as to be understood by common auditors in the reprefentation; if fo, the jealoufy of Tancred is unaccountable, and the great point of the tragedy ineffectual. Suppofing this bufinefs of the letter was fufficiently cleared, is a Jetter, without direction, a proper foundation to erect an heroic drama upon fo flight a circumstance would hardly be thought fufficient for the plot of a fecond-rate comedy. Monf. de Voltaire has made ufe of the fame means in his Zara, and the critics even then objected to it; what will they fay to it in Almida, where the whole movement of the paffions, and the tragic confequences of them depend totally and neceffarily upon the fender bafis of an undirected letter? what reafon can be affigned, when Orbaffan fo nobly and difinterestedly offers him felf to be Almida's knight-errant, and fight for her caufe in fpite of her crime; what can be the reason, I afk, that the does not as nobly confefs her love for Tancred? There can be none but Mr. Bayes's reafon, viz. for the better carrying on of the plot. It may be anfwered, that he did not care to involve Tancred in her ruin, and bring upon him more perfecution. That could not be; he was already profcribed, condemned, and his inheritance confifcated. In the second act (if I remember right) Almida haughtily proclaims, that he has neither betrayed her father, Orbaffan, nor her country; but does not fhe in the third contradi& herfelf, and with humility and forrow confefs that she has betrayed all three? Surely there is fomething improbable in the first interview of Tancred with Almida. It must be allowed a true affecting dramatic fituation; but is it not fomewhat unaccountable, that the

lovers do not come to an eclairciement?

can Alınida, at that most critical juncture, refrain from declaring the truth, when the must be convinced, by Tancred's behaviour, that be likewife is deceived with the reft, and believes the letter to be meant for Solyman, and not for him?-There can be no excufe for not publishing before the world her love for Tancred, and the fatal mistake of the letter.She is at that moment fuatched from the jaws of death by Tancred-not only her gratitude but her paffion urges her to

cover all; and not to do it, fhews

that fome motive ftronger than both enjoins her filence. A burst of uncontroulable affection and the warmest gratitude would appear more in nature, and what would be expected from her fituation and character. Can Almida have any Thing at heart but her justification? can Tancred have a with but to find his mistress faithful? and yet Tancred fcarcely hears what Almida has to fay. Thefe are little blemishes which are concealed by the delufion, of the theatre, the fplendor of fentiment, and the animated pathos which runs through the whole. Such indeed is the intereft of the circumftances and the force of the writing, that the underftanding can only play her part when the hurry and warmth of the reprefentation is over; for Dennis himself could not attend the performance of Almida, without being affected with the power of the poet, and the enchantments of fuch an actress as Mrs. Barry. We now come to speak of the WentIndian.

PERSON S. Bellcour (Weft-Indian) Mr. King Mr. Stockwell Mr. Aickin Captain Dudley Mr. Packer Young Dudley Mr. Cautherley Major O'Flaherty Mr. Moody Fullmore Mr. Baddeley An Attorney Stockwell's Clerk Footman Charlotte Louifa Dudley Lady Rufport Mrs. Fuilmore Waiting Maids Mrs. Love & Bradsbare Conflables, Sailors, Negroes, Servants, &c.

Mr. Parfons.

Mr. J. Aickin

Mr. Wright

Mrs. Abington

Mrs. Baddeley

Mrs. Hopkins

Mrs. Egerton

SCENE, LONDON.

FABLE.

MR. Stockwell, at an early period

of life, having managed the affairs of old Bellcour, a confiderable merchant in the Inland of Jamaica, privately married the only daughter of that gentleman, who finding herself with child, and dreading the effects of her father's refentment, took every step in her power to keep her fituation a fecret; and being delivered of a fine boy whilft he was negociating fome bufinefs in England, contrived, upon his return, to have the infant introduced to him as a foundling, that had been left at his door. As the boy

grew up his amiable qualities made fuch an impreffion on the old gentleman, that the latter adopted him for his fon called him by his own name, and made him heir to his whole eftate fome time after on the death of his daughter, who, being well acquainted with the capricious turn of her father's temper, and feeing her fon as well provided for as the could poffibly expect, never divulged the cricumstance of her marriage.

Mr. Stockwell, foon after the birth of his fon, returned to England, where, by his attention to commerce, he amaffed a confiderable fortune, and obtained a feat in parliament. His affection for his boy made him keep up a conftant correspondence with his old malter, who, about twenty years after the birth of young Bellcour, died, after a fhort illness, recommending the youth, in his last moments, to the protection and friendship of Mr. Stockwell, whom he looked upon as a man firmly attached to the intereft of his family.

About this time the play begins: Stockwell is difcovered in his count ing-houfe perufing a letter, which informs him that young Bellcour is on his voyage to Europe. The prospect of feeing his long loft child, and his apprehenfions left his difpofition fhould not turn out fuch as may contribute to his future happiness, caufe great perturbation in his mind, which is prefently relieved by the entrance of a failor, who acquaints him with the young gentleman's arrival, and delineates his character in a few words, by faying, there was not a dry eye in the whole Ifland of Jamaica when he left it. A great quantity of the WeftIndian's baggage is then carried over the ftage by a number of negroes, and Stockwell's footman tells his fellow fervants, the fhip has brought rum and fugar enough to make punch of the whole river Thames. Bellcour makes his appearance foon after, and is very affectionately received by Stockwell, who finds him a fine, fpirited, agreeable young fellow, whole violent paffions feem likely to plunge him into numberlefs difficulties. After fome humourous remarks on custom-house officers, and the manners of London, Bellcour and Stockwell retire, and the kene changes to the apartment of

Lady Rufport, mother-in-law to Charlotte, a girl who is to have a confiderable fortune in a few months, when the comes of age. Charlotte has been treated with great feverity by Lady Rufport, who fufpects her to be in love, as the really is, with her coufin Charles Dudley, an enfign of foot, whofe father, Captain Dudley, married Lady Rufport's fifter; and after thirty years fervice found himself greatly embarraffed in his circumItances. Young Dudley, on prefenting himself before his aunt, to pay his refpects to her, is treated with great coldness by the lady, who is extremely chagrined at hearing his father and fitter are arrived in town, and, in the course of her converfation, takes care to let her nephew know, that though his grandfather has left her every thilling of his immenfe fortune, neither he, nor Captain Dudley, can expect any affiftance from her.

Major O'Flaherty, a rough, brave, open, honeft Irishman, who, upon account of his having been bred a Roman Catholic, had ferved in the French and Auftrian armies for thirty years, without any other reward than a cross of St. Louis, and a kifs of the emprefsqueen's hand, interrupts this fcene and retires with Lady Rufport, for whom he profeffes a paffion, after fhewing fome tokens of pity for Charles Dudley's fituation.

Captain Dudley, whofe fole motive for coming to town was to raise the fum of 200l. to give a brother officer in exchange for a commiffion in a regiment at Senegambia, having taken an obfcure lodging with his fon and daughter Louifa, at a bookfeller's shop, which is kept by one Fullmore, a needy, malignant, rafcally fcribbler, is extremely unhappy at the news his fon brings him from Lady Rufport, as he imagined her humanity would not have refused him fo fmall a fum upon fuch an urgent occafion. Louifa, who is remarkably beautiful, runs in during this fcene, and expreffes the alarm her fpirits have been thrown into at the ftrange behaviour of a gentleman who had accosted her in the street. Bellcour enters the shop immediately after, in purfuit of her, and the Dudleys being gone to their apartment, enquires of Mrs. Fullmore about the lady whose beauty had ftruck him so fuddenly,

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but receiving no fatisfaction upon that head, and over-hearing Fullmore tell his wife fomething of Captain Dudley's diftrefs, defires the bookfeller to introduce him to the good old officer, which is accordingly done; and Bellcour, on hearing his ftory, voluntarily offers to fupply him with the fum he is in need of; but finding this propofal from a ftranger had wounded the old gentleman's delicacy, haftily delivers him two notes folded up in a letter, which he pretends is only to inform him of the method in which he propofes to ferve him, and after privately expreffing his fatisfaction at getting rid of the money (which he intended for a fine girl), and obferving that it is much better laid out in relieving an object from diftrefs than in plunging one into it, leaves the Captain abruptly.

In the mean time, Charlotte having heard of her mother-in-law's unkind treatment of Capt. Dudley, and be ing determined, at all events, to fupply him with the money for his commiffion, prevails, with great difficulty, upon her lover, Charles, to leave a valuable pair of her diamond ear-rings, as a pledge, with her neighbour Stockwell, till the can repay him the zool. The merchant acquaints Bellcour with the fingular circumstances of a young lady, of her great expectations, taking fuch a step, and refolves to fend them back to her with the money and jewels, in hopes his figure and converfation may be agreeable to her, as he appears very defirous to engage the West-Indian in an honourable matrimonial connection. At this inftant Belicour receives a note from Mrs. Fullmore, who having difcovered that Mifs Dudley was the object of his purfuit, acquaints him the has got the lady in her houfe, whofe perfections fo attracted his attention, and begs to fee him directly. Elated at this news, Bellcour perfuades Stockwell to go first to Charlotte with the money, in order to pave the way for fending him with the jewels, and hurries to Fullmore's, where, in a conference with the miftrefs of the houfe, who perceives how easily his paffion may be turned to her advantage, he receives every imaginable encouragement to make him hope he will eafily be in poffeffion of his wishes; but on hear

ing Mrs. Fullmore mention her as the fifter of Charles Dudley, and confequently the daughter of the Captain he relieved, a principle of generofity interpofes with his defigns, and he refolves to think no farther about her. Mrs. Fullmore, however, on finding out his objection, artfully contrives to make him belive the is only called Charles's fiter, to blind the world, and is in reality his kept mifirefs. On this intelligence he determines to have her at all events; and being affured by his procurefs, Mrs. Fullmore, that every woman has her price, and that Louifa is exceedingly fond of trinkets, jewels, &c. he having no money about him, is at length, with great difficulty, prevailed on to give Charlotte's ear-rings to Mrs. Fullmore, in order that the may prefent them at a proper time to the idol of his foul. An interview with the young lady immediately follows: but his forwardness, in confequence of his fuppofing her a kept woman, having given her great difguit, fhe retires with precipitation.

Bellcour thocked at the unjustifiable ftep his paffion had hurried him to take, with regard to Mifs Charlotte's jewels, in order to repair the injury he had done, buys a new fet of diamond earrings, and proceeds, according to his promife, to Stockwell, to introduce himfelf to that young lady, to whom he returns her fuppofed ear-rings again with great politenefs; but Charlotte inftantly difcovers that the jewels are much more valuable than her own, which brings about an eclairciffement, and Bellcour candidly confeffes he has difpofed of her ear-rings to a woman, whofe extraordinary beauty deprived him of his prudence and refolution.

During this interview, Charlotte receives a letter from Charles, by which the is informed her kind intentions in favour of his father are rendered unneceffary, by the aftonishing generofity of a Mr. Bellcour, which gives her a very exalted opinion of her new acquaintance, who is not a little furprifed to fee Louifa enter foon after,

nd addrefs Charlotte with the greateft familiarity. This produces a very entertaining fcene, in which Bellcour, as he fcorns a lie, acknowledges to Charlotte, that Louifa is the lady to whom he gave her ear-rings.

Mrs.Fullmore and her husband, fear