tion to fhine in a fuperior clafs of his profeffion, to which his learning and oratory in a great degree entitled him; he entered of the Society of the Inner Temple, and was in due time called to the Bar. He had, however, in this fituation few opportunities of difplaying his abilities, till the trial of lord George S-lle called forth Mr. D's talents as his lordship's counsel, and from this moment he began to rife in fame; and his celebrity was foon eftablished as a found lawyer, an able counsellor, and an elegant orator. Soon after he made a figure at the bar, he became a representative in parliament, and his importance increafed fo much, that adminiftration judged him a valuable acquifition, and appointed him to a very confiderable poft of profit and honour in the law department. In this fituation he approved himself a man of integrity, and not being fufficiently obedient to the mandates of the M-r, it was thought neceffary to fupplant him by a certain Caledonian pleader, who was judged and found more tractable. In the mean while he was pronounced, by the unanimous voice of the world, a POWERFUL PLEADER, and as fuch was retained in almost every cause of importance in the King's Bench. Such uninterrupted application to business was, however, pernicious to his health, which vifibly declined; nevertheless he ftill difplayed his oratory, and particularly fignalized himself in the great caufe concerning literary property, in the upper houfe, at a time that he was very hoarfe, and feemed greatly to labour at the utterance of his elaborate discourse. Thefe outlines of the public character of the Powerful Pleader will clearly point him out to the intelligent reader; or, if there fhould any doubt remain, the fubjoining portrait of him will remove every poffible difficulty that can arife concerning the identity of our hero. Notwithstanding his indefatigable application to business, he had hours of relaxation, and was frequently feen of an evening in focial and unreserved converse at a certain coffee houfe near Temple Bar; where the Empress of Coffee feemed to have many ftrong attractions for the Powerful Pleader. He was alfo often vifible in public places; Ranelagh, Vauxhall, and the other gardens, afforded him amufement and recreation. The ladies upon thefe occasions appeared particularly to attract his attention, and his parties ufually confifted of very agreeable females, among whom there were fome well known demi- reps. A certain milliner who refides in the vicinity of Lincoln's-inn-fields, and whofe fine black eyes have made many conquefts in the law, was pronounced to be not fparing of her favours to Mr. D. At least her frequent visits to him in the morning at his chambers, though her band-box gave them the fanction of business, greatly corroborated the infinuation. This was not the only agreeable fair one whose businefs or partiality excited her to vifit our hero. Among others was lady L, whofe cause he pleaded fo fuccessfully, and gave her ladyfhip fo much fatisfaction, that it is generally believed the repaid him with her charms; and that he acted in the double capacity of court and chamber counsel. Thus fuccefsful in his amours, it is not furprizing that his vanity was ftimulated and gratified; and that he should confider, his perfon as very engaging and agreeable; which, perhaps, is the greateft foible in his character, The amour which gave rife to this hiftory is that which our hero has been the molt confpicuously engaged in. Mifs Lucy Ch-rlt-n is the daughter of a grocer, at Preston, in Lancashire. She received an education fuitable to her rank in life, and as fhe advanced towards maturity, being a very fine girl, and of an elegant fize, fhe had many fuitors; but her pride and prefumption prevented their making an impreffion on her heart, as the moit elevated rank of her fuitors was that of an attorney's clerk. Upon the death of her father fhe would probably have altered her fentiments, as he did not bequeath her that fortune which was expected, and in proportion as her expectations werediminished, the number of her fuitors decreased, which induced her to quit Preston, and repair to the capi. tal. Upon her arrival in London, the engaged with a mantua-maker, nanied D-k-n. Lucy was now about seventeen, and the continued with her miftrefs