N° 22. Monday, March 26.

Quodcunque oftendis mihi fic incredulus odi.

Hor.

HE Word SPECTATOR

T

being moft ufually underftood as one of the Audience at publick Reprefentations in our Theatres, I feldom fail of many Letters relating to Plays and Opera's. But indeed there are fuch monftrous things done in both, that if one had not been an Eye-witnefs of them, one could not believe that fuch Matters had really been exhibited. There is very little which concerns Human Life, or is a Picture of Nature, that is regarded by the greater Part of the Company. The Understanding is difmiffed from our Entertainments. Our Mirth is the Laughter of Fools, and our Admiration the Wonder of Idiots; elfe fuch improbable, monftrous, and incoherent Dreams could not go off as they do, VOL. I. H

not

not only without the utmoft Scorn and Contempt, but even with the loudest Applaufe and Approbation. But the Letters of my Correfpondents will reprefent this Affair in a more lively Manner than any Difcourfe of my own; I fhall therefore give them to my Reader with only this Preparation, that they all come from Players, and that the Bufinefs of Playing is now fo managed, that you are not to be furprized when I fay one or two of them are rational, others fenfitive and vegetative Actors, and others wholly inanimate. I fhall not place these as I have named them, but as they have Precedence in the Opinion of their Audiences.

Mr. SPECTATOR,^

OUR having been fo humble as to take Notice of the Epiftles of other Animals, emboldens me, who Sam the wild Boar that was killed by Mrs. Tofts, to reprefent to you, That I think I was hardly used in not having the Part of the Lion in Hydafpes given to me. It would have been but a natural Step for me to have perfo'nated that noble Creature, after having behaved my felf to Satisfaction in

'the

the Part above-mentioned: But that of a Lion, is too great a Character ' for one that never trod the Stage be"fore but upon two Legs. As for the "little Refiftance which I made, I hope 'it may be excufed, when it is confidered that the Dart was thrown at 'me by fo fair an Hand. I must confefs I had but just put on my Brutali6 ty; and Camilla's Charms were fuch, 'that beholding her erect Mien, hearing her charming Voice, and astonish'ed with her graceful Motion, I could not keep up to my affumed Fierceness, • but died like a Man.

I am, SIR,

Your most humble Servant,

Mr. SPECTATOR,

Thomas Prone..

THIS is to let you understand,

that the Play-house is a Repre'fentation of the World in nothing fo "much as in this Particular, That no one rifes in it according to his Merit. I have acted feveral Parts of Houfhold-ftuff 'with great Applaufe for many Years: "I am one of the Men in the Hangings in the Emperor of the Moon; I have H 2

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"twice performed the third Chair in an English Opera; and have rehearsed the Pump in the Fortune Hunters. I am now grown old, and hope you will recommend me fo effectually, as that I may fay fomething before I go off the Stage: In which you will do a great Act of Charity to

Your most humble Servant,

Mr. SPECTATOR,

William Screne..

UNDERSTANDING that

Mr. Screne has writ to you, and

'defired to be raised from dumb and • ftill Parts; I defire, if you give him 'Motion or Speech, that you would advance me in my Way, and let me keep on in what I humbly prefume I am à Master, to wit, in representing 'human and ftill Life together. I have "feveral times acted one of the fineft, Flower-pots in the fame Opera wherein Mr. Screne is a Chair, therefore upon his Promotion, request that I may 'fucceed him in the Hangings, with my Hand in the Orange-Trees.

Your humble Servant,

Ralph Simple.

SIR,

Drury-Lane, March 24, 17.

I Saw your Friend the Templer this Evening in the Pit, and thought he looked very little pleased with the Representation of the mad Scene of the Pilgrim. I wifh, Sir, you would 'do us the Favour to animadvert frequently upon the falfe Tafte the Town is in, with relation to Plays as well as Opera's. It certainly requires a Degree of Understanding to play juftly; but fuch is our Condition, that we are to fufpend our Reafon to perform our Parts. As to Scenes of Madnefs, you know, Sir, there are noble Inftances of this kind in Shakespear; "but then it is the Difturbance of a noble Mind, from generous and human Refentments: It is like that Grief which we have for the Decease of our Friends: It is no Diminution, but a Recommendation of human Nature, that in fuch Incidents Paffion gets the better of Reafon; and all we can think to comfort our felves, is impotent againft half what we feel. I will not mention that we had an Idiot in the Scene, and all the Senfe it isreprefented to have, is that of Luft. As for

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