Scherzes. Im Ganzen genommen ist, wie Dr. Blair erinnert, die Anlage sowohl von Fargbar's als von Cons greve's Stücken, immer unmoralisch. Der Charakter eines Wüstlings, freie Liebeshändel und ausschweifende Lebensart, sind die Gegenstände, die uns vom Anfange bis zu Ende dargestellt werden; als ob die Versammlung eines größent und gesitteten Volks nur durch Darstellung des Lasters unters halten werden könnte. Besonders auffallend ist bei diesen Schriftstellern der Mangel an feinem Gefühl in der Zeichs nung weiblicher Charaktere. Nichts kann schiefer seyn, als ihre Schilderung eines tugendhaften und edelgesinnten Frauenzimmers. Genau betrachtet, kommen in ihren såmts lichen Stücken nur zwei weibliche Charaktere vor; Frauens zimmer von freier Denkungsart, oder Frauenzimmer von affektirtem Anstande; das lettere, so oft sie versuchen, einen tugendhaften weiblichen Charakter auftreten zu lassen." Man hat acht Lustspiele von Fargbar, nämlich: Love and a Bottle The Conftant Couple Sir Harry Wildair The Stage-Coach The Recruiting Officer The Twin Rivals The Beaux' Stratagem. Dieß leste Stück schrieb Farghar während seiner lehten Krankheit, ins nerhalb sechs Wochen; und immer noch erhält es sich auf der englischen Bühne mit ausgezeichnetem Beifall. Der Grund dieses Beifalls möchte jedoch wohl nicht so sehr in der schönen, kunstvollen Zusammensehung des Ganzen, als in der geschickten Bearbeitung einzelner Situationen and Chas rattere zu suchen seyn. Die Hauptrollen spielen zwei Abens theurer, Aimwell und Archer, zwei muntre und lebensfrohè junge Leute, deren Vermögen durch ihre freie Lebensart auf die Neige gekommen ist, die nun die Stadt verlassen haben, auf gut Glück ausgehen, und es in einer zwiefachen reichen Heirath finden. Archer, der sich für Aimwell's Bedienten ausgiebt, aber überall Kopf und feinere Erziehnng verräth, hat das Glück, die Mistreß Sullen für sich einzunehmen,

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bie ihres gråmlichen und ungefälligen Mannes herzlich müde ift. Die Scene, worin es zwischen ihnen beiden zur Ehes scheidung kommt, hat viel komische Laune:

fe, that you had like to have been. robb'd.

Mrs. Sullen. Truly, Spouse, I was pretty near it. Had not these two Gentlemen interpos'd. How came these Gentlemen here?

Sullen.
Mrs. Sul.

you must know.

Foigard. *)

That's his way of returning Thanks,

Ay, but upon my Confhience, de Question be à propos, for all that.

Şir Charles. **) You promis'd last night, Sir, that you would deliver your Lady to me this Morning. Sullen. Humph

Archer. Humph! What do you mean by Humph? Sir, you shall deliver her In short, Sir, we have fav'd you and your Family; and if you are not civil, we'll unbind the Rogues, join with them, and fet fire to your House. What does the Man mean? Not part with his Wife!

Foig. Arra, not part wid your wife! Upon my Shoul, de man does not understand common shivility.

Mrs. Sul. Hold, Gentlemen; all things here muft move by Confent; Compulfion would fpoil us. Let my Dear and I talk the matter over, and you fhall judge it between us.

Sullen.

*) Dr. Foigard, ein Feldprediger bei dem französischen Res giment.

**) Sir Charles Freemann, der erst zu Anfange des fünften afts hinzugekommen ist.

Sullen. Let me know first, who are to be our

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Judges. Pray, Sir, who are you?

Sir Ch. I am Sir Charles Freeman, come to take away your Wife.

Sullen. And you, good Sir?

Aimwell, Charles Viscount Aimwell, come to take

away your Sister.

Sullen. And you, pray Sir?

