The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume III.Cibber, Theophilus
General
The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume III.
Cibber, Theophilus
Poets, English -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Poets, Irish -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
In 1703 came out another Comedy, entitled the Inconstant, or the Way to
Win Him, which had sufficient merit to have procured equal success to
the rest; but for the inundation of Italian, French, and other farcical
interruptions, which, through the interest of some, and the depraved
taste of others, broke in upon the stage like a torrent, and swept down
before thorn all taste for competitions of a more intrinsic excellence.
These foreign monsters obtained partisans amongst our own countrymen, in
opposition to English humour, genuine wit, and the sublime efforts of
genius, and substituted in their room the airy entertainments of dancing
and singing, which conveyed no instruction, awakened no generous
passion, nor filled the breast with any thing great or manly. Such was
the prevalence of these airy nothings, that our author's comedy was
neglected for them, and the tragedy of Phædra slid Hippolitus, which for
poetry is equal to any in our tongue, (and though Mr. Addison wrote
the prologue, and Prior the epilogue) was suffered to languish, while
multitudes flocked to hear the warblings of foreign eunuchs, whose
highest excellence, as Young expresses it, was,
'Nonsense well tun'd with sweet stupidity.'
Very early in the year 1704, a farce: called the Stage Coach, in the
composition whereof he was jointly concerned with another, made its
first appearance in print, and it has always given satisfaction.
Mr. Farquhar had now been about a twelve-month married, and it was at
first reported, to a great fortune; which indeed he expected, but was
miserably disappointed. The lady had fallen in love with him, and so
violent was her passion, that she resolved to have him at any rate; and
as she knew Farquhar was too much dissipated in life to fall in love, or
to think of matrimony unless advantage was annexed to it, she fell upon
the stratagem of giving herself out for a great fortune, and then took
an opportunity of letting our poet know that she was in love with him.
Vanity and interest both uniting to persuade Farquhar to marry, he did
not long delay it, and, to his immortal honour let it be spoken, though
he found himself deceived, his circumstances embarrassed, and his family
growing upon him, he never once upbraided her for the cheat, but behaved
to her with, all the delicacy, and tenderness of an indulgent husband.
His next comedy named the Twin-Rivals, was played in 1705.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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