was repeated eleven times, and was revived: 1790, 1792, and 1795. "* Assisted by Madame Favart and de Santerre, T heairc-Italien, February 15, 1762. See lacuzzi, op. at., pp. 100 ff. for more detail. " " Dibdin, op. cit., VI, 86. The piece was first on a triple bill including The Busy Body and Cross Purposes, both of which, as we have shown, were indebted to French sources. Annette and Lubin was acted eight times that year and revived: 1786-1790, and 1796. It had been printed in 1778. ' " T h e coup d'essai of James Cobb ( 1 7 5 6 - 1 8 1 8 ) was brought out for Miss Pope's benefit. Undaunted by its failure, Cobb continued to turn out twenty-three additional dramatic compositions, including operas, farces, preludes, comedies. Usually listed as coming from the French are: Paul and Virginia (C.G., May 1 , 1800), a musical drama which derived a few hints from Bernardin de SaintPierre's Rousseauistic idyll; A House to be Sold (D.L., November 17, 1802), a musical entertainment from Duval's Maison a vendre, 1800; The Wife of Two Husbands (D.L., November j , 1803), a musical drama from Pixerecourt's La Femme a deux maris, 1803. 140 One misses, above all, Marivaux's splendid exposition and cleverly manipulated suspense. Skip does double duty for Trivelin and Arlequin. Trivelin's impertinent reflections (paving the way for Figaro) are inconsequential in the condensed English version. The new disguise is taken by Sir David Dupe, who poses as a female gypsy fortune teller in order to investigate Dorimant's (Lelio) character, and mistakes the female captain for his future son-in-law; as a result of which a duel is narrowly averted by Skip's timely intervention. The French countess, who is tricked into forfeiting her marriage contract by refusing Lelio

!

54

New

Plays

IJJO-IJSO

Mrs. Jackson in the character of Britannia spoke the Prologue to the piece that is to follow: The Poet of this night one instance brings From ill-plac'd confidence what trouble springs; And that deep sorrow will on those intrude Who e'er depend on G A L L I C G R A T I T U D E . This sets the tone to Dodd's 142 two-act alteration of his earlier Funeral Pile (S.A., Dublin, 1772), based on La Font's one-act verse comedy, Le Naufrage

ou la Pompe funèbre de Crispin

(Théâtre-Français, June 14, 1710; "avec un divertissement . . . musique de Gillier"). 143 In Gallic Gratitude; or, The

French-

man in India (C.G., April 30, 1779), poor La Bronze (Crispin) is made contemptible to teach the folly of employing French servants in preference to more honest, though less servile, Englishmen. T o make patriotic appeal still more aggressive, Dodd, at the manager's request, added Coxswain Derby O'Rudder, who extols British fortitude, Irish independence, and Anglo-Saxon superiority. These illiberal reflections on the French together with L a and accepting the Chevalier, appears, in Cobb's adaptation, as Lady d'Orville, a young lady of fortune and daughter of Sir David Dupe. 141 The following year, however, the piece was revived twice (August 26 and 28) at the Hay. as an afterpiece entitled Female Captain. The writer for Lloyd's Evening Post (XLVII [August 28-30, 1780], 204), observed: "After Skip has left the stage, the scene flags extremely, and becomes tedious, an objection which the re-application of the pruning knife would easily remove." '"James Dodd ( 1 7 2 1 - 1 8 0 5 ) , surgeon, lecturer, actor, "a gentleman of amiable and entertaining manners, whose converse with the literary world and fund of anecdote rendered his company extremely agreeable." (B.D.) Sec also the article on James Dodd by Gordon Goodwin in D.N.B. 141 Crispin's antics, nearly causing him to be burned alive, provide good farce. Had the character been more fully developed it would have served as a fitting parody to Lemierre's popular tragedy, La Veuve du Malabar, Théâtre-Français, July 30, 1770. The latter play was made popular in England, first at Mrs. Crespigny's private theater, 1790, then at Covent Garden (May 5). The adapter, Mariana Starke, omitted long, declamatory scenes.

155

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England Bronze's heavy dialect are no improvement over Crispin's antics and more natural language. 144 The season's offerings terminate with an anonymous translation of Pygmalion, 1779, described as " A Poem from the French of J. J. Rousseau" and dedicated to Miss Hodges, who had played the part of Galathée at a private performance. Rousseau's anachronism in presenting Pygmalion as King of Tyre has been retained, but the writer reduces to narrative "such Descriptions of the Scene, Action &c., as served to embellish the theatrical Performance," and makes "some small Additions . . . to introduce, and illustrate the Story." (Advertisement.) Unfortunately, fragmentary dialogue and faulty pagination seriously impair an interesting attempt to include the French text by way of comparison. Enough remains, however, to reveal the superiority of Rousseau's melodious prose to this composer's jingling couplets. An adaptation from Goldoni plus hints from Marmontel and Diderot, enhanced by effective low comedy of native brand, make up the final contributions from French pieces for the present decade. Fréron thought that Goldoni's charming comedy of character, Le Bourru bienfaisant (Théâtre-Français, November 4, 1771 ), was one of the best productions in years, adding that it would probably meet with the same success if translated and performed abroad.145 A more able adapter might have realized Fréron's 144

Genest, calling it a poor piece, observes that the insular law business was

better employed by Mrs. Centlivre in her BickerstaÇ' s Burying; Upholders

or, Work, for the

(D.L., March, 1 7 1 0 ) . We should have added, perhaps, that according

to insular law all new arrivals must either be already married or choose a native. Since Harriet (Eliante) is repulsed at the thought of picking out a native, La Bronze (Crispin) agrees to pose as her husband. But the scheme doesn't work, Harriet pretends to be dead, and La Bronze must perish on the funeral pyre beside his "dead" wife. She revives at the right moment to welcome the right man.

Gallic

Gratitude was printed: 1779 (London) and 1799 (Dublin). ia

L'Année

littéraire,

VIII

(1771),

97-118,

includes several scenes. Voltaire

praised extravagantly the printed version (Oeuvres ( 1 8 8 3 - 1 8 8 5 ] , X L V 1 I I , 4 7 ) ,

156

New Plays

ijjo-ijSo

prediction, but the work happened to be done by Mrs. Griffith. She justly observed that had Garrick lived to help her as on former occasions, The Times

(D.L., December 2, 1779) "would

have been more worthy of the reception with which it has been honoured." 146 Garrick, who suggested the subject, would probably have glossed over some of the crude situations in the lady's original subplot, 147 and doubtless would have reduced her moralizing to a minimum. Although the incident of the loo players had been described more effectively in Poinsinet's little chefd'oeuvre,

Le

Cercle,

1764, 148 there still remains some amusing

satire on contemporary follies. Nine London performances were given that year. Mrs. Siddons acted the extravagant Lady Mary Woodley at Bath on at least three occasions.149 There was also a performance at Liverpool. 150 One reviewer ranked The among the best of present-day productions;

151

Times

two reporters de-

plored lack of originality, 152 another commentator disapproved of the rout scene, judging it altogether too coarse for an assembly of a fashionable lady. 153 London and Dublin editions were issued but Grimm insisted that the central character was weakly executed (Correspondance [November, 1 7 7 1 ] , IX, 389-391); Collé, of the same opinion, asserted that on the fourth performance Préville's acting alone saved the piece from being hissed. The last writer also indicated the hackneyed subject, mentioning Le Grondeur, L'Impatient, and Le Brutal {Journal, III, 326-327). Advertisement to The Times. The author thanks the elder Sheridan for his suggestions and pays special tribute to King, who played Sir William Woodley, "le Bourru Bienfaisant." 147 Dealing with the Bromley pair of crooks, who prey upon an extravagant young couple and then insult them before guests at a fashionable rout in their own home. Saurin's Les Moeurs du temps, Théâtre-Français, December 22, 1760, could have suggested the main title; the giddy-headed countess in that play may have furnished an occasional hint for the empty-headed and extravagant Lady Mary Woodley. This piece was included in the third volume of Le Texier's Recueil (Londres, 1785). The idea seems to have sprung from Madame de Sévigné's remark about Turenne's death, and the entire subject was available to Poinsinet through CarÏ57

Revivals and Importations

of French

Comedies

in

England

(1780), and the original French comedy appeared later in the fourth volume of Le Texier's Recueil

(1785). 1 5 4

Dibdin's three-act travesty of one of Marmontel's contes, which will not be treated textually,155 was followed by a popular sentimontelle's he Souper (printed anonymously, 1754). Probably, however, the card game which goes merrily on despite the announcement of a mutual friend's death (cf. English, Act V, with Poinsinet, sc. 9) came to Mrs. Griffith from Swift. (See On the Death of Dr. Sunft, beginning: " T h e Dean is dead, pray what are trumps?".) "* February 1 and September 30, 1780; and September 15, 1781. August 11, 1780. 191 The Westminster Magazine, VII (December, 1779), 654, approved of "a quantity of real Nature, Wit, and Moral preserved with decency." '"Town and Country Magazine, XI (December, 1779), 659-660, accused the author of keeping The Gamester too much in mind, and objected to an overdose of sentiment, but commended polished dialogue (an indirect tribute to Goldoni) as well as the ingenious satire of contemporary follies. Lloyd's Evening Post, XLV (December 1-3, 1779), 534, pointed out that this reputed author had rendered a feeble copy of her hero; that the most interesting scenes were flat and insipid to those who had seen the original. '"The Monthly Review, new edition, LXII (March, 1780), 245-246. T h e same writer condemned Sir William's absurd intention of marrying his niece to a confirmed water-drinker of forty-eight. " " P a r t of Goldoni's original ending is suppressed; Le Texier's arrangement concluding with Geronte's shouting for Picard. T h e piece was a comic opera entided The Shepherdess of the Alps (C.G., January 18, 1780), which utilized hints from Marmontel's simple and touching tale bearing the same title, and which can be read in the first volume of the Contes moraux. In the French, a lover commits suicide because his sweetheart's devotion has prevented him from participating in battle, causing dishonor. The girl turns shepherdess, and is wooed by Fonrose, pseudo shepherd, whom she finally consents to marry and to accompany to Turin with the understanding that she may occasionally return to the site of her former mountain cabin, now turned into a country house. There she may indulge in an orgy of melancholy ecstasy near the tomb of her former "husband." Dibdin, retaining Marmontel's setting, Savoy, added some original touches. An absurd Abbe galant, known as Abbe de la Mouche, unsuccessfully attempts to elope with Adelaide, shepherdess of the Alps. Then there appears a walking tombstone, Count Triste, who mistakes Adelaide for Jeannotte, engaged to Guillot. The hero's name was changed to Young Bellemine. The Critical Review, XLIX (January, 1780), 74-75. curtly advised

158

New Plays

iyyo-ij8o

mental comedy by Sophia Lee (1750-1824). This author, daughter of John Lee, actor, dared to bring on a "ruined lady" for the edification of her moral audience, and was rewarded by having her play repeated up to the year before she died. The Chapter of Accidents,156

produced at the Haymarket, August 5, 1780, utilized

hints from Marmontel's Laurette (Contes moraux, Vol. I) for the heroine's elopement and seduction. This part of the fable was linked to Diderot's Le Père de famille by making Governor Harcourt, a humor character, based on the "austere Commandeur," Cecilia's father. Intrigue is originally motivated,157 however, and the strong sentimental tone of the main plot is vigorously enlivened by low comedy.158 A n infirm clergyman from Wales, instructed to rear the heroine in a state of innocence, finally learns that her ravisher only "sinned from virtue." Thus, the good man, paraphrasing Virgil, can exclaim : "It requires a far greater exertion to stop your course down the hill of vice, than to toil slowly up toward virtue." This final triumph of sentimental comedy "Signior Dibdini to continue with his songs but leave the business of writing to abler hands." Town and Country Magazine, XII (January, 1780), 15, failed to find a story based on "murder" compatible with anything comic, much less farcical. Despite humorous characters and many happily rendered airs, "that [the piece] should breathe till the third day [was] indeed extraordinary." (hoc. cit.) >M It was originally offered to Harris as a three-act opera, but the manager found it too serious and no agreement was reached as to alterations. Following Colman's advice, Miss Lee next omitted the songs and lengthened her play to five acts. In the Preface the author thanks Colman for aiding her in revision and casting. 151 Diderot's character, Germeuil, becomes Miss Mortimer, secretly married to Captain Harcourt. This volte-face was suggested by Cécile's love for Germeuil in the original. For purposes of exposition, Lord Glenmore's housekeeper replaces Diderot's servant, La Brie. As an example of fairly close translation, cf. Harcourt's language with that of Le Commandeur (English, Act III, with French, Act II, sc. 8). 1M Vane, Lord Glenmore's valet, is ordered to marry his son's mistress, and a lot of fun arises from the servant's mistaking and wedding the maid, who has

159

Revivals

and Importations

of French

Comedies

in

England

was generally well received 1 5 9 and was repeated for the fourteenth time, September 15, 1780. 1 6 0 donned

Cccilia's clothes. More clowning

is forthcoming f r o m Jacob, Cecilia's

manservant. T h e characters of Cecilia, Bridget ( w a i t i n g - m a i d ) , and Jacob were praised, and the abundance of business, perplexity, and h u m o r were f o u n d to be more in keeping with a " c o m m o n audience." W i t h regard to the central

figure

it was

pointed out that " t h e characters of frail w o m e n cannot be the principal subject of comedy, consistent with the general apprehensions of decency." ( T h e VIII [August, 1 7 8 0 ] , 4 0 9 - 4 1 0 . ) Cf. The

Magazine,

(August, 1 7 8 0 ) , 7 0 - 7 2 ; Town

and Country

Magazine,

Universal

Westminster

Magazine,

396. Judicious curtailments were made the second night, according to Evening

LXVII

XII (August, 1 7 8 0 ) , 3 9 5 Lloyd's

Post which had scored the a u t h o r of the piece for m a k i n g vice attractive.

But the same reviewer predicted that the comedy would become a great favorite. (Lloyd's

Evening

Post, X L V I I [August 7 - 9 , 1 7 8 0 ] , 129.)

Revivals: 1 7 8 0 - 1 7 8 2 ( B a t h ) , 1 7 8 1 - 1 7 8 5 , 1785 ( B a t h ) , 1786, 1787, 1791» 1793, 1794 ( B a t h ) 1795, 1797, 1800, 1802, 1805, 1 8 1 6 , 1823 The of Accidents

was p r i n t e d : 1780 (bis),

1790, Chapter

1 7 8 1 ( 3 d ) , 1782 (4th), and 1 7 9 2 (5th).

160

CHAPTER V

1780-1790 REVIVALS

1

Barnaby Battle; or, A Wife at Her Wit's End (C.G., April 18, 1781) is the first of seven revivals (the others, except one, also coming from Molière) to invite comment. It was an anonymous one-act abridgment 2 of Betterton's The Amorous Widow; or, The Wanton Wife, 1706, retaining, however, the earlier subplot, about one-third of which was closely based on George Dandin, ou le Mari confondu (Versailles, July 18, 1668). Here the Sottenville pair become Sir Peter and Lady Pride; the minxlike Angélique assumes more shrewish qualities as Mrs. Brittle (a rôle performed by Mrs. Mattocks) ; and the poor countryman who has married out of his class appears as an old citizen, keeper of a glass shop (a part ably interpreted by Quick). Unlike his prototype, who decides to end it all by drowning, Barnaby Brittle displays greater stamina when he remarks: Patience long time has been the husband's cure, For what we cannot mend, we must endure; Wives at the best, they say, are but an evil, But an unequal match is sure the devil. A divided press preferred this reduction to Betterton's "most wretched travesty of the excellent George Dandin"; 3 approving 1 We list nineteen revivals, fifteen of which number were indebted to eleven of Molière's comedies; the remainder being distributed thus: Goldoni (one), La Chappelle (one), Le Sage (one), Regnard (one). See the following numbers in the

Appendix for those partial borrowings from Molière that continued to appear (at least eleven of the nineteen titles to which reference has been made in Chapter II): Nos. 1 1 , 9, 5, 4, 14, 2, 3, i , 12, 8, 7. 2

It discards the ridiculous Lady Laycock, the ludicrous Merryman, and the

Cuningham-Philadelphia intrigue. 5 The Monthly Review, LXVIII (March, 1 7 8 3 ) , 2 7 0 - 2 7 1 .

161

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England of farcical situations and characters, but condemning the fable as immoral and the dialogue as "destitute of wit."4 There were revivals as late as 1809. Barnaby Brittle was printed twice.5 Hints reverting to Amphitryon, L'Ecole des femmes, and the Don Juan legend6 contributed to theatrical fare for 1781-1782. Ravenscroft's licentious The London Cuc\olds, partially indebted to Molière7 and now reduced to two acts (C.G., April 10, 1782), was preceded by Dibdin's unprinted "opera," Jupiter and Alcmena (C.G., October 27, 1781), a three-act alteration from Dryden. Coarse dialogue has been considerably toned down, but the few changes required for songs have not materially affected the main plot. With regard to interpretation: Mrs. Mattocks and Quick excelled as Phaedra and Sosia, Reinhold was "most uncommonly animated in Amphitryon," and Miss Harper, playing Alcmena inoffensively but too coldly, "seemed not to have felt the god."8 Jupiter and Alcmena was acted twice. In addition to the regular theater we should perhaps mention Lady Craven's The Statue Feast, an innocuous version of Molière's grand seigneur-méchant homme theme (Dom Juan, ou le Festin de pierre, 1665), given en famille, 1782: The theatre was made in the wood behind Benham House, the trees formed a canopy, and the darkness and stillness of the night 4

The Critical Review, LV (February, 1783), 152. 'Printed: 1782 and 1788. Revivals: 1782 (five times), 1785 (twice), 1786 (once), 1788 (twice, and once at York), 1789, 1791, 1793. 1797 (Bath), last performance, Hay., June 23, 1809. " I t should be noted that Miss Stageldoir's ballet, Don Juan; or, The Libertine Destroyed, D.L., May 10, 1782 (repeated at the Royalty, 1788, and D.L., 1789) was based on Shadwell's Libertine (1676), derived chiefly from Rosimond's Le Nouveau Festin de pierre (cf. Miles, The Influence of Molière on Restoration Comedy, p. 2 3 1 ) . * L'Ecole des femmes: Arnolphe—Wiseacre; Agnès—Peggy; Horace—the profligate Ramble (cf. Appendix). * Lady's Magazine, XII (November, 1 7 8 1 ) , 598-601.

