as it will go, fhould the labours of a writer, who defigns his performances for readers of a more refined appetite, fall into the hands of a devourer of compilations, what can he expect but contempt and confufion! If his merits are to be determined by judges who eftimate the value of a book from its bulk, or its frontispiece, every rival muft acquire an eafy fuperiority, who with perfuafive eloquence promifes four extraordinary pages of letter prefs, or three beautiful prints, curioufly coloured from nature. But to proceed; though I cannot promife as much entertainment, or as much elegance, as others have done, yet the reader may be affured he shall have as much of both as I can. He fhall, at leaft, find me alive while I ftudy his entertainment; for I folemnly affure him, I was never yet poffeffed of the fecret at once of writing and fleeping. During the courfe of this paper, therefore, all the wit and learning I have are heartily at his fervice; which if, after fo candid a confeffion, he should, notwithstanding, ftill find it intolerably dull, low, or fad ftuff, this I proteft is more than I know. I have a clear confcience, and am entirely out of the fecret. Yet I would not have him, upon the perufal of a fingle paper, pronounce me incorrigible; he may try a fecond, which, as there is a ftudied difference in fubject and ftyle, may be more fuited to his tafte; if this alfo fails, I muft refer him to a third, or even to a fourth, in cafe of extremity: If he should still continue refractory, and find me dull to the last, I must inform him, with Bays in the Rehearsal, that I think him a very odd kind of a fellow, and defire no more of his acquaintance. It is with fuch reflections as thefe I endeavour to fortify myfelf against the future contempt or neglect of fome readers, and am prepared for their diflike by by mutual recrimination. If fuch fhould impute dealing neither in battles nor fcandal to me as a fault, inftead of acquiefcing in their cenfure, I muft beg leave to tell them a ftory. A traveller, in his way to Italy, happening to pass at the foot of the Alps, found himself at last in a country where the inhabitants had each a large excrefcence depending from the chin, like the pouch of a monkey. This deformity, as it was endemic, and the people little used to ftrangers, it had been the custom time immemorial to look upon as the greatest ornament of the human vifage. Ladies grew toafts from the fize of their chins, and none were regarded as pretty fellows, but fuch whofe faces were broadeft at the bottom. It was Sunday, a country church was at hand, and our traveller was willing to perform the duties of the day. Upon his first appearance at the church door, the eyes of all were naturally fixed upon the ftranger; but what was their amazement, when they found that he actually wanted that emblem of beauty, a purfed chin! This was a defect that not a fingle creature had fufficient gravity (though they were noted for being grave) to withftand. Stifled bursts of laughter, winks, and whispers circulated from vifage to vifage, and the prifmatic figure of the stranger's face was a fund of infinite gaiety; even the parfon, equally remarkable for his gravity and chin, could hardly refrain joining in the good humour. Our traveller could no longer patiently continue an object for deformity to point at. Good folks, faid he, I perceive that I am the unfornate cause of all this good humour. It is true, I may have faults in abundance, but I fhall never be induced to reckon my want of a fwelled face among the number*. * Dr. Goldsmith inferted this Introduction, with a few trifling alterations, in the Volume of Effays he published in the year 1765. VOL. IV. L On On a beautiful YOUTH ftruck blind with Lightning. IMITATED FROM THE SPANISH. LUMINE Acon dextro capta eft Leonida finistro, REMARKS ON OUR THEATRES. OUR theatres are now opened, and all Grub-street is preparing its advice to the managers; we shall undoubtedly hear learned difquifitions on the ftructure of one actor's legs, and another's eye-brows. We fhall be told much of enunciations, tones and attitudes, and fhall have our lightest pleasures commented upon by didactic dullnefs. We fhall, it is feared, be told, that Garrick is a fine acctor, but then as a manager, fo avaricious! That Palmer is a moft furprifing genius, and Holland likely to do well in a particular caft of character. We fhall have them giving Shuter inftructions to amuse us by rule, and deploring over the ruins of defolated Majefty at Covent-Garden. As I love to be advising too, for advice is eafily given, and bears a fhew of wisdom and fuperiority, I must be permitted to offer a few observations upon our theatres aud actors, without, on this trivial occafion, this trivial occafion, throwing my thoughts into the formality of method. There is fomething in the deportment of all our players infinitely more ftiff and formal than among the actors of other nations. Their action fits uneafy * An English Epigram on the fame subject is inferted in the Second Volume, p. 128. upon upon them; for as the English ufe very little gefture in ordinary converfation, our English-bred actors are obliged to fupply ftage geftures by their imagination alone. A French comedian finds proper models of action in every company and in every coffee-house he enters. An Englishman is obliged to take his models from the stage itself; he is obliged to imitate Nature from an imitation of Nature. I know of no fet of men more likely to be improved by travelling than thofe of the theatrical profeffion. The inhabitants of the continent are less referved than here; they may be feen through upon a firft acquaintance; fuch are the proper models to draw from; they are at once ftriking, and are found in great abundance. Though it would be inexcufable in a comedian to add any thing of his own to the Poet's dialogue, yet as to action he is entirely at liberty. By this he may fhew the fertility of his genius, the poignancy of his humour, and the exactness of his judgment; we scarcely fee a coxcomb or a fool in common life, that has not fome peculiar oddity in his action. Thefe peculiarities it is not in the power of words to reprefent, and depend folely upon the actor. They give a relish to the humour of the poet, and make the appearance of Nature more illufive; the Italians, it is true, mafk fome characters, and endeavour to preserve the peculiar humour by the make of the mafk; but I have feen others ftill preferve a great fund of humour in the face without a mafk; one actor, particularly, by a fquint which he threw into fome characters of low life, affumed a look of infinite folidity. This, though upon reflection we might condemn, yet immediately upon reprefentation we could not avoid being pleased with. To illuftrate what I have been faying by the plays I have of late gone to fee: in the Mifer, which was played a few nights ago at Covent-Garden, Love gold appears through the whole in circumftances of exaggerated avarice; all the player's action, therefore, fhould confpire with the poet's defign, and represent him as an epitome of penury. The French comedian, in this character, in the midft of one of his moft violent paffions, while he appears in an ungovernable rage, feels the demon of avarice ftill upon him, and ftoops down to pick up a pin, which he quilts into the flap of his coat-pocket with great affiduity. Two candles are lighted up for his wedding; he flies, and turns one of them into the focket; it is, however, lighted up again; he then steals to it, and privately crams it into his pocket. The MockDoctor was lately played at the other house. Here again the comedian had an opportunity of heightening the ridicule by action. The French player fits in a chair with an high back, and then begins to fhew away by talking nonfenfe, which he would have thought Latin by those who he knows do not underftand a fyllable of the matter. At last he At laft he grows enthufiaftic, enjoys the admiration of the company, toffes his legs and arms about, and in the midft of his raptures and vociferation he and the chair fall back together. All this appears dull enough in the recital; but the gravity of Cato could not stand it in the representation. In fhort, there is hardly a character in comedy, to which a player of any real humour might not add ftrokes of vivacity that could not fail of applaufe. But inftead of this we too often fee our fine gentlemen do nothing through a whole part, but ftrut, and open their fnuff-box; our pretty fellows fit indecently with their legs acrofs, and our clowns pull up their breeches. Thefe, if once, or even twice repeated, might do well enough; but to fee them ferved up in every fcene, argues the actor almoft as barren as the character he would expofe. The |