DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.53268#0216
piece the taking of it feems ^prodigy: yet indeedfuch* a-one, as was pretty
tolerably accounted for by a gentleman who fate by me in the boxes. This
learned fage, being afked how he liked the play, made anfwer, ‘He could
not tell—pretty well, he thought-—or indeed as well as any other play—he
always took it, that people only came there to lee and to be feen—for as for
what was faid, he owned, he never undei flood any thing of the matter.’
I told him, I thought a great many of its admirers were in his cafe, if
they would but own it.” Had this confeflion been made on feeing e‘ Comus,”
as of late years it has been prefented, in a mutilated, mangled Hate, it
would not be furprifing; but the above was wri ten in the year 1740, foon
after its revival, with Dalton’s* congenial infertions, accompanied by Arne’s
delightful melodies; graced and enriched by the action and harmony of
Quin, Milward, Beard, Mrs. Clive, Mrs. Arne, and Mrs. Cibber.
To do Shenftone juftice, it muft be acknowledged, that he feems to have
taken great pains to acquire a tafte for Spenfer (See his Letters), but never
to have thoroughly accomplifhed it; he wrote, himfelf, fo much to the
ear, that, “ Where more is meant than meets the ear,” was “ caviare” to him :
and he is chiefly pleafed with the ludicrous of the fublime author of the
<c 'Four Hymns in honour of Love, Beauty, Heavenly Love, and Heavenly
Beauty;” Daphnaidaf “ The Ruines of Time f “ The Tears of the
Mufesf &:c. &c. &c. and the unrivalled, tho’but half-fin ifhed, “Faerie
fueene ”
The freedom of animadverfion here affumed, is not, it is hoped, ufed
arrogantly; it relates merely to tajie, which varies mentally, as well as
corporeally, in almoft everyman : the blamelefs fubj Ct of thefe ftridtures,
let his writings or opinions have been what they might, made one fligat
above moft men :
“ His life was unstained by any crime.”
* DALTON (John, D. D.)> was born at Deane in Cumberland, where his father was then reftor,
j70g. He had his fchool education at Lowther in Wefcmoreland, and thence was removed, at i6, to
Queen’s college in Oxford. When he had taken his firft degrees, he had the employment of being tutor or
tolerably accounted for by a gentleman who fate by me in the boxes. This
learned fage, being afked how he liked the play, made anfwer, ‘He could
not tell—pretty well, he thought-—or indeed as well as any other play—he
always took it, that people only came there to lee and to be feen—for as for
what was faid, he owned, he never undei flood any thing of the matter.’
I told him, I thought a great many of its admirers were in his cafe, if
they would but own it.” Had this confeflion been made on feeing e‘ Comus,”
as of late years it has been prefented, in a mutilated, mangled Hate, it
would not be furprifing; but the above was wri ten in the year 1740, foon
after its revival, with Dalton’s* congenial infertions, accompanied by Arne’s
delightful melodies; graced and enriched by the action and harmony of
Quin, Milward, Beard, Mrs. Clive, Mrs. Arne, and Mrs. Cibber.
To do Shenftone juftice, it muft be acknowledged, that he feems to have
taken great pains to acquire a tafte for Spenfer (See his Letters), but never
to have thoroughly accomplifhed it; he wrote, himfelf, fo much to the
ear, that, “ Where more is meant than meets the ear,” was “ caviare” to him :
and he is chiefly pleafed with the ludicrous of the fublime author of the
<c 'Four Hymns in honour of Love, Beauty, Heavenly Love, and Heavenly
Beauty;” Daphnaidaf “ The Ruines of Time f “ The Tears of the
Mufesf &:c. &c. &c. and the unrivalled, tho’but half-fin ifhed, “Faerie
fueene ”
The freedom of animadverfion here affumed, is not, it is hoped, ufed
arrogantly; it relates merely to tajie, which varies mentally, as well as
corporeally, in almoft everyman : the blamelefs fubj Ct of thefe ftridtures,
let his writings or opinions have been what they might, made one fligat
above moft men :
“ His life was unstained by any crime.”
* DALTON (John, D. D.)> was born at Deane in Cumberland, where his father was then reftor,
j70g. He had his fchool education at Lowther in Wefcmoreland, and thence was removed, at i6, to
Queen’s college in Oxford. When he had taken his firft degrees, he had the employment of being tutor or