162

Revivals 1780-1790 •were favourable to the lights and the dresses. The play was Moliere's Statue Feast, but much altered, and cut into two acts. Lady Craven has with taste, lessened Don Juan's villainy into mildness, and instead of permitting the horrible catastrophe at the end of the fifth act, has caused the statue to be found the brother of Elvira, who assisted her in her plot of terrifying her inconstant husband from his pursuits.® The hostess's attractive, three-year-old child played the role of Don Juan's son, and when the little fellow was presented to his father by the Statue he "embraced his theatrical [parent] with much grace." 10 "These amusements de famille," comments Boaden, "may be excused if they leave the savage terrors of the drama to public stages and less refined spectators."11 The following season Robert Jephson (1736-1803) 12 produced at Smock Alley Theatre (May, 1783) an alteration of Vaughan's farce as The Hotel; or, The Servant with Two Masters, ultimately indebted to Goldoni. Jephson shifting the scene to Granada, injected more sparkle into Vaughan's dialogue. The piece, printed that year in Cork was issued again at Dublin, 1784." The comedies of Hannah Cowley (1743-1809) atone for Gif*The London Chronicle, LII (August I, 1782), 133. Cf. The Magazine, LII (September, 1782), 446.

Gentleman's

"Ibid. 11

Memoirs of Mrs. Siddons, I, 266.

"Irish dramatist, poet, convivial wit, whose satirical turn of mind obtained for him the name of "Mortal Momus." After serving in the army as infantry captain, he became Master of the Horse under Viscount Townshend, Lord-lieutenant of Ireland, and held the post under twelve successive viceroys; 1778 saw him a member of the Irish Parliament. Besides dramatic works including five tragedies, two farces, and an interlude (1776-1796), he was the author of The Confessions of Jacques Baptiste Couteau (1794, 2 vols.), with illustrations, satirizing excesses of the French Revolution. Jephson was admired by Walpole, held in high esteem by Garrick, acclaimed by Murphy as "warm from Shakespeare's school," and he counted among other friends, Johnson, Burke, Goldsmith, Reynolds, and Burney. See Martin Severin Peterson, Robert Jephson (1736-1803). A Study of His Life and Worlds (Lincoln, Neb., 1930). "Further altered as Two Strings to Your Bow (C.G., February 16, 1 7 9 1 ) .

163

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in

England

ford's and the Wits' derisive comment on her fictitious name, which has become a byword for sentimental romances. 14 This authoress's first dramatic success, The

Runaway,

Drury Lane,

February 15, 1776, was launched by Garrick. It made generous use of device, repeating, or rather increasing, the dose in

The

Belle's Stratagem, Covent Garden, February 22, 1780, where manners predominate. Mrs. Cowley was usually careful to reduce borrowed material to a minimum. More Ways than One, a needlessly complicated, five-act comedy (produced at C.G., December 6, 1783), fuses ideas from Caryl's Sir Salomon; Coxcomb

(printed, 1 6 7 1 )

15

or, The

and its original, L'Ecole

des

Cautious femmes,

plus a hackneyed subplot of her own brew. 16 T h e most conclusive proof of familiarity with Molière's dialogue can be ascertained by comparing Act III (near the end) with Act III, sc. 4 and 5, of the French. More Ways than One was acted fifteen times, 1783, and reached three editions, 1784. It was revived: at Bath, October 23, 1784; Covent Garden, May 19, 1789; Bath, March 17, 1812. Hints from L'Ecole able Levities

des femmes can also be found in Fashion-

(C.G., April 2, 1785) by Leonard Macnally ( 1 7 5 2 -

" Cf. also Poems by Anna Matilda (1788, 2 vols.). Mrs. Cowley wrote nine comedies, one comic opera, a farce, an interlude and two tragedies ( 1 7 7 6 - 1 7 9 4 ) . 15

Edition used. The main action of Sir Salomon

was a fairly close adaptation

of Molière. We include the most important hints derived from Caryl. Parallel love intrigues, though differently motivated, are Single—Julia and Carlton—Miss Archer. Mrs. Cowley's Sir Marvelous Mushroom was obviously suggested by Caryl's Sir Arthur Addle and greatly improved, despite Genest's objection to the former character. Sir Salomon's reference to Julia as a wit (Act I) decided Mrs. Cowley to turn Miss Archer into a madcap. Peregreen (Horace) was changed to Evergreen (Arnolphe). For dialogue, compare the conversations between Bellair and Evergreen. " Sir Marvelous's detention of Evergreen so that Miss Archer may accompany Arabella to Carlton's lodgings, thus increasing incident by a double elopement. The ward theme is also doubled: Dr. Frcelove—Arabella, Evergreen—Miss Archer. Some contemporary satire on doctors is furnished by Freelove, while Le Gout, Mushroom's French servant, scores French etiquette. Bellair's feigned illness (Act I) came from Crowne's City Politiquet (D.L., January, 1 6 8 3 ) .

164

Revivals

ij8o-ijgo

1820). The author, son of a Dublin merchant, is perhaps best known as an astute cross-examiner and political informer who betrayed his trust as a member of the Society of United Irishmen. His education was sadly neglected, but he spent enough time at Bordeaux to acquire a conversational knowledge of French. 17 Fashionable Levities, eighth of twelve dramatic compositions, including an unsuccessful comic opera from Sedaine, and covering a period of eighteen years (1778-1796), owes more to Molière than it does to English sources. The most amusing characters are of Restoration mold,18 however. Macnally reworks Molière in the following manner: Ordeal, an old bachelor (Arnolphe), rears his innocent ward in seclusion, and refers to her as "an Aurora Borealis, a blaze in the regions of frigidity." (Act I.) He learns to his dismay that "Pure Nature" has profited only too well from the lessons of her Scotch tutor, Alexander McClassic, alias Captain Douglas (Horace). Gallantly, however, he gives her up and sublimates crushed hopes by feverishly attempting to save the tottering virtue of a prude. At the final curtain, Ordeal, who has preached virtue until it becomes positively immoral, congratulates himself upon escaping a ridiculously disproportionate match. Fashionable Levities, performed about eight times, was later reduced to three acts.18 " Sec the article on Leonard Macnally by J. M. Rigg in D.N.B. " T h e scene takes place at Bath where Lady Flippant Savage (played by Miss Younge), who would be queen of all fashionable levities, shares with her sisterin-law, Widow Volatile, the ardent attentions of a gay rake (Welford), who in turn is sincerely loved by Constance. In Act II, Ordeal overhears these grandes dames instructing Clara in the duties of a wife (suggested by Molière's Maxima dti \turiage); she must retain her favorite cicisbeo, confidant, maidservant and footman, have absolute freedom, a separate apartment, and must be sure to squander her husband's money. The business connected with Sir Buzzard Savage's discovery of Welford's clothes was freely reworked from the Dumb Knight (Dodsley's Old Plays [ 1 7 7 4 ] , Vol. VI), according to Genest, Some Account of the English Stage, VI, 363. " C . G . , March 3 1 , 1792; revived: 1793, 1797» 1800-1801, D.L., May 3 1 , 1820. Printed: 1785 (bis) and 1786 (Dublin).

165

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England Owing to lack of available material we can do little more than list the alterations that remain; a tiresome but necessary task. Molière's final ballet to Le Malade imaginaire, formerly used by Foote in The Devil upon Two Sticks, now appeared as an anonymous Interlude entitled Doctor Last's Examination, Haymarket, August 14, 1787 (not printed).20 This piece was followed by an anonymous one-act version of Fielding's The

Moc\

(C.G., March n , 1788), originally drawn from Le

Doctor Médecin

malgré lui.21 The same author's Miser was altered twice ; first, by Edward Tighe as The Cut Miser, in two acts "for the use of Private Theatres," 1 7 8 8 ; " again, by James Wild, in three acts (C.G., March 24, 1789). 23 Vanbrugh's The Mistake, adapted from Le Dépit amoureux, was anonymously produced at Covent Garden, February 11, 1790, for King's benefit, as Lovers'

Quar-

relsThe

Body,

same theater saw Mrs. Centlivre's The Busy

March 27, 1790, reduced to three acts.25 The Haymarket produced, August 6, 1790, a one-act abridgment of Crowne's Sir " D r . Last—Edwin; Devi]—Moss. It preceded Holcroft's Follies of a Day. Revivals: 1790, 1795, 1 8 0 1 , C.G., May 17, 1809, Hay., August 21, 1809. 31

Gregory—Ryder. Genest does not specify the length of subsequent performances: 1793, 1796-1797, and 1799. * There was also a Dublin edition, not mentioned by Nicoll. Tighe omitted Clermont, Harriet, Bubbleboy, and shifted some of Clermont's lines in the fiveact comedy to Frederick's final speech. " W i l d (d., Liverpool, August 10, 1801, at the age of fifty-two) was prompter at C.G. for several seasons. His Miser omitted Harriet, Clermont, Wheedle, Mr. Decoy, Bubbleboy. Quick acted Lovegold, and Mrs. Mattocks took the rôle of Lappet. Genest lists a performance in three acts at C.G., May 1, 1800. Wild's version was printed as The Miser, a Comedy, Now First Published, in Three Acts . . . Corrected from the Prompt Copy (1792). " Some of the excrescences were removed, little was added. King, Ryder, Miss Pope, and Mrs. Mattocks ably performed the rôles of Sancho, Lopez, Leonora, and Jacintha (The European Magazine, XVII [February, 1790], 147). The same periodical ascribes the work to King. The piece can be read in Vol. Ill oE The London Stage (Huntington Library copy, no date). Revivals: 1 7 9 1 , 1794^ 1796-1798, 1800, 1800 (Bath), 1801, last performance, C.G., November 27, 1802. 15 Announced as "now restored to its original form, ' C.G.. December 2, ¡790.

166

Revivals /7S0-/790 Courtly Nice, called Opposition,28 remotely indebted to Molière since the earlier English version had derived hints from Les Femmes savantes and Les Précieuses ridicules. The first mentioned French comedy also doubtless inspired Robert Oliphant's unprinted The Learned Lady (Liverpool, 1789), intended to expose the affectation of female pedantry, "with a contrasted picture of those useless and insignificant animals called College Bloods,"27 and the same gentleman's farce entitled A Sop in the Pan; or, The Beau Outwitted (Liverpool, 1790; not printed) was derived from Cibber's The Refusal, which, as we have shown, was partly drawn from Molière.28 Such wholesale revamping caused Genest to protest as follows: "The practice of cutting down such good plays as The Miser, Mistake, and Busy Body, to 3 acts, is highly reprehensible."28 But the practice was not limited to plays reverting to Molière. Farquhar's The Stage Coach, derived from La Chappelle's Les Carrosses d'Orléans, appeared in one act at Covent Garden, April 16, 1787;30 Mrs. Centlivre's The Gamester, indebted to Regnard's Le Joueur, was now shortened to three acts and was brought out at Covent Garden, April 4, 1789, as The Pharo Table;*1 Vanbrugh's The False Friend, taken from Le Sage's Le Traître puni, was given a happy ending by Kemble, who, enacting the villain's part, produced his unprinted alteration at Drury Lane, October 24, 1789.32 " I t was not printed. Cf. Appendix, No. 14. ""Theatrical Journal" in The European Magazine, XVI (November, 1789), 380. The Learned Lady was a two-act composition. " Cf. Chap. II. "Genest, op. cit., VI, 602. " T h i s piece has been wrongly ascribed by Nicoli to Vanbrugh. S1

The title appears occasionally as The Faro Table. It was repeated at C.G., April 13, 1789; April 2 i , 1790. Genest ascribes this alteration to O'Keeffe, who is said to have made the changes at Lewis's request, calling it The Faro Bank,. The serious parts were omitted, new characters were added; all names, except that of Hector, were changed (op. cit., VI, 549). "Repeated, December 14, 1789.

167

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England N E W

PLAYS

3 3

N e w stage plays indebted to the French for the season of 1780-1781 were drawn from Destouches, Saint-Foix, and Marivaux. Translations included an anonymous version of Diderot's Le Père de famille, and a publication in four volumes of Madame de Genlis's Le Théâtre

d'éducation.

The Generous Impostor, Drury Lane, November 22, 1780, from Dissipateur31

Le

by

Destouches,

was

rendered

by

Thomas

O'Beirne ( 1748?—1823), Irish clergyman and pamphleteer, who is said to have assisted the lovely Duchess of Devonshire in her translation and adaptation of two French dramas. When the Portland ministry fell, O'Beirne set forth for France where he lived for a time. H e returned to England ( 1 7 8 5 ) , accompanied Lord Fitzwilliam to Ireland as chaplain and private secretary ( 1 7 9 4 ) , was advanced to the bishopric of Ossory (1795), and became, three years later, Bishop of Meath. But to return to the 33

The list will include twenty-nine acted and thirty-five unacted plays in-

debted to the French for this period. Of the actcd plays, three came from two of Destouches's comedies, three from two by Dorvigny, three from two by Sedaine, three from Saint-Foix, Marivaux's masterpiece was utilized twice, one of Patrat's dramatic compositions furnished material for two pieces; and the remainder were apportioned thus: Marmontcl (one), Favart (one), Beaumarchais (two), Diderot (one), Dumaniant (one), Brueys (one), De Boissy (two), Florian (one), Madame de Gerilis (one), Piron (one), Fatouvillc (one). Unacted translations were distributed in the following manner: Diderot (one), Dumaniant

(one), Mercier

(one). Madame de Genlis, thirty-one (twenty-four of which were included in her Théâtre

d'éducation,

and seven in her Théâtre

saint à l'usage

des jeunes

per-

sonnes) , Beaumarchais (one). 34

Printed, 1736; acted, March 23, 1 7 5 3 . "L'Avare

in reverse" could have come

to its author either from Shadwell's alteration of Shakespeare's Timon or from Middleton's Anything

for a Quiet Life,

of

Athens

without mentioning available

material from Regnard, Plautus, and Terence. A more immediate source was The Spendthrift,

included in Foote's Comic

Theatre

( 1 7 6 2 ) . O'Beirne's title was ap-

parently suggested by a free translation of Destouches's Le Jeune l'épreuve, Reformed

appearing in Foote's Comic Theatre Rake.

168

as The Generous

Homme

Artifice;

or,

à The

New Plays 1780-1790 Bishop's only comedy. The scene, shifted to England, is divided between London and the Gamester's villa. Characters are given English names; 35 one affected lady replaces four French Précieuses.3G Other changes include a pastoral at the end of Act II, music by Linley; political and social conditions are scored by Harpin, the Gambler's French major-domo, and Supple, Sir Harry's rival. The latter refers to the present state of affairs thus: "So many young fellows of fashion are now compelled to live by shift and management, that we professed knights of industry have our bread taken out of our mouths, egad." (End of Act I.) The Generous Impostor had a divided press,37 and was acted but six or seven times. The printed copy, 1781, was dedicated to the Whig beauties, Mrs. Greville and Mrs. Crewe. Dibdin's unprinted comic opera, The Islanders (C.G., November 25, 1780), fused two plots from Saint-Foix; L'Isle sauvage (Théâtre-Français, July 8, 1743) supplying fantasy and mild social satire, La Colonie (Théâtre-Français, October 25, 1749) adding farcical intrigue. The latter element was joined to the familiar eighteenth-century subject of shipwreck by making the father of a separated family the governor of an island. Contemporary audiences were doubtless touched by the actions of a noble 35

Cléon thus becomes Sir Harry Glenville, Julie—Mrs. Courtly, Le Baron—Sir "Jacob OIdgrove, Géronte—Holdfast, Le Comte de Guéret—Supple, Cidalise— Dorinda, Le Marquis—George OIdgrove, Pasquin—Trimbush, Finette—Phyllis. " Dorinda serves for Araminte, Bélise, Arsinoë, and Cidalise. " Lloyd's Evening Post states that the actors were hissed (XLVII [November 22-24, ' 7 8 0 1 , 499); The London Magazine asserts, however, that the piece was received with great applause (XLIX [November, 1780], 495—496); The Monthly Review (new edition, LXIV [January, 1 7 8 1 ] , 1 4 4 - 1 4 6 ) condemns it; and The Westminster Magazine VIII [ 1 7 8 0 I , 577, while praising intricate and well-conducted plot, objects to Supple (raisonneur) as a character more fit for a magistrate's correction than for a drama. The writer brings up the old problem of difference in temperaments; difficulty in adapting long sermons to an audience that requires humors, smart repartee, poignant satire, variety of incident. He admits, however, that this play has merit, that the catastrophe helped greatly to save it, and that it was, on the whole, well acted.

169

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England savage who befriends helpless Europeans, thereby teaching civilized countries a lesson in humility (L'lsle sauvage), but for loud guffaws they depended upon the horseplay of Wilson and Quick as Fabio and Domingo.38 Laying on with a heavy hand, Dibdin created the former character from a mere French shadow (Frontín of ha Colonie).39 Fabio is a Jesuit of questionable morals and unbridled tongue who races through the entire plot, aiding Domingo (the English Crispin),40 exposing Gil Perez (Rustaut), contesting the latter's amorous pursuit of Orra, a beautiful slave girl. Low comedy was enhanced by good music and scenery. The Islanders enjoyed about twelve performances; the following season an anonymous farce, The Marriage Act (C.G., September 17, 1781), drawn from Dibdin's piece, was repeated four times. Genest curtly remarked that Dibdin set a good example to writers of such pieces by publishing the songs only.41 General Burgoyne (1722-1792) maintained that: "continued uninterrupted scenes of tenderness and sensibility may please the very refined, but the bulk of an English audience, including many of the best understanding, go to a comic performance to laugh in some part of it "The London Chronicle, XLVIII (November 28-30, 1780), 5 1 7 ; The London Magazine, XLIX (December, 1780), 558; Toum and Country Magazine, XII (December, 1780), 630-631. "Dibdin's piece owes nothing to Framéry's La Colonie ( 1 7 7 5 ) . Framéry's piece came from La Font's Le Naufrage ( 1 7 1 0 ) . 40 The entire action of La Colonie revolves about Crispin's antics, disguised as an ugly female cousin. According to insular law, all maidens must be purchased at auction, the money spent for the fair ones being used to portion the ugly. At Frontin's suggestion, their master, Valere, will bid 10,000 piastres for Crispin, and will use the sum for his sweetheart, Henriette. Complications follow because the Governor offers Crispin to Rustaut as a bride. Further nonsense is supplied when Rustaut disguises to expose Crispin. Finally, Rustaut accepts a 2000-piastre bribe, and all parties are satisfied. In the English, Fabio hides Gil Perez under a table; Domingo poses as an avenging brother, imitating in turn "a Female Voice, mixt with his own." Henriette—Camilla; Valere—Garcia. 41

Genest, op. cit., VI, 189-190. Oulton called it an indifferent composition. (The History of the Theatres of London, I, 99.) The Songs, Duettes, Trios etc., in The Islanders were printed: 1780 (bis).