till the was nineteen. It cannot be fuppofed that a girl of Mifs C— -n's 's perfonal attractions could pafs unnoticed in fo gay a metropolis as London: the had many young fellows who paid their addrefles to her, a few upon honourable, and feveral on difhonourable terms. Her vanity fecured her at prefent from the intreaties of the latter, and her ambition. would would not let her yield to the former. Fate, however, determined her a facrifice to Mr. G- ke, a banker's clerk, who had made the ftudy of the fex his chief purfuit. A fine fum. mer's evening, joined to a very perfuafive tongue, prevailed upon Mifs Lucy to tafte Mrs. Mull-t's tea at the Bowling-green houfe, behind the Foundling hofpital. She had, however, the fortitude to refift Mr. G- -'s prefent attacks: but, upon the renewal of them, at a future vifit, the fuccumbed, yielding to his most amorous requests. The confummation of Mr. G▬▬▬▬'s most ardent wishes took place at Mrs. C--m's in Catharine ftreet-a celebrated temple dedicated to the Cyprian goddefs. Mifs Lucy's fears at having been abfent from home all night, induced her to litten to Mr. G's rhetoric, which prevailed, and the remained at Mrs. C's for feveral days. During her refidence here fhe was detected in an amour, which was conducted by that artful prieftefs of the Cytherean queen, Mrs. C. Mr. B- who had upon many occafions affifted Mrs. C--with fome of his best horfes, judged it was his turn to be affifted by Mrs. C, whofe judicious negociation prevailed, and one more beautiful flley was added to Mr. B-----'s catalogue. Thefe events occurred in the fpring of last year, when Mifs Chi-It-n having lost her banking friend, without an act of parliament changed her name to Gl-zb-k, under which appellation fhe took lodgings in York-ftreet, near the Middlefex Hofpital. Her Being once established in a general trade, it became fo extenfive, that she was obliged to call in fome affiftants, who procured her great emoluments. houfe, furniture, and equipage, were as fplendid as any poffeffed by a lady of eafy virtue within the bills of mortality. Unfortunately, at this period fhe became acquainted with a nominal captain, Der, who took care of her moveables and effects, which he carefully lodged, for fecurity, at a neighbouring pawnbroker's. Now deftitute of even the conveniencies of life, highly chagrined at her folly, and greatly emaciated with a rheumatic fever, fhe took a fmall lodging at Kenfington. Early in the fummer of the laft year, the ufed frequently to walk in Kensington gardens, when the mufic given by the commanding officer afford ed fome relief to her diftrefs, and gave her a chearful appearance. In one of thefe excurfions fhe was joined by Mr. D who was then in company with Mr. K. -,Mr. L, and the Rev. Mr. H. Mr. D's companions were not fo ill bred as long to intrude upon a tete-a-tete, which they perceived would be very agreeable to the Powerful Pleader. In confequence of this conference between Mr. D- and his Mifs C—, or Mifs Gl--zb--k, fhe accepted of our hero's proposal, which was, to provide her a lodging at Mrs. P- g--t's in Dukeftreet, Grofvenor fquare, where the remained during the months of June and July laft. In the autumn he changed her refidence to Petersham in Surry. Here the still remains, and the Powerful Pleader paffes with her the hours of relaxation in the most agreeable manner, Mifs Colv---le (the name the now bears) being folely attached to our hero, whofe good fenfe, vivacity, and affiduity to please, all tend to secure her his own. Mr. Nightshade, the Choleric Man, having retired from bufinefs into the country, cudgels his fon and fervants, quarrels with the vicar, and the generality of his neighbours, refpecting tythes, poaching, &c. upon his manor; and in confequence thereof makes a journey to Town, in order to commence feparate actions again the latter. The first visit he pays is to his fon Manlove, a man of temper, and a Counfellor of Lincoln'sInn, who had changed his name for a confiderable eftate, and taken Nightfhade's eldeft fon Charles for his heir, and given him likewife the name of Manlove, a circumftance the father could by no means brook. Nightfhade, on his arri val, lays his caufes of complaint before him for his opinion, who treating them with a deferved contempt, enrages him