Rebellion at that time raging in the country, he showed his loyalty, by producing a tragedy intended to ferve Government; and his folly, in giving to the Public fo hafty a performance: it was entitled, "King Henry the Seventh; or, The Popish Impoftor," and was firft acted the 18th of January 1746. The fecond title of this tragedy gave rife to fome ridicule before it was reprefented, and the performance itself met with no better treatment; nor indeed delerved it, being deftitute of metre, plot, or character. It was acted, how ever, three nights; and in the preface to it the Author apologizes for its defects, from the circumitance of its being begun and finished in fix weeks, without any other correction but what it received at the rehearsals. The fame excufe he had made in the Prologue : THE temporary Piece in hafte was writ, Judge not by critic but by patriot laws; On the 23d of April 1746, he produced, at his wife's benefit, à farce, entitled "A Will and no Will; or, A Bone for the Lawyers;" with a Prologue, as the bills of the day exprefs it, to be written and spoken by the Pit. The next feafon (1746-7) Mr. Macklin continued at Drury Lane, at which Theatre Mr. Barry was for the firft time engaged. This afterwards popular actor had to oppofe the activity and abilities of Mr. Garrick at the rival Theatre, and derived great advantages from the experience and inftructions of Mr. Macklin, by whose aid he, in many characters, divided the applaufe of the public with his rival. It may be prefumed, and Mr. Macklin did not attempt to conceal the fact, that refentment at Mr. Garrick's former treatment of him influenced him to exert his talents in behalf of Mr. Barry. Towards the conclufion of the feafon, he produced a farce, entitled "The Sufpicious Husband criticifed; or, The Plague of Envy;" which never appeared a fecond time. The next feaion (1747-8) commenced the management of Melfrs. Garrick and Lacy, with whom Mr. Macklin engaged for that feafon; and on the 28th of April 1748 caufed to be revived, at his wife's benefit, an old play written by John Ford, called "The Lover's Melancholy." Previous to this reprefentation he printed in The General Advertiser fome anec dotes of Ford, Jonfon, and Shakspeare, as from an old pamphlet, the existence of which has, on grounds difficult to be controverted, been doubted *. On the fame evening he produced another farce, entitled "The Club of Fortune Hunters; or, The Widow bewitched;" which im mediately funk into oblivion. At the end of the feafon he quitted Drury Lane, and engaged with Mr. Sheridan to perform at Dublin for two years, on terms very advantageous to him these were no less than to receive eight hundred pounds a year for the performance of himself and his wife. This Mr. Victor defcribes as a most improvident bargain on the part of Mr. Sheridan; "for though," fays he, "in many characters Mr. and Mrs. Macklin were excellent, yet furely no one but a young Manager (who, from the fulness of his heart, overflowing with gratitude to the public, was determined to provide them entertainment at any expence) would have given that fum to the two beft LOW COMEDIANS in the universe ; their style of characters could not deferve it. Macklin is excellent in the Jew, Scrub, Sir Paul Pliant, Sir Gilbert Wrangle, &c. &c. but unless the Gentle This forgery, admitting it to be one, those who were acquainted with Mr. Macklin in his best days know he was not capable of executing without affistance; and it is remarkable, that no name of any perfon has been fuggefted as likely to have given him fuch aid. Indeed, neither the species of talents, nor the pursuits of Mr. Macklin render it probable that he could have been author of the forgery himself. In the laft Edition of ShakIpeare (1795), vol. i, p. 618. Mr. Malone has offered fome weighty reasons to prove that the pamphlet never exifted. He has certainly fhewn that the facts faid to be mentioned in it have very light, or fometimes no foundation. This however may be admitted, but the conclufion does not follow; the pamphlet may be still in being, though the facts related in it are proved to be untrue. It is but justice to acknowledge that Mr. Malone's doubts, though we think them not conclufive in the fcale of probability, claim every degree of atntion. men men and Ladies in thofe comedies are well performed alfo, who can fee them with pleafure *.” How far the agreement might have pleafed the public, had it continued, is unknown, for fearce had the connexion taken place, than a violent quarrel broke out between the Manager and the performer, the caufe of which does not clearly appear. Mr. Victor, in a letter without date to Colley Cibber, mentions the performance of The Refufal five nights; and in another, likewife without date to Mr. Garrick, fays, that the difference began before Mr. Macklin had been a month in Dublin. After