It was now generally supposed that he had done with the theatre. For our own part, we must confess; we entertain all possible veneration for parliamentary and ministerial abilities; we should be mortified to rank second to any man in our enthusiasm for the official talents of Mr. Sheridan: But as the guardians of literature, we regretted the loss of his comic powers. We wished to preserve the poet, without losing the statesman. Greatly as we admired the opera and the comedy, we conceived his unbounded talents capable of something higher still. To say all in a word, we looked at his hands for the MISANTHROPE of the British muse. It is unnecessary to say then, that we congratulate the public upon the present essay. It is meaned only as a _jeu d'esprit_. But we consider it as the earnest of that perseverance, which we wished to prove, and feared to lose. The scene we have extracted, and which, with another, that may be considered as a kind of praxis upon the rules, constitutes the chief part of the alteration, is apparently personal. How far personal satire is commendable in general, and how far it is just in the present instance, are problems that we shall leave with our readers.--As much as belongs to Jonson we have put in italics. ACT IV SCENE 4 _Enter_ Captain Face, _disguised as Lungs, and_ Kastril. FACE. _Who would you speak with_? KASTRIL. _Where is the captain?_ FACE. _Gone, sir, about some business._ KASTRIL. _Gone?_ FACE. _He will return immediately. But master doctor, his lieutenant is here._ KASTRIL. _Say, I would speak with him._ [_Exit_ Face. _Enter_ Subtle. SUBTLE. _Come near, sir.--I know you well.--You are my_ terrae fili--_that is--my boy of land--same three thousand pounds a year._ KASTRIL. _How know you that, old boy?_ SUBTLE. _I know the subject of your visit, and I'll satisfy you. Let us see now what notion you have of the matter. It is a nice point to broach a quarrel right_. KASTRIL. _You lie_. SUBTLE. _How now?--give me the lie?--for what, my boy?_ KASTRIL. _Nay look you to that.--I am beforehand--that's my business_. SUBTLE. _Oh, this is not the art of quarrelling--'tis poor and pitiful_!--What, sir, would you restrict the noble science of debate to the mere lie?--Phaw, that's a paltry trick, that every fool could hit.--A mere Vandal could throw his gantlet, and an Iroquois knock his antagonist down.--No, sir, the art of quarrel is vast and complicated.--Months may worthily be employed in the attainment,--and the exercise affords range for the largest abilities.--To quarrel after the newest and most approved method, is the first of sciences,--the surest test of genius, and the last perfection of civil society. KASTRIL.