170

New Plays 1780-1790 at least." The victim of Saratoga included this observation in his defense of English comic opera, prefixed to The Lord of the Manor42 (D.L., December 27, 1780; music by William Jackson), admittedly founded upon Marmontel's Silvain (Comédie en un acte, mêlée de chant, Théâtre-Italien, February 19, 1770; music by Grétry). Burgoyne grew familiar with French at an early age, having passed seven years (1746-1753) abroad. His interest in French dramatists is attested by the fact that three of his four plays were indebted to Marmontel, Diderot, and Sedaine. The present three-act enlargement enlivens Marmontel's simple tale of a father's reconciliation with a son whom he has disinherited for marrying beneath him. A conventional, rustic lover of the subplot, known as Bazile, is turned into an aggressively patriotic soldier called Truemore. Trepan, a new character, represents, as recruiting captain, those manufacturers of honor and glory who keep exposed "one smart recruit as a decoy duck." (Act III, sc. 2.) "Silvain's" younger brother becomes Young Contrast, who, as the name implies, serves to show superiority of country innocence over city vices. This conceited fop has a ridiculous French valet de chambre, who announces his master's recipe to preserve a Ranelagh leg. Perhaps the most amusing of new characters (including those just mentioned and: Rental, steward to Rashly Contrast; Sgt. Crimp; Corp. Snap; Peggy Heartease, the maid) is Moll Flagon, who furnishes effective burlesque to Dibdin's The Deserter. Sergeant Crimp appears looking for a deserter, the maid accuses Young Contrast, the latter is arrested, and Moll Flagon, a camp follower with "a Soldier's Coat over her Petticoat, a Gin-bottle by her Side, and a short Pipe in her mouth," promises to make a man of him (Act III, sc. 3). " In Vol. I of The Dramatic and Poetical Wor^s of the Late Lieut. Gen. /. Burgoyne: To Which is Prefixed Memoirs of the Author (1808, 2 vols.). Vol. II contains Epilogues to False Appearances and to The Way to Keep Him.

171

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England Burgoync was accused of committing a great error by omitting the arrest o£ the poacher. The author's defense was that this scene was devoid of action : "The idea of five or six fellows with fusils presented at a gentleman's head, and their fingers upon the triggers, threatening his life in bass notes, he resisting in tenor, and a wife or daughter throwing herself between them in treble, while the spectator is kept in suspense . . . always gave me disgust to a great degree."43 The Lord of the Manor reached its twenty-first performance, April 30, 1781. It was repeated at least thirteen times during the next eight years.44 The Family Picture, " A Play. Taken from the French of Mons. Diderot's Père de Famille. . . . By a Lady" [Elizabeth Montagu?], 1781, does not suffer from contraction,45 at least from the modern reader's point of view, since it discards many tiresome dissertations and vociferations, yet manages to preserve much of the original spirit. The title could have been suggested by the scene in Jenner's The Man of Family : A Sentimental Comedy, 1771, where Charles invites Worthy into the picture gallery so that the latter may hear the Man of Family expatiate upon heads: "My dear Worthy, you are just come in time to go with me to hear a lecture upon heads, in the picture gallery; my father is just going to begin his morning's exhibition." (Act I.) But Jen43

Preface to The Lord of the

44

T h e count was made from The Gentleman's

Manor.

zine, and The Westminster Magazine.

Magazine,

The European

Maga-

The piece was also revived: 1 8 1 2 , 1 8 2 3 (last

performance, Hay., September 20, 1 8 2 3 ) . It was printed in 1 7 8 1 . Marmontel's piece m a y b e read in Oeuvres completes 45

( 1 8 1 8 - 1 8 2 0 ) , Vol. IX.

Practically all scenes were shortened. Act I omitted sc. 1 - 4 , 6; Act II removed

sc. 1 , 5, 1 0 ; Act III compressed sc. 2, 4, 7; Act IV discarded sc. 4, 6—8, part of sc. 5 followed sc. 3, of the French; Act V began with French, Act V , sc. 9, continued with sc. 1 1 , did away with sc. 1 - 8 , and greatly curtailed sc. 1 2 . Changes in dramatis

personae:

D'Orbesson—Clarville, Cécile—Louisa,

Saint-

Albin—Charles (cf. Jenner), Germeuil—Edward, Mme Hébert—Mrs. Dalton, Mlic Clairet—Maid. T h e characters of La Brie, Deschamps, Mme Papillon, Un Paysan were omitted. The scene remained unchanged. I72

New Plays

1780-1790

ner had a sense of humor, whereas this author is in dead earnest ; too much so, in fact. Thomas Holcroft (1745-1809), whose chief interest for us lies in his theft of Le Mariage de Figaro, will receive more detailed treatment in connection with Beaumarchais's political satire. Here, we wish to list Holcroft's translation (1781) of Madame de Genlis's 46 Le Théâtre d'éducation (1779). The work, consisting of little moral comedies, was "recommended to the favour of all persons of true taste, who are attached to the cause of virtue"; 47 especially, to gouvernantes of female seminaries, to whom it may be of uncommon utility and advantage." 48 The reader is referred to Genest for a list of the twenty-four "moral treatises brought into action." 48 T h e same adapter, in his Preface to Duplicity, acted the following season at Covent Garden, October 13, 1781, denied any direct indebtedness to French sources, asserting that "the plot was finished, and almost the comedy before I ever read Le

Dis-

" Stéphanie-Félicité du Crest de Saint-Aubin, Comtesse de Genlis ( 1 7 4 6 - 1 8 3 0 ) , was lady-in-waiting to the Duchess of Chartres and governess to the latter's children, for whose education she devised many original schemes. She wrote over eighty volumes (cf. Quérard, La France littéraire, III, 305—312). 11

The London Magazine, X L I X (December, 1 7 8 0 ) , 569-570.

48

Town

49

Genest, op. cit., VI, 464-469. The collection may be briefly described as fol-

and Country Magazine,

XIII (August, 1 7 8 1 ) , 434.

lows: Female characters of the first two volumes were adapted to the amusement and instruction of young ladies; male characters of the third volume were intended to inspire young men of rank with noble and liberal sentiments; miscellaneous characters of the fourth volume were provided especially for the guidance of young tradesmen and mechanics. Holcroft's translation was issued again in >783 (3 vols.) and in 1787. T h e work cannot duplicate the superior polish of the original, but it is a readable likeness. Madame dc Genlis's Théâtre

saint à l'usage des jeunes personnes

also translated by Holcroft. It appeared as Sacred Critical Reriew

Dramas

( 1 7 8 5 ) , was

(1785, 1786).

The

( L X I I [August, 1 7 8 6 ] , 1 0 2 - 1 0 8 ) objected to the retention of a

number of defects (the Frenchwoman had given free rein to her interpretation of biblical heroes) sufficient to disgust an admirer of the manners or phraseology of the patriarchs.

173

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England sipateur; and if I pillaged the Gamester, it was from latent ideas." Holcroft has used these "latent ideas" from Destouches in the following manner: To cure Sir Harry Portland of his mania for gambling, Osborne, aided by sharpers, wins from him not only large sums but also his sister's estate. In despair, Sir Harry listens to a lecture on the evils of gambling, but sorrow turns to joy when "l'honnête fripon" restores money and property. The comic of this excellent play of sentimentalized manners arises from an original subplot. Duplicity enjoyed seven performances, was generally well received,50 reappeared at Bath occasionally until 1795,51 passed through three editions,52 and was finally cut down to three acts as The Masked Friend, Covent Garden, May 6, 1796. The other new piece from the French for 1781-1782, Dibdin's unprinted musical farce, None So Blind as Those Who Won't See (Hay., 1782), was, according to Biographia Dramatica a close imitation of a little dramatic proverb by Dorvigny (1742-1812), 53 "Town and Country Magazine, XIII (October, 1 7 8 1 ) , 5 1 6 - 5 1 7 . Contemporary reviewers noted traces of other pieces: The Generous Impostor, The Busy Body, The Minor, The Oxonian in Town. Nicoll is of the opinion that Holcroft was slightly indebted to Colman's The Man of Business (A History of Late Eighteenth Century Drama, p. 1 4 1 . The Monthly Review objected to the use of Duplicity "in a good sense." (LXV [November, 1 7 8 1 ] , 370—373.) 51

1 7 8 1 , 1792, 1794-1795. " 1781 (bit), 1782 (3d), 1782 (Dublin). " L'Aveugle prétendu evidently came to Dorvigny by way of Le Grand's L'Aveugle clair-voyant ( 1 7 1 6 ) , a one-act curtailment of de Brosse's five-act verse comedy (1649), bearing the same title. Louis-François Archambault, known as Dorvigny, was a member of Nicolet's troupe, and the author of some three hundred pieces, many of which were never printed. He created Janot and Jocrisse, two popular types. Les Battus paient l'amende was played on all European stages, enjoying two hundred performances in Paris alone where "tout ce qu'il y a de plus distingué a été voir & s'y est amusé" (de Mouhy, Abrégé de l'histoire du théâtre françois . . . , II, 133). See also Brazier, Chroniques des petits théâtres de Paris, and Monselet, Les Oubliés et les Dédaignés, Vol. I. On fait ce qu'on peut, non pas ce qu'on veut, Proverbe à deux acteurs, by M. Dorvigny, can be read in Le Texier's Recueil (Londres, 1786), Vol. VI.

174

New Plays 1780-1790 entitled L'Aveugle

prétendu (not printed). A statement of the

plot, carried in the July number of The European Magazine?* reveals, however, similarities with Colman's The Deuce is in Him, derived chiefly from Marmontel's Le Scrupule, ou l'Amour mécontent de lui-même An old commodore, returning from a cruise, feigns blindness caused, so he avers, by an exploding cartridge, in order to test the love of his fiancee whom he suspects of carrying on an affair with his nephew. Unpleasantly deceived, age yields to youth and mutual love. Dibdin enlivened the meager French story by introducing as Caterpillar one Katterfelto, a notorious quack,56 and by giving this character as rivals: Commodore Barnacle, Caroline's guardian, and Porpoise, a fishmonger "whose conversation is full 54

The European Magazine, II (July, 1782), 67.

"Colman's satire on sentimentalism appeared at D.L., November 4, 1763, and enjoyed twenty-five performances that season. The best comic rôle was taken by King as Prattle, a would-be physician and gossip. The piece was revived: 17641766, 1768, 1772-1773. 1774 (Liverpool), 1776-1778, 1782, 1785, 1790, 1797. It was printed: 1763, 1764, 1769, 1776; and was contained in Bell's British Theatre (1784), Vol. I, and in A Collection of the Most Esteemed Farces (1786), Vol. I. In Marmontel's Le Scrupule (Contes moraux, Vol. I), Lindor, a cavalry captain, is merely one of Bélise's conquests. The hero tests her love by pretending to have lost an eye, but the lady cannot endure the thought of permanent disfigurement; consequently she writes him a letter to that effect, thus breaking the engagement and giving him the satisfaction of replying that all the pretense was merely a ruse. In the same French author's Alcibiade, ou le Moi (Contes moraux, ibid) the central figure, after discovering that four women love him selfishly, listens to Socrates's advice and chooses Glicérie because of her genuine devotion. Colman's plot runs as follows: Colonel Tamper, wishing to test his fiancee's devotion, pretends to have lost an eye and a leg at the siege of Havannah (sic). When Emily discovers the ruse she tortures him with a pretended rival (Mile Florival, disguised as one Captain Johnson). The deceit is finally admitted, and matters are smoothed over by Major Bdford, Tamper's friend and Mile Florival's suitor. Page (George Colman the Elder, p. 90, note 64) mentions a recent enlargement of The Deuce is in Him by the Chiddingfold Players. "Gustavus Katterfelto appeared in London during an influenza epidemic, 1782. He exhibited "philosophical apparatus" in Spring Gardens, and was interested in reptiles and insects.

175

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England of the terms of his trade." j7 Dr. Arnold's music was fittingly adapted to the airs of this "very passable entertainment."38 With Rosina, drawn from Favart's Les Moissonneurs, Mrs. Brooke reached the pinnacle of her success; while John O'Keeffe, that prolific dramatist who is said to have sent people "laughing to their beds" 59 for thirty years, did little to uphold his reputation in The Birth Day, derived from Saint-Foix. About three-fourths of Favart's Les Moissonneurs (ThéâtreItalien, January 27, 1768; free verses with ariettes by Duni) was retained in Mrs. Brooke's popular comic opera, Rosina, first produced at Covent Garden, December 31, 1782."0 The adapter made skillful omissions,61 which improved the native humor, and heightened suspense by shifting the relations of uncle and nephew to those of rival brothers. Shield's music contributed in no small measure, however, to thirty-eight performances that year. There were frequent revivals62 both in England and Amer" B.D., I l l , 86; Town " W e l l acted. The

and Country

London

Magazine,

Chronicle,

X I V (July, 1 7 8 2 ) , 3 4 0 - 3 4 1 .

LII (July 2 - 4 , 1 7 8 2 ) , 12; Lloyd's

Eve-

ning Post, LI (July 1 - 3 , 1 7 8 2 ) , 15. 58

B.D., I, Part II, 5 5 1 .

' 0 O u r a c c o u n t is merely a n a t t e m p t to s u m m a r i z e . See Iacuzzi, The Vogue

European

oj Fat art, p p . 7 4 - 8 1 . Cf. t h e lovers' q u a r r e l in t h e subplot w i t h

Book III, O d e IX. T h e episode f r o m T h o m s o n ' s Autumn,

Horace,

11. 1 9 2 - 1 9 7 is c o n f i n e d

to Belville's air in Act I. " T h e first t w o acts were c o n d e n s e d , a n d t h e third was curtailed. Mrs. Brooke omitted three gossips a n d condensed the reapers to an overseer a n d t w o I r i s h m e n w i t h a n a m u s i n g b r o g u e . T h e F r e n c h s t e p m o t h e r becomes an a d o p t e d

mother.

F a v a r t ' s stage directions w e r e effectively utilized. 62

In E n g l a n d

the piece was r e v i v e d :

1783,

1785

(Bath),

1788,

1789,

1789

( B a t h ) , 1791, 1 7 9 3 , 1794 ( B a t h ) , 1796, 1796 ( B a t h ) , 1797, 1 7 9 9 - 1 8 0 0 . In A m e r i c a Rosina

was p o p u l a r in N e w York until the m i d d l e of t h e n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y (see

Odcll, Annals

oj the \'ew

Philadelphia stage: 1787

Yorl( Stage,

times),

1793

(once),

1799 ( o n c e ) . Cf. Pollock, The

Century

(1933).

(twice),

Vols. I - I I I ) ; a n d it appeared

(five t i m e s ) , 1790 ( o n c e ) , 1791 1794

(three

times),

1795

Philadelphia

176

upon

(twice),

1792

1796

(once),

(once), Theatre

in the

the

(three 179S

Eighteenth

New Plays

iy8o-iyço

ica. Six editions, 1783, were increased to fourteen, 1796.63 The author has been described as "a lady of first rate abilities, and as remarkable for gentleness and suavity of manners, as for her literary talents."64 John O'KeefTe (1747-1833), of an old and honorable Irish family, first achieved proficiency in French and the classics under the learned Jesuit, Father Austin. Twelve years in Mossop's company and sixty-eight dramatic compositions, chiefly comic operas and farces, attest to a long life spent in the theater. From 1798 on O'Keeffe was compelled by total blindness to dictate his work, which includes Recollections of the Life of John O'Keeffe, written by Himself:0* In Two Volumes (1826). The second volume carries "a genuine list of all my dramatic pieces," covering a fiftyyear period. Hazlitt, extravagantly praising this dramatist, "our English Molière," explains that although the Irishman's scale may be smaller, "the spirit is the same [and that] in light, careless laughter, and exaggerations of the humorous, we have no one to equal him."66 The Birth Day; or, The Prince of Arragon (Hay., August 12, 1783; incidental music by Arnold) was dedicated to the Prince of Wales as a complement to His Royal Highness " 1 7 8 4 (7th), 1 7 8 5 (Dublin), 1786 ( n t h ) , 1788 ( 1 2 t h ) , 1790 ( 1 3 t h ) . can be read in the following drama collections: Modern The British Drama Illustrated

British Drama

( 1 8 6 4 ) ; Dicks's British Drama

Rosina (1811);

(1872).

" B.D., I, Part I, 72. These talents were first revealed in a series of essays running for thirty-seven weeks, called The

Old Maid

( 1 7 5 5 ) . They resembled the

Spectator as to general tone, and were reprinted nine years later. The same year Mrs. Brooke published a translation of Mme Riccoboni's Lady

Juliet

Catesby

which reached six editions. Other translations include Framéry's Memoirs

of the

Marquis of St. Forlaix ( 1 7 7 0 , 4 vols.); and Abbé Millot's History of England

(1771,

4 vols.), with explanatory notes. Her last writings eulogized Mrs. Yates, the famous actress whose friendship covered many years. K

"From the Greek, Latin, and French, acquired under Father Austin, to whose

school in Cook-street, I went, my fancy soon strayed to Shakespeare, old Ben, Congreve, Cibber, and Farquhar." (O'Keeffe, Recollections, " H a z l i t t , The Complete

I, 2.)