almost to a paroxyfm of madness. Soon after the father' arrival, his homebred fon Jack, an unlicked whelp, of whom he conftantly boafted as the pattern of Virtue and Innocence, taking it into his head to have a polifh, arrived in Town alfo, and finding out the refidence of his brother Charles, defires him not to peach him, but to lend him a fuit of his fine cloaths, that he might fee what it was to be a fine gentleman. Charles complying with his request, transfers him to the care of his uncle's clerk Dibble, a coxcomb of the quill, whom he defires to attend him. Mr. Manlove being at this time employed in perufing fome writings for Mifs Letitia Farfax, ward to Mr. Stapleton, a merchant in the City, where his brother Nightshade now took up his Town abode, reprefents her to his nephew Charles a young lady of infinite merit, accomplishments, and fortune, and one whom he could wish to call his niece. Charles, enraptured with the defcription of her, readily confents to wait upon her: but thinking it more delicate that a firft interview mould be incog, procures a recommendatory letter from his uncle to her (who had herself no fmall tafte and execution in painting) as an artist of infinite merit in that profeffion. Dibble having by this time made Jack Nightshade drunk, lays a plan for marrying him to his fitter Lucy, maid to Mifs Fairfax; and accordingly introduces him under his brother's name, Manlove, and calls her Mifs Fairfax. Mifs Fairfax foon obferving him, and finding his name to be Mantove, the gentleman of whom ber guardian spoke so warmly, is not a little chagrined; and the difcovers her contempt of him to Manlove himself, who ftill addreffes her in his disguise in behalf of his friend Manlove: Hence the plot. Mr. Nightshade, in this interval, having taken offence at one of the MorningPoft boys for blowing his horn in his ear, frikes him a violent blow with his cane, and knocks him down; in confequence of which a great mob affemble about the houfe, and threaten to pull him out of it. Mr. Stapleton and family thinking it a fine opportunity to cure him of his choler, alarm him with the tidings of the boy's death: after he is pretty well fweated, his brother arrives, and gives him a fevere lecture on the effects of paffion, and tells him that he can refcue him from all his apprehenfions, on his afurance, as an honeft man, that he will never more lift his hand against man or beatt. The Choleric Man now throws down his caue, and vows never to take up one more; in confequence of which he is informed of the hum-bug that has been played off upon him. The Piece terminates with Charles Manlove and Mifs Fairfax unravelling the mystery which had deceived theni both, by the former detecting Dibble's plot-the old man's difcovery of his hopeful fon in fuch extraordinary apparei,-his violent exit,-and the union of the happy pair. Mr. Cumberland has not courted the Comic Mufe in this play fo fuccessfully as in the Weft-Indian, and the rest of his Comedies. His language is unex-. ceptionably good; he is often as witty as Congreve, as eafy as Vanbrugh, and as fatirical as Wycherly. But language alone will not do. The plot is ill couducted; though the contrivance of Dibble to marry young Nightfirade to his fifter is natural enough, yet the impofition of the falfe Mr. Manlove, a drunkard and a wittol, upon the accomplished Fairfax, is too grófs. The main defign of the Piece, to convince and reform old Nightfhade, is not accomplished; he remains as great a brute as ever-and indeed the author has drawn a monfter rather than a man. Wefton is a perpetual fource of mirth, let his part be well or ill drawn, but furely this country-put, young Nightfhade, is too knowing, and too fhrewd, for one whofe dancing-maiter was Bear, and whofe kit was a crab-ftick. Gregory is far below that diverting character of Lolpoop in the Squire of Alfatia, a Mr. Cumberland had better truft to his own invention, than work upon the plans of others. His Timon of Athens, and his choleric Man are his worst pieces. Account of the new Ballad Opera, called the Cobler. The Mufic and Words by Mr. Dibden. The Characters in this Piece are, Alice Mrs. Niikin T Mr. Bannifer. Mr. Dibden. Mr. Parfons. Mrs. Wrighten. Mrs. Love. HE Opera Comique was fome years ago very fuccefsiully introduc d at |
