WE knew Mr. Arthur Murphy twenty years before Mr. Foote's acquaintance with him commenced : in the days of the Grecian Daughter, and Alzuma, when theatrical squabbles and political parties ran so high that between the one and the other a dramatic author was almost sure in avoiding Scylla to be wrecked on Charybdis. Mr. Foote's volume affords proof of the truth of this; but nothing equal to what the facts of the time would justify. We are however, glad to see so much disclosed and discuss. ed as appears in it, of the manage ment behind the curtain, since it contributes to explain the reasons for that absence of dramatic talent which at present disgraces the English stage, and that distance which competent writers maintain from managerical and histrionic intrigue.

Whoever wishes to preserve that peace of mind without which life has no enjoyment, must be extremely cautious of forming connexions with the stage. Appearances are the traffic of the theatre and its company: they VOL. VI.

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produce their effect on mere spectators; but those who have been allowed the privilege of the house, as to its interior, have seen as neat devices practised in private, as ever excited wonder in public--but they have, too often, terminated rather in sardonic than in hearty laughter.

From the severity of Churchill to Murphy, in the Rosciad, which Mr. F. wisely keeps out of sight;-from the severity of Murphy to Churchill in various poems, to some of which Mr. F. has given circulation ;-from the periodical squabbles of Murphy with Garrick, which Mr. F. does not attempt to vindicate ;-from the "al. ternate laughings and cryings" of the disappointed Mrs. Abington, with the interference of Hugh Kelly, and the patchwork of Isaac Bickerstaff, [men whom we well remember]-and from other incidental illusions, the reader of this life of Murphy, may gather something of the involved mysteries of theatrical oppositions; as from the condemnation of two plays of Murphy, (and others, not mentioned, of Dr.

Kenrick, Kelly, &c.) from political motives merely, he may conjecture the violence of party, and the meannesses to which the soi-disant Town could then condescend, for the purpose of mortifying and even injuring an opponent in politics. Hard indeed, was the fate of a writer who presumed to think he could afford instruction to the public in a manner different from that which the public affected to call popular, and to which it was endeavoured to affix the epithet national, when not only his pamphlets continued unread, against which he could say nothing; but his intentions to amuse were scouted, as if infected with the poison supposed to lurk in his more argumentative lucubrations.

Mr. Murphy wrote in favour of lord Holland, and in consequence was acquainted with Charles Fox, his son: strange surely, was his fate, who in early life endured the obloquy of writing in favour of "old Reynard," yet lived to see the " young cub" hallooed and complimented-is it credible!-as "the man of the people."

Mr. Foote has given us an amusing volume in this work. At the same time that it records the memorabilia in the life of Mr. Murphy, it presents an animated sketch of part of the literary history of his times; comprising the dramatic and poetical departments of British literature. Mr. Murphy had a very numerous acquaintance, most of whom were men who figured in society with no small eclat, from the middle of the last century till 1805, the year of his death.

The numerous anecdotes of the statesmen, orators, authors, and actors, with whom he was familiar, must give an interest to the book which records his life. Mr. Foote writes unfettered by any rules. He digresses frequently; but his digressions make ample amends for what short interruptions they occasion to the story.

Dr. Johnson had a very high opinion of Arthur Murphy; he speaks, in

one of his Ramblers, in terms of praise respecting the 78th number of the Gray's Inn Journal, on the character of king Lear; (this was in 1754;) he continued attached to this writer as long as he lived, and he counted him one of the best bred men, and, to use his own expression, "one of the finest gentlemen he had ever known." Murphy's introduction to Johnson was owing to a singular circum

stance :

'Being at Foote's house in the country, and not being disposed to lose pleasure for business, he determined to supply his bookseller with some unstudied essay for the Gray's-Inn Journal. He therefore had recourse to the French Journal Litteraire; and translating something that he liked, despatched it to the press. It was, however, soon after pointed out to him, that he had actually translated a Rambler, which had been inserted in the foreign publication without acknowledgment. Mr. Murphy accordingly waited upon Doctor Johnson, to explain this curious incident; and a friendship was then commenced, which continued without interruption till the death of the latter.'

