THE..

Lady's Magazine;

For AUGUST, 1790.

On the QUESTION propofed by R. 1by long and cenftant study have learnt

BEAUMONT, p. 379.

"Whether private acting by young People be attended with good or bad Confequences ?"

T

Heatrical entertainments have ever been confidered a prin cipal means in refining and civilizing mankind; and have been ranked amongst the innocent and inftructive amufements of life ever fince the clouds of fuperftition and bigotry have been difpelled by the light of reafon, and the happy ema. nations of pure religion.

the art of expreffing the different
paffions of human nature to perfec
tion; and to enter into the spirit of
any character with as much facility
as if they were really the perfons
they reprefented. If this was not
the cafe there would be very little
attraction at any theatre, fince no
one would care to fee, or, if they
faw, would receive the leaft impref-
fion from, an unnatural and uncha-
racteristic performance.

Since then it requires long ftudy,
and attention to arrive at a fufficient
degree of perfection to be able to
imprefs the minds of an audience
with a veneration for that virtue for
which they (the actors) are profeffed
advocates, and to create in the bofom
a proper detestation of vice, is it to
be fuppofed that a fet of young peo-

The Spectator, fpeaking of the Theatre, obferves, that. under proper regulations, it might be rendered one of the greatest fources of moral instruction." I perfectly agree with the Spec-ple, who never made it their fludy, tator; but how private acting can fhould be able to attain to any fuch be conducive of any good I really powers of impreffion? unless they do not apprehend; however, in are poffeffed of thofe powers, as lady answer to those who may affirm it is Waitfort's niece obferves, they altogether innocent, and may be can only act to please themselves;" productive of the fame good confe- confequentiy no good can refult quences ar public acting, 1 fhall take from their playing, fince their authe liberty of exposing a few remarks di ors could never edify from that on the subject. which never engaged their attention.

On a public theatre care is always taken to provide performers who are perfectly acquainted with the nature of the bufinefs they undertake; who,

Suppofe, then, they make it their ftudy, the confequence is, that their bufinefs, if their circumstances are Eee 2

not

them in fome of thofe entertainment! which may be improper for their ftation To this I anfwer, that for the good of the common-weal, every

not fufficient to fupport them without, must be neglected; for he who pu:fues two avocations at once can never pay proper attention to both; fo that if they arrive at the willed-precedent which may entail bad for fummit of their ambition, their bufinefs declines accordingly, for want of due attention; and the hero who has fwaved the fceptre of an Alexander finithes his carcer in the King's bench, or the Fleet-prifon.

confequences on the state, ought to be condemned; and whatever tends to incline the minds of the induftrious part of the community to luxury, bids fair to pierce the very vitals of the conftitution.

But, fetting rank, circumstances, and all exceptions of that nature afide, we will view the confequences of private acting in another light.

Sufficiently killed to awake all the fenfations of fenfibility, and to at tract the moft earnest attention, be hold our young theatrici amid the plaudits of a fenfible and difcerning audience; their minds are naturally elated with the triumph, and they double their efforts to gain ftill fresh tributes of admiration; they enter with fill great fpirit into the merits or demerits of their respective parts; the modest mifs, who would, previcus to her commencing actress, have prudently refented every ad

If we advert to those who are in the capacities of dependents, we fhall fee the confequences in a worfe light; forthey not only hurt themfelves, but their employers, by wafting that time which should be devated to their fervice; and rendering them elves unfit for their profern by the averted bent of their thoughts. Thefe objections feem entirely removed among people of fortune, because they have little elfe to do than to follow the bent of their inclinations; bu, if we consider a moment, we shall not only difcover that no good, but, on the reverfe, much ev.l refults from their paffion for private acting. How much it has refined them, or confirmed the gooddrefs that feemed to encroach beyond feeds of virtue in their bofoms, the the bounds of modefty, fubmits to tafle of the age will foon difcover be treated with Iberties which lay they may be called refined; when I a foundation for her ruin. Somecan convinge myself that the man times fhe petfonates the coquetre, who patronizes boxing, and is pleafed and is regale with all the pelte at feeing two fellow-mortals bruif-double entendres of the refined liing each other to a mummy, is of a refined difpofition, I will allow that they have dedu.ed much good from private afting.