Worths, VII, 1 6 6 - 1 6 7 ( " O n the Comic Writers of the

Last Century").

177

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in

England

upon attaining majority. Whimsical fable and limited humor of Saint-Foix's Le

Rival

(October 27, 1747)® 7 were ad-

supposé

judged too weak for the general taste of an English audience. T h e author assures us, however, that his piece "succeeded with the most brilliant effect." 68 The Birth Day appearing in pirated form, 1783 (Dublin), was later included in The Dramatic

Works

(1798). Another dramatic trifle by the actor, Charles Bonnor (fl. 1777-1829?), 8 8 was brought out at Covent Garden, June 14, 1784, with the following descriptive title: "The Manager an Actor in Spite of Himself Comédien

[from]

La Fête de Campagne or

L'Intendant

malgré lui. Comédie Episodique. Par M . Dauvigny

[sic]. First performed in Paris in the year 1784." Bonnor, revealing great versatility of talent, "successively personated nine different characters, with very great humour and effect." 70 T w o revivals (C.G., M a y 2 and 6, 1785) were followed by an unknown author's unprinted prelude entitled Transformation; Manager an Actor in Spite of Himself,

or,

The

which was produced at

Drury Lane, April 25, 1787. 7 1 "The Monthly Review, L X I X (November, 1 7 8 3 ) , 483. O'Keeffe's improvements consisted in thickening Saint-Foix's comic lines written for a sprightly maidservant, and in stressing a light humorous character (the heroine's father, an old noble who prefers the quiet of his country estate to court sham). The lightly sketched French plot had dealt with a romantic prince who poses as his favorite courtier in order to test a country maiden's love. For Saint-Foix's piece see Oeuvres de théâtre, nouvelle édition ( 1 7 6 2 ) , Vol. IV. " O ' K e e f f e , op. cit., II, 58-59. "In

1784, Harris sent Bonnor to Paris with hopes of establishing there an

English theatre. Through loss of the Queen's patronage the undertaking proved a failure. The actor's Picture of Paris, C.G., December 20, 1790, was a pantomime of the grand federation ceremony. 70

B.D., Ill, 12.

" Probably the same as Bonnor's piece: Dumont, a nobleman's steward, has been appointed manager of a Fête de Campagne. The director of a theatrical troupe, knowing the former's antipathy for the profession, impersonates eight different characters and compels Dumont to be an actor in spite of himself. This done, the regular play will go on as scheduled.

I?»

New Plays 1780-1790 Thomas Holcroft, to whom reference has been made as "one of the best and most voluminous translators on record,"72 acquired some knowledge of French, German, and Italian during free time at Newmarket, where he was employed as stable boy (1758-1761). The lad returned to London, worked for a time with his father in a cobbler's stall, and contributed articles to The Whitehall Evening Post. After two unsuccessful ventures as teacher, he tried his luck as prompter in a Dublin theater. For six or seven years he acted with various companies. In 1778, we find him performing at Drury Lane for twenty shillings a week. On the stage, Holcroft was spoken of as unsympathetic; in a nonprofessional capacity he is perhaps best remembered as a "Liberty Boy," indicted for high treason, then discharged without trial. He possessed an irascible temper, but was capable of great energy and marvelous industry. In 1799, he lived for a time in Hamburg. After a two-year sojourn in the French capital he returned to England, 1803, where he failed as a printer and died, after a long illness, in Clipstone Street, Marylebone, 1809. Holcroft's literary merits were never very high, and his numerous plays73 should be classed as dramas rather than as comedies. He will be remembered for the melodramatic Road to Ruin, Covent Garden, February 18, 1792. Early in April, 1783, he visited Paris as correspondent of The Morning Herald in search of new publications for translation.74 " M a r y Russell Mitford's Recollections of a Literary Life ( 1 8 5 2 ) , (mentioned by Elbridge Colby in his Bibliography of Thomas Holcroft [the New York Public Library, 1 9 2 2 ] ) . "Exclusive of translations, nineteen pieces appeared between 1 7 7 8 - 1 7 9 9 . Conservatively, four of that number were from the French. See B.D. for later works. " Among them were Tales of the Castle by Mme de Genlis, and perhaps the same lady's Sacred Dramas, published in 1785 and 1786 (seven titles). Holcroft met, among others, Mercier, the Marquis de Dampierre, the Duke and Duchess of Chartres (cf. T. Vincent Benn, "Holcroft en France," Revue de littérature comparée, VI [ 1 9 2 6 ] , 3 3 1 - 3 3 7 ; Hazlitt, Memoirs of the Late Thomas Holcroft I, 67).

179

[1816],

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England He met with some success, made interesting contacts but, running out of funds, was obliged to return in October. The next year, however, intrigued, no doubt, by the unprecedented success of Beaumarchais's political satire, he made a special trip to Paris to procure a copy. Upon arrival, the latter part of September, he lost no time in looking up his young friend, De Bonnerville, to whom he explained the object of his quest. Difficulties soon arose because Le Mariage de Figaro (Théâtre-Français, April 27, 1784) 75 had never been printed. Moreover, no manuscript copy was permitted to leave the theater. Consequently, Holcroft and De Bonnerville attended the theater every night for a week or more, memorizing as many lines as possible, and compared "notes" after each performance. Holcroft's piracy is known as perhaps the most audacious example of deliberate theft in literary history. Although the story has been told by Hazlitt, Wyndham, and Colby, it will be worth while to record the author's own words : Finding it impossible to procure a Copy of the original French, though a Journey to Paris was undertaken expressly for that Purpose, the Copy made use of in the composing The Follies of a Day, was taken by Memory, only, during eight or nine Representations; that I furnished the plot, Incidents, Entrances, and Exits and gave some other occasional Hints; that the remainder was the Work of a young Frenchman, whose Talents and whose Heart are an Ornament and an Honour to his Country; and that after it was brought to England and received by Mr. Harris, it was translated, cast, copied, recopied, studied, and in one of its longest Parts, re-studied, and played in little more than a Month. . . . Had the Town known the peculiar " Fleury's colorful account of the premiere Mémoires

. . . de la Comédie-Française

has never been surpassed (Fleury,

. . . [ 1 8 4 4 ] , Vol. I, Chap. X X V I I ) . Gaiffe

has conveniently summed up conflicting opinions of La

Harpe,

Bachaumont,

Griinm, de Loménie, and others in his Le Mariage de Figaro ( 1 9 2 8 ) . Sec also the remarks of that interesting literary hostess, Mrs. Thrale, included by Kathryn L. Wood in " T h e French Theatre in the XVIIIth Century," Revue comparée,

XII ( 1 9 3 2 ) , 6 0 1 - 6 1 8 .

l80

de

littérature

New

Plays

ij8o—ij(p

Exertions of those especially w h o performed the longest and most essential Parts, its applause w o u l d have been endless. 78 H o l c r o f t ' s P r o l o g u e , s p o k e n b y M r . D a v i e s , refers to

Beau-

marchais's popularity: W h e r e the retentive Pitt, all prone t'adore him, Repeat his Bon mots half a bar before him; W h i l e every Bel-Esprit,

at every hit,

G r o w s fifty-fold more conscious of his W i t . The

Follies

of a Day;

or, The

Marriage

of Figaro

was brought

out shortly before the C h r i s t m a s holidays ( C . G . , D e c e m b e r 1 7 8 4 ) , a n d the title role w a s t a k e n f o r that night o n l y b y

14,

Hol-

c r o f t , o w i n g to B o n n o r ' s illness. T h e actor-author w a s w e l l s u p ported, 7 7 a n d the c o m e d y w a s g e n e r a l l y w e l l received. 7 8 H a z l i t t ' s d i c t u m saves m u c h useless repetition: " A s to merits, w e are in™ Advertisement to The Follies of a Day; or, The Marriage of Figaro. " A Comedy, as it is now performing at the Theatre-Royal Covent Garden. From the Frcnch of M. de Beaumarchais. By Thomas Holcroft. Author of Duplicity, a comedy, The Noble Peasant, an Opera, &c . . . 1785." " Count Almaviva—Lewis, Don Guzman—Quick, Dr. Bartholo—Wilson, Figaro—Holcroft, Antonio—Edwin, Basil—Wewitzer, Doublefee (Double-main) —Thompson, Bounce (Grippe-Soleil)—Stevens, Courier (Pédrille)—Jones, Page, called Hannibal (Chérubin)—Mrs. Martyr, Countess—Mrs. Bates, Marcelina— Mrs. Webb, Agnes (Fanchette)—Miss Wewitzer, Susan—Miss Younge. 18 The London Chronicle, LVI (December 1 4 - 1 6 , 1784), 5 8 1 ; The London Magazine, LV (December, 1784), 479-481. Acts I and II were acclaimed as richer in wit and incident than anything appearing since The School for Scandal. (Lady's Magazine, X V [December, 1784], 655-658.) The Critical Review objected to frequent execrations despite chaster language (LIX [June, 1785], 4 5 8 461). Most reviewers found the piece acceptable but pointed out signs of haste in composition (cf. The Universal Magazine, L X X V [July, 1784], 327-329; Tou/n and Country Magazine, XVI [December, 1784], 630-631; The European Magazine, VI [December, 1784], 466-467). For additional comment sec The Universal Magazine, LXXVI (March, 1785), 167; The English Review, V (May, 1 7 8 5 ) , 362-366; The Monthly Review, LXXII (May, 1785), 372. Oulton, op. cit., I, 139, called The Follies of a Day a successfully busy piece. Genest, op. cit., VI, 3 5 7 358, was of the opinion that although Holcroft's adaptation was "on the whole a good comedy," the part which concerned Marcelina was dull. l8l

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England debted more to Holcroft's industry and enterprise than to his skill as an author." 70 Boaden's mournful statement that this "Ghost of French wit [was] too mercurial for the dull English" 80 is hardly borne out since The Follies of a Day was repeated twenty-six times that season, enjoying at least ten revivals within the next four years.81 It was also a commercial success, bringing Holcroft ¿600,

exclusive of a large copyright sum, while De

Bonnerville was awarded ^480 for his assistance. A s regards alterations, there were both omissions and condensations,82 but what strikes one most forcibly is the great number of lines marked with inverted commas as a sign for omission in representation.83 If these recommendations were scrupulously observed there was considerable improvement in dialogue

(we

mean with regard to the printed play). 84 T h e general tone becomes less offensive; the famous monologue,85 for example, is ™ Hazlitt, Memoirs of the Late Thomas Holcroft *°Boaden, Memoirs of the Life of John Philip p. 1 3 2 (winter season, 1 7 8 4 - 1 7 8 5 ) .

( 1 8 1 6 ) , II, 54 ff. Kemble

(Philadelphia,

1825),

" The count was made from contemporary periodicals and Gencst. " There are no long descriptions of qualities and costumes. Holcroft omitted : two lines of sc. 1 1 , Act I; sc. 7-8, 1 1 , 23, 25, of Act II; the entr'acte; sc. 1 5 , of Act III; sc. 9 - 1 0 , 16, of Act IV; sc. 6, 1 5 , of Act V ; Ritournelle, Ballet Générale. He condensed: sc. 9, 1 4 - 1 5 , of Act II; sc. 1 - 4 (to seven lines), of Act III; and sc. 8, 1 2 (freely rendered), of Act V . " T h e y removed eighty-three lines from Act I, sixty-two from Act II, 1 5 5 from Act III, 183 from Act IV, and 167 from Act V. ** Brisker dialogue results by curtailing the repeated allusions to Chance and Truth ("Chance" appears twelve times on one page and "Truths" occurs sixteen times in one of Figaro's speeches. All this business reverts to the original Figaro's casual reference to the part Chance plays in our lives, Act IV, sc. 1 ) . Language is purified by the indicated omission of: ten lines concerned with abolition of !e droit du seigneur (Holcroft's scenes are not numbered; we cite, therefore, the French scene in each case—here it is sc. 8, of Act I ) ; seventeen lines concerning the Countess's lover (Act II, sc. 1 2 ) ; reference to the former's infidelity, three lines (Act II, sc. 1 6 ) ; Figaro's insulting retorts to Guzman who vaguely remembers him, nine lines (Act III, sc. 1 3 ) ; and about two and a half pages devoted to the amusing exchange of epithets between Basil and Figaro (Act IV, sc. 10). ** Holcroft relieved the tension; first, by Bartholo's interruption, then, by Agnes's brief appearance to inquire after Hannibal.

182

New Plays

1780-1790

reduced from 156 to twenty-two lines ( A c t V , sc. 3 ) , and reference to The mended

86

Wealth

of Nations

is deleted. Holcroft was com-

for substituting the innocuous s'il vous plait as a work-

ing knowledge of French for God-dam

as a vademecum

to a

Frenchman's knowledge of English ( A c t III, sc. 5 ) . Shield's music and Mrs. Martyr's singing popularized Chérubin's charming romance, which was nearly always warmly

applauded. 87

Some of the innovations 88 are poor, others are amusing. W e include the adapter's doggerel based upon the nonsense arising from a proper interpretation of the words: Ou, et, où, virgule. Doctor. Or how could heav'nly Justice damn us all, Who ne'er consented to our Father's Fall ? Figaro. Hark with what florid Impotence he speaks, And as his Malice prompts, the Puppet squeaks, Or at the ear of Eve, familiar Toad, Half froth, half venom, spits himself abroad In legal Puns, or Quibbles, Quirks, or Lies Or Spite, or Taunts, or Rhymes, or Blasphemies. What Drop or Nostrum, can such Plagues remove, Or which must end me, a Fool's Wrath—or Love? (Act III.) M

The Critical Review, LIX (June, 1785), 460.

" This was the song hit beginning, " T o the Winds, to the Waves, to the Woods I complain," the only song to be reworked; a feature which caused unfavorable comment by those who were familiar with Beaumarchais, and missed the original airs. Here, Chérubin's romance of eight couplets (Act II, sc. 4) was freely condensed to five. 88 The illegitimate Figaro, stolen by gypsies and given the name of Emanuel, is mentioned, in English, as Fernando (Act I, sc. 4). Figaro is recognized by the spatule on his right arm; the distinguishing mark of his English brother is a lobster on his left arm (Act III, sc. 16). Chérubin overturns a chair while concealed in the closet; Hannibal makes more noise by overturning a table (Act II, sc. 12). The English Antonio's more colorful language refers to rubbish and a man in white stockings being tossed out of the window (Act II, sc. 2 1 ) . The adapter "improved" "Elle (la Comtesse) se respecte et mon honneur . . . où diable on l'a placé!" as "Honor in a Woman's possession like Ice Cream in the Mouth, melts away in a contest of Pleasure and Pain." (Act III, sc. 4.) A reference to Panurge's

183

Revivals and Importations

of French Comedies in

England

T h e above lines were not marked with inverted commas. F r o m what has been said with regard to wholesale curtailments, indicated for actual performance, it seems plausible to assume that Holcroft was thus paving the w a y , perhaps unconsciously, for his three-act afterpiece, which was produced at Drury Lane, N o v e m ber 7, 1789. T h e continued success of the abridgment 88 has been recorded by The Thespian

Magazine

for 1794: 9 0

The Follies of a Day receives additional praise every time it is performed. Mrs. Martyr was complimented with loud plaudits on her entrance, for her performance of the Page must still rank the first with any page we ever saw.—Miss Chapman was well dressed, and spoke, and looked the "Charming Countess," most admirably well.— W e before mentioned Mrs. Pope's skipping about too much in Susan, yet Mrs. Mattocks did not play the character with so much effect, for Susan should be represented as a lively person, by being concerned in several amours of the Count, Figaro, Page, and Countess.

sheep loses effectiveness in translation (Act IV, sc. 6). On the other hand, Holcroft makes good use of the esprit de situation

relative to Bazile's singing while

accompanied by the entire village: "Orpheus and the Brutes. But I'll make him change his tune." (Act IV, sc. 9.) Or again (Bartholo to Figaro), "Souvicns-toi qu'un homme sage ne se fait point d'affaires avec les grands" suggests "Remember Figaro, a wise Man has never any Contest with the Great; it is the Battle of Don Quijote with the Windmills." (Act V, sc. 2.) "It

omits Acts III and IV, thus removing: Guzman, Bartholo, Doublefec,

Bounce, Court Crier, Marcelina, and a servant. Chronological order of scenes is not strictly observed; all speeches have been greatly curtailed. Act I discards sc. 3 - 4 ; Act II does not contain the popular song-hit, omits sc. 1 1 , 22, 23, 25, and condenses sc. 5, 7 - 9 , 24, 26; Act III (an abridgment of Act V ) deletes sc. 3, 1 3 , 1 5 , 17, compresses sc. 2, 4—19, and drops two lines from Susan's final speech. A new line was given to Susan in the first Act: " N o , no; I won't sit down; I always faint best standing." This is mockingly repeated by Basil when the Page has been discovered. In Act II more action is indicated where the Count berates Antonio, seizes him, and flings him on the bed. M

The Thespian

Magazine,

III (June 5, 1 7 9 4 ) , 282.