the Theatre opened, "Mr. Sheridan was obliged very foon (for his own fake) to pufh in fo many of his ftrongest tragedies among the comedies (which made the difparity of the audience fo obvious), that Macklin began to run mad about marketable fame. This furor was car ied to fo whimical a length, that he SIR, produced his compaffes to meafure the fize of the type of Sheridan's name in the play-bills with his own; being determined not to give a hair's breadth to the Manager! This fpirited action being fubmitted to, was foon of course productive of many others of the fame nature; every time he drank too much claret, he was fhamefully abufive in the green-room; and at laft, to fhew his thorough contempt for Sheridan as Manager, he went on the itage one night after the play, and gave out a comedy for his wife's benefit, without either fettling the play or the night with the Manager. This being fo notorious a breach of all theatrical difcipline, Sheridan was compelled to order the doors to be fhut against him and his wife, and to leave him to feck his redrefs from the law." This is Vi&or's account of the tranfaction; how, the lawfuit ended, we are not informed. HAVING feen feveral of your very ingenious remarks on Pope's Tianilation of Homer, I was induced into a defire of attempting to add my mite in behalf of the Greek Poet. Doubting not from the fpecimen I had feea of Pope's Verfion but that I fhould find ample means, I compared it for the first time (for at Weftminfter we are allowed neither Latin nor English translation) with the Utxonian Bard. The third Iliad was the portion wherein I began my com. parison, and I there found Κρητηρι δε οίνον Μισγον ατας βασιλευσιν ύδως επι χειρας v. 26. tranflated "The wine they mix, and on each Mo narch's hands Pour the full urn." Now this is undoubtedly taking an unwarrantable liberty as well with Homer as with ancient custom; for by Pope it appears, that the wine they mix'd bey pour'd on each Monarch's bands; [To be continued.] "then draws the Grecian Lord "His cutlafs, fheath'd befide his pond'rous fword." With respect to this I have only to obferve, that I imagine uzxzigav eroneonly tranfated by the word cutlais, Knite, culter, as in the Lexicon, world in my opinion be much nearer the meaning of Homer, and an inftrument more fit to cut bair, for which purpofe he emΑρνων εκ. κεφαλέων ταμε ployed it. Ts. I can further add, to strengthen my fuppofition, that the ufage of carrying a knife in the fcabbard of the word is till prevalent amongst the Germans, with which, when travelling, they eat their victuals, and which was mott likely Victor's History of the Theatres, vol. i. p. 127. + Original Letters, &c. by Victor, vol. i. p. 150. Ibid, p. 160. ufed fed by the Grecian Chiefs for the fame purpofe; not to mention the affiftance it muft have afforded them when officiating as their own cooks. For the prefent I fhall decline making any further obfervations on the fubject before us wishing at the fame time, however, that those I have made, though of little note in comparison with your more profound remarks, may yet meet Sic forfan tener aufus eft Catullus Your obedient fervant, Sept. 8, 1797. ACCOUNT OF JOSEPH WRIGHT, ESQ. THIS Gentleman was an artist whofe works have already procured him the higheft eminence in various branches of his profeffion. He was a pupil of Hudfon, who, though an indifferent Painter himself, had the honour of inftructing three of the most eminent Painters of the age, viz. Sir Joshua Reynolds, Mr. Wright, and Mr. Mortimer. Mr. Wright's early historical pictures may be confidered as the first valuable hiftorical productions of the English School; becaufe at the time his Gladiator, Orrery, Air Pump, Hermit, and Blackfmith's Forge, were painted, nothing of any confequence had been produced in the historical line. His attention was afterwards directed for fome years to Portrait Painting; and from the fpecimens he has left, there can be no doubt that he would have food in the first rank in this branch of the art, had he chofen to purfue it; but his genius was not to be circumfcribed within fuch narrow limits, and there. fore, at a mature age, he vifited Italy, to ftudy the precious remains of art which that country poffeffed. His fine drawings, after Michael Angelo (which have scarcely been feen except by his particular friends), and the enthufiafm with which he always fpoke of the fublime original, evinced the estimation in which he held them; and from their extreme accuracy, they may be confidered as faithful delineations of the treasures of the Capella Seltina, and fuch as have never yet been exhibited to the public. During his abode in Italy, he had an opportunity of feeing a very memorable eruption of Vefuvius, which rekindled his inclination for painting extraordinary effects of light; and his different pictures of this fublime event stood