One great objection against even. the nobility and thofe of independent for uses acting private plays, is the consequences that are likely to extend to thofe of inferior ranks from their example. It may be replied, tha this is a had cafe, for by this rule they muft deprive themfelves of a number of thole conveni encies their fortunes provide them, and con lemn themfelves to inactivity | and folitude, because a few people may have folly enough to imitate

I

berdine; they are familiar to her on the flage, and as ufe reconciles most difagreeables, he hears them with tels aread every time they are repeated, even off the flage: thus by degrees the fine edge of modeity is blunted, her morals are undermined, and the confequence is, that a feigned Califia may experience the perfidy of a real Lotharic, and literally become the Fair Penitent.

I fhall here clofe the fubject, as I think I have fufficiently pointed out he bad tendency of encouraging private acting. August 6.

CARLOS.

Яз

On Defamation.

To the EDITOR of the LADY'S MA

SIR,

GAZINE.

399

of finners, and give them that fear of Divine vengeance, like the fear of the drunkard when ftaggering home at midnight he fears to face his wife, left the fhould revenge herfelf on him by a black eye or bloody nose.

For a preacher (in an affembly met together to adore the fupreme Be-But difpel, difpel those fears of

ing) to borrow expreffions from
the meanest things, and apply
them to the most facred fubjects,
is in my opinion, making a riai-
cule of religion.-Of such a de-
feription is the following prayer,
which was actually delivered, in
what is called, a Methodist Meet-
ing. I heard it myfelf, therefore
can, and will affirm it to be true.
Perhaps I might not be exact in
the repetition of every word, but
that is no encroachment on the
fenfe. If you think it, worthy a
corner in your Magazine, I fhould
be glad to fee it inferted,

Grant me fuch energy of fpeech that my words may enter into, and pierce their hearts.

the repentant finner by the rays of the gofpel, as the returning rays of the fun would difpel the fears of a traveller benigh ed in a dreary wildernefs the over night. Finally I pray thee, that thou wouldeft root into their hearts, the love of thee, and thy fon, as firm as the root of a tree in the ground.-These, and all other bleffings we afk in the name of &c.'

UCH has been fid, by inge

nious men. concerning this vice. A vice, certainly it is, of the deepest die. Much more fo to him on whom it falls. And I have known many a worthy character in life, unjuly defamed by men, whofe cha

racters would not bear the Itaft in

like a two-edged word! O deal thyquiry. It often happens, that you grace around in this affembly as one meet with more ill-nature, from those would deal a pack of cards; let not who pretend to be your friends openmy labour be in vain, but make thefely, who, when your back is turned, hearers of the word, doers also. Beat will do you every ill act in their into the hearts of all unbelievers, power. But take this with you, as yea beat with thy rod into their cona certain axiom, that thofe are most fciences, a true fenfe of thy merciful prone to this vice, who are guilty goodness, and ftir up thy holy fpirit themfelves of every unlawful grati within them as one would ftir a pud- fication. They are very glad to ding. O grant to every profeffer of make thofe who are of a different thy faith tuch a divine boldness in character to them, appear, by their preaching of thee and thy gofpel, fpiteful defamation, as bad as they that, as the froth of a boiling pot, it will profevere in its courfe notwithftanding any oppofition that might be made. O turn the ftony heats

are,

and would pull down, if in their power, the most exalted character upon earth. Such vile wretches as thefe, ought to be banished out of

every

every fociety. For what can be worfe than to rob a man of his good name; what greater jewel can a man poff is, than a good character, and when he is robbed of that, he becomes

| be taken, towards perfecting a recovery, as circumstances require; and alfo at particular feafons of the year, when the eruption appears liable to return.

The following is the obferved proportion according to the New Dif penfatory, though fome think the farJaparilla is of no great confequence to the decoction, and I cannot help thinking half the quantity is fuffi

poor indeed. But to lofe his good
name, without any fault on his fide,
to be ftabed in a manner in the dark
by a fatal arrow, from one whom he
always cilcemed as a friend, is a deed
that cannot expect to find its reward
on this fide the grave. Plato, hear-cient.
ing it was afferted that he was a bad
man, made this reply, "I thall take
care," fays he, to live fo, that
nobody will believe them." I once
remember reading in the Guardian,
of a young lady called Melifa, who
had her character defamed over a
tea-table, in the circle of scandal,
and who immediately told her bro-
ther of it, who, upon hearing it,
told her, "that he was now fully
convinced how numberlefs were her
charms, fince her own fex would not
allow her any."

It often happens, that thofe who áre the greatest deftroyers of the reputation, are always the most enVous of the characters they pull down. We ought to look upon these wretches as fiends to fociety, and esteem them as affaffins who come in the dark with their lautern and digger, to ftcalaway your life. I all conclude this effay with a thought out of Monfieur Boileau,

"Celui qui met un frien à la fureur des flots.

