" " bowl," says Dryden, " are always at hand to butcher a hero, "when a poet wants the brains to "save him." 259. BUSSY D'AMBOIS. Trag. by G. Chapman. 4to. 1607; 4to. 1608; 4to. 1616; 4to. 1641; 4to. 1657. This play was often presented at Paul's, in the reign of James I. and after the Restoration was revived with success at the Theatre Royal. The plot of it is taken from the French historians in the reign of Henry III. of France. Mr. Dryden has spoken of this play in terms of uncommon severity: "I have sometimes "wondered," he says, " in the "reading, what was become of "those glaring colours which "amazed me in Bussy d'Ambois "upon the theatre; but when I " had taken up what I supposed a "fallen star, I found I had been "cozened with a jelly: nothing "but a cold dull mass, which "glittered no longer than it was shooting a dwarfish thought "dressed up in gigantic words, "repetition in abundance, loose"ness of expression, and gross "hyperboles; the sense of one " line expanded prodigiously into "ten: and, to sum up all, un"correct English, and a hideous "mingle of false poetry and true " " nonsense; or, at best, a scant more than a revival of Chap play, with some improveme the character of Tamyra F intrigue of Bussy and Tamy Rosset's Histoires Tragiques. xvii. p. 363, under the fe names of Lysis and Silvie. scene lies at Paris. 201. THE BUSY BODY. by Mrs. Centlivre. Acted Theatre Royal in Drury 4to. 1709. This comedy, first offered to the players received very coolly; and with great difficulty that th thor could prevail upon th think of acting it, which w till very late in the season the rehearsal of it, Mr. had so mean an opinion part [Sir George Airy], tha morning in a passion he th off the stage into the pit swore that nobody would hear such stuff. The poor fr poetess begged him with t take it up again, which mutteringly; and about the end of April the play was for the first time. There ha scarcely any thing mentione in the town before it cam but those who had heard were told it was a silly written by a woman; players had no opinion of it and on the first day there th given by so 262. THE BUSY BODY. Com. "fect of nature and instinct." The next day The next year - play having n the com one part of aymarket, it ases together g, in opposi Pack, who the part of e, and Dog n the Hay ce to the au fessed, that e of it is very blot mingled ities, yet the of business, ertinence in rplot, make or the above 3, and render entertaining imb scene of nda, and the n-gate, are translated from The Theatre of 263. BUTHRED. Trag. Acted 264. BUXOM JOAN. Burletta, by Thomas Willet. Acted at the Haymarket. 4to. 1778. Taken from the song of "A Soldier and a Sailor," in Love for Love; and, considered as a light summer vehicle for a number of pretty airs, has some merit. THE CABINE Thomas Diad rent Garden, 14 success. T ste, Moorhead, Braham, posse ons; and the avery popular THE CADY Opera, of m Portal. Lane, 177 published. 1 success. CELIA; OT, ou, L'Enfo Ent. by Jol at the Haymarke translated from the German of Schiller. Svo. 1795. Never acted; but if the speeches were carefully curtailed, it might be well adapted for performance. 3. THE CABINET. Com. Op. by Thomas Dibdin. Acted at Covent Garden, 1802, with very great success. The music, by Reeve, Moorhead, Davy, Corri, and Braham, possessed irresistible attractions; and the piece still continues very popular. Printed, Svo, 1805. 4. THE CADY OF BAGDAD. Com. Opera, of three acts, by Abraham Portal. Performed at Drury Lane, 1778. The songs only published. This piece had no success. 5. CÆLIA; or, The Perjured Lover. A play, by Charles Johnson. Acted at Drury Lane. Svo. 1733. This play is on a domestic and familiar subject, has much pathos in it, and is very far from a bad piece; yet in the represent ation it met with no success. Epilogue by Henry Fielding. 6. CÆLINA; or, A Tale of Mystery. A Drama, in two acts, by John Wallace. 8vo. 1802. This is taken from a French play, called Cælina; ou, L'Enfant du Mystère. 7. CAERNARVON CASTLE; or, The Birth of the Prince of Wales. Musical Ent. by John Rose. Acted at the Haymarket, August 12, castle of Caernarvon. It dently a hasty composition, intended as a compliment Prince on his birth-day, tha any idea of constituting a fi drama. It was, however, re with approbation. Music b wood. S. KING CÆSAR; or Negro Slaves. G. S. by Cross. 8vo. 1801. 