citing the least suspicion of their sex, for two men— and, along with other as extraordinary incidents, a brother does not know his own sister, nor a lover his most beloved mistress, in familiar couference, because they are dressed in men's attire. But the trivial occurrence, from whence the following five acts are wholly produced, is the loss of a portmanteau; and it is most curious to watch the ingenuity of the author through all those intricate contrivances, and plausible explanations, by which, upon this slight incident, he continually baffles the wise plans of one party of his characters, by the crafty schemes of the other. Humorous suspense, and more humorous surprise, are the reward of strict attention to the scenes of this drama-and, from the rising of the curtain till its falling, one comic event, will be found, artfully to create another; whilst the importance of each is augmented as each successively takes place; till the catastrophe, the most important of all, completes a work most whimsically conceived, and most skilfully conducted to its very close. Those characters which have any peculiar mark of distinction, beyond what the happy occurrence of the moment produces, are Don Manuel, Trappanti, and Hypolita--one a father, the other a servant man, and the last a young lady in love. But these three personages, though all extremely pleasant on the stage, are, in their individual capacities, such as no child would revere, no master would trust, and no prudent man would take for a wife. |