Sçait auffi des mechans arreter les complots.

A

JULIUS."

To MARIA.

Madam,

GREEABLE to my promile I here fend you the receipt for the diet-drink; a tea-cup every morn ing, a quarter or half a pint twice or shree times a week, may occasionally

Take of farfaparilla, bruised and cut, fix ounces, the bark of saflafras, guaiacum fhavings, liquorice-root, of each one ounce; the bark of mezerion-root, three drachms: mix, and boil the ingredients in five quarts of water, till one half be confumed, then strain for ufe.--The mezerion is to be added towards the end of boiling, it is a warm root, and may, if difagreeable, he omit. ted. Should the above prove fatisfactory, F fhall be happy in attend ing to that question, or any other in the power ot

CAMILLUS.

To Mifs T-, of Manchefier.
Thee, beauty
thou better fun

Thee,

For ever beameft on the inchanted heart.
AKINSIDE."

HESE lines occurred to me,

THE

on mufing on a beautiful girl, to whofe exalted character, I fhall dedicate these few lines; hoping they will not be unacceptable to the fairone I wish to celebrate. The fmall tribute my pen is able to bestow on her virtues, will hardly compensate for the felicity I have experienced in her prefence. Though it is fmall, it comes from a heart, won by the mildness and fimplicity of her I fhall always refpect, though united to another man. To leffen her in the eyes of the world, would be to robi inno

cence

On Affectation.

GAZINE.

401

sence of her robe, to rob the temple | Te the EDITOR of the LADY's Maof its golden treasures. That man must be a brute, nay a monfier, that can behold innocence in diftrefs, and not strive to relieve it. But, I hope,

Cui flavem religas comam,

HOR.

For whom, do you tie up your hair, fo unaffectedly neat?

SIR,

no fuch enjoy the air. Hell itself, Simplex munditius ?
may all its fiends, have stood mo-
tionlefs at the fight of celiftial beauty.
But whilft I am thus praifing beauty,
I am neglecting her, for whom thefe
thoughts occurred. This young
1dy, for the deferves the title, is as
amiable as fhe is hand fome. In all
her gestures, the difplays dignity and
love. In her converfarion, fpright-
linefs and good humour. Thefe
united, you feldom meet with in the
fair-fex, and I think justly deferve
merit, when you do.—

"Beauty and worrh in her alike contend,
To charm the fancy and to fix the mind." |
Such is the amiable character of this
beautiful young lady. Though it is
a few years fince I met with her on
the duke of Bridgewater's canal, yet
I fhould be absent indeed, if I did
not pay her the praifes fhe deferves.
Though he is united to another
man, ftill my refpect and regard as
her friend fhall always continue, and
I hope she has married to her own
fatisfaction, as no party can be happy
without this effential ingredient, con-
tentment. For this ftate confifts in
love, mutually connected with love,
love the most pure, as in itself can
be; to cherish and admire the ob-
ject, that is the promoter of that real
affection, which arifes in the breast
of man, in loving the fair-one he
has chofen. May this union conti-
nue diffoluble and happy till death;
and may you then, by an eafy tran-
fition from what you now are, fhine
forth an angel of light. Such is the
with of a fincere friend, and as fuch,
I shall subscribe myself,
Madam,

Your fincere well-wisher,

JULIUS.

A'

FFECTATION is certainly

one of the greatest follics of youth. Simplicity, or that natural tendency to pleafe, which fine fo confpicuous in the fair character, when unadorned with pride, is amiable and praife-worthy. Sorry am I to fay that it is too much thrown afide, in the manners of the prefent day; we behold none of that modefty and unaffected neatnefs, which for merly adorned the fair-fex, but pride, that cruel fpoiler of charms, rules

uncontrouled. Inftead of heightening their charms, and renring them more lovely, it certainly deforms them. Nature in the fair fex, requires but little ornament. That natural amiablenefs of difpoand atention, would fhine with great fition which, if cultivated with care iuftre, is choaked up with pride and conceit, and in the end becomes tainted, with the very ornaments it wore. Simplicity fhuns the public eye, and retires with all its innate charms, into the flade, contented to be known for what it is; whilft affectation courts the eye of the multitude, and vainly balks in the funfhine of fplendour, priding itself in borrowed ornaments, withing for, but difappointed of, admiration. its endeavour is to affilt in deforming Pride is certainly its own enemy, as the natural difpofition, and covering thefe amiable virtues which, without it, would adorn the higheft ftation. Remember, my fair readers, that our fex is always delighted with

thes