184

New

Plays i y 80-1 y go

F r o m 1 7 8 9 to 1800 it w a s acted s e v e n t y - t w o times,® 1 a f a i r proof of the a v e r a g e playgoer's f o n d n e s s f o r farce of the slapstick v a r i ety, c o n d e m n e d b y O x b e r r y . 9 2 T h e g r a n d total of 108 p e r f o r m ances of The

Follies

of a Day

1 1 6 representations of La

Folle

c o m p a r e s not u n f a v o r a b l y 93

Journée.

with

Holcroft's longer ver-

sion w a s printed t w i c e in 1 7 8 5 ; the afterpiece w a s not issued, h o w e v e r , until 1 8 1 1 . L e T e x i e r i n c l u d e d B e a u m a r c h a i s ' s e p o c h m a k i n g c o m e d y 9 4 in the fourth v o l u m e of his Recueil

(Londres,

1785). M a r i v a u x , p e r h a p s the o n l y o r i g i n a l F r e n c h dramatist of the eighteenth c e n t u r y , admittedly

served J o s e p h A t k i n s o n

1 8 1 8 ) , an Irish a r m y captain, w i t h hints f o r a c o m e d y entitled The

Mutual

Deception,

five-act,

(1743intrigue

p r o d u c e d at S m o c k A l l e y

" A s follows: 1789 (six times), 1790 (eighteen), 1791 (ten), 1792 (four), 1793 (four), 1794 (four), 1795 (none), 1796 (eleven), 1797 (five), 1798 (seven), 1799 (three). This count has been made from contemporary periodicals. "Oxberry's 1822 edition (there is an earlier 1818 edition) approves of the curtailment of this monstrous, five-act farce, but feels that Holcroft's piece has received disproportionate praise. The business of Susan and Figaro is condemned as slapstick: "They are both very respectable proficients in the pantomimic department of their calling, giving and receiving slaps on the face with commendable dexterity; but in the higher qualities of wit and liveliness, they have no pretensions to vie for an instant with those masterpieces of the kind, which many of our English comedies present." The Page is considered the most natural character. The "vastly insipid" Countess "seems to remain chaste, solely for want of solicitation and opportunity to become otherwise," and the Count is dismissed as "a repulsive, heartless libertine, destitute of a single redeeming quality." M Cf. Gaiffe, Le Manage de Figaro ( 1 9 2 8 ) ; and Joannidès, La Comédie-Française de 1680 à 1900 ( 1 9 0 1 ) . Gaiffe lists m performances (1784-1790); Joannidès records five performances (1800). w "For the old order here seems dissolving in immorality, and the new order has insolently announced itself in this comedy, which is on the whole the most remarkable dramatic production of the century. It stands at the confluence of all genres, great and small, and is a résumé of the period, on both dramatic and the political sides." (Nitze and Dargan, A History of French Literature [New York, 1938], p. 431.) Holcroft's afterpiece was included in The London Stage (1824); The Acting Drama (1824), and reworked, 1873, as The School for Intrigue.

185

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England Theatre, Dublin, March 2, 1785. More specifically, Atkinson's Preface acknowledges borrowing the quadruple exchange of characters from Le Jeu de I'amour et dti hasard, but lays claim to originality in portraiture, novelty as to situations, and a subplot.85 Marivaux's simpler story96 is "improved" by satirical references to the grand tour, appeals to patriotic Britons, sentimental outpourings, and low comedy. As an example of the last element, we refer to the zest displayed by father and son in "torturing" the young couple; a situation calling for repeated asides (Act V ) : Old Meanwell (Orgon). How she humbles herself—(Aside). Young Meanwell (Mario). Yes, Father, to be exalted—(Aside). Old Meanwell. O the jade, how she tugs the line—(Aside). Young Meanwell. I hope she will not break it, and lose her prey. —(Aside). In Le Jeu de I'amour et du hasard, Lisette and Arlequin agree, after discovering each other's true identity, not to give their superiors any occasion to laugh at them (Act III, sc. 6). In The Mutual Deception, there is no such understanding between Letty and Skipwell. Here they are, minus French varnish, spontaneously natural: Letty. O, how my fine hopes are vanished! and have I married an impertinent audacious varlet—a lick plate—a frizzer of hair, and a brusher of black-ball—like a jack-daw drest in borrowed plumes. All (but Letty and Skipwell). Hah! hah! hah! " Innocence and beauty are saved f r o m the toils of treachery and seduction by the virtuous Captain Blenheim, while the villainous Sir H a r l y P a r a m o u r , disguised as a w o m a n , is " d i s c o v e r e d "

literally h a n g i n g f r o m M a d a m e

Bordell's

closet w i n d o w . A mysterious father, with honor righted and riches amassed in India, appears at the right time and recognizes in Blenheim an old f r i e n d upon w h o m he can safely bestow his plaintive daughter. ** Dorante appears as A m o r v e i l , an Irish army officer, w h o exchanges roles with his servant Skipwell ( A r l e q u i n ) . Sylvia becomes F l o r i n d a , disguises as her maid, a f t e r securing parental backing, a n d sees clearly into her heart in the f o u r t h act.

186

New Plays

ij8o-ij795» 132. 135. i35n-78, 136, i36n.8o, 139, 143, 144, i44n.io6, 147, 148, i68n.33, 173, 180, 181, i83n.87, 185, 193, 201, 201n.153.154, 202, 2ion.i9i, 2i2n.i,2, 219, 234, 246 . Beaumont, Francis, and John Fletcher ("Beaumont and Fletcher series"), 245 Beaunoir (Robineau, A. L. B., dit), 7, 2i2n.i, 2i4n.i5 Béclard, Léon, 223^48 Bedford, Duke of, 9 Behn, Mrs. Aphra, I7n.3, 254 Belasco, David, 28^35 Belden, Mary Megie, xii, 52n.i22, 75n.50, 77^58, 9in.io7, n6n.9,n Bell, John, 42^84, 57n.i40, Ô4n.3, 66n.n, 68n.i8, 7in.29, 72n.39, 79n.Ô9, 82n-77, 83n.82, 86n.9i, 92n.no.95n.il 6, i04n.J44,11 in. 170, I3in.65, I34n.73, 175^55 Bell, T., i44n.io7 Belloy (Pierre-Laurent Buyrette, dit Dormontde), 234, 234^78 Bencroft, 9 Benn, T. Vincent, 179^74 Berengaria of Navarre, Queen of England, I95n.i3i Berkeley, George Monck, 229^63

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England B e r n a r d i n de Saint-Pierre, Jacques H e n r i , 154n-139>

Brueys, D a v i d - A u g u s t i n d e , i 6 n . i , 44, 48, 4 8 n . i o 8 , 4 9 n . n 1 , H 4 n . i , 1 1 7 ,

241. 2 4 m . 1 0 3

1 1 7 0 . 1 3 , 1680.33, !99> 1 9 9 1 - 1 4 6 , 1 4 7 ,

B e r n b a u m , Ernest, x i , 2 8 n . 3 5 , 8 4 ^ 8 3 ,

200, 2000.148

117 Betterton, T h o m a s , 1 6 1 , 2 5 3

B r u o e t i è r e , F., x , 4 7 0 . 1 0 5 , i o i n . 1 3 7

B i c k e r s t a f f e , Isaac, 29, 52, 7 2 - 7 4 , 7 4 ^ 4 6 ,

B r u n s w i c k , D u k e o f , 95

7 5 , 7 5 > M 8 , 7 6 , T j n . 5 6 , 78, 7811.60,

B u l k e l e y , Mrs., i 8 8 n . i o o

7 9 , 7 9 n . 6 9 , 86, 86n.92, 1 0 4 - 1 0 5 , 1 3 9 -

B u r g o y n e , L i e u t e n a n t G e n e r a l John, 1 1 3 , 1 7 0 - 1 7 2 , 1 8 8 - 1 8 9 , 194. 1 9 5 . i97>

140, 2 1 3 , 2 i 3 n . i 1

I 9 7 n . i 3 9 , 206

B i l l i n g t o n , Mrs., 1 9 0 ^ 1 1 3 B l a n d , Mrs., 1 9 6 , 2 3 6 0 . 8 6

B u r k e , E d m u n d , 1 6 3 ^ 1 2 , 233

Blisset, 149, I 4 9 n . i 2 0

B u r n a b y , Charles, 45, 4 5 0 . 9 4

B o a d c n , James, xi, 6 6 n . i o , 1 3 6 , 1 3 6 0 . 8 2 ,

B u r o e y , D r . Charles, 96, 9 6 0 . 1 2 0 , 97, 132^67, i6jn.i2

1 6 3 , 182, i 8 2 n . 8 o , 19211.122,

Byron, George Gordon, Lord, 2i8n.27

I 9 5 n . i 3 4 , i 9 6 n . i 3 6 , 208, 2 o 8 n . i 8 o , 2 2 7 n . 6 i , 23on.66

Cabanel, 2310.69

Boccaccio, G i o v a n n i , i 7 n . 2 B o n n o r , C h a r l e s , 1 7 8 , 1 7 8 n . 6 9 . 7 1 , 181

C a i l l o t , Joseph, 108, 1380.88

Booth, iQon.113

C a i l l o u ë , Jacques, 1 9 9 0 . 1 4 6

Bossuet, Jacques-Bénigne, 4 8 n . i o 8

C a l a s , 1380.88

B o u c h e r , François, 2

C a l d e r ô o d e la Barca, P e d r o , 440.92

Boursault, E d m o n d , i 6 n . i , 33, 44, 49,

Campbell, Thomas, William Gifford,

49n.i 12,114, 8in.73, H 4 n . i , 255

_

L e i g h H u o t , etc., 7 1 0 . 3 0

B o w y e r , John W . , I 7 n . 3

C a o f i e l d , D o r o t h e a F r a o c e s , see Fisher

B r a c e g i r d l e , Mrs., 43

C a r e y , G e o r g e S., 1 1 2

B r a d s h a w , Mrs., 79

C a r l i o ( C a r l o B e r t i n a z z i , dit),

Brand, Hannah, 239-241

C a r m o n t e l l e ( L o u i s C a r r o g i s , dit),

B r a y l e y , E d w a r d , 9, 9 n . 1 1

I57n.i48

B r a z i e r , N i c o l a s , 3, 3n-5, 126, 1 2 6 ^ 4 6 ,

C a r y l , John, 164, 1 6 4 ^ 1 5

i74n.53

C a s k e y , John H o m e r , 4 7 0 . 1 0 5 , 5 8 0 . 1 4 1

Brenner, Clarence D., x, 1 9 9 ^ 1 4 6 ,

C a t h e r i n e II, 2

225n-52, 2 3 4 ^ 7 8

C a d e y , A n n e , 124

, and Nolan A . Goodyear (ed.), x,

C e n t l i v r e , Mrs. S u s a o n a h , 1 7 , I 7 n . 3 , 18,

225n.52

i 8 n . 6 , 190.9, 39, 45, 4 5 0 . 9 4 ,

Brent, Charlotte, 86n.9i

1 5 6 0 . 1 4 4 , 166, 1 6 7

Brewster, Dorothy, ; i n . 1 1 7

Charnier, A o t h o o y , 400.78

B r i d g w a t e r , 21

C h a o d l e r , F r a n k W . , xii

Brocklesby, D r . Richard, 75n.50

C h a p m a n , Miss, 184, 2 i 6 n . 2 2

B r o o k e , Frances, 1 1 3 0 . 1 7 7 , 1 7 6 , 1 7 6 n . 6 i ,

C h a p o n n i è r e , Paul, 2 o 8 n . i 8 i

i77n.64

55n.i3i

C h a r l a n n e , Louis, xi

B r o o k s , Mrs., 2 i 0 n . i 9 0

C h a r l e s II, 1

B r o w n , Miss, 1220.33

Chartres, D u k e and D u c h e s s o f , 1 7 9 0 . 7 4

B r o w n , Mrs., 690.24

Chartres, Duchcss of, 1730.46

B r o w n e , Sir W i l l i a m , 7 5 0 . 5 0

C h a u l n e , Duchesse de, 2 2 5 ^ 5 2

Bruce, H a r o l d L a w t o n , xi, 5 1 0 . 1 1 7 ,

Cherubini, Maria Luigi C a r l o Zenobio

5 8 0 . 1 4 1 , 87, 88n.94,95,96, 890.98, 100, l o o n . 1 3 1 , 1 3 2 , 14111.96

Salvatore, 2300.66,67 C h u r c h i l l , C h a r l e s , 84, 99

298

Index Cibber, Colley, 10, 12, 2211.20, 23, 28, 2811.35, 29, 290.36, 30, 3011.41,43, 3 1 , 3111.47, 32,45, 4511.94, 73, 78, 7811.60, 79, 7911.69, 8111.73, 109, 12811.52, 167, 17711.65, 20911.187, 214, 253, 254 Cibber, Susannah-Maria, 12, 5 1 , 52n.i20, 72. 73 Cibber, Theophilus, 3in-45, 79 Clairon (Claire-Joseph Leris, dile), Mile, 4 Cleland, John, 55, 550.130 Clinton, Sir Henry, 145 Clive, Mrs. Catherine ("Kitty"), 12, 19, 23, 320.49, 33n.51.53, 37, 38, 38n.69, 50, 570.139, 59, 740.47, 80, 8in.72, 93n.i 12, 1 1 0 , 1 1 on. 164, 249 Cobb, James, 1 5 3 - 1 5 4 , 154n.139.140, 24m.103 Cocchi, Gioacchino, 730.40 Coke, Sir Edward, 2 7 ^ 3 0 Colby, Elbridge, xi, 1790.72, 180, 22211.42 Colle, Charles, xi, 3, 56n.i35, 580.143, I35n.78, 1380.88, 1560.145, 2030.163, 240 Collet, 58n.i42 Collier, Sir George, 145, 1 4 5 0 . 1 1 2 Collins, Arthur (author of the Peerage), 126 Collins, Joho (actor), 270.33 Colmao, George, the Elder, 9, 10, 1 1 , 14, 400.78, 62, 64, 93, 98-99, 99n.i30, 1 0 0 - 1 0 1 , 1 1 1 , n i n . 1 7 1 , 114, 120, 1200.27, < 2I > 1220.29, 124, 132, 1 3 5 , 1 4 6 - 1 4 9 , 1 5 9 0 . 1 5 6 , 1 7 4 0 . 5 0 , 175. ! 7 5 n - 5 5 > 1 8 7 - 1 8 8 , 2 1 9 , 229, 2 3 3 ,

234 Colman, George, the Younger, 10, 9811.129, 124, 1 4 1 , 149, igon.114, 212, 2150.16, 227, 233, 2330.76, 2 3 4 237. 2370.87, 242 Colmans (The), 2330.75, 248 Columbus, Christopher, 2270.61 Coogreve, William, x, I7n.3, 3511.60, 740.46, 88, 1 4 6 0 . 1 1 5 , I77n.65, 2 1 7 , 225n.52, 245, 250, 252 Contat, Mile, 4, 2070.179 Conti, Prince de, 450.97

Conway, Field Marshal The Rt. Hon. Henry Seymour, 203, 205-206 Cook, Edward Dutton, 2 1 5 0 . 1 6 Cook, James, 550.133 Cooke, William, 890.99 Cordier, Heori, 1090.163 Cork, Lady, 192 Coroeille, Pierre, 280.35, 44 n -92, 630.1, 67, 670.15, 68n.i9, 840.83, 1230.35, 139, 144, 2390.98 Coroeille, Thomas, 160.1, 280.35, 44, 440.92, 45, i i 4 n . i , 2 i 2 n . i , 2 1 4 0 . 1 3 , 254

Cowley, Mrs. Haonah, 12, 1 6 3 - 1 6 4 , 1640.14,15 Craoe, R. S., and F. B. Kaye, xii Craven, Lady Elizabeth, Margravine of Aospach, 1 5 1 , 1 6 2 - 1 6 3 , 214, 2140.14 Cremonini, Signora, 103 Crespigny, Mrs., 1550.143 Crewe, Mrs., 169 Croissant, DeWitt C., 280.35 Cross, James C., 223, 2230.47, 2270.61, 232 Cross, Wilbur L., 190.7, 1030.139 Crouch, Mrs., 2360.86 Crowne, John, 300.41, 1640.16, 166, 251» 253 Cru, R. Loyalty, 1 0 1 0 . 1 3 7 Cumberlaod, Richard, 270.32, 820.77, 1 1 7 , H7n.i6, 1 1 8 , 1460.116, 1980.142, 207, 2090.185, 2 1 7 , 2310.70, 2410.103 Curll, Edmuod, 310.47 D'Alarac (or Dalarac), Nicolas, 2290.63 Dalton, Jaoe, 2410.103 Dampierre, Marquis de, 1790.74 Daocourt, Floreot, 2, i 6 n . i , 33, 40, 400.77, 41, 410.79, 42, 420.85, 43, 430.86,87, 44, 800.70, 85, 860.92, 90, 900.106, 91, 9 2 n . n o , 9 3 0 . 1 1 3 , 1 1 4 0 . 1 , 1 1 6 , 1230.35, 144, 150, 1500.124, 2 1 2 0 . 1 , 2130.8, 246 Daogeville, Marie-Aone Botot, 900.102, 2400.100 Daote Alighieri, 1060.152 Dargao, E. Prestoo, see Nitze

299

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England Davenant, Sir William, 255 Davies (actor, from Norwich), 14111.95, i 8 i ( ? ) , 21311.7 Davies, Mrs. (actress, from Norwich), 6411.3 Davies, Thomas, 1 , i n . i Dazincourt, 4 De Beiloy, see Beiloy De Boissy, Louis, 5 1 1 1 . 1 1 6 , 52, 5211.121, 53, 16811.33, 202, 20211.158, 205, 206 De Bonnerville, 180, 182, 23811.91 De Bosse, 211.3 Debrett, 18911.112 De Brosse, N., 17411.53 De Camp, Master, 20011.150 De Camp, Miss, 23611.86 Deffand, Madame du, 1 5 m . 130 De Florian, see Florian Dejaure, J. E. B., 2i2n.2, 228, 230, 230n.67.68 De Launay, 2i2n.2, 233, 2 3 8 ^ 9 2 Delisle (Louis-François Delislc de la Drevetière), 5 m . 1 1 6 , 5 5 n . 1 3 1 . 1 3 3 , 56 Dell, Henry, 253, 254 Della Maria, Domenico, 243, 2 4 3 ^ 1 0 7 De Loutherbourg, M., I22n.29, 135, 139, >45.249 Delphini, Carlo, 1 3 4 ^ 7 3 Denis, Charles, 84^84, 2 3 4 ^ 7 8 Dent, Edward J., 1 3 2 ^ 6 7 Derby, Countess of, see Farren Derby, Earl of, 1 8 9 ^ 1 0 9 , 203 Desboulmiers, J. A. J., I32n.66, 1 5 0 ^ 1 2 4 Des Essarts, N . T . L., 4n.6 Desfontaines (Pierre-François Guyot?), 152^133 Destouches, Philippe Néricault, 58,65n.8, 8on.70, 8 1 , 8in.73, 85, 8 5 ^ 9 0 , 86, 86n.92, 93, 94, 99, 103, i n , I23n.35, 1 3 5 . 139. M i . 142. i42n-99, 144. 145. I 4 5 n . i i 3 , I 4 6 n . i i 5 , 168, 168n.33.34, 174, 205, 2 o 8 n . i 8 i , 209, 209n.i87, 2 i 2 n . i , 2 , 2 1 4 , 2 i 4 n . i 2 , 220, 2 2 1 , 224, 225, 2 2 5 ^ 5 2 , 227, 233, 239, 246 Devienne, François, 2 1 3 ^ 4 Devonshire, Duchess of, 168