9. The Tragedy of C AND POMPEY; or, Casar venge. Acted by the stude Trinity College, in Oxford 1607. Of this play ther another edition, apparently a lier one, without a date, and no mention of its having bee ed by the students of Trinit lege: of this edition a c in the possession of Mr. Ke There was also a very ancier on this subject, entitled Th tory of Cæsar and Pompey, bited before 1580. See Go School of Abuse. 10. CÆSAR AND POMPE Roman Tragedy, declaring wars, out of whose events is ed this proposition, only a ju is a free man. By Geo. Cha 4to. 1607; 4to. 1631. Ac the Black Friars. The plot play is taken from the F history. Scene Rome and salia. In the second edition title-page runs thus: "The I mad again. YPT. Trag. -d at Drury Colley Cib pleasing in from being t of writing, considered as e. The scene ria, and the the Pompée how far it t of that ce hall leave to e who choose f comparing or, Buried of two acts, lution; with their portraits, re- 15. CAIUS GRACCHUS. Trag. 16. The History and Fall of CAIUS MARIUS. Trag. by T. Otway. Acted at the Duke's Theatre. 4to. 1680; 1692. The scene of this play lies at Rome; and the characters of Marius, jun. and Lavinia, are taken, and that even in many places verbatim, from those of Romeo and Juliet. The plot, into which the story of their love is thus interwoven, may be found in Plutarch's Life of Caius Marius, and in Lucan's Pharsalia. This play was acted much about the time of the Popish plot, the author having introduced the dissensions of Marius and Sylla, and applied them to the factions in the reign of Charles II. ty. CALEDONIA tarned Merukam 1700. 20. CALEDON Lace. Trag. Unc. 1733. This sat Edinburgh, a Lepage to be cronicies and rec 21. CALIGULA Ame. Trag. by J. the Theatre Ro de scene lies in act in Rome, a en from Suet hat prince. 22. CALISTA. Dedicated to th Queensberry. In said to be desig the theatres; bu probable, as it ap etirely on some ports of the times. 23. CALISTO; Nymph. A Masqu 40.1675. This was Land of King Jar when Dutchess of performed at coun peat quality. It ween the acts. 7 Arcadia; the dur ertificial day; a founded on Ovid's Lb.ii. Fab. 5, 6. to Lady Mary, aft to William III. ww the Princess, afte 17. THE CALDRON. Pant. Olio, performed at Drury Lane 1785. This was no more than a collection of incidents and surprises from old pantomimes, and had but indifferent success. 18. CALEB QUOTEM AND HIS WIFE; or, Paint, Poetry, and Putty. Opera, in three acts; to which is added, a postscript, including the scene always played 4to. 1700. 20. CALEDON'S TEARS; or, Wallace. Trag. by G. Nesbit. 12mo. 1733. This play was printed at Edinburgh, and is said in the title-page to be collected from chronicles and records. 21. CALIGULA, Emperor of Rome. Trag. by J. Crowne. Acted at the Theatre Royal. 4to. 1698. The scene lies in the imperial palace in Rome, and the plot is taken from Suetonius's Life of that prince. 22. CALISTA. Op. 8vo. 1731. Dedicated to the Dutchess of Queensberry. In the title-page it is said to be designed for one of the theatres; but this is not probable, as it appears to be built entirely on some scandalous reports of the times. 23. CALISTO; or, The Chaste Nymph. A Masque, by J. Crowne, 4to. 1675. This was written by command of King James II.'s Queen, when Dutchess of York; and was performed at court by persons of great quality. It has songs between the acts. The scene lies in Arcadia; the duration of it is an artificial day; and the plot is founded on Ovid's Metamorphoses, Lib. ii. Fab. 5, 6. It is dedicated to Lady Mary, afterwards Queen to William III. who, together with the Princess, afterwards Queen same subject. 25. CALYPSO. A Maso Richard Cumberland. A Covent Garden. 8vo. 1779 adventures of Telemachus, ferent shapes, have alread feited the world. Opera, r and tragedy, have all mai this hero in a languishin of existence. Mr. Cumbe piece lasted but a few nights by Mr. Butler. The masc ushered in by a prelude, in the author treated the pri newspapers as a set of in fellows. This was an impr which every friend of the a must have wished he had a 26. CALYPSO. Com. Op Robert Houlton. Acted at Alley, Dublin, 1785. N. 27. CALYPSO AND T CHUS. Opera, by John E 8vo. 1712; 12mo. 1735 formed at the Queen's in the Haymarket. The composed by Mr. Galliard opera was an essay for t provement of theatrical r the English language, at model of the Italians. T on which it is founded Homer, and improved in ventures of Telemachus archbishop of Cambray. thor has changed some in and added the character |