in the upper gallery, he accompanied the players by audible recication, till a friendly hint frighted him to silence. Pope countenanced Agamemnon, by coming to it the first night.

78. AGAMEMNON. Trag. translated from Æschylus, by R. Potter. 4to. 1777; 8vo. 1779. "In this "tragedy the reader will find the "strongest traces of the genius of "Æschylus, and the most dis"tinguishing proofs of his skill. "Great in his conceptions, bold "and daring in his metaphors, "strong in his passions, he here "touches the heart with uncom"mon emotions. The odes are "particularly sublime, and the "oracular spirit that breathes "through them adds a wonderful " elevation and dignity to them, "Short as the part of Agamemnon " is, the poet has the address to "throw such an amiable dignity "around him, that we soon become interested in his favour, " and are predisposed to lament "his fate. The character of Cly"temnestra is finely marked; a high-spirited, artful, close, de"termined, dangerous woman. "But the poet has no where ex'erted such efforts of his genius " as in the scene where Cassandra appears: as a prophetess, she 'gives every mark of the divine 'inspiration, from the dark and

"mated or more interesti " this scene. The condu

poet through this play i "sitely judicious; every " gives us some obscure " ominous presage, enough " our attention always rais "to prepare us for the "even the studied caution "temnestra is finely mana " produce that effect; wh "secrecy with which she co " her design keeps us in sus " and prevents a discover " we hear the dying groans " murdered husband. The " of this play is at Argos, befo " palace of Agamemnon." 1

79. AGGRESSION; or, Th roine of Yucatan. Ballet of A (by Mr. Farley]. Acted, wit plause, at Covent Garden, 1805; but certainly not the thing of the kind that we seen.

80. AGIS. Trag. by John H Performed at Drury Lane. 1758. This play is founded story in the Spartan history. W ther the author was only war by the spirit of a particular pa or that he chose in this piec givevent to his resentments aga his countrymen for the rig wherewith they had persecu him on account of his former gedy of Douglas, it is difficul determine; but it is at least ap

ated or more interesting than
is scene. The conduct of the
et through this play is exqui-
ely judicious; every scene
ves us some obscure hint or
ainous presage, enough to keep
attention always raised, and
prepare us for the event;
n the studied caution of Cly-
anestra is finely managed to
duce that effect; whilst the
recy with which she conducts
design keeps us in suspense,
prevents a discovery, till
hear the dying groans of her
dered husband. The scene

is play is at Argos, before the
ce of Agamemnon." Potter.
AGGRESSION; or, The He-
Yucatan. Ballet of Action
. Farley]. Acted, with ap-
at Covent Garden, April
but certainly not the best
f the kind that we have

GIS. Trag.by John Home. ed at Drury Lane. 8vo. This play is founded on a he Spartan history. Wheauthor was only warmed irit of a particular party, ne chose in this piece to to his resentments against trymen for the rigour hthey had persecuted count of his former traDouglas, it is difficult to but it is at least appa

fine acting, and two pompous and TIC solemn musical processions. - Dr Without these assistances, how- Pri ever, it is somewhat doubtful whether it might have met with the Co same success. On this tragedy M Mr. Gray, in a letter to Dr. War- ed ton (see Mason's Memoirs of the aca former, 4to. edit. p. 261), has the Po following remark : I cry to of "think that it should be by the "author of Douglas: why, it is M "all modern Greek; the story is Ac "an antique statue painted white N "and red, frized, and dressed in of " a negligée made by a Yorkshire int " mantua-maker." Agis is said an to have been written before Doug- de las, though acted after it.

of

81. AGLAURA. Tragi-Com. by Sir John Suckling. Acted at the private house in Black Fryars. Fol. 1638; 8vo. 1646. The au- su thor has so contrived this play, by means of an alteration in the last act, that it may be acted either as a tragi-comedy, or a perfect tragedy: a plan which was followed by Sir Robert Howard in his Ves- wa tal Virgin. The scene lies in

Persia.