Dibdin, Charles, 14, I4n.20, 27n.32, 57n.i37, 64n.3, 66n.io, 72n.37, 83n.8i, 9 2 n . n o , 95n.n6, 96, 97n.i2i, 105, I05n.i47, 107^154, non.168, 118-119, 1190.21,25, I28n.55, 132-134, 1340.73, 135, 137, i37n.86, 138, 139, i39n.90, i4on.93, i5on.i27, 152, I52n.i33, 153, I54n.i38, 158, 1580.155, 162, 169170, 170^39, 171, 174-175, 191, 2i6n.2i, 233 Dibdin, E. Rimbault, 1 5 2 ^ 1 3 2 Dickens, Charles, 1 8 9 ^ 1 0 7 Dicks, John, 1 7 7 ^ 6 3 Diderot, Denis, 8on.7o, 94, i o i , ioin.137, 102, I09n.i63, m , 1 1 3 , 123, I23n.35, 1 2 5 , I29n.58, i38n.88, 156, 159, I59n.i57, 168, i68n.33, 1 7 1 , 172, 187, 188, i88n.io3, 207n.i79, 219, 223n.48 Dixon, 47n.i05 Dobree, Bonamy, x, 33n.50, 43n.88, 74 n -46 Dobson, Austin, 2 1 9 ^ 3 1 Dodd, James Solas, 42n.82, 74n.47, 126, 126n.45, 155, I55n.i42, 2 1 3 , 2i3n.9, 242, 242n.i04 Dodsley, Robert, i65n.i8 Dominique (Biancolelli, Pierre François,

dit), 55n.i3i, 6on.i48 Doran, Dr. John, i o 6 n . i 5 3 , I 4 7 n . i i 7 , i49n.i 18, 2o6n.i75 D'Orneval (or Dorneval), 47n.io5, 12711.51 Dorvigny (Louis-François Archambault), 7, i68n.33, 174, 1 7 4 ^ 5 3 Doyen, 3 Draper, John W., 139, i39n.9i Dryden, John, x, I7n.2, 35n.6o, 36, 36n.61,63, 8in.73, 135, 162, 2i3n.7, 250, 2 5 1 , 252, 253, 254, 255 Du Bled, Victor, 3n.4 Dubois, Abbé, 8in.73 Dufïet, Thomas, 227n.6i Dufresny, Charles-Rivière, 2, 5 m . 1 1 6 , 60, 6on.i48, 61 Dugazon, Mlle, 2 0 7 ^ 1 7 9

3OO

Index Dumaniant (Bourlin or Bourlain, Antoine-Jean), 8, 16811.33, 1 9 3 , 197, 197II.I4O, 198, I981I.I4S, 2I2I1.2, 220, 223,232 Dumesnil, Mile, 2 Dumouriez, General Charles-François, I98n.i45 Duni, Egidio Romulado, 1 1 2 , 1 3 4 , 176 Dunlap, William, 89n.98, 2 i 4 n . i 5 Dunlop, Thomas, I98n.i45 Duval, Alexandre Vincent Pineux, I 5 4 n . i 3 9 , 2 i 2 n . 2 , 243, 243n.io6 Duviquct, 8on.7i Dyer, 33n.53, 1 2 8 ^ 5 5 Edwards, Miss, 7 6 ^ 5 4 Edwin, John, 149, I49n.i20, i66n.20, 18m.77, i 9 o n . i i 3 , I93n.i24 Elliot, Sir George, 1 9 6 ^ 1 3 5 Elliott, Miss, 7 1 , 83n.82 Elton, Oliver, 1 i o n . 1 6 7 Estcourt, Richard, 4 2 ^ 8 5 Ethercge, Sir George, 2 9 ^ 3 7 , 250, 252, 253

Fawcett, John, 2 i 6 n . 2 2 , 244 Fenwick, John, 2 3 9 ^ 9 6 Fielding, Henry, xi, 1 0 , ign.7,8, 20, 2on.i2, 2 i , 21n.16.17, 22n.18.20, 2 3 25, 2 7 ^ 3 2 , 3 7 - 3 8 , 38n.Ô9, 58, 1 0 7 , i o 8 n . i 6 o , 166, 2 1 2 Fillette-Loraux (Claude-François Fillette, dit Loraux), 2 i 2 n . 2 , 228, 230, 230n.67.68, 2 3 i n . 7 0 Fisher, Dorothea Frances (Canfield), 28n.35, 84n.83, I 4 4 n . i 0 7 , 239n.98 Fisher, Dr. John Abraham, 1 2 2 Fitzgerald, Lord Henry, 203 Fitzgerald, Percy, 251 Fitzwilliam (William Wentworth, 2d Earl Fitzwilliam), 168 Flecknoe, Richard, 253 Fletcher, John, 45, 1 3 5 , 245 Flcury, A. J. B., 4, i8on.75 Florian, Jean-Pierre Claris de, i68n.33, 202, 204, 2 0 4 ^ 1 6 7 , 2 0 5 n . i 6 8 , 2 i 2 n . 2 , 22

5

Font, Auguste, i32n.66 Fontenelle, Bernard le Bovier de, 8on.70,

Fagan (Barthélémy-Christophe Fagan de Ligny), 5 i n . n 6 , 56, 5611.135, 58, 8on.7o, 8 1 , 82, 83, 1 2 3 , I23n.35, 1 2 5 , 12511.41 Falbaire (Charles-Georges Fenouillot de Falbaire de Quingey), I23n.35, 1 3 7 , 138, I38n.88 Farquhar, George, 1 2 , 45, 4 5 ^ 9 8 , 46, 4Ôn.99, 66-67, ' 6 7 , I77n.65, 2 5 1 Farrel, Mrs., 1 5 3 Farren, Elizabeth (later known as the Countess of Derby), 148, I49n.i20, i88n.ioo, 206, 207, 207n.i79, 249 Fatouville, Nolantde, 5, i68n.33, 2 1 0 , 2ion.i9i, 2xi Favart, Charles-Simon, xi, 1 , 2, 6, 8on.7o, 84, 87, 89, 8 9 n . i o o . i o i , 90, 90n.i04, 94, 1 0 3 , 106, 1 1 1 , 1 1 2 , 1 1 3 , n ^ n . i , 1 1 8 , i23n-35, 1 3 2 , 134, I34n.74, 1 3 5 , 1 3 9 , Mon.93, i 5 o n . i 2 7 , 152, 1 5 3 , i68n.33, i 7 6 n . 6 i , 246, 255 Favart, Madame, 1 5 4 ^ 1 3 7 3OI

83 Foote, Horace, 9 n . 1 1 Foote, Samuel, 10, 40, 52, ; 2 n . i 2 2 , 5 3 54, 67-68, 68n.i9, 69, 7 5 - 7 6 , 76n.54, 77, 77n.55.58,59» 84-85, 85n.87.88, 90, 92, 94, 99, 1 1 6 - 1 1 7 , 1 3 1 , 1 3 6 ^ 7 9 , 1 4 1 , 166, i68n.34, 2 1 3 , 233, 248, 249 Forde, Brownlow, 2 1 4 ^ 1 3 , 254 Fournel, Victor, 49n.i 14 Fox, Lady Mary, 1 3 0 Framéry, Nicolas Etienne, i 7 o n . 3 9 , 1771-64 Francklin, Dr. Thomas, 1 4 1 , 1 4 m . 9 8 , 142, i 4 2 n . i o i , 227 Fréron, Louis, xi, 48n.io8, 5 6 n . i 3 5 , 58n.i43, I38n.88, 1 5 6 , I 9 7 n . i 4 0 , 20in.i53, 2o8n.i8i Friedel, 2 3 8 ^ 9 1 Furetière, Antoine, 45n.97, 7 4 ^ 4 6 Fuzelier, Louis, 4 7 n . i o 5 Gagey, Edmond McAdoo, I9n.8, 66n.i2 Gaiffe, Félix, x, 6n.9, I 3 5 n . 7 8 , i8on.75, i85n.93, 223n.48

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England Galuppi, Baldassare (Buranello), 73 Gardner, Mrs., 92 Garrick, David, xi, 8, 12, 1311.13, 14, 3311.51, 34, 36, 40, 4011.78, 41, 4111.79, 42, 46, 4611.101, 49, 4 9 n . n 1 , 51, 5 6 57. 57 n ->39. 58, 591-145» 68, 70, 70n.27.28, 71, 73, 75n-50, 7 8 n . 6 i , 83, 93. 9 4 - 9 5 . 9 5 n l I 5 . 98, 100, 102, 1030.139, 109, 110, m n . 1 7 1 , 115, 120, 125, i28n.52, 132, 134, I34n.74, 135, T38n.88, 157, i 6 3 n . i 2 , 164, 217, 225, 248, 249 Garrick, Mrs., 950.117, 196 Gaussin, Mlle, 2, 5711.139 Gay, John, 72 Geoest, Abbé Charles-Claude, 2 Genest, John, xi, i8n.5, 270.31,32,33, 3 3 n . 5 i , 42n.8i, 440.89, 4911.113, 54, 5 4 n . i 2 7 , 55n.i29, 57n.i37, 6 i n . i 5 0 , 6 3 n . i , 64n.3,65,65n.6, 66n-9, 67n.i4, 69n.24, 7on.25, 7 i n . 2 9 , 790.64,69, 8 i n . 7 2 , 90n.i05, 9 2 n . n o , 940.114, 106, 106n.148.151, I 0 9 n . i 6 i , non.168, ii5n.8, n 6 n . i 2 , 118n.18.19, 120, i2on.26, 122n.29.33, I28n.55, 131, i 3 i n . 6 4 , 133, 1 3 6 ^ 7 9 , 139, I40n.93, 1460.116, 153, I 5 6 n . i 4 4 , i 6 4 n . i 5 , i 6 5 n . i 8 , 166, 166n.21.23, 167, 167n.29.31, 170, i 7 o n . 4 i , 173, i73n.49, i 8 i n . 7 8 , i 8 2 n . 8 i , 189, i 8 9 n . i o 8 , i 10, I 9 3 n . i 2 7 , 1970.139, I 9 8 n . i 4 4 , 209n.i85, 2 i 8 n . 2 6 , 2190.33, 222n.39, 227, 227n.58,6o,6i, 2370.90, 2390.96,97, 241, 24 m . 101, 2440.110, 246, 2460.2 Geolis, Madame la Comtesse de, 168, i68n.33, 173, 173n.46.49, i79n.74, 205, 216, 2290.63 George I, 29 Gessner, Salomon, 2040.167 Gherardi, Evaristo, 2100.191 Gibbon, Edward, 400.78, 136, 233 Gibert, Paul-César, 139 Gifford, William, 710.30, 164, 2 i 5 n . i 6 Gillet, J. E., xi, 290.37, 253 Gillier, Jean-Claude, 93, 155 Giordani, Tomaso, 103 Glenn, S. F.., 1911.7

Gluck, Christophe Willibald, 2010.153 Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 24, 2180.27, 238, 2380.91, 239 Goldoni, Carlo, 90, n o n . 1 6 5 , 1230.35, 144, 1440.109, 156, 1580.152,154, i 6 i n . i , 163, 2120.1, 2130.4 Goldsmith, Oliver, xi, 48n.io9, 490.1 h , 75n.50, 104, I 0 4 n . i 4 4 , 117, 117n.13.15, 131, i 3 i n . 6 5 , 132, 1360.83, 137, 1630.12, 2080.181 Goodall, Mrs., 2130.7,11 Goodyear, Nolao A., x, 550.131, 2 2 5 ^ 5 2 Goodwin, Gordoo, 1550.142 Gossec, Fraoçois Joseph, 127 Graonis, Valleria Belt, 2020.155 Gray, Charles Harold, xii Green, F. C., xii Greenwood, 2 3 1 ^ 6 9 , 235 Gresset, Jean Baptiste Louis, 2, 2 i 2 n . 2 , 225, 2250.52, 226 Grétry, Aodré Eroest Modeste, 6, 123, I23n_35, 132, 138, I39n.90, 1 4 4 n . n o , 145, 171,194,195, 2070.179, 232, 235 Greville, Mrs., 95, 1150.8, 169 Grieve, Mrs., 1160.11 Griffith, Mrs. Elizabeth, 102, 109, m , 143, 1440.106, 157, 1570.148 G r i m m , Frédéric-Mclchior, xi, 580.143, 1080.159, 1230.36, 1270.48, 1380.88, 1560.145, 1800.75, 2030.163 Grove, Sir George, 1230.36 Günther, Ladilas, 1 2 9 ^ 5 8 , 1320.66, 1 3 7 ^ 8 4 , I 5 2 n . i 3 3 , 1530.134 Hamiltoo, Aotooy, Count of, 2010.153 Hamilton, Mrs.. 3 i n - 4 5 Hankiss, Jean, 810.74, 9311.112,113 Harper, Miss, 162 Harris, Thomas, 9, 99, 120, 152, 1590.156, 1780.69, 180 Harvey-Jellie, W., 170.2 Haseldeo, Capt. R. B., xn.i Hauteroche, Noël Lebreton, sieur de, i 6 n . i , 44, 46, 46n.100.101 Havard, William, 370.65, i o o n . 1 3 4 Hawkesworth, Joho, 36, 360.62, 37, 2130.7

302

Index Hazlitt, William, xi, 1811.4, 78, 1 7 7 , 17711.66, 17911.74, 180, 1 8 1 , 18211.79, 2 2 2 , 22211.41 Heartwcll, Henry, 2 4 2 - 2 4 3 Hedgcock, Frank A . , xi, 5n.8, 1 2 , I 2 n . i 2 , 4on.78, 9 5 n . i i 7 , 1 0 2 , I03n.i39, io7n.i54 H e n r y , E d w a r d A . , xiii H e n r y , J., I 3 3 n . 6 8 , 2230.48 Hervey, Lady Mary, 95, 1 3 0 Hculhard, Arthur, 5n.8 Hiflcrnan, Dr. Paul, 106 Hill, Aaron, 5 1 Hoadly (or H o a d l e y ) , Dr. Benjamin, 216 Hoare, Prince, 2 2 8 - 2 2 9 , 2 2 9 0 . 6 2 , 232 Hobart, H o n . Mrs., 2 2 5 Hobohm, Maximilian, 450.94 Hodges, Miss, 1 5 6 Hodgkinson, John, 1400.94 Hogarth, William, 5 2 Holbrook, Richard, 1 9 9 0 . 1 4 6 Holcroft, Thomas, 1 1 7 0 . 1 6 , i 6 6 n . 2 o , 1 7 3 , i73 n -49> 1 7 4 . i 7 4 n . 5 0 , 1 7 9 . 1790.74, 1 8 0 - 1 8 1 , 1810.77,78, 182, 1820.82,84,85, 1 8 3 , 1 8 3 0 . 8 8 , 1 8 4 1 8 5 , 1850.92,94, 2 1 4 , 2 1 5 , 2 2 0 , 2 2 1 222, 2 2 2 ^ 3 7 , 4 2 , 238, 2 3 8 n . 9 i , 9 3 , 239, 248 Holland, Charles (actor), 7 4 0 . 4 7 Holland, Henry (builder), 8, 9 Hook, James, i 9 o n . U 3 Hopkins, Mrs., 1 0 0 0 . 1 3 4 Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) , 1 1 9 , i76n.6o Hull, Thomas, 65n.8, 6 9 ^ 2 4 , 7 2 , 9 3 - 9 4 , 104, 1 2 2 H u m e , David, 95, 9 5 n . i i 7 Hunt, Leigh, 7 i n - 3 0 Huse, William, 5 5 0 . 1 3 3 Iacuzzi, Alfred, xi, 1 , 8 9 0 . 1 0 0 , 9 0 0 . 1 0 3 , 1030.140, H 2 n . i 7 5 , 1320.66, 134, '34 n -74> I 3 5 n . 7 6 . 7 7 , 1 4 0 1 - 9 2 , i5on.i27, 1 5 4 0 . 1 3 7 , i76n.6o, 255 Inchbald, Mrs. Elizabeth, I 7 n . 3 , 6 4 ^ 3 , 72, 830.82, 9 3 0 . 1 1 2 , 1 4 6 0 . 1 1 6 , 1 9 0 , 1 9 1 - 1 9 3 , 1 9 7 - 1 9 8 , 199, 2 0 0 0 . 1 5 1 ,

2 0 5 , 209, 2 0 9 0 . 1 8 5 , 1 8 7 , 2 i 6 n . 2 i , 2 2 3 , 2230.48, 224n.;o, 225-226, 2270.57, 2310.70, 232 Inchbald, Joseph, 1 9 1 , 1 9 2 Jackson, John, 1 4 9 0 . 1 2 0 Jackson, Mrs., 1 5 5 Jackson, William, 1 7 1 James, Charles, 2 0 1 - 2 0 2 Jefferson, Joseph, 1 3 0 , 1 4 1 0 . 9 5 Jenoer, Charles, 1 2 5 - 1 2 6 , 1 7 2 , 1 7 2 0 . 4 5 , 1880.104 Jephson, Robert, 1 4 4 , 1 6 3 , 1 6 3 0 . 1 2 , 2 1 2 , 2131-4 Jerrold, Walter and Clare, i 7 n . 3 , i 8 n . 5 Jewell, Mrs., 1 2 7 Joannides, A . , 4 9 0 . 1 1 4 , 1 3 5 ^ 7 8 , I 4 9 n . i 2 i , i5on.i25, 1850.93, 2000.149, 2250.52 Johosoo, Charles, 86, 860.92 Johnson, D r . Samuel, 36, 1 6 3 0 . 1 2 , 2 3 3 , 249 Johnson, W . S., i 7 n . 2 Johnstone (actor), 244 Johnstone, James (machinist), 2 3 1 0 . 6 9 , 235 Jones, i 8 i n . 7 7 Jonson, B e o , 1 3 0 . 1 3 , 16, I 7 n . 2 , 88, 1 2 0 , 1770.65 Jordan, Mrs., 1 2 , 3 9 0 . 7 2 , 70, 7 1 , 1400.94, 1 9 6 , 1 9 6 0 . 1 3 5 , 2 0 7 n . i 7 9 , 2 1 3 n . 1 1 , 2 1 4 , 2 1 5 , 249 Joughin, G . Louis, xii, I 9 2 n . i 2 2 , 2 0 5 n . i 7 i , 2240.50 Jullieo, Adolphe, 1 5 1 0 . 1 2 9 Katterfelto, Gustavus, 1 7 5 , 1 7 5 0 . 5 6 Kellie, T h o m a s Erskine, Earl of, 2 3 3 Kelly, H u g h , 7 5 0 . 5 0 , 1 1 7 0 . 1 6 , 1 3 6 , 1360.83, 1 9 0 0 . 1 1 3 , 2 0 7 Kelly, Joho, 9 3 0 . 1 1 2 , 2 0 9 0 . 1 8 7 Kelly, Michael (actor, vocalist, composer), 2 3 3 , 2 3 5 , 2360.86 Kemble, Charles, 1 3 3 0 . 6 8 , 2230.48 Kemble, J o h o Philip, 8, 9, 1 2 , 47, 7 5 , 140, 1 4 1 , 1 6 7 , 1 9 6 , 2 1 3 , 2 1 3 0 . 1 1 , 2 3 0 , 2300.68, 2 3 i n . 6 9 , 249 Kemble, Mrs., 2 i o n . 190

303

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England K e n r i c k , W i l l i a m , 12111.28

Lee, Sophia, 113, 159, 1 5 9 ^ 1 5 6 ,

K i n g , T h o m a s , 8, 1 2 , 4 3 , 5 9 1 1 . 1 4 5 , 6611.9,

i88n.i04

6 9 1 1 . 2 4 , 7 0 , 7411.47, 7 8 , 7 9 , 8 1 , 8311.82,

Leeds, D u k e of, 215

9 3 n . i i 2 , i o o n . 1 3 4 , 105, 106,

Le Grand, M. A., 1 7 4 ^ 5 3

10611.153,

I20> I2I

> 12211.29, 13011.61,

L e K a i n ( H e n r i - L o u i s C a i n , dit),

3, 4

1 4 1 1 1 . 9 5 , 1 5 7 1 1 . 1 4 6 , 1 6 6 , 16611.24,

L e m a î t r e , Jules, 40, 4 9 ^ 7 7 , 2 2 5 n . 5 2

I75n-55.

