L. Fopl. Look you Tam, your poverty makes your Life so burdensome to you, you would provoke me to a Quarrel, in hopes either to slip through my Lungs into my Estate, or else to get your self run through the Guts, to put an end to your Pain. But I shall disappoint you in both. &c.
This Drolling has too much Spirit, the Air of it is too free, and too handsomly turn'd for Lord Foplingtons Character. I grant the Relapser could not aford to lose these Sentences. The Scene would have suffer'd by the Omission. But then he should have contriv'd the matter so, as that they might, have been spoken by Young Fashion in Asides, or by some other more proper Person. To go on. Miss Hoyden sparkles too much in Conversation. The Poet must needs give her a shining Line or two,p. 64. At top.[422] which serves only to make the rest of her dullness the more remarkable. Sir. Tun-belly falls into the same Misfortune of a Wit, and rallies above the force of his Capacity.p. 85.[423] But the place having a mixture of Profaness, I shall forbear to cite it. Now to what purpose should a Fools Coat be embroider'd? Finery in the wrong place is but expensive Ridiculousness. Besides, I don't perceive the Relapser was in any Condition to be thus liberal. And when a Poet is not overstock'd, to squander away his Wit among his Block-heads, is meer Distraction. His men of Sense will smart for this prodigality. Lovelace in his discourse of Friendship, shall be the first Instance. Friendship (says he) is said to be a plant of tedious growth, its Root composed of tender Fibers, nice in their Tast, &c. By this Description the Palate of a Fiber, should be somewhat more nice and distinguishing, then the Poets Judgment. Let us examin some more of his Witty People. Young Fashion fancies by Misses forward Behaviour, she would have a whole Kennel of Beaux after her at London. And then Hey to the Park, and the Play, and the Church, and the Devil.p. 64.[424] Here I conceive the ranging of the Period is amiss. For if he had put the Play, and the Devil together, the Order of Nature, and the Air of Probability had been much better observ'd.
Afterwards Coupler being out of Breath in coming up stairs to Fashion, asks him why the —— canst thou not lodge upon the Ground-floor?p. 94.[425]
Y. Fash. Because I love to lye as near Heaven as I can. One would think a Spark just come off his Travels, and had made the Tour of Italy and France, might have rallied with a better Grace! However if he lodg'd in a Garret, 'tis a good Local jest. I had almost forgot one pretty remarkable Sentence of Fashion to Lory.p. 15.[426] I shall shew thee (says he) the excess of my Passion by being very calm. Now since this Gentleman was in a vein of talking Philosophy to his Man, I'm sorry he broke of so quickly. Had he gone on and shown him the Excess of a Storm and no Wind stirring, the Topick had been spent, and the Thought improv'd to the utmost.
Let us now pass onto Worthy, the Relapsers fine Gentleman. This Spark sets up for Sense, and Address, and is to have nothing of Affectation or Conscience to spoil his Character. However to say no more of him, he grows Foppish in the last Scene, and courts Amanda in Fustian, and Pedantry. First, He gives his Periods a turn of Versification, and talks Prose to her in Meeter. Now this is just as agreeable as it would be to Ride with one Leg, and Walk with the other. But let him speak for himself. His first business is to bring Amanda to an Aversion for her Husband; And therefore he perswades her to Rouse up that Spirit Women ought to bear; and slight your God if he neglects his Angel.p. 99.[427] He goes on with his Orisons. With Arms of Ice receive his Cold Embraces and keep your Fire for those that come in Flames. Fire and Flames, is Mettal upon Mettal; 'Tis false Heraldry. Extend the Arms of Mercy to his Aid. His zeal may give him Title to your Pity, altho' his Merit cannot claim your Love.Ibid.[428] Here you have Arms brought in again by Head and shoulders. I suppose the design was to keep up the Situation of the Allegory. But the latter part of the Speech is very Pithy. He would have her resign her Vertue out of Civility, and abuse her Husband on Principles of good Nature. Worthy pursues his point, and Rises in his Address. He falls into a Fit of Dissection, and hopes to gain his Mistress by Cutting his Throat. He is for Ripping up his Faithful Breast, to prove the Reality of his Passion. Now when a Man Courts with his Heart in his Hand, it must be great Cruelty to refuse him! No Butcher could have Thought of a more moving Expedient! However, Amanda continues obstinate, and is not in the usual Humour of the Stage. Upon this, like a well bred Lover he seizes her by Force, and threatens to Kill her. Nay struggle not for all's in vain, or Death, or Victory, I am determin'd.p. 100.[429] In this rencounter the Lady proves too nimble, and slips through his Fingers. Upon this disappointment, he cries, there's Divinity about her, and she has dispenc'd some Portion on't to me. His Passion is Metamorphos'd in the Turn of a hand: He is refin'd into a Platonick Admirer, and goes off as like a Town Spark as you would wish. And so much for the Poets fine Gentleman.
I should now examine the Relapser's Thoughts and Expressions, which are two other Things of Consideration in a Play. The Thoughts or Sentiments are the Expressions of the Manners, as Words are of the Thoughts.Rapin Reflect, &c.[430] But the view of the Characters has in some measure prevented this Enquiry. Leaving this Argument therefore, I shall consider his Play with respect to the
Three Unities of Time, Place, and Action.
And here the Reader may please to take notice, that the Design of these Rules, is to conceal the Fiction of the Stage, to make the Play appear Natural, and to give it an Air of Reality, and Conversation.
The largest compass for the first Unity is Twenty Four Hours: But a lesser proportion is more regular. To be exact, the Time of the History, or Fable, should not exceed that of the Representation: Or in other words, the whole Business of the Play, should not be much longer than the Time it takes up in Playing.
The Second Unity is that of Place. To observe it, the Scene must not wander from one Town, or Country to another. It must continue in the same House, Street, or at farthest in the same City, where it was first laid. The Reason of this Rule depends upon the First. Now the Compass of Time being strait, that of Space must bear a Correspondent Proportion. Long journeys in Plays are impracticable. The Distances of Place must be suited to Leisure, and Possibility, otherwise the supposition will appear unnatural and absurd. The