Mr. Foote, in compiling his book, had a very good chart to steer by. Late in life, Mr. Murphy committed to paper a compendious history of himself. This is given at length; and as Mr. M. was singularly exact with regard to dates, it was of great use to his biographer. The book contains some plates-a portrait of Mr. M. aged 50 years, this is the frontispiece, (which when at Dance's we remember thinking a good likeness) an engraving of a bust of him at the age of 72; four fac simile letters written by him at different periods of his life; and a portrait of Miss Elliot, the actress, for whom he wrote the lively character of Maria in The Citizen.

Mr. Murphy may be regarded, 1st, as a man of general literature, exemplified in his Gray's-Inn Journal; 2d, as a dramatic author; 3d, as a lawyer; and 4th, as the translator of Tacitus.

1. No. 1. of the Gray's-Inn Journal,

Appeared on the twenty-first day of October, 1752, before Mr. Murphy had entered his twenty-fifth year. This must be considered as an arduous undertaking, especially at a period when the Spectator, the Tatler, the Guardian, and the Rambler, were in the highest state of popularity and impression, and while the Adventurer was in its progressive state of publication.

'It was an attempt admirably adapted to display talent and obtain reputation; and as every week was to give birth to a new theme, this plan generalized his reason, awakened his imagination, and incited his industry in quest of variety. This was the first fruit of his observations upon men and manners, and the accumulated stock of his knowledge.'

The cause of dropping this publication was owing to another circumstance of whimsical notoriety in its day. It is not, however, mentioned by Mr. Foote. Mr. Murphy arrived at his chambers one evening, and not feeling himself in the humour to write an essay, he published one found in his letter-box, which had been written by some wag; and contained an account of a most valuable discovery made of immense quantities of peat in Florida. This, it was gravely asserted, was of prodigious importance to the West India Islands, which were always (it was said) distressed for fuel, whether for boiling of sugar, or for culinary purposes. Murphy, in an unguarded moment, sent this precious morsel to press. A laugh was raised against him; and the Gray's Inn Journalist soon ceased from his labours.

We meet with a list of Murphy's dramatic productions, rendered curious by recording the prices given by the booksellers for them. But, before we introduce this record, we ought to mention that Sir Richard Steele, in the meridian of his reputation, could get for The Conscious Lovers no more than 407.: and that the comedy of The Drummer, written by Addison, himself, was sold to Tonson for 501. only.

For the farce of The Apprentice, Mr. Paul Valliant gave, in January 1756, the sum of forty pounds. For the farce of

The Upholsterer, he gave, in March 1759, the sum of forty guineas. For the tragedy of The Orphan of China, he gave in February 1760, the sum of one hundred guineas. For the comedy of The Way to Keep Him, in three acts, he gave, in February 1760, the sum of fifty guineas. For the dramatic poem, in three acts, The Desert Island, he gave, in February 1760, the sum of fifty guineas. For the comedy of The Way to Keep Him, enlarged to five acts in January 1761, he gave an additional sum of fifty guineas. For the comedy of All in the Wrong, in November 1761, he gave the sum of one hundred guineas. For the farce of The Old Maid, in November 1761, he gave the sum of forty guineas. No price of sale is mentioned for the farce of The Citizen, nor is pieces entitled, No one's Enemy but his own, there any account given of it. The two

a comedy, in three acts, and What we must all come to, a comedy, in two acts, were published and sold by Mr. Vaillant, upon Mr. Murphy's account. The tragedy of Zenobia was sold to Mr. Griffin, in 1768, for one hundred guineas, which were paid by two instalments of fifty guineas each. The tragedy of The Grecian Daughter was also sold to Mr. Griffin in 1772, for one hundred guineas; and that sum was also paid by two instalments of fifty guineas each. The tragedy of Alzuma was sold to Mr. Lowndes, in Fleet-street, in 1773, for one hundred gumeas, and in the year 1776, the plays that were published by Mr. Vaillant were all turned over to Mr. Lowndes.