Lemierre, Antoine,

2 1 3 1 1 . 7 , 22711.60, 2 4 9

K i n g , Mrs., i 2 2 n . 2 9

155^143

Lenient, C . , xi, 4 7 ^ 1 0 5 ,

Kirgate, T., 1 5 m . 129

i32n.66,

I33n.68, 204n.i67

K n e l l e r , Sir G o d f r e y ( G o t t f r i e d K n i l l e r ) , 21

L e n n o x , Charlotte, 188 L e S a g e , A l a i n - R e n é , 5, i 6 n . i , 44, 4 7 ,

Knight (actor), 2 i 3 n . i o

4 7 n . i 0 5 , 4 8 n . i o 6 , 6 3 n . i , 7 5 , 75n.49,

K n i g h t , Joseph, 6 9 n . 2 i , 8 9 ^ 9 9 ,

8on.70, 86n.92, 94, 95, 9 5 n . i 15, 1 0 9 ^ 1 6 3 , i27n.5i, i é i n . i , 167,

io6n.i53, I28n.52 Kotzebue, A u g u s t Friedrich Ferdinand

227n.6i

von, 212, 2 i 9 n . 2 9 , 2 2 7 n . 6 i , 246

L e T e x i e r , x, 4 8 n . i o 8 , 8 o n . 7 i ,

Sgn.ioi,

Kreutzer, Rodolphe, 230n.66.67

9 5 n . i i 5 , I 5 7 n . i 4 8 , 158, 1 5 8 ^ 1 5 4 ,

L a B r u y è r e , Jean d e , 1 0 4 , 1 0 4 ^ 1 4 5 , 1 0 5

200n.i5i, 204n.i67, 2140.15,

I74n-53>

2 2 3 ^ 4 8 , 237, 243, 2 4 3 n . i o 8

L a C h a p p e l l e , Jean d e , i 6 n . i , 44, 4 5 ,

L e w e s (later c h a n g e d to L e w i s ) , C h a r l e s

45n.97, 6 3 n . i , 66, 6 7 ^ 1 3 , i 6 i n . i , 167

Lec, i28n.55, 146n.11;,

L a C h a u s s é e , N i v e l l e d e , 2, 6 3 , 6311.x,

Lewis, Matthew Gregory ( " M o n k " ) ,

L a c y , James, 8, 4 9

218, 2i8n.27, 219

Lacy, John, I9n.9

Lillebourne, de, 130

L a F o n t , Joseph d e , 1 2 3 ^ 3 5 , i 2 6 n . 4 5 ,

Linley, T h o m a s , 119, 145, 1 4 5 ^ 1 1 2 ,

1 2 7 , i 2 7 n . 5 i , 128, 152, 1 5 5 , i 7 o n . 3 9 ,

169, 195

2 i 2 n . i , 2 , 2 i 3 n . 9 , i o , 242

Lintilhac, E u g è n e , xi, 3n.4, 4 7 ^ 1 0 5 ,

L a F o n t a i n e , Jean d e , 1 2 6 , 1 3 7 ^ 8 4 , 53n

l 34>

167^31,

i 8 i n . 7 7 , 209

6 4 ^ 3 , 85, 2 o 8 n . i 8 i

I

1 8 5 , I 9 7 n - I 4 ° ) 1 9 9 . 200,

I 0 9 n . i 6 3 , 209, 2 0 9 n . i 8 6

2 1 5 . 232, 251

L i t t l e w o o d , S. R . , I 9 2 n . i 2 i

L a Harpe, Jean-François de, x, xi, 38n.70, 39n.75, 48n.io8, 5 5 ^ 1 3 2 ,

L i v i n g s t o n , A r t h u r , x i i , xiii

58n.i43, 9Ôn.ii9, io8n.i59, 141,

I . l o y d , R o b e r t , 8 3 - 8 4 , 8 4 ^ 8 4 , 90, 9 9 , 103. 255

1 5 m . 130, i 8 o n . 7 5 , 2 0 i n . i 5 3 , 203n.i63,204n.i67,225n.52, 232^72,

Loménie, Louis de, m n . 1 6 9 ,

Langbaine, Gerard, 251

Loliée, Frédéric, i o i n . 1 3 7

Lanson, Gustave, x

L o p e d e V e g a , see V e g a C a r p i o

L a r i v e y , Pierre de, 24n.23, 3 8 ^ 7 0

Louis X I V , 6on.i48

L a r p e n t , John, x , 11

L o v e , Mrs., i 2 2 n . 2 g L u l l y ( o r L u l l i ) , Jean B a p t i s t e , 4

Larroumet, Gustave, xi L a u g h t o n , John K n o x ,

135^78,

i8on.75

235n.82

198^145

L a w r e n c e , Sir T h o m a s , I 9 2 n . i 2 2

L y n c h , Kathleen, 253 Lytdeton, Lord George, 27n.30, 2 i 5 n . i 6

L e c o m t e , L . H e n r y , 4, 4 n . 7 Lccouvreur, Adriennc, 4

M a b b e , James, 2 2 7 n . 6 t

Lee, G . A., 1 4 0 ^ 9 4

Macklin, Charles, 2 7 ^ 3 3 , 32n.49, 3 3 n - 5 3 > 87, 88, 8 8 n . 9 7 , 8 9 n . 9 9

Lee, John, 34, 6 8 - 6 9 , 6 9 ^ 2 1 , 2 2 , 2 4 , 70, 7on.27, 159, 254

M a c k l i n , M r s . , 37

304

Index M a c k l i n , Maria, 5 9 1 1 . 1 4 5 M a c M i l l a n , D o u g a l d , xii, 3 3 n . 5 3 , 4Ôn.i02 Macnally, Leonard, 1 6 4 - 1 6 5 , 16511.17, 194, 19611.137, 2 1 3 M a c r e a d y , W i l l i a m , 200, 2 0 0 1 1 . 1 4 8 , 1 5 0 , 2l6n.22 M a c S w i n y (or M a c S w i n e y ) , O w e n , 76n.5i M a i n e , Duchesse d u , 2 M a i n t e n o n , M a d a m e de, 5, 1 9 9 ^ 1 4 6 M a l é z i e u , Nicolas de, 2 Malton, 2 3 m . 6 9 M a r c h é v i l l e , M . C. de, 3 7 n . 6 8 M a r g a r e t of A n j o u , Queen of E n g l a n d , I4in.98, 1 9 5 ^ 1 3 1 M a r g u e r i t e , Countess of Flanders, 1 9 4 M a r i e Antoinette, 2 M a r i v a u x , Pierre Carlet de C h a m b l a i n d e , x i , 7 3 , 80, 8 0 0 . 7 0 , 7 1 , 8 5 , 8 7 , 94, 99, 1 0 1 , i o i n . 1 3 6 , 1 0 3 , 1 0 4 , 1 0 4 ^ 1 4 4 , i2jn.35, 127, 1 3 1 , 13m.65, 132, 139, 140, 1 4 1 , 1 5 2 , 1 5 3 , 154, I 5 4 n . i 4 0 , 168, i68n.33, 185, 186, 203n.163, 2 0 4 n . i 6 7 , 2 i 2 n . i , 246 M a r o i o n t e l , Jean-François, I 4 n . 2 0 , 84n.84, 99, 1 0 9 , 1 i o n . 1 6 4 , 1 1 8 , 1 '9n-25> i23n-35. 135. 136. 136n.79.83, 139, 144, 152, 1 5 3 , 156, 158, I58n.i55, 159, i68n.33, 1 7 1 , 1721-44. 175. i75n-55. 187. 190, i9on.i 13, 205n.i68, 227n.6i Marsollier, Benoît-Joseph, 2 2 9 n . 6 3 Martyr, Mrs., i 8 i n . 7 7 , 1 8 3 , 1 8 4 Mason, W i l l i a m , 1 3 9 Massinger, Philip, 3 3 M a t t h e w s , B r a n d e r , 24, 2 4 n . 2 2 Mattocks, i 2 2 n . 3 3 Mattocks, Mrs., 1 4 6 ^ 1 1 5 , 1 6 1 , 1 6 2 , 166n.23.24, 184, 2 i 3 n . i o , 2 i 6 n . 2 2 M a z z i n g h i , Joseph, 2 4 m . 1 0 3 Medbourne, M a t t h e w , 29, 2 9 ^ 3 7 Mercier, Louis-Sébastien, 1 3 3 ^ 6 8 , i68n.33, I79n.74, 1 9 3 , 200, 2 i 2 n . 2 , 2 i 9 n . 2 g , 220, 2 2 3 , 223n.48, 224 Metastasio, Pietro, 5 8 n . i 4 2 Middleton, T h o m a s , 3 3 , i 6 8 n . 3 4

Miles, D u d l e y H o w e , xi, i 6 2 n . 6 , 2 5 0 , 252 Miller, R e v . James, 5 5 1 . 1 3 3 , 2 5 3 Millot, A b b é , i77n.Ö4, 1 9 5 Milne, J a m e s M., 1 1 9 n . 2 3 Minors, Miss, 3 7 1 . 6 5 Misaubin, D r . , 1 9 M i t f o r d , M a r y Russell, 1 7 9 ^ 7 2 Moissy, A l e x a n d r e - G u i l l a u m e Mouslicr de, 5 i n . i 1 6 , 58, 5 8 ^ 1 4 3 , 59, 6 3 , Ö3n.i, 8on.7o, 83 Molé, François-René, 7, 2 0 7 ^ 1 7 9 Molière, ix, xi, 2, 1 5 , 1 6 , i 6 n . i , 1 7 , i 7 n . 2 , 3 , 1 9 , i g n . 7 , 20, 2 1 , 2 1 1 1 . 1 6 , 2 2 , 2 3 , 2 4 , 2 5 , 2 7 , 2 7 n . 3 2 , 28, 2 8 n . 3 5 , 29, 291-37, 3 ° . 301-39. 3 1 . 3 1 1 - 4 7 . 33. 34. 3 5 , 3 6 , 3611.63, 3 7 , 3 7 n . 6 7 . 6 8 , 3 9 n . 7 5 , 45 n -93> 4 6 n . i o o , 58, Ô3n.i, 6 5 , Ô5n.7, 66, 6 6 n . 9 , i o , 68, 7 1 , 7 m . 3 3 , 7 2 , 7 3 , 7 4 , 74n-46, 7 5 . 76, 7 7 n . 5 6 . 5 9 , 7 8 , 7 8 n . 6 o , 79n.69, 8 o n . 7 o , 8 i n . 7 3 , 85, 85n.9o, 90, 9 o n . i o 6 , 9 i n . i o 7 , 99, io6n.i52, 109^:63, 114, Ii4n.i,4, 1 1 6 , 1 1 7 , 118, 119, H9n.23, 120, i 2 i , 122, I22n.29, i23n.34, 127, 1 6 1 , i ô i n . i , 162, 163, 164, i64n.i5, 165, i 6 5 n . i 8 , 166, 167, 2 o 8 n . i 8 i , 2i2n.T, 2i3n.7,8, 2i4n.i3, 215, 2i5n.i9, 216, 2 1 7 , 2 1 8 , 225n.52, 246, 250, 2 5 2 , 253, 254 Monnet, Jean, 5, 5n.8, 6, 4 0 ^ 7 8 , 8 9 n . i o o Monselet, Charles, 1 7 4 ^ 5 3 , 2 2 3 n . 4 8 M o n s i g n y , Pierre A l e x a n d r e , 6, 1 3 2 , 1 3 3 , >52 M o n t a g u (spelled M o n t a g u e in the citation), D u k e o f , 1 0 M o n t a g u , Elizabeth, 1 7 2 Montfleury ( A n t o i n e Jacob, dit), 3 8 ^ 7 0 , 411-79 Moore, A . P . , I 3 2 n . 6 6 Moore, E d w a r d , 4 7 n . i 0 5 Morello, 1 9 7 ^ 1 4 0 Morley, J o h n , Viscount, i o i n . 1 3 7 Morton, T h o m a s , 1 4 0 ^ 9 4 , 2 2 7 n . 6 i Moss, i 6 6 n . 2 0 Mossop, H e n r y , 50, 1 7 7 Motteux, Peter A n t h o n y , 4 5 , 46, 4 6 n . i o i M o u h y , M . le Chevalier de, 1 7 4 ^ 5 3

305

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England Mouret, Jean Joseph, 5611.135 M u n d e n , Joseph Shepherd, 21311.4,10, 21611.22, 2 4 m . 1 0 3 Murphy, Arthur, 2711.32, 3 4 , 54, 5511.129, 5 6 , 5 7 - 5 8 , 5811.142, 59, 5 9 n - H 4 > 6 0 . 6 3 , 6411.3, 6 5 , 6511.7, 6611.9,10, 68, 6 9 , 7 1 - 7 2 , 7211.39, 8 1 - 8 2 , 8311.79, 84, 8411.85,87-88,122,145,14511.113,115, 14611.115, 1 5 m . 129, 16311.12, 2 4 8 Musset, Alfred de, 119, 20311.163 Napoleon Bonaparte, 8 Neele, Henry, H 7 n . i 6 Nettleton, George Henry, xi, I 9 n . 7 , 4on,78 Newcastle, D u k e of, I 7 n . 2 Newcastle, Duchess of,

iyn.2

Nichols, John, 7 6 n . 5 3 Nicolai, 2 2 5 Nicoll, Allardyce, xi, xii, 11, i g n . 8 , 3 9 n . 7 4 , 46, 4 7 n . i 0 5 , 6 4 , 6 4 n . 5 , 6 6 n . i 2 , 73n.40, ioin.136, io6n.i49, i24n-37, I32n.67, I33n.68, I 5 i n . i 2 9 , i66n.22, i67n.30, i74n.50,192n.i 19,207^177, 209, 2 i o n . i 9 i , 2i3n.7, 2 2 3 ^ 4 8 ,

Oulton, W . C., i i 4 n . 3 , i i 5 n . 6 , I 2 2 n . 3 2 , 13m.63, i42n.ioi, i7on.4i, i8in.78, i9on.H3, I93n.i27, I95n.i3i, I 9 8 n . i 4 5 , 223n.46, 225n-5i Ouville, André Le Metel d', 251 Oxberry, William, I 4 6 n . t i 6 , 185, i85n.92, I98n.i42, 23in.7o Ozell, John, 20, 3 5 n . 6 o Page, Eugene R., xii, 9 3 n . i 12, 9 8 , 9 8 n . i 2 9 , i o o n . 1 3 4 , m n . 1 7 1 , 124, i24n.37, i36n.8o, i75n-55, 2 3 3 ^ 7 5 Paisiello, Giovanni, 2 4 3 n . i 0 7 Palaprat, Jean, sieur de Bigot, 4 8 n . i o 8 , 1990.146 Palissot de Montenoy, Charles, 1 2 9 ^ 5 8 Palmer, John, the Elder (called " G e n d e m a n " and " J a u n t y " P a l m e r ) , 3 7 , 59n.145.74n.47 Palmer, John (the younger), 1 4 9 ^ 1 2 0 , i88n.ioo, 213n.11, 236n.86 Palmer, John ( a u t h o r ) , 3 7 ^ 6 4 , U 9 n . 2 2 Palmer, Mrs. John, i o o n . 1 3 4 Palmer, Miss, 2 i 3 n . 7 Palmer, Richard, I 4 g n . i 2 0 , i 8 8 n . i o o ,

Noverre, Jean Georges, 4

I93n.i24, 2i3n.7 Pannard, Charles-François, 5 6 ^ 1 3 5 Parfitt, G . E., i g n . 7 Parisot, Madame, 2 3 6 Parsons, Mrs. Eliza, 35, 3 5 n . 6 o , 2 1 5 - 2 1 6 Parsons, William, 7 4 ^ 4 7 , 9 i n . 107, I 2 2 n . 2 9 , 127, 130, 147, I 4 9 n . i 2 0 ,

