ADVERTISEMENT

As S moft writers, both for and against the flage, bave either dealt out enthufiaftic abuse or fulsøme panegerics; the obvious utility of an impartial medium between fuch extremes firft fuggefted the following work: no man, who is not either mad or filly, can be bardy enough to deny, that a well-regulated drama is worthy fupport in the most polished, learned or moral ftate; nor, on the other fide, can we contend in favour of many established pieces; bumour has been too often made the fubtle conveyance of very licentious fentiments, and many pernicious characters are placed in too fair a point of view; to develope vice from this poetical masquerade; to ftrip off the ferpent's fhining coat, and to fhew the poison which lurks within, is the DRAMATIC CENSOR's leading principle; to point cut, in a plain manner, and unadorned file, the beauties and defects of each piece; to throw out bints reSpecting the performance of every character worth notice; and to give a concife general idea of the plays taken into confideration, the fcope of his defign.

Far from glancing an eye towards infallibity of opinion, the following ftri&tures and illustrations are fubmitted with all due deference to the public, as meant for ufeful information; how far they answer this defireable purpofe, candid readers on perusal must determine.

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The DRAMATIC CENSOR will gratefully receive, and refpectfully ufe any remarks fuitable to his plan, he may be favoured with, by letter directed to the care of Mr. Bell, publifher of this work, near Exeter-Exchange, Strand.

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DRAMATIC CENSOR.

RICHARD THE THIRD. As altered from SHAKESPEARE by CIBBER.

CRITICISM

RITICISM is undoubtedly the most elaborate and ungracious of all literary compofitions: paffing cenfure must ever be painful to a liberal mind, and has no palliation, no balancing pleasure but contrafted praise; however, the general advantages arifing from candid investigation, equally feparated from partial indulgence or malevolent severity, deferve fome degree of honest approbation, and strengthen the feelings to undertake with becoming refolution fo hazardous a task.

Dramatic compofitions are of a nature too nice and complicate, for all admirers of the stage to confider with that attention which is necessary to understand them properly; hence much of VOL. I.

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the true relish and folid improvement derivable from them is loft, and often changes the theatre from what it literally may be, a profitable school of moral inftruction, to the fphere of useless or prejudicial diffipation.

This confideration has given rife to the following work, in which the various opinions are diffidently fubmitted to, not dogmatically obtruded upon our feveral readers; where we ftrike out new and useful lights, we doubt not being allowed fome credit for them; where we appear fallible, indulgence is hoped for; fince however we may err in the extenfive fcene before us, our warmeft wishes are to be

right.

The hallowed fhrine of Shakespeare every. friend of intrinfic merit muft approach with reverence; yet why, amidst the meridian blaze of his brightness, should we decline discovering and pointing out thofe dark spots which his genius fhares in common with the fun; Implicit admiration, as well as implicit faith, argues a narrowness or sycophancy of mind, which we hape ourselves free from; and shall as much as poffible follow that excellent maxim, to extenuate nothing, nor to fet down aught in malice.

To pursue all the nice and intricate diftinctions of claffical criticifm, would occafion prolixity; appeal only to the judments of learned readers, and therefore be totally incompatible with our defign; which is merely to try each drama as

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