The Mirror of Taste, and Dramatic Censor, Vol. I, No. 5, May 1810
History
The Mirror of Taste, and Dramatic Censor, Vol. I, No. 5, May 1810
Drama -- Periodicals; Theater -- Periodicals
Tithoni croceum liquens Aurora cubile.
A golden bed, by the way, is but a poor atonement for a leaden old
spouse snoring in it.
Lucia thinks happiness consists in state,
She weds an ideot, but she eats off plate.
The moderns have been equally fanciful in describing Aurora. An old song
says----
The morning was up gray as a rat,
The clock struck something, faith I can't tell what.
And Rosina now says, "see the rosy morn appearing;" and now "the morn
returns in saffron dress'd."--Selim in Blue Beard, sings, "Gray-eyed
morn begins to peep," his is no compliment to the beauty of the goddess.
If she had changed colours with the magician, it would have been well; a
_gray beard_ is fit for an old man, and _blue eyes_ for a young woman.
And now, reader, "_make way for the speaker_."--The scene draws, and
discovers a room of state, containing, the King, Queen, Hamlet,
Polonius, Laertes, Voltimand, Cornelius, Lords, and Attendants. This is
the first appearance of Hamlet.--Here, then, we must suppose a clapping
of hands, and a cry of hats off--down--down--you will therefore fancy to
yourself a young gentleman, arrayed in black velvet, with a plume of
sable feathers in his bonnet, big enough for the fore-horse of Ophelia's
hearse. But as in a certain assembly, if a member, however elevated in
rank, rise to speak late in the evening, he sets his hearers coughing,
there being no pectoral lozenge equal to an early harangue; and, as
touching the Lord Hamlet in that manner, would be touching the honour of
a prince, I shall keep his royal highness as a _bonne bouche_ to open my
next dissertation.
(_To be Continued._)
* * * * *
DR. JOHN HILL, an author, who to great learning, judgment, sagacity, and
luminous fancy, joined unparalleled industry, gratified the British
public for a long time with a diurnal paper wholly from his own pen,
called "the Inspector." In the course of this work he gave some of the
most admirable strictures upon the plays and players of his day. From
that work we intend to give some select passages. The following is
deserving of particular attention for the truth and accuracy of the
parallels it presents to our view.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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