decidedly chef d'œuvres in that line of painting; for who but Wright ever fucceeded in fire or moonlights? His late pictures have been chiefly Landicapes, in which we are at a lofs, whether most to admire the elegance of his outline, his judicious VOL. XXXI, SEPT. 1797. management of light and fhade, or the truth and delicacy of his colouring; but of thofe, the greatest part have never been exhibited, as they were always purchafed from the eafel, by amateurs who knew how to appreciate their value: a large Landscape (his laft work), now at Derby, being a view of the Head of Ullfwater, may be confidered amongst the finest of his works, and defervedly rank with the most valued productions of Wilfon, or even Claude himself. In the hiftorical line, the Dead Soldier, which is now known by Heath's admirable print, would alone eftablish his fame, if his Edwin (in the poffeffion of J. Milnes, Efq. of Wakefield, who has allo his Dettruction of the Floating Batteries off Gibraltar, and fon.e of his belt Landicapes), the two pictures of Hero and Leander, Lady in Comus, Indian Widow, and other hiftorical fubjects, had not already afcertained his excellence. His attachment to his native town, added to his natural modefty, and his fevere application both to the theory and practice of Painting, prevented his mixing with promifcuous fociety, or eltablishing his reputation by arts which he would never defcend to practife. His friends long urged him to refide in London; but his family attachments, and love of retirement and ftudy were invincible, and he fell a victim to his unwearied attention to his profeffion. His pictures have been fo much in requeft, that there is scarcely an inftance of their ever having come into the hands of dealers; neither have his best works ever been feen in London; a ftrong proof of their intrinfic worth, and that no artifices were neceffary to enfure their fale. It is with pleafure therefore we record, that his pecuniary circumftances were always affluent, and fhew that the world has not been unmindful of his extraordinary talents, and alfo that, as a man, he enjoyed the friendship and esteem of all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance. THE THE LONDON REVIEW AND LITERARY JOURNAL, FOR SEPTEMBER 1797. QUID SIT PULCHRUM, QUID TURPE, QUID UTILE, QUID NON. A Defcription of the Villa of Mr. Horace Walpole, youngest Son of Sir Robert Walpole, Earl of Orford, at Strawberry Hill, near Twickenham, Middlesex; with an Inventory of the Furniture, Pictures, Curiofities, &c. Strawberry Hill. 4to. 1784. vanity. Having lived, unhappily, to fee the nobleft fchool of painting that this kingdom beheld, tranfported almoft out of the fight of Europe, it would be strange fafcination, nay a total infenfibility to the pride of family, and to the moral reflections that wounded pride commonly feels, to expect that a paper fabric, and an affemblage of curious trifles made by an infignificant man, shouki laft, or be treated with more veneration and respect, than the trophies of a palace, depofited in it by one of the beft and wifeft Minifters that this country has enjoyed.”, His Lordship begins his preface with an apology for himself for printing the Catalogue: It will look, I fear," This eulogium on Sir Robert Walpole fays he, " a little like arrogance in a will find many oppofers, though the private man to give a printed defeription character of this able Minifter has for of his Villa and Collection, in which fome time been advancing in the political almost every thing is diminutive. It world; and time, which generally allots was not, however, intended for public the proper place to every politician when fale, and originally was meant only to the heats of party are abated, now feems aflift those who should visit the place willing to give him credit for more abia further view fucceeded; that of ex- lities and integrity than his contempohibiting specimens of Gothic archi- raries chofe to allow him. Whatever tecture, as collected from standards in his deferts were, the folicitude of a fon cathedrals and chapel-tombs; and thew- to place his father in the beft point of ing how they may be applied to chimney view, cannot but attract the, praife of pieces, cielings, windows, balluftrades, every ingenuous mind. Lord Orford loggias, &c. The general ditute of proceeds: Gothic architecture, and the decay and alterations fo frequently made in churches, give prints a chance of being the fole prefervatives of that ftyle. "CATALOGUES RAISONNES of Collections are very frequent in France and Holland, and it is no high degree of vanity to affume for an exilting Collection an illuftration that is allowed to many a temporary auction;-an existing Collection even that phrafe is void of "Far from fuch visions of felf-love, the following account of pictures and rarities is given with a view to their future difperfion. The