On uttering which words, Mr. Wilks, as Heartly, bowed to the king. Amid the peals of applause that followed, Mrs. Oldfield swept down the stage to speak the epilogue. It was less indecent than such pieces usually were, and it half apologised for building a play on modern politics. At the same time it justified the proceeding, and claimed merit for ‘executing it with good feeling’:—
Even Rebels cannot say,
Though vanquished, they’re insulted in this play!
PUBLIC FEELING.
They did, however, both say and feel it. There was not a Tory, whether play-goer or otherwise, who ever forgave Cibber for this assault on his principles. Cibber however had no lack of supporters.
‘Last night,’ says Read’s ‘Weekly,’ ‘the comedy called “The Nonjuror” was acted at His Majesty’s Theatre in Drury Lane, which, very naturally displaying the villainy of that most wicked and abominable crew, it gave great satisfaction to all the spectators.’
In the ‘Apology for his Life,’ Cibber gives a just reason for the scarcity of outspoken opposition to his partisan comedy which had a first run of eighteen consecutive days. ‘Happy was it for this play that the very Subject was its Protection. A few Smiles of silent Contempt were the utmost Disgrace that on the first Day of its appearance it was thought safe to throw upon it. As the Satire was chiefly employed upon the Enemies of the Government, they were not so hardy as to own themselves such by any higher Disapprobation or Resentment.’ The Jacobites attacked him in other ways. They accused him of stealing a previous adaptation of Molière’s ‘Tartuffe,’ and the following advertisement showed the spirit of the accusation: ‘This day is published a translation of Molière’s “Tartuffe, or the French Puritan,” by Medbourne, in which may be seen the plot, characters, incidents, and most part of the language of “The Nonjuror.”’
ATTERBURY’S OPINION.
While this piece was being played, Atterbury, in a letter to Mar, describes the London Jacobites as ‘sitting silent and quiet, and pleasing themselves with the odd management here at home, without raising any expectations from abroad. And in the present situation of affairs I am glad they do not, for our domestic divisions and folly are sufficient for the present to keep up men’s spirits without being told that certain relief is near at hand.… What they see here pleases them so much that they can wait with a little patience for what they do not see or hear.’ And so ended the year of the Act of Grace.