O ' B e i r n e , T h o m a s Lewis, Bishop of

Parry, E . A., 8 8 n . 9 7

227n-57, 23in.69, 246 Nicolet, Jean-Baptiste, 6, 6 n . i o , 7, I26n.47, I74n.53 Nitze, William A., and E . Preston Dargan, 1 2 9 ^ 5 9 , i85n.94

I93n.i24 Meath, 168, i 6 8 n - 3 4 , 2 1 5

Patrat, Joseph, 7, i 6 8 n . 3 3 , 1 8 7 , 190,

O ' B r i e n , William, 5 7 ^ 1 3 9 , 1 2 8 , i 2 8 n . 5 2 ,

i 9 o n . i 14, 191, 1 9 3 , I 9 3 n . i 2 4 , 2 i 2 n . 2 ,

129, 1 2 9 ^ 5 7 , 1 3 0 - 1 3 1 , 2 1 3

233, 234, 237, 237n.89

Odell, George C . D., 6 4 n . 3 , 1 i 8 n . i 9 , I34n.73, i76n.62, i 8 9 n . j i i

Peake, Richard Brinsley, 9 8 n . i 2 9 ,

O'Keeffe, John, 5 5 n . i 3 3 , i 6 7 n . 3 i , 176,

Penthiève, Duc de, 2 0 4 n . i 6 7

177, 1771-65, 178n.67.68

2331-75 Pergolesi, Giovanni Battista, 5

Ogden, Phillip, xii

Perrault, Charles, 2 3 5

O ' H a r a , Kane, 138

Pcrrin, Pierre, 4

Oldfield, Mrs., 3 0 , 7 9

Perronne, 85

Oliphant, Robert, 167

Perry, Henry T e n E y c k , 7411.46

Oliver, T h o m a s Edward, 1 2 9 ^ 5 8

Peterson, Martin Severin, i 6 3 n . i 2

Otway, T h o m a s , x, 3 4 - 3 5

Pctitot, M . , x, 6 o n . i 4 8

306

Index Philidor, François André D a n i c a n , 6, 5 8 n . i 4 3 , 1 3 2 , 1 3 3 , >37. ' 5 3 Piccini, Niccolò, 7 3 n . 4 0 Pinto, V . de Sola, x , 4 8 n . i o 8 Piron, Alexis, i 6 8 n - 3 3 , 2 0 5 , 2 0 8 , 2o8n.i8i Pitt, Ann, 9 4 Pitt, William, 2 0 3 Pixérécourt, Guilbert de, I 5 4 n . i 3 9 Pizarro, Francisco, 2 2 7 n . 6 i Plautus, T i t u s Maccius, 2 2 n . i 8 , 3 6 , 45, >35' 1 3 6 ^ 7 9 , i 6 8 n - 3 4 , 2 i 3 n . 7 , 225n.52 Poinsinet, Antoine-Alexandre-Henri, 8on.7o, 108, i o 8 n . i 5 9 , i 6 o , 1 5 7 , I57n.i48 Pollock, T h o m a s Clark, 6 4 ^ 3 , I 3 4 n . 7 3 , i 7 6 n . 6 2 , 1 8 9 n . i 11 Pompadour, M a d a m e de, 2, 5, 8 9 n . i o o Pontau, Boizard de, 5 Pont-de-Vcyle, Antoine de Ferriol, comte de, 1 2 3 ^ 3 5 , 151, I 5 i n . i 3 0 , 2 i 2 n . i , 2i4n.i4, 238n.92 Pope, Alexander, I 7 n . 3 , 2 8 ^ 3 5 , 4 5 Pope, Jane, 7 4 n . 4 7 , 1 5 4 ^ 1 3 9 , i 6 6 n . 2 4 , 197 Pope, Mrs. (née Y o u n g e ) , 184 Popple, William, i 4 i n . 9 5 Portland, Duchess of, 95 Powell, William, 9, i o o n . 1 3 4 , 1 i o n . 1 6 4 Preston, John, 3 5 n . 5 7 Préville, Pierre-Louis, i o 7 n . i 5 4 , 156^145 Pritchard, 4 9 Pritchard, Mrs. H a n n a h , 12, 3 1 , 4 2 , 7 9 Pritchard, Miss, 5 7 0 . 1 3 9 Quérard, Joseph-Marie, 1 7 3 ^ 4 6 Quêtant, François Antoine, 127, 1 2 7 ^ 4 8 Quick, John, 4 2 n . 8 2 , 117, 1 1 7 ^ 1 4 , 122n.23.33, 161, 162, i 6 6 n . 2 3 , 170, i 8 i n . 7 7 , i g o n . i 13, 2 i 6 n . 2 2 Quinault, Philippe, 4 Racine, Jean, 7 4 ^ 4 6 Rae, W. Fraser, 1 9 6 n . 1 3 5 . 1 3 7 , 2 0 2 0 . 1 5 6 Raftor, Miss, see Clive Ralph, James, 3 5 n . 6 o

Ravenscroft, Edward, 3 5 , 3 5 n . 6 o , 1 6 2 , 251, 252 Reed, Joseph, 4 7 n . i o 5 , 1 0 7 - 1 0 8 Reddish, Samuel, 110, i 3 o n . 6 i , 131 Reeve, William, 4 7 ^ 1 0 5 , 2 4 1 ^ 1 0 3 Regnard, Jean François, i ô n . i , 3 7 , 3 7 n . 6 8 , 3 8 , 3 8 n . 7 o , 39, 4 0 , 6 0 0 . 1 4 8 , 8 o n . 7 0 , 85, 103, 104, 105, 107, I 2 3 n . 3 5 , 144, 150, i 5 o n . i 2 6 , i ô i n . i , 167, i 6 8 n - 3 4 , 1 8 7 0 . 9 8 , 2 i 2 n . i , 3 , 225n-52, 2 4 6 Reinhold, Charles, 1 6 2 Reynier, G . , 4 4 n . 9 2 Reynolds, Frederick, 2 0 5 , 2 0 7 , 207n.178.179, 2 0 8 - 2 0 9 , 215, 2150.17 Reynolds, Sir Joshua, i 6 3 n . i 2 , 2 3 3 Reynolds, Miss, 70 Rhein, Miss, 2 3 1 ^ 6 9 Rhodes, R. Crompton, x, 1 1 9 n . 2 3 . 2 4 , I 4 9 n . i 2 3 , 189, 1 8 9 0 . 1 1 2 Riccoboni, Madame, i 7 7 n . 6 4 Riccoboni, M. J., 64 n.3 Rich, John, 9, 6 0 , 61 Richard I, Coeur de L i o n , 194, 1 9 ; , 1 9 6 Richardson, Samuel, 1 0 9 0 . 1 6 3 Richmond, D u k e of, 6 4 0 . 3 , 2 o 6 n . i 7 5 Rigg, J. M., 1 6 5 0 . 1 7 Robson, Horatio, 2 0 5 , 2 0 5 n . i 6 8 , 2 2 5 Roger, Jean François, 2 1 3 0 . 4 Rojas Zorrilla, Francisco de, 4 8 , . } 8 n . i o 6 Roosbroeck, G . L . van, xii Rosimond, Claude L a Roze de, i6m.6 Ross, David, 3 7 n . 6 5 Rossini, Gioacchino, 1 4 3 ^ 1 0 3 Rousseau, Jean-Baptiste, 5 5 0 . 1 3 3 , 8 0 n . 7 0 , i n , 112, 2 2 5 n - 5 2 Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, 8 0 n . 7 0 . 7 1 , 9 4 - 9 7 , 9 8 n . i 2 8 , I 2 3 n . 3 5 , 137, 139, 152, 156, i 8 9 n . i o 9 Rostand, Edmond, 1 5 2 ^ 1 3 3 Rule, John, 101, i o i n . 1 3 6 Rush, George, 9 0 Rutherford, John, 9 Ryan, Lacy, 3 3 ^ 5 3 Ryder, T h o m a s , 1 6 6 n . 2 1 . 2 4 , 2 5 4 Sacchini, Antonio Maria Gasparo, 122 Sainctyon, 4on.77

307

Revivals and Importations of French Comedies in England S a i n t - F o i x , G e r m a i n - F r a n ç o i s Poullain de, 5 1 , 5 i n . i 1 6 , 1 1 9 , 6 3 n . i , 7 2 , 7 3 , 1 2 3 , i23n.35, 125, i68n.33, 169, 176, 1 7 8 , i78n.67, 246 Saint-René T a i l l a n d i e r , 4 9 0 . 1 1 4 Sainte-Beuve, C h a r l e s - A u g u s t i n de, 8on.7i Saiotsbury, George, 7 4 ^ 4 6 Salé, 6 n . i o Salieri, Antonio, 2 0 m . 1 5 3 Sallust (Caius Sallustius C r i s p u s ) , 58 Salvatorc, Paul J., I 3 2 n . 6 6 S a n d m a n n , Paul, 3 3 0 . 5 3 Santerre, de, I 5 4 n . i 3 7 Sarcey, Francisque, x Saurin, M., 1 5 7 0 . 1 4 7 Scarron, Paul, 1 1 4 n . i , 2 0 3 , 2 5 1 . 2 5 5 Schmerbach, 2 5 5 Schoenberger, H a r o l d W i l l i a m , 2 1 4 0 . 1 5 Schömberg, D r . , 1 2 0 Scott, Sir Walter, 2 i 8 n . 2 7 Sedainc, Michel-Jean, 6, 6n.g, S g n . i o o , 1 1 8 , 1 2 3 ^ 3 5 , 127, 129, I29n.58, 130, 132, i33n.68,7o, 137, 1 3 7 ^ 8 4 , 8 6 , 138, 152, 1 5 2 ^ 1 3 3 , I53n-I34> 165. i68n.33, 1 7 1 , 193, 195, 202, 203, 2 2 4 9 Sicklemore, Richard, 1 5 1 0 . 1 2 9 Siddons, Mrs. Sarah, 1 2 , 6 4 0 . 3 , 1 0 , 1 5 7 S i m o n (or S i m o n s ) , 2 2 5 Slack, Miss, 69n.24 S m a r t , Christopher, 5 7 ^ 1 3 9 Smith, Horatio, xii S m i t h , General Richard, 1 1 fin.9 Smollett, Tobias George, 4 7 0 . 1 0 5 , 1 4 1 , 1420.100 Socrates, 1 7 5 0 . 5 5 Soleione, Martinau de, xi, 5 5 ^ 1 3 1 Sol/s y R i v a d e n e y r a , Antonio de, i5on.i27 S o n n e c k , Oscar G . T . , xi, gfin.i 1 9 , I09n.ifi2, 1270.48, 1 3 4 0 . 7 3 , 1390.90, 2 3 m . 70 Souriau, Maurice ( e d . ) , 2 4 m . 1 0 3 Sparks, L u k e , 3 1 0 . 4 5 , 79 Squire, W . Barclay, 9 6 0 . 1 2 0 Stagcldoir, Miss, 1 6 2 0 . 6 Starke, Mariana, 1 5 5 0 . 1 4 3 Steele, Sir Richard, 67, 6 7 1 1 . 1 6 , 6 8 n . i 9 , 81 n . 7 3 , 1 0 9 , 2 5 1 , 2 5 2 Stephen, Leslie, 2 1 8 0 . 2 7 Sterne, L a u r e n c e , 1 0 2 , 1 0 3 0 . 1 3 9 Stevens, 1 8 1 0 . 7 7 Stevenson, Sir John, 2 4 2 Stocklev, Violet, 2 3 8 0 . 9 1 Stonehill, Charles ( e d . ) , 4 5 0 . 9 8 Storace, Stephen, 2 2 8 , 2 2 9 , 2 3 0 0 . 6 6 , 2 3 1 n.69 Stuart, D o n a l d Clive, 2 2 5 ^ 5 2 S u c k l i n g , Sir John, 3 2 0 . 4 8 Suett, Richard, 2 3 6 ^ 8 6 S u m m e r s , Montague, x, 2 i n . 1 5 , 1 6 , 3 3 n - 5 3 . 34 n -54> 3 6 n . 6 i

308

Index S w i f t , Dr. Jonathan, 59, 84, 1 5 7 0 . 1 4 8 Tacitus, 58 Taconnet, Toussaint-Gaspard, 7 Taillandier, see Saint-René Taylor, Mrs., 1 i^n.S Terence, 34n-54> 99. " 7 . I l 8 > ' 3 5 . i36n.79, i68n.34, 2 2 5 ^ 5 2 Texte, Joseph, i o i n . 1 3 7 Thompson (actor), i28n.55, 1 Sin.77 Thompson, James, i76n.6o Thompson, Mrs., 124 Thorndike, Ashley H., xi, 64, 640.4, 248n.3 Thornton, Bonnell, 99 Thralc, Mrs., 1 Son.75 Tickcll, Mrs., 196 Tighe, Edward, 166, i66n.22 Tudd-Naylor, Ursula (ed.), 33n.53 Toldo, P., 37n.68, i o 6 n . i 5 2 Tomassin (Thomas Antonio Vicenti), 55n.i3i Torrey, Norman L., xii Townshend, George, fourth Viscount and first Marquis of, i 6 3 n . i 2 Trahard, Pierre, x Turenne, Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, vicomte de, 1 5 7 ^ 1 4 8 Turra, Elizabeth Caminer, 640.3 Tuscany, Grand Duke of, 98 Tyre, King of, 1 5 6 Vadé, Jean-Joseph, 5, 1 3 2 Valcour (Philippe-Louis-Pierre, dit Aristide Plancher), sieur [ d e ] , 6 n . i o Vanbrugh, Sir John, x, 3 2 - 3 3 , 33n.50, 35n.6o, 4 1 , 42, 42n.85, 43, 43n.86, 44, 47, 47n.i04, 48, 49-50, 99, 148, 166, 167, i67n.30, 250, 254, 2 5 5 Vaudreuil, de, 3 Vaughan, Thomas, 1 4 0 - 1 4 1 , 1 4 m . 9 5 , 144, 163, 2 1 2 , 2 1 3 Vega Carpio, Lope Felix de, 67, 68n.i9 Vento, Mattia, 73n.40 Vernon, Joseph, 1 4 1 ^ 9 5 Victor, Benjamin, 68n.i9, 77, T j a . ^ y , 8on.7i, 830.81, 95, 9 5 n . n 6 , 97, 97n.i26, 107, i o 7 n . i 5 6 , n o n . 1 6 4

Virgil (Publius Virgilius Maro), 1 5 9 Volange (or Vollange), 7 Voltaire, xi, 2, 3, 2 7 ^ 3 2 , 37n.68, 39n.75, 48n.io8, 5 1 , 5 i n . n 6 , 55, 56, 58, 6 i , 80n.70.71, 87, 88, 94, 99, 100, I i 2 n . i 7 5 , I56n.i45, 203n.i63, 204n.i67 Wales, Prince of, 1 7 7 Wallace, Lady Eglantine, 198, 1 9 8 ^ 1 4 5 Walpole, Horacc, i 2 8 n . 5 2 , 1 3 0 , i3on.6o, 1 3 5 , 1 5 2 , 1 6 3 n . 1 1 , 2 0 3 0 . 1 6 0 , 249 Walsh, 35n.6o Warboys, Thomas, 1 5 0 Warton (probably Thomas), 1 5 , i 5 n . 2 i Wartons (Joseph and Thomas), 233 Webb, Geoffrey, 3 3 ^ 5 0 Webb, Mrs., i 8 i n . 7 7 , 227n.6o Weisse, C. F., 640.3 Wells, Mrs., 1 9 3 ^ 1 2 4 Weston, Thomas, 76n.54, 78, 79, 1 1 8 , 1 2 7 , 1 3 0 , 249 Wewitzer, Miss, i 8 i n . 7 7 Wewitzer ( R a l p h ? ) , i 8 i n . 7 7 , 2 i 3 n . 7 Whitehead, William, 83, 8 4 ^ 8 3 Wild, James, 1 0 9 ^ 1 6 3 , 166, i66n.23 Wilder, James, 86n-92 Wilkes, John, 84 Wilkinson,Tate,42, 4 2 n . 8 i , 60, 6 i n . i 5 0 Williams, Helen Maria, 2 4 m . 1 0 3 Williams, S. T . , i i 7 n . i 6 Williamson, 2 i 3 n . 7 Wilson, 69n.24, 170, i 8 i n . 7 7 , 227n.6o Wilson, Mrs. 6 9 ^ 2 4 Witherston, Master, 1 0 1 Woffington, Mrs. Margaret ( " P e g " ) , 1 2 , 30, 3 2 ^ 4 9 , 79, 254 Wogue, Jules, 2 2 5 ^ 5 2 Wolcot, Dr. John, 229n.63 Wood, Alice I. Perry, 48, 48n.iog, 1 1 7 , 11711.15 Wood, Frederick T . , 1 7 0 . 3 Wood, Kathryn L., xi, i8on.75 Woodfall, 197 Woodward, Henry, 1 2 , 18, i8n.6, 28, 3 7 , 42, 72n.36, 1 1 4 , 249, 254 Wraighten (or Wrighten), Mrs. James, I in 4 -95

3°9

Revivais and Importations of French Comedies in England Wright, Elizabeth, 73 Wright, Thomas, 3111.47 Wroth, Warwick, 2290.62 Wul f ekoetter, Gertrude, xiii Wycherlcy, William, x, 3 3 - 3 4 , 340.54, 68, 69, 6911.22, 70, 7011.26,28, 72, 73, 7411.46, 75, 8611.92, 99, 2 1 3 , 2 1 3 1 1 . 1 1 , 250, 252 Wvndham, H. Saxe, 180

Yates, Richard, 270.33, 3111.45, 3 7 , 4 8 n . n o , 5711.139, 640.3, 6611.9, 10, ioon.134 Yates, Mrs. Richard, 370.65, 5 9 1 1 . 1 4 ; , 1 1 0 0 . 1 6 4 , 1 4 1 0 . 9 8 , 1770.64 Youoge, Miss (later became Mrs. Pope), 1300.61, 1650.18, 1810.77 Zcck, Charles Franklyo, Jr., 5 2 0 . 1 2 1

ÏIO