Archer. Francis Archer, Efq; come

Sullen. To take away my Mother, I hope. Gentlemen; you're heartily welcome: I never met with three more obliging People, fince I was born. And now, my Dear, if you please, you, fhall have the firft Word.

Archer. (afide) And the laft, for five Pound.
Mrs. Sul. Spouse.

Sullen.

Rib.

Mrs. Sul. How long have you been marry'd? Sullen. By the Almanack, fourteen Months; but by my Account, fourteen Years.

agree.

Mrs. Sul. 'Tis there about, by my Reckoning.
Foig. Upon my Confhience, dere Accounts will

Mrs. Sul. Pray, Spoufe, what did you marry for?
Sullen. To get an Heir to my Estate.

Archer. The Condition fails of his fide. Pray, Madam, what did you marry for?

Mrs. Sul. To support the Weakness of my Sex

by the Strength of his, and to enjoy the Pleasures of

an agreeable Society.

Sir Ch. Are your Expectations answered?
Mrs, Sul, No.

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Foig. Arra Honeys, a clar Caafe, a clear Caafe! Sir Ch. What are the Bars to your mutual Contentment?

Mrs. Sul. In the first Place, I can't drink Ale with him.

Sullen. Nor can I drink Tea with her.
Mrs. Sul. I can't hunt with you.
Sullen. Nor can I dance with you.

Mrs. Sul. I hate Cocking and Racing,
Sullen. And I abhor Ombre and Piquet.
Mrs. Sul.

Your Silence is intolerable.

Sullen. Your Prating is worse.

Mrs. Sul. Have we not been a perpetual Offence to each other? A gnawing Vulture at the Heart ? Sullen. A frightful Goblin to the Sight!

Mrs. Sul. A Porcupine to the Feeling!

Sullen. Perpetual Wormwood to the Tafte! Mrs. Sul. Is there on Earth one Thing we can agree in ?

Sullen. Yes to part.

Mrs. Sul. With all my heart.

Sullen. Your Hand.

Mrs. Sul. Here.

Sullen. Thefe Hands join'd us, these shall part
Away

Mrs. Sul. North.

Sullen. South.

Mrs. Sal. Eaft.

Sullen. West far as the Poles afundĕr.

Foig. Upon my Shonl, a very pretty Sheremony! Sir Ch. Now, Mr. Sullen, there wants only my Sifter's Fortune to make us easy.

Sullen. Sir Charles, you love your Sifter, and I love her Fortune; every one to his Fancy.

Archer.

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Archer. I'll pay it; my Lord, I thank him, has enabled me; and, if the Lady pleafes, fhe fhall go home with me. This Night's Adventure has proved firangely lucky to us all. For Captain Gibbet, in his Walk, has made bold, Mr. Sullen, with your Study and Efcritore, and has taken out all the Writings of your Estate, all the Articles of Marriage with your Lady, Bills, Bonds, Leafes, Receipts, to an infinite Value; I took 'em from him, and I deliver them to Sir Charles.

(Gives him a Parcel of Papers and Parchments.)

Sullen. How? my Writings! my Head akes confumedly. Well, Gentlemen, you shall have her Fortune; but I can't talk. If you have a Mind, Sir Charles, to be merry, and celebrate my Sister's Wed ding and my Divorce, you may command my Houset but my Head akes confumedly: Scrub, bring

ine a Dram.

Archer. (to Mrs. Sullen.) Madamn, there's a Coun-
Your Hand,

try- Dance to the trifle that I fung to-day.
and we'll lead it up. (Here a Dance.)

Archer. 'Twould be hard to guess, which of these Parties is the better pleas'd, the Couple join'd, or the Couple parted; the one rejoicing in hopes of an untafted Happiness, and the other in their Deliverance from an experienc'd Mifery.

Both happy in their feveral States we find:
Those parted by Consent, and those conjoin’d.
Confent, if mutual, faves the Lawyer's fee;
Confent is Law enough to fet you free.