feveral purchasers will find a hiftory of their purchafes ; nor do virtuoios dillike to refer to fuch a catalogue for an authentic certificate of their curiofities. The following Collection was made out of the ipoils of many renowned cabinets, as Dr. Meade's, Lady Elizabeth Germaine's, Lord Ox ford's, ford's, the Duchefs of Portland's, and about forty more of celebrity: fuch well-attefted descent is the genealogy of the objects of virtù; not fo noble as thofe of the peerage, but on a par with thole of race-hories. In all three, efpecially the pedigrees of heirs and rarities, the line is often continued by many infignificant names." He then mentions fome of the most remarkable of his collections, and concludes in the following manner : "Upon the whole, fome tranfient pleafure may even hereafter arife to the perufer of this catalogue. To others it may afford another kind of fatisfaction, that of criticifm. In a houfe affecting not only obfolete architecture, but pretending to an obfervance of the coftume even in the furniture, the mixture of modern portraits and French porcelaine and Creek and Roman fculpture may feem heterogeneous. In truth, I did not mean to make my houfe fo Gothic as to exclude convenience and modern refinements in luxury the defigns of the infide and outfide are strictly ancient, but the decorations are modern. Would our ancestors, before the reformation of architecture, not have depofited in their gloomy caltles, antique ftatues, and fine ctures, beautiful vafes and ornamented china, if they had pofleffed them? But I do not mean to defend by argument a imali capricious houfe: it was built to pleate my own talte, and in fome degree to realize my own vitions. I have ipecified what it contains ; could I defcribe the gay but tranquil fcene where it ftands, and add the beauty of the landicape to the remantic calt of the manfion, it would raife more pleafing fenfations than a dry lift of curiofities can excite at least, the profpect would recall the good-humour of thote who might be difpoted to condemn the fantastic fabric, and to think it a very proper habitation of, as it was the fcene that inspired, the author of The Caftle of Otranto." The hiftory of Strawberry Hill Caftle may afford fome entertainment to our readers. "Where the Gothic Caftle now stands, was originally a small tenement *, built in 1698, and let as a lodging-house: Cibber once took it, and wrote one of his plays here, The Refusal; or, The Lady's Philofophy. After him, Talbot, Bifhiop of Durham, had it for eight years † ; then Henry Bridges, Marquis of Carnarvon, fon of James Duke of Chandos, and fince Duke himself. It was next hired by Mrs. Chevenix 1, the noted toy-woman; who, on the death of her husband, let it to Lord Philip Sackville, fecond fon of Lionel, Duke of Dorfet ; he kept it about two years, and then Mr. Walpole took the remainder of Mrs. Chevenix's leafe in May 1747, and the next year bought it by act of Parliament : it being the property of three minors of the name of Mortimer. Along with this houfe and fome other tenements was another fmall one §, then occupied by Richard Francklin, printer of The Craftefman, who had been taken up for printing that paper during the adminiftration of Sir Robert Walpole . When Mr. Walpole bought Strawberry Hill, there were but five acres belonging to the houfe: the reft have been purchafed fince. The Cattle now existing was not entirely built from the ground, but formed at different times, by alterations of, and additions to the old fmall house. The library and refectory, or great parlour, were entirely new in 1753; the gallery, round tower, great cloitter, and cabinet, in 1760 and 1761; the great North bedchamber in 1770; and the Beauclerc tower, with the hexagon clofet, in 1776. "The embattled wall to the road is taken from a print of Afton House in Warwickshire, in Dugdale's Hiftory of that County.' The vifitor is then carried through the feveral apartments, in which a vast It was built by the Earl of Bradford's Coachiman, and was called by the common people, Chopped Straw Hall; they fuppofing, that by feeding his lord's horses with chopped straw, he had faved money enough to build his houfe; but the piece of ground on which it ftands is called in all the old leafes Strawberry Hill Shor, from whence it takes its name. + The Bishop kept a large table here, which is fearce conceivable, as he had no kitchen but that little place which is now the china-room. Pere Courayer lodged here with her for fome time. It has fince been pulled down, and a cottage built on the fame spot. The garden too has been newly laid out by Mr. Walpole, fince it came into his hands by Francklin's death. It is remarkable that the Printer of The Craftefman was Mr. Walpole's tenant; and that the writer of The Craftesman, W. Pulteney, Earl of Bath, wrote a ballad in praise of Strawberry Hill. |