ho Ed tha th me ce th tin lin E ce

or

S2. AGMUNDA. Trag. by Han. nah Brand. Her play of Huniades, which did not succeed on the stage, at Drury Lane, was soon after re- Co produced at the Haymarket un- tra der this title (the character of in Huniades being omitted!); but, ve YO. AGRIPPINA, Oy 1 nos. Gray. 4to. 1775. This piece consists only of two scenes of a tragedy, so admirably executed as to make one lament that the author did not complete it according to his original design. The story was intended to be taken from the 13th and 14th books of Tacitus. The Janguage of this production, though far from wanting ornament, is by no means overloaded with it; and, had our author lived to complete his undertaking, it could not fail to have proved the noblest pattern for the style of imperial tragedy. Dr. Johnson, however, observes, "it was no loss to the English "stage that Agrippina was never "finished." The fable, indeed, could not possibly admit of any good character, and therefore only terror could have been excited by it. The loss of the reader nevertheless may have been considerable; for, to use the critic's own sentiments concerning our author, " a man like him, of great learning and great industry, could "not but produce somewhat va"luable."

91. KING AHASUERUS AND QUEEN ESTHER. An Interlude, attributed to Robert Cox, comelian, and is published in the second part of Sport upon Sport, 1672.

92. AJAX. Trag. 12mo. 1714. This is only a translation from the Greek of Sophocles by a Mr.

maaness, and death "are circumstances well " on these Sophocles for

tragedy now before u "has ever been esteeme "his greatest works.-1 " is before the tent of A "last in station; so that i camp and fleet of the " stretching along the sho west, a valley termin "mount Ida lying to t "The simplicity of the "drama generally confir "whole representation "place, from which the " was not allowed to depar "phocles has here ventu

vary the scene, and to d "the chorus, whom he bri

of Neptune. A Masque, by T. Cooke. 8vo. 1724. The scene Haid on the British seas.

111. ALBION AND ALBANIUS. Opera, by J. Dryden. Acted at The Theatre Royal. Fol. 1685; 4to. 1691. Set to music by Lewis Grabue, Esq. The subject of this piece is wholly allegorical, being Entended to expose the fanciful Hoctrines of Lord Shaftesbury and his adherents. Downes tells us, that, happening to be first per formed at an unlucky time, being the very day on which the Duke of Monmouth landed in the west, and the kingdom in a great consternation, it ran but six nights; which, not answering half the charge the company had been at In getting it up, involved them very deeply in debt.

112. ALBION QUEENS. See ISLAND QUEENS.

113. ALBION RESTOR'D; or, Time turn'd Oculist. A Masque. Never acted. 8vo. 1757.

114. ALBION'S TRIUMPH, personated in a Maske at Court, by the King's Majesty and his Lords (all whose names are at the end), the Sunday after Twelfth Night, 1631. 4to. The scene is Albi. polis, the chief city of Albion. Inigo Jones had a share in the invention of this masque. The words by Aurelian Townsend.

115. ALBOVINE, King of the Lombards. Trag. by Sir W. Da

sprinkling of bombast ar nity.

116. "ALBUMAZAR, C "sented before the King's "at Cambridge, the 9th o "1614, by the gentlemer "nity College. 4to. 1615, In Dodsley's Collect. This written by Mr. Tomkis, of College; and acted befor James on the day above tioned. Dryden, in a P composed by him for the of it, considers it as the of the Alchymist, and charg Jonson, in very positive with plagiarism, but witho foundation, as this play wa ther acted nor printed unti years after The Alchymist.

117. ALBUMAZAR. Cor David Garrick. Acted at Lane. 8vo. 1773. This is teration of the above play. Th it had the advantage of the performers, yet neither on nor a former revival of it in I did it meet with much succe

118. ALCAMENES AND M LIPPA. Trag. Mears, in his talogue, ascribes this play to liam Philips. Chetwood, we lieve, with his usual want of 1 lity, has given it the date of 10

119. ALCANOR. A Play, by Cumberland, with this title,. advertising, as being one of a lection intended for publication subscription. Never performe