"The comedy of Know your own Mind, as I thought, was sold to Mr. Becket; but he denies the circumstance. The bottom of

the title-page says, "Printed for T. Becket, Adelphi, Strand, 1778.'

Many, perhaps most, of Mr. Murphy's characters were drawn from living personages, though not always such as might be properly called public characters. We could have been glad that Mr. F. had pointed them out, on good authority. But to render a character perfect in representation, it must be studied from nature by the actor equally, or even more, closely, than by the writer. Mr. F. applauds Woodward, who possessed, he says, a manner peculiar to himself:

'In his Barber, in The Upholsterer, when he opens his casement and calls out; his tottering trot when he advances on the stage shaking the loose locks of his

old gray wig; his morbid countenance, his glee, his chuckle, his bason, his working up his soapsuds; his transport at the thought of having, for the good of his country, lighted up a farthing candle; his having left a gentleman half shaved, and his replies, when impatiently called for to finish the gentleman, were all examples of the truest farce, and of the best acting.' This barber was a portrait: his name was Douthwaite; he lived in Brownlow-street, Holborn; and in order to take him off accurately, Woodward shaved with him, for a considerable time. He wrote, and we believe, published, two volumes of poems, for which his customers among the gentlemen of Gray's-Inn subscribed. Often have we admired the tottering gait of the thin, tremulous, smirking, talkative, inconsiderate old man: Woodward's personification of him

was correctness itself.

We have always been advocates for the morality of the drama. We have ever nauseated the double entendre, and the obscenity, which disgrace some plays: we have never failed to hold up to derision the poor substi

tutes for wit and humour which are foisted into others; and we have branded, as they ought to be branded, the flagrant profaneness which flows from the lips of our actors, and the false ethics with which the German school has inundated the stage. It is with genuine approbation that we print the following passages, which truly characterize Mr. Murphy as a chaste dramatic writer. Mr. Foot

says,

'As I am now about to close the account of Mr. Murphy's Dramatic life, I have chosen rather to conclude it in his own words, with the apology he has made for

himself; which is indeed referable to all his productions in the various branches of literature whereto he successively applied his admirable talents. But, although I am always most at my ease whenever I can avail myself of giving his own explanation upon the occurrences of every part of his life; yet I cannot, in honour to his fame, permit this opportunity to escape, without bearing my testimony to one general truth, that throughout all his dramatic works, there is not one vicious sentence, nor one indelicate allusion. He has applied all the force of his dramatic mind to correct, with a playful and a light hand, the foibles of human nature. He has sought " the gayest, happiest attitude of things." The study of the female character seems to have been his particular choice, and his darling dramatic passion; in all his scenes, women are delicately corrected, studiously cautioned, and constantly befriended.* He has never lost sight of the purpose of plays, as defined by that liberal moralist and friend to virtue, Archbishop Tillotson : "Plays," says he, " may be so framed, and governed by such rules, as not only to be innocently diverting, but instructive and useful, to put some follies and vices out of countenance, which cannot perhaps be so decently reproved, nor other way."I shall now, as becomes me, so effectually exposed and corrected, any let Mr. Murphy speak for himself.

"Pleasing as it is to find myself at the end of my labours, I am far from suffering my imagination to be deluded with ideas of fancied success. One point there is, upon which I can, with truth, receive the congratulations of my own heart : I look back through the whole of my work; and from The Gray's Inn Journal and the farce of The Apprentice, to the conclusion of the present volume, there is not, I believe, a single passage that can justly bring reproach upon the author. Even in the lightest and most sportful sallies of fancy, I persuade myself, that I need not blush for one indecent or immoral expression. For the wit that offends against good manners, I have had no relish t can, with