possession of the stage for many years-Pepys saw the Committee June 12 1663. 3. Indian Queen-this is completely a Heroick Tragedy-unnatural, but never dull-Zempoalla, the Indian Queen, is a good acting characterHoward makes her give a good definition of Honour, as it was then understood "Honour is but an itch in youthful blood When the Ynca asks Montezuma what reward he shall give him, Montezuma replies "I beg not empires, those my sword can gain; "I only ask from fair Orazia's eyes "To reap the fruit of all my victories." Fielding makes Tom Thumb say "I ask not kingdoms, I can conquer those, * I ask but this, "To sun myself in Huncamunca's eyes.' Zempoalla, when her son has stabbed himself, exclaims "Some water there-Not one stirs from his place; "I'll use my tears to sprinkle on his face." Many passages however are well written. Mrs. Behn, in her history of Oronooko, describes the country of Surinam, where she resided for some time she says "We trade with the natives for feathers, which they order into all shapes, make "themselves little short habits of 'em, and glorious "wreaths for their heads, necks, arms and legs, 66 "whose tinctures are unconceivable. I had a set of these presented to me, and I gave 'em to the King's Theatre; it was the dress of the Indian Queen, infinitely admir'd by persons of quality; "and was inimitable." The Indian Queen came out in Jan. 1664-Mrs. Marshall acted the Indian Queen. (Pepys.) 4. Vestal Virgin, or the Roman Ladies.-this is a poor T.-Howard seems to have been superlatively ignorant of Roman manners-in this play as originally written all the principal characters but two are killed, and just as the Tag is spoken, Lacy entered abruptly to speak the Epilogue— 66 By your leave Gentlemen “After a sad and dismal Tragedy, "I do suppose that few expected me.” An alteration was afterwards made in the conclusion of the 4th act, and almost all the 5th was written afresh-according to this change, only one of the characters dies-Lacy came on as before, but finding most of them alive, he said, there was no use for him; and that the Poet had spoilt his Epilogue. Old Troop, or Monsieur Raggou-this Farce in 5 acts was written by Lacy, who no doubt acted Raggou-the piece however is printed without the names of the performers-most of the characters are officers or privates in a Troop of Horse, in the service of Charles the 1st, at the time of the civil wars-some Roundheads are also introduced-it is remarkable that Lacy should represent the subalterns in this Troop, as plundering the country in a shameful man ner-Raggou is one of the Troopers-he commits such depredations at his quarters that he is afraid of being hanged he puts on various disguises, and at last obtains a pardon on condition of marrying Dol Troop, that is Dol Common to the whole troopthe humour of this piece is low, and professedly adapted to the taste of the gallery rather than the pit-Lacy says in the Prologue "Defend me, O friends of th' upper region "I was in hope that I should only see 66 My worthy crew of th' upper Gallerie : "What made you Wits so spightfully to come? "To tell you true, I'd rather had your room.” Old Troop was not published till 1672, but it is sufficiently clear that it was acted before the Vestal Virgin, as in the first Epilogue to that play Lacy speaks of himself as having been once a Poet-in the second he says "Well-if nothing pleases but variety, "I'll turn Rageu into a Tragedy. "When Lacy, like a whining Lover, dies, * * ** * * "Which makes poets and Dutchmen certain prize. These lines must have been written soon after the declaration of war against the Dutch, which was made the beginning of 1665 N. S. = = = Indian Emperour, or the Conquest of Mexico.— Indians --Montezuma = Mohun: Odmar and Guyomar (his sons) = Wintersel and Kynaston: High Priest Cartwright: Almeria = Mrs. Marshal: Cydaria (Montezuma's daughter)=Mrs. Gwyn: ---Spaniards-Cortes Hart: Vasquez - Burt:-Downes does not tell us who acted the other characters-this T. was not published till 1667, but it was entered on the stationers' books May 26 1665-(Malone)—before which time it had certainly been acted-Dryden meant it as a sort of Sequel to the Indian Queen, of which he had written a part-the Indian Emperour is in rhyme the plot and language are unnatural, but not dull-the description of night and of the first appearance of the Spanish fleet, with some other passages, are well written-when Vasquez has killed Odmar he offers his friendship to Guyomar, who replies 66 Friendship with him whose hand did Odmar kill! "Base as he was, he was my brother still." Quin made a parody on the last line, and perhaps spoke it on the stage— "Tho' he was odd, yet thou art odder still." Odmar mentions his having killed a horse soldier— "I kill'd a double man; the one half lay 66 Upon the ground, the other ran away." These lines are quoted in the Married Beau, of course as a quiz. Dryden says in the Prologue, alluding to the Indian Queen "The scenes are old, the habits are the same He means before the Spaniards arrived in America. Dryden's advertisement pointing out the connexion between this play and the Indian Queen, seems to have been printed and distributed to the audienceit is supposed that Bayes means to ridicule this circumstance, when he says-" I have printed above a "hundred sheets to insinuate the plot into the "boxes." Dryden tells us in his Essay on Dramatick Poesie, that no serious plays since the Restoration had been more successful than the Siege of Rhodes-Mustapha -the Indian Queen and Indian Emperour. L. I. F. 1665. = April 3. Pepys says "To a play of my Lord 'Orrery's, called Mustapha"-the cast was-Soly man the Magnificent = Betterton: Mustapha and Zanger (his sons) Harris and Smith: Cardinal= Young: Roxalana Mrs. Betterton: Queen of Hungary=Mrs. Davis:-Mustapha was gotten up with great care, and produced vast profit to the company —(Downes)—it is written in rhyme, and on the whole is far from a bad play-Mustapha and Zanger are not only brothers, but sworn friends-they fall in love with the Queen of Hungary-Solyman is jealous |