(6)

sury, the government of Corsica (a month's stay being allowed before he proceeded to his office) is conferred upon him, and his name is solemnly enrolled among the worthies of his country. But these honours and rewards come too late. The star, which had shed light and happiness on the more straitened fortunes of Auria, had disappeared; his home is desolate, and in the phrenzied anguish of the moment his sword is almost drawn upon the friend, to whose giddy zeal and rash indiscretion he considers himself indebted for the awkward situation in which he finds himself placed-his suspicions raised, but not so certified as to justify him in calling Adurni to account.-Spinella meantime had taken refuge in the house of her cousin Malfato, that cousin who had long sighed for her in secret, but who considering their nearness of blood as an inseparable bar to their union, had never told his tale of love, till the wrongs of Spinella and her present situation wring it from him, in language so delicately reserved, that even a woman's quick sense hardly perceives its meaning, till the narrative draws towards a close.The justice finally done to the 'pure and unflawed' virtues of Spinella-the means by which all crooked surmises' on the part of Aurelio are removed-the dignified repentance exhibited by Adurni, contrasting strongly as it does with his former levity and rashness-and the developement of Auria's character, so new in an Italian husband, will be best learned from the drama itself.

6

The under-plot of the 'Lady's Trial' consists in the amusement derived from the fantastic imagination of Amoretta, daughter of the Genoese citizen Trelcatio.

With more pride than fortune (' since she herself with all her father's store, can hardly weigh above 400 ducats') this lisping beauty discards a train of worthy suitors 'only for that they are not dukes or counts.' To work the silly maiden's reformation, two pretended lovers, are, with her father's connivance, provided to play upon her feelings and propensities-Guzman, a solemn bombastic Spaniard, whose whole wealth appears to lie in his language, which certainly is rich enough, and Fulgoso, a livelier coxcomb, whom the late Flemish wars had lifted from a sutler's hut into opulence, and into such gentility as opulence can confer. It is to be hoped that we may attribute to design, rather than to accident, that the humbler characters of the Lady's Trial' are at all events inoffensive. This was probably Ford's last play, and leads us to hope with Mr. Gifford, that its author had at last suspected his want of genuine humour, and recollected before he closed his theatrical career, that a dull medley of extravagance and impurity was ill calculated to supply the defect.'

LANGUAGE and matter, with a fit of mirth,
That sharply savours more of air than earth,
Like midwives, bring a play to timely birth.

But where's now such a one, in which these three,
Are handsomely contriv'd? or, if they be,
Are understood by all who hear or see?

Wit, wit's the word in fashion, that alone
Cries up the poet, which, though neatly shown,
Is rather censured, oftentimes, than known.

He who will venture on a jest, that can
Rail on another's pain, or idly scan
Affairs of state, oh! he's the only man!

A goodly approbation, which must bring
Fame with contempt, by such a deadly sting!
The Muses chatter, who were wont to sing.

Your favours in what we present to-day;
Our fearless author boldly bids me say,
He tenders you no satire, but a play;

In which, if so he have not hit all right,
For wit, words, mirth, and matter as he might,
He wishes yet he had, for your delight.

MASTER BIRD.*

See the Dedication to the Sun's Darling.

GUZMAN, a braggadoccio Spaniard.

FULGOSO, an upstart gallant.

BENATZI, husband to LEVIDOlche.

SPINELLA, wife to AURIA.

CASTANNA, her sister.

AMORETTA, a fantastic maid.

LEVIDOLCHE, a wanton.

THE